Thomas Cook Airlines will cut 250 jobs and axe six aircraft from its UK fleet this winter.
The Thomas Cook group told those at risk of redundancy yesterday and has begun a 90-consultation with affected staff.
The cuts amount to about one seventh of the company’s UK fleet and will fall most heavily on long haul, with five wide-body aircraft ceasing flying from the UK.
However, a group spokeswoman said: “We are not cutting long-haul all together. This is about the right fleet for the current capacity requirements. It is not about offering fewer holidays next summer.” She said the summer 2012 schedule had yet to be finalised.
The group’s UK long-haul programme this winter will make up 8% of the total, down from 13% last winter.
Thomas Cook will return three Airbus A330s to their leasing company, along with a narrow-body Airbus A320. A Boeing 767 will be reassigned to Thomas Cook’s German airline Condor and another A330 will transfer to Thomas Cook Northern Europe.
The spokeswoman said a review of the airline began in May, ahead of the group’s high-profile problems in July in August when a profits warning triggered a collapse of its share price and change of chief executive. This subsequently became part of the wider review of the UK business announced this summer.
She added: “The review will be about building the business as well as cutting costs.”
Ian Ailles, Thomas Cook UK mainstream chief executive, said: “The fleet reduction is one measure within our overall strategic and operating review of the UK business and demonstrates the decisive action we are taking to improve the profitability of our UK business.
“The airline review has focused on leases, seasonal capacity and mainstream tour operator demand, as well as operational efficiency and profitability.”