Airtours

Airtours
Industry Tourism, Hospitality, Package holidays
Founded 1972
Headquarters Peterborough, England, United Kingdom
Parent Thomas Cook Group
Website Airtours.co.uk

Airtours is a British tour operator specialising in package holidays throughout Europe, as well as in parts of North America and the Caribbean. The brand fell within MyTravel Group plc between 2002 and 2007, before it then merged with Thomas Cook AG to form Thomas Cook Group plc.

The company serves numerous resorts across 18 different countries on four continents, as well as offshore territories such as the Canary Islands and Madeira . It operates its charter flights through Thomas Cook Airlines from 12 UK bases including London Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport.

History

Airtours’ origins can be traced back to Lancashire, United Kingdom. From 1972 onwards, travel agent David Crossland began purchasing numerous small agencies across the region. He initially purchased Pendle Travel Services, which operated just two stores, before acquiring an agency run by Albert and Ivy Roberts. Their business had been registered using their initials – A.I.R Tours – and it is from this that the Airtours name was born.

The business continued to expand gradually throughout the 1970s, but growth accelerated rapidly when the operator began offering package holidays during the 1980s. They offered their first charter flights to the Caribbean in 1987 for just £299.[1]

In 1990, Airtours founded its in-house airline; Airtours International Airways. Announced on 1 October 1990, its first flight departed in March 1991. Together with Airtours Holidays, the airline formed Airtours Group PLC and was headquartered in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

The business was restructured and brought under the newly-formed MyTravel Group plc in May 2002. Airtours International Airways was rebranded as MyTravel Airways, while the Airtours Holidays brand continued to trade within the group.[2]

On 12 February 2007, MyTravel Group plc and Thomas Cook AG announced their intention to merge.[3] This was completed on 19 June 2007, when the two companies became Thomas Cook Group plc. Subsequently, the airline arm of the business was rebranded Thomas Cook Airlines, and the Airtours brand fell under the control of the group. Listed in London, Airtours’ operations are now headquartered from Peterborough, United Kingdom.

References

  1. ↑ "Profile: Rise of the holiday maker: David Crossland will be in his". 7 March 1993. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  2. ↑ "Airtours to take off as MyTravel". Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  3. ↑ "MyTravel and Thomas Cook merging". 12 February 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2017 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
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