Thomas Cook Airlines is growing its short to medium haul fleet to 105 aircraft for this summer with the addition of four Airbus A321. Cook aircraft are based variously across the UK, Scandinavia, Spain and Germany.

Three of the A321s that are joining the Cook fleet will be stationed in Germany, while two will go to Condor to operate its summer 2019 schedule. These aircraft will then be transferred to the UK for the winter.

Cook says its fleet growth would support “operational stability during high season”. “Using additional aircraft of our own is another measure to live up to our quality promise next summer, even during the high season,” added Christoph Debus, Cook’s chief airline officer.

More jobs will become available due to the new aircraft, with the airline recruiting for new personnel “on the ground and in the air”.

The news comes despite Cook intimating its entire group airline is up for sale. The operator embarked on a “strategic review” of its airline last month after reporting an increase in underlying operating loss of £14 million to £60 million and a post-tax loss of £163 million for 2018.