Thomas Cook Airlines UK has welcomed its first A321 to its fleet, complete with new ‘sunny heart’ livery and wing-tip Sharklets.
Following the launch of the Thomas Cook Group’s unification of its brands alongside the introduction of the symbol, the delivery – relocated to Hamburg Airport from Airbus’s Hamburg base due to foggy weather conditions – is the second of 23 A321s to be delivered by 2016.
The group is replacing almost a third of its short- and medium-haul fleet.
Six of the type will be deployed in the UK by next summer, operating to destinations across Europe and North Africa.
Following its first flight to Manchester Airport today, G-TCDC - on lease from Air Lease Corporation - will enter service from its base at Belfast Airport by next week.
Christoph Debus, chairman of Thomas Cook Group Airlines and CEO of Thomas Cook Airlines UK, said: “It’s very symbolic that we will see the first of our new A321 aircraft in the UK take on our new ‘Sunny Heart’ livery, an icon for the new Thomas Cook and the new Thomas Cook Airlines.”
The new A321 is the first in the airline’s fleet to feature wing-tip Sharklets, contributing to fuel efficiency of up to 6%, compared to the existing fleet.
The aircraft is also the first narrow-body aircraft to be fitted with an on-airport navigation system (OANS).
German sister airline, Condor, took delivery of the group’s first A321 in May.
