G-OMYT – Thomas Cook Airbus A330: Three Engine Shutdowns in Three Weeks

Three flights.

Three engine shutdowns.

Twenty-two days.

One Airbus A330.

G-OMYT.

Most commercial aircraft can spend their entire operational lives without experiencing a single in-flight engine shutdown.

In the autumn of 2012, this Thomas Cook Airbus A330 experienced three.

The first happened on 26 October during a flight from London Gatwick to Orlando.

The second came on 9 November while flying from Manchester to Cayo Coco in Cuba.

Eight days later, on 17 November, G-OMYT departed Manchester for Cancun.

Again, an engine had to be shut down.

Again, the aircraft returned safely.

Three remarkably similar events involving the same Airbus A330 within just over three weeks.

But those incidents represent only one chapter in the history of this aircraft.

Before G-OMYT, it had another registration.

G-MOJO.

Before Thomas Cook, it flew for Airtours International and MyTravel Airways.

It spent periods flying for Premiair in Scandinavia.

It even operated for Garuda Indonesia.

And after almost twenty years of carrying holidaymakers around the world, G-OMYT's career ended together with Thomas Cook itself.

Today, part of its genuine fuselage skin has been preserved by Aircrafttag.

Born as G-MOJO

The aircraft was built as an Airbus A330-243 with manufacturer serial number MSN 301.

During testing at Airbus, it carried the registration F-WWYE.

Its first flight took place on 22 October 1999.

Power came from two Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 engines.

On 8 November 1999, the new Airbus was delivered to Airtours International Airways.

Its first British registration was not G-OMYT.

It was G-MOJO.

Just two days later, the aircraft began the first of several Scandinavian chapters when it was leased to Premiair.

The pattern reflected the seasonal nature of leisure aviation.

Aircraft could move between different parts of a travel group as demand changed between summer and winter.

G-MOJO would become particularly familiar with this kind of operation.

Airtours International

Airtours International was part of one of Britain's largest holiday groups.

Its aircraft carried millions of British travellers toward holiday destinations throughout Europe, the Caribbean and beyond.

By the late 1990s, long-haul leisure travel was becoming increasingly important.

The Airbus A330 was ideally suited to that market.

Twin engines.

Wide-body cabin.

Long range.

And substantially newer technology than the generation of wide-body aircraft that preceded it.

G-MOJO became part of Airtours' long-haul fleet.

For passengers, that meant destinations far beyond Europe.

Caribbean beaches.

Mexico.

Florida.

And other long-distance leisure markets.

Premiair

Only days after delivery, G-MOJO began flying for Premiair in Scandinavia under lease from Airtours.

This arrangement would repeat over several winter seasons.

The aircraft moved back to Airtours in April 2000.

It returned to Premiair later that year.

Back to Airtours in 2001.

Then Premiair again.

The aircraft itself remained G-MOJO.

But its commercial identity moved between related leisure operators.

This pattern would continue throughout much of MSN 301's life.

It was an aircraft designed to follow demand.

From Airtours to MyTravel

The early 2000s brought major changes to the Airtours Group.

In 2002, Airtours adopted the MyTravel name.

Airtours International Airways became MyTravel Airways.

G-MOJO therefore entered another chapter without actually changing aircraft operators in the conventional sense.

The corporate identity around it had changed.

Then came a new registration.

On 14 May 2003, G-MOJO became G-OMYT.

That registration would remain with the Airbus for the rest of its life.

G-MOJO had disappeared.

G-OMYT had arrived.

The MyTravel Years

G-OMYT continued operating long-haul leisure flights for MyTravel.

By the end of 2004, it had received the full MyTravel colour scheme.

The Airbus became part of a period when package holidays and vertically integrated travel groups were major forces in British aviation.

The same company could sell the holiday.

Provide the hotel.

Arrange transfers.

And operate the aircraft carrying passengers to their destination.

G-OMYT was one of the machines making that system work.

But its career was not restricted to British holidaymakers.

Garuda Indonesia

In November 2007, G-OMYT travelled far from its normal European operation.

The aircraft was leased to Garuda Indonesia.

It was used in connection with Hajj operations, where enormous numbers of passengers travel to Saudi Arabia within a concentrated period.

For the British-registered Airbus, this meant another completely different mission.

Instead of carrying holidaymakers from Britain toward Caribbean resorts, G-OMYT was operating in an entirely different part of the world.

In January 2008, the aircraft returned from the Garuda lease.

Another major change was waiting.

Thomas Cook

MyTravel and Thomas Cook had merged.

In February 2008, G-OMYT formally became part of Thomas Cook Airlines.

One of the most famous names in travel was now displayed on its fuselage.

The Thomas Cook story stretched back far beyond commercial aviation.

Thomas Cook had organized his first excursion in England in 1841.

From those beginnings grew one of the most recognizable travel businesses in the world.

By the time G-OMYT joined Thomas Cook Airlines, the company had become an enormous international travel group.

