EasyJet buys Thomas Cook’s Gatwick and Bristol landing slots

EasyJet has bought all of collapsed tour operator Thomas Cook’s landing slots at Gatwick and Bristol Airports for £36 million, the company’s liquidators have said.

The budget airline snapped up 27 pairs of slots, including 12 summer slots and eight winter slots at Gatwick.

The deal also includes six summer and one winter slot at the smaller Bristol Airport.

EasyJet said it will release more information later this month.

The move leaves several of Thomas Cook’s slots still up for grabs at Manchester, Stansted, and Birmingham Airports.

“This outcome has been facilitated by the collaborative approach of Thomas Cook’s commercial partners at UK airports and the support of both internal and external slot co-ordinators,” the Official Receiver said.

It comes less than two months since Thomas Cook entered administration.

Administrators have since been trying to recoup as much money as possible from the business to help pay back its debts.

Earlier this month, they sold off the Thomas Cook brand name to Chinese company Fosun for £11 million. Fosun said it still believes in the brand value of Thomas Cook.

And in October, Sunderland-based Hays Travel paid £6 million to buy Thomas Cook’s 555 high street stores, promising to keep many of the jobs.

The collapse has caused politicians to call for changes.

Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom pledged to take action to help customers who face losing out on injury compensation claims.

“Thomas Cook only took out insurance cover for the very largest personal injury claims,” she said on Tuesday.

“For agreed claims below this figure up to a high-aggregate amount, they decided to self-insure through a provision in their accounts.”