12/12/2001: Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium Is Founded

DALLAS - Today, in 2001, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium (HQ) was founded.

The Thomas Cook Group (TCG) created the airline to tap into the Belgian leisure market and serve holiday destinations outside the European Union. Initially, TCG planned on taking over the bankrupt Belgian charter carrier CityBird (H2). However, the deal later fell through.

Operations commenced on March 13, 2002, with a flight from Brussels (BRU) to the Canary Islands. Five 180-seat Airbus A320s were transferred over from the UK carrier, JMC Air (MT). The airline also recruited 50 ex-pilots from the defunct Belgian flag carrier Sabena (SN).

Tickets on the carrier's flights could at first only be purchased through travel agents. But in January 2004, individual seats began to be sold via the airline's website.

Restructuring

In March 2013, the airline was brought under a single management structure, Thomas Cook Airlines Group (TCAG), as the parent company looked at restructuring its business to cut costs. Previously, the various airline arms of Thomas Cook UK (MT), Thomas Cook Scandinavia (DK), and Condor (DE) in Germany were managed independently.

An additional restructuring occurred in March 2017 after management announced that TCAG would sell HQ to Brussels Airlines (SN). Two of the airline's A320s were transferred to SN, along with 160 pilots and flight attendants.

Its final flight from Tenerife (TFS) took place on October 27, 2017, and its three remaining aircraft moved across to other TCAG members.

Featured image: Thomas Cook Belgium Airbus A320 (OO-TCH) is now flying with Brussels Airlines.