And the Airbus A330 was perfectly suited to one of its most important businesses.

Long-haul holidays.

Across the Atlantic

Under Thomas Cook, G-OMYT became a familiar aircraft on routes from Britain toward long-haul leisure destinations.

Orlando.

Cancun.

Cuba.

Dominican Republic.

Las Vegas.

Goa.

The aircraft could carry hundreds of passengers across the Atlantic in a single flight.

Its two Rolls-Royce Trent engines provided the range required for these missions.

And like other modern twin-engine long-haul aircraft, the A330 was designed to continue flying safely if one engine had to be shut down.

That capability would become particularly relevant in 2012.

Garuda Again

G-OMYT returned temporarily to Garuda Indonesia in September 2011.

Again, the lease was associated with seasonal demand.

By December, the aircraft was back with Thomas Cook.

And less than a year later, G-OMYT entered the most extraordinary period of its operational life.

October 2012.

26 October 2012 – Gatwick to Orlando

The first incident occurred on 26 October 2012.

G-OMYT was operating Thomas Cook flight MT-246.

London Gatwick to Orlando Sanford.

There were 338 people on board.

The Airbus departed Britain and headed west across the Atlantic.

Approximately two hours into the flight, the crew encountered a problem with one of the Rolls-Royce Trent engines.

The engine was shut down.

The aircraft turned around.

Flying on its remaining engine, G-OMYT returned across the Atlantic toward Britain.

It landed safely at Manchester.

For a long-haul twin-engine aircraft, an in-flight engine shutdown is a serious event.

But it is also a situation for which aircraft and crews are designed and trained.

The Airbus landed safely.

The passengers left the aircraft.

The technical problem could be investigated.

Normally, that would have been the end of the story.

For G-OMYT, it was only the beginning.

9 November 2012 – Manchester to Cayo Coco

Fourteen days later, G-OMYT was back in long-haul service.

On 9 November, it departed Manchester as Thomas Cook flight MT-174.

Destination: Cayo Coco, Cuba.

The Airbus climbed to FL360.

36,000 feet.

It continued west.

Approximately 160 nautical miles southwest of Shannon in Ireland, another engine problem developed.

The crew turned the aircraft around.

One engine was shut down.

G-OMYT descended and returned to Manchester.

Again, the aircraft landed safely.

Two in-flight engine shutdowns.

Same aircraft.

Two weeks apart.

That alone was unusual.

But eight days later, it happened again.

17 November 2012 – Manchester to Cancun

On 17 November, G-OMYT was scheduled for another transatlantic leisure flight.

Thomas Cook flight MT-324.

Manchester to Cancun.

The Airbus departed Manchester and began climbing.

It reached approximately FL345 near Belfast.

Then another engine problem occurred.

The crew stopped the climb.

The right-hand Rolls-Royce Trent 772 engine was shut down.

G-OMYT descended to approximately FL250.

And for the third time in 22 days, the Airbus turned back toward Britain following an in-flight engine shutdown.

Around 75 minutes after departure, it landed safely back at Manchester.

Three events.

26 October.

9 November.

17 November.

Gatwick to Orlando.

Manchester to Cayo Coco.

Manchester to Cancun.

Three intended long-haul journeys.

Three engine shutdowns.

Three safe returns.

Three Shutdowns in 22 Days

The sequence made G-OMYT an exceptionally unusual aircraft.

An in-flight engine shutdown is rare in modern commercial aviation.

Three documented shutdowns involving the same aircraft within 22 days are therefore remarkable.

It is tempting to describe G-OMYT as the airliner with the most engine failures ever recorded within three weeks.

But there is no comprehensive worldwide historical database that would allow such a claim to be proven across every commercial aircraft ever operated.

What can be documented is extraordinary enough.

G-OMYT experienced three reported in-flight engine shutdown events between 26 October and 17 November 2012.

That fact needs no exaggeration.

Why One Engine Is Enough

The incidents also demonstrate an important aspect of modern twin-engine aircraft design.

An Airbus A330 does not require both engines to remain running simply to stay airborne.

Aircraft systems, procedures and performance requirements are designed around the possibility of an engine failure.

If one engine has to be shut down, the remaining engine continues producing thrust.

The aircraft will generally descend to an appropriate altitude.

The crew evaluates the situation.

And a diversion or return is initiated.

That does not make an engine shutdown routine.

It remains a serious abnormal event.

But G-OMYT demonstrated the redundancy built into long-haul twin-engine aviation three times within an extraordinarily short period.

Every time, the aircraft landed safely.

Back to Work

Perhaps surprisingly, the events of 2012 did not end G-OMYT's career.

The aircraft returned to service.

And it kept flying.

The Airbus still had years ahead of it.

G-OMYT continued operating for Thomas Cook and also spent additional seasonal periods with Thomas Cook's Scandinavian operation.

