SEATTLE – The Port of Seattle welcomes the announcement that Thomas Cook Airline, part of the Thomas Cook Group will begin new seasonal service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Manchester beginning May 27, 2018. The twice-weekly (Thursday and Sunday) nonstop flight will be on an Airbus A330 airplane. Manchester is one of the UK’s most-visited cities, behind London and Edinburgh.
“As home to the MLS champion soccer team the Sounders, we are proud to now have a direct link to the legendary UK football city and we all know this is a major score for our travelers,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Stephanie Bowman. “Manchester is more than just sport and this new flight will bring economic benefit to the Pacific Northwest and is another link to a rich area for both tourists and business fliers alike.”
“With our new connection to Manchester and the Condor year-round service from Seattle, it’s never been easier and more affordable for Americans to explore Europe. With seventeen gateways in the U.S., four of which just launched this summer, we’re making excellent progress with our strategy to grow our long-haul network,” said Christoph Debus, chief airlines officer, Thomas Cook Group.
With prices from $549.99 return, Thomas Cook Airline is a smart choice for customers, who want to explore Europe and North England. All tickets include free checked baggage (up to 50 pounds) as well as meals and inflight entertainment, available on seat-back screens with a choice of free and paid-for premium content, featuring more than 30 movies and 50 TV shows.
The Thomas Cook Airline Manchester service adds to sister airline Condor’s service expansion from Sea-Tac, which extended existing Frankfurt service to year-round flights along with a seasonal Munich flight. Sea-Tac has become Condor’s largest U.S. gateway along with Las Vegas. Earlier this year, Condor became a mileage partner with Alaska Airlines, allowing passengers to earn and redeem with Alaska’s Mileage Plan.
International growth at Sea-Tac
In addition to Manchester in 2018, Sea-Tac will add new nonstop service to Mexico City and London Gatwick later this year.
International passenger traffic up 12 percent in 2017 (compared w/2016)
International passenger traffic up 11 percent in 2016 from compared to 2015.ternational passenger traffic up 11 percent in 2016 from compared to 2015.
Six new international airlines since 2016: Aeromexico, Eurowings, Norwegian,Virgin Atlantic, Volaris and Xiamen
Sea-Tac has set annual passenger records for the past six years, totaling 45.7 million in 2016 - 3.4 million more passengers than in 2015. The 8 percent passenger growth rate is Sea-Tac’s second largest in the past 20 years, only topped by 2015’s 12.9 percent increase. Sea-Tac is one of the fastest growing large hub airports in the U.S. and is the 9th busiest based on total passengers for the past three years.
About Thomas Cook Group Airline:
The Thomas Cook Group Airlines as part of the Thomas Cook Group plc. consist of four sun and beach focused leisure airlines: Thomas Cook Airlines UK, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia and Condor Flugdienst. The airlines carry 16.7m passengers per year to more than 160 destinations, generating revenues of £2.8bn. The combined fleet consists of 94 aircraft thereof 25 new Airbus A321 that joined by 2016. The Thomas Cook Group recently invested 100 million GBP in comfort and new technology of all aircraft. State-of-the-art engine technology and enhanced aerodynamics of the aircraft cut kerosene consumption thus reducing emissions and improving sound protection. More than 9,000 employees work passionately every day to satisfy the customer’s needs. Numerous awards highlight this attitude in each of the single airlines.
About Seattle-Tacoma International Airport:
Operated by the Port of Seattle, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA, KSEA) is ranked as the 9th busiest U.S. airport, serving nearly 45.7 million passengers and more than 366,000 metric tons of air cargo in 2016. With a regional economic impact of more than $16.3 billion in business revenue, Sea-Tac generates 171,796 jobs (109,924 direct jobs) representing over $2.8 billion in direct earnings and more than $565 million in state and local taxes. Twenty-four airlines serve 81 non-stop domestic and 24 international destinations.
