Thomas Cook Receives First New A320 in Own Livery
Toulouse, 27 February 2003
The integrated European leisure group Thomas Cook AG took delivery today of its first new Airbus A320 painted in its own livery. This is the 25th Airbus aircraft to join the Thomas Cook fleet, which already comprises 22 A320s and two A330-200s operated by Condor Berlin, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium and JMC Airlines. This A320 will be operated by Thomas Cook Belgium from Brussels airport and will serve holiday destinations around the Mediterranean.
Thomas Cook’s new A320 will be powered by the environmental friendly CFM56-B4 engines and features a comfortable single-class layout. Airbus single-aisle aircraft have the widest cabin cross section, thus offering wider seats and wider aisles for the best cabin comfort in its class. Furthermore the A320 Family offers the biggest overhead bins in single-aisle aircraft for a more convenient storage of modern roll-aboard luggage.
”For the first time Thomas Cook AG rather than one of its operating airlines has purchased an aircraft. With this Airbus A320 we have set new technical and design standards for our fleet,” said Dr. Rudolf Tewes, Executive Vice President Airline Operations Thomas Cook AG. “Together with Airbus we have been able to successfully create a new cabin interior, to design galleys that fit our local catering requirements and to harmonise technical systems of our aircraft.”
“We are very pleased to see Thomas Cook’s fleet further expanding with Airbus aircraft. The A320 Family is a member of the only true family of single-aisle aircraft and offers an unmatched combination of low seat mile costs and lower financial risk for airlines.” said Noël Forgeard, Airbus President and CEO. „With nearly 350 A320 Family aircraft in operation or on order for the European low-fare and tourism industry, Airbus is the clear market leader in this segment,“ he added.
Designed to optimise passenger comfort and maximise cost savings, the A318, A319, A320 and A321 form the world's most profitable and best-selling single-aisle aircraft family. All derived from the same fuselage, the A320 Family provides operators with the highest degree of commonality and economy for aircraft in the 107-185 seat category. Depending on seasonal demand airlines can thus easily switch from one Airbus aircraft to another to sustain maximum profitability.
A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line on the market, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China and Japan. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE SYSTEMS.