The aircraft that had experienced three engine shutdowns in 2012 continued carrying passengers across Europe and around the world.

Another Engine Incident

The unusual engine history was not entirely finished.

On 12 February 2015, G-OMYT was scheduled to operate Thomas Cook flight MT-314 from Manchester to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

This time, the problem occurred before the aircraft became airborne.

During the takeoff roll, the crew rejected the takeoff because of an engine-related problem.

The aircraft remained safely on the ground.

It was another technical event involving the same A330, although fundamentally different from the three in-flight shutdowns of 2012.

G-OMYT continued flying afterwards.

The Final Thomas Cook Colours

By the middle of the 2010s, Thomas Cook had introduced another new corporate identity.

The Sunny Heart logo became central to the brand.

G-OMYT eventually received the final Thomas Cook colour scheme.

White fuselage.

Grey elements.

Yellow tail.

The heart-shaped Thomas Cook logo.

The aircraft also carried a pink ribbon promoting breast cancer awareness.

By this stage, G-OMYT was approaching twenty years old.

It had lived through Airtours.

MyTravel.

Garuda leases.

Different Thomas Cook identities.

And thousands of hours of long-haul leisure flying.

But another ending was approaching.

And this time, it had nothing to do with an engine.

23 September 2019

Thomas Cook had been struggling financially.

The travel industry had changed.

Online booking platforms had transformed how people bought holidays.

Competition was intense.

Debt weighed heavily on the group.

Attempts were made to secure additional financing.

They failed.

During the early hours of 23 September 2019, Thomas Cook ceased trading.

The effect was immediate.

Aircraft stopped flying.

Flights were cancelled.

Hundreds of thousands of travellers were affected around the world.

One of the oldest and most famous names in the travel industry had disappeared.

For G-OMYT, the end came at Manchester.

Stored at Manchester

G-OMYT had been withdrawn from use at Manchester on 22 September 2019.

It would never operate another commercial flight.

The Airbus remained at the airport.

Unlike some former Thomas Cook aircraft that found new operators, MSN 301 was already almost twenty years old.

There would be no new airline.

No new registration.

No third major commercial life.

The aircraft remained in Manchester as the former Thomas Cook fleet was dispersed.

Eventually, the decision was made to dismantle it.

The End of MSN 301

In February 2021, G-OMYT was broken up at Manchester.

The aircraft had been built in 1999.

More than 21 years had passed since its first flight.

Its story had started as G-MOJO.

Airtours International.

Premiair.

MyTravel.

Then came G-OMYT.

Garuda.

Thomas Cook.

And an extraordinary sequence of technical incidents that made the registration particularly memorable.

The complete Airbus disappeared.

But not all of it.

From G-OMYT to Aircrafttag

Part of the genuine fuselage skin of Thomas Cook Airbus A330 G-OMYT was preserved and transformed by Aircrafttag into collectible pieces of aviation history.

The aluminium comes from an aircraft that spent almost two decades carrying travellers around the world.

Europe.

North America.

The Caribbean.

Asia.

It crossed oceans.

It carried holidaymakers.

It operated for several major travel brands.

And in 2012, it experienced three documented in-flight engine shutdowns within just 22 days.

The preserved surface can still carry traces of that life.

Original paint.

Scratches.

Dents.

Weathering.

Marks from years of airline operation.

Every piece originates from the genuine aircraft.

Airbus A330-243.

MSN 301.

G-OMYT.

G-MOJO. G-OMYT.

Two registrations tell the story of MSN 301.

G-MOJO represents its beginning.

Airtours International.

Premiair.

The rapidly expanding leisure-travel industry at the end of the 1990s.

G-OMYT represents everything that followed.

MyTravel.

Garuda.

Thomas Cook.

Long-haul holiday flying.

And three extraordinary weeks in 2012.

But the aircraft's final chapter also became inseparable from the story of Thomas Cook itself.

When Thomas Cook disappeared in September 2019, G-OMYT stopped flying too.

Aircraft and airline reached the end together.

Three Flights That Defined an Aircraft

26 October 2012.

London Gatwick to Orlando.

Engine shut down.

Safe return.

9 November 2012.

Manchester to Cayo Coco.

Engine shut down.

Safe return.

17 November 2012.

Manchester to Cancun.

Engine shut down.

Safe return.

Three incidents within 22 days.

Yet G-OMYT continued flying for almost another seven years.

That may be the most remarkable part of its story.

The incidents did not define the aircraft because they destroyed it.

They became part of its history precisely because the aircraft repeatedly returned safely and subsequently returned to service.

G-OMYT continued carrying passengers until Thomas Cook itself ceased operations in September 2019.

The complete aircraft no longer exists.

But part of MSN 301 does.

Preserved by Aircrafttag, genuine fuselage skin from G-OMYT provides a physical connection to Thomas Cook, British leisure aviation and one of the most unusual sequences of engine shutdown events associated with a single commercial aircraft.