NEw airline launched: BelgiumExel

Since the bankruptcy of Sobelair and the cancellation of its AOC, Thomas Cook Belgium was looking for an operator aérien for its long haul destinations: Cuba, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Kenya and Zanzibar. From end Fevruary, the new Belgian company BelgiumExel will take over.

Who are BelgiumExel? A new company created for that sole purpose Exel Aviation Group, which already controls regional airlines like KLM Exel, GrandaExel in Italy or AlbaExel in Spain. Exel Aviation Group itself is part of Dutch holding Imca, active in real estate, communicayion media, air transport and industrial sewing machines (!).

BelgiumExel will operate from Brussels with a Boeing 767-300 based in Zaventem, equipped with 260 seats in economy and 12 in business. BelgiumExel will also fly to the Carribean, Africa and Asia for Thomas Cook Netherlands.

The launching of this new airline will create 50 jobs. Recruitment of flight attendants will start immediately.

Most short and medium-haul of Thomas Cook will remain in the hands of Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, founded in March 2002.