FINAL DESTINATION We take a look at the human cost of the collapse of the oldest travel business in the world, Thomas Cook By David Keen, Log Board member and former Thomas Cook pilot Monday 23rd September 2019 is a date that will stay lodged in more than 9,000 people’s memories. At 2am, the UK arm of the Thomas Cook Group was declared insolvent, and the company liquidation process began immediately. At the time of the announcement, Thomas Cook’s UK fleet of more than 40 aircraft were either on the ground in the UK or on their way back to home base. Landing A330s, all on long-haul flights eastwards to the UK, were allocated remote stands upon arrival. Airport vehicles moved obstacles into place to block any movement of the incoming and already parked aircraft – a most unpleasant sight as daylight broke. No such event took place for the remaining group airlines operating in Germany, Spain, and Scandinavia, which continued to function as before, supported by prompt and EU- approved governmental aid. The 9,000 UK employees lost their jobs in a flash. This was a tragic ending for a British company that had been in existence for 178 years, and that was a household name at home and abroad. Given the understandable public reassurance from senior management up until the final hours, the sudden shock affecting all Thomas Cook workers was palpable. The full extent of the event hit the country from 6am on the same day, with significant media coverage throughout Monday and into the following days. Widespread recriminations surfaced against top managers present and past. And, despite the muted warnings of the possibility of collapse in the preceding days, the impact on the staff of Thomas Cook UK was profound and painful. Among the 9,000 were just fewer than 600 pilots, the overwhelming majority of whom are BALPA members. This was the biggest pilot lay-off in UK history and, as such, has had a major impact upon the employment situation for new and aspiring airline pilots in Britain and abroad, as well as on the 600 newly unemployed pilots of Thomas Cook. Not just a job For many people working at the sharp end of Thomas Cook’s Airbus fleet, the event was of far greater significance than simply losing their current job. Quite a number were formerly Monarch Airlines pilots who had, therefore, been through this tough experience only two years previously. They had experienced a decline in earnings followed by unemployment as their company folded. They then re-started their careers with Thomas Cook on lower pay as first officers. In addition, a substantial group of individuals are in the higher age (and experience) bracket, meaning that their future employment prospects are, realistically, limited. Sadly, many non-EU airlines stipulate age limits and medical requirements that rule out a large number of competent and available pilots. Notable among these are the Middle East and Far East airlines, well known to us all. Perfectly understandable comments from friends in this age group were that they did not relish the prospect of aptitude tests, having flown professionally for more than 30 years. Many selection processes follow a strict format, despite the enormous differences in experience that exist between individuals in a large company. Premature retirement is proving necessary for some, with the associated financial hardship. Recently qualified pilots, with fewer than 500 hours on type, are also limited in the number of carriers to which they can apply. And, for the many pilots aged between 40 and 55, simply not holding the right type rating excludes them from serious consideration by future employers. Paying up to £30,000 for a new rating is simply not a possibility for most. Life change But other factors have come into play, which are creating enormous life and family problems for many – both captains and first officers. Thomas Cook Airlines UK operated from a main base in Manchester, with a focus on long-haul A330 operations, which had been expanded significantly and successfully in recent years. Many employees had relocated to the north west, bringing their families with them. The number of pilot openings at Manchester is clearly limited. Nevertheless, Jet2 and TUI have been quick to respond, and have rapidly set up recruitment programmes to hire significant numbers of pilots for their Manchester and UK bases. In the past three years, Thomas Cook shut down bases at Stansted, Cardiff and East Midlands, and reduced operations out of Belfast. Again, many of our colleagues had relocated to other bases to continue working for the company at Gatwick, Newcastle, Glasgow, Bristol, and Birmingham. Job opportunities are limited or non-existent at some of these airports. Disruption to lives has – and will – continue to take place, for pilots and their families. The consequences are enormous. Pressures within families are taking their toll, both because of loss of income and the likely need to move home and downsize. Schooling, friendships and support networks will all be disrupted, and the psychological effects upon families are not to be under-estimated. The hard facts remain – mortgages and loans need to be repaid. Once the redundancy and loss of notice payments have been deployed, there is no possibility to meet outgoings on Jobseeker’s Allowance. Loss of hard-won benefits, such as family medical insurance and permanent health insurance (PHI), is hitting people hard. For individuals such as Captain Jerry Ward, paralysed from the neck down after an accident down route, the news that PHI will not be paid to him beyond the age of 60 is truly catastrophic. He will now have to live on a meagre RAF pension and disability living allowance, and start to draw down his pension immediately. He has no prospect of any further employment as a pilot up to normal retirement age. Playing a part On the positive side, BALPA has sprung into effective action on many fronts, with the Membership and Careers Services team giving support on the jobs front. Alongside issuing frequent job bulletins, BALPA has donated a substantial sum to support Thomas Cook pilots working with AirlinePrep, and has also negotiated free and heavily discounted simulator sessions. In addition, videos have been prepared to help in CV and interview preparation, and a mentoring group has been set up with Virgin pilot volunteers to assist those applying to Virgin Atlantic. BALPA’s legal department is currently exploring the possibilities for legal claims for protective awards, and the Pilots’ Advisory Group (PAG) is on 24-hour standby to help with confidential support and advice for the many pilots suffering emotional difficulties. Self-help groups within the Thomas Cook pilot community have sprung up, using WhatsApp and other social media. They have addressed the requirement and complexities of ‘signing-on’, a most daunting activity for many. My recent observations confirm that pilots are a resilient and creative lot; all have readily understood and accepted the need to attend Jobcentres regularly. Furthermore, the energy most have put into seeking financial support to maintain their careers has been impressive. But the pain afflicting the 2,000-plus unemployed cabin crew has been such that many remain in denial, and have not signed on. One factor that has surfaced is that sharing of assessment test details has been declared unacceptable by at least one major airline. They have stated that no job offer will be forthcoming to individuals observed to be publicising details of selection processes on social media. Given that former colleagues are now in competition with each other, this is a somewhat painful edict to follow. Again, on the positive side, the BALPA Thomas Cook Company Council is giving assistance with information on Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, and provision of financial support for attending interviews, travel, accommodation, sim prep, and medicals. The company and general forums on the BALPA website have been a great source of help for members, as have specific sections within career services. It must be stressed that the process of applying for and finding new work is a lengthy process for most pilots. One month after the closure, just a handful of the 597 pilots laid off had secured job offers. Even those lucky few may have to wait some months before their new contracts start. Two months after the closure, approximately 160 pilots have received firm job offers – less than one third of the original workforce. Training bonds for those restarting on new types are commonplace with many airlines. Sadly, for a considerable number of pilots – perhaps up to 400 – Christmas and the new year will be a bleak, rather than festive, season. The adverse effects of the Thomas Cook collapse will resonate throughout the British aviation industry for a long time to come. PRESSURES WITHIN FAMILIES ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL, BOTH BECAUSE OF LOSS OF INCOME AND THE LIKELY NEED TO MOVE HOME AND DOWNSIZE READ MORE Pilots’ Advisory Group THOMAS COOK READ MORE Pilots’ Advisory Group Heather Bennett, Surrey 07939 202294 Hayley Brewis, Suffolk 01284 386004 Amanda Calnan, Staffs 07812 151512 Russ Jones, Scotland 01337 858026 or 07713 621507 David Marshall, Leics 01164 299213 Sean Walters, Surrey 07850 077055 PilotsAdvisoryGroup @balpa.org