The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) welcomed Thomas Cook Airlines, the award-winning airline division of the global travel company, and their new nonstop service between San Francisco and Manchester, on May 14, with an inaugural celebration. The airline plans to operate two flights per week between SFO and Manchester using Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
“I am proud that Thomas Cook Airlines has chosen SFO for its expansion in the United States,” said Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. “We both share a passion for creating an unforgettable travel experience, and our customers now have an exciting new way to get to England and beyond.”
“This is an exciting time for Thomas Cook Group Airlines as we start this amazing new service and grow our U.S. footprint even more,” said Christoph Debus, Chief Airlines Officer, Thomas Cook Group. “We work closely with partner airlines, allowing us to connect to 90 destinations within the USA, as well as to fantastic European cities like Paris, Amsterdam and Milan, allowing us to offer more destinations than ever before.”
Thomas Cook is one of the most recognized names in travel, and the airline traces its history to Thomas Cook & Son, the first travel agency to advertise public trips by airplane. The earliest air travel offerings included trips between London and Paris or Brussels, and steadily grew to include chartered air trips to the French Riviera. Thomas Cook Airlines was established in 1999 and is now part of the airline division of the Thomas Cook Group, which consists of several sister airlines, including Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia and German-based leisure airline Condor.
Thomas Cook Airlines plans to operate flights between San Francisco and Manchester twice each week, on Sundays and Thursdays, allowing travelers to connect with popular Thomas Cook destinations such as the Balearic and Canary Islands, Cyprus, and various destinations in Turkey. In 2016, Thomas Cook Airlines was named “World’s Leading Charter Airline” by the World Travel Awards.
