Strains that sank Thomas Cook weigh on European airlines
The collapse of travel group Thomas Cook and a trio of subsidiary airlines, leaving 600,000 holidaymakers stranded, is unlikely to be the last failure among Europe’s struggling second-tier carriers.
As Britain was activating plans for its biggest peacetime repatriation, two smaller operators, Aigle Azur and XL Airways, were before the French bankruptcy courts on Monday.
Shares in larger airlines rose on expectations that Thomas Cook’s demise would bring them more passengers, higher fares and new airport slots. But many are wrestling with similar problems.
