Below the report by your BeCA Vice-President of the main events that happened in Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium since the last edition of our Cockpit Flash.

Another 6 months have passed. So it is time to give you a summary of the rollercoaster our company has been on.

Due to the Volaris hick-up, we had a very calm winter season. We were easing back into our summer season, when just before the Easter holidays we were invited to an extra ordinary Work Council, which is usually not a very good sign. We were told that Thomas Cook (Tour Operator) had received a binding offer from Brussels Airlines to take over our Tour Operator production, 2 aircraft and all our flight crews. Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium (TCAB) and their AOC would cease to exist and the remaining 3 aircraft would go back to the Thomas Cook Group. In order to accept the offer, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium needed to find a solution for their ground staff. So at the same time, information and consultation rounds were started with the staff representatives in accordance with the law governing collective dismissal (law Renault).

After 5 weeks of negotiations, a deal between the unions and the management was almost reached concerning the collective dismissal of the ground staff. During the final meeting end of May, our management pulled a big white rabbit out of their hat. The remaining part of Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium (ground staff, AOC, 3 aircraft…) would be sold to SHS Aviation (see article below).

This meant that a solution was found for our ground staff and that the binding offer of Brussels Airlines could be accepted by Thomas Cook. Both deals are now signed. And both airlines will be looking for extra staff to fly their planned production.

Meanwhile, Brussels Airlines is already talking to their unions on how to integrate our flying staff. Without consulting BeCA nor the TCAB unions. This doesn’t feel like the warm welcome we were hoping. We are now trying to be invited at the negotiating table as soon as possible. Otherwise there will never be a smooth integration.

We also asked our management if they find it normal we are still taking a paycut of 5% (CLA Cost Competitiveness) to invest in the future of our company, while it will disappear. Apparently we must see this as an investment in our future with Brussels Airlines. It is also serving for the wifi that will be installed on board as well as for our brand new uniforms. We are preparing our next steps and will keep you informed in due time…

Happy landings,

Bart Smet, Vice-President TCAB

SHS Aviation

End of March, Brussels Airlines made a binding offer to Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium (TCAB) to take over their production. If the 160 pilots and cabin crew would be integrated into Brussels Airlines, the 40 ground staff would be dismissed. After 6 weeks of negotiations between management and staff representatives, the TCAB management announced they found a solution for the ground staff. An agreement was reached between Thomas Cook (tour operator) and the Belgian holding company SHS Aviation B.V. (who already acquired VLM) about the acquisition of Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium N.V. (TCAB). As part of the agreement, SHS will take over certain contractual obligations and will employ the 40 TCAB ground staff employees. This means the TCAB AOC will remain alive and their remaining 3 A320 aircraft will stay in Belgium. SHS plans to deploy a fleet of 7 A320s and 14 A330s in a 3-year period to operate flights to Chinese secondary cities.