TUI Airways
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| Founded | 2008 (By First Choice Airways & Thomsonfly merger) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating bases | Birmingham International Airport London Gatwick Airport Manchester Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 69 (+15 orders, 6 options) | ||||||
| Destinations | 109 | ||||||
| Parent company | TUI Travel PLC | ||||||
| Headquarters | Luton, United Kingdom[1][2] | ||||||
| Key people | Christine Brown (MD)
Carl Gissing (Director of Customer Services) John Murphy (Director of Flight Operations) Fraser Ellacott (Director of Engineering) | ||||||
| Website | http://flights.thomson.co.uk | ||||||
Thomson Airways is a UK charter airline that started operating on 1 November 2008 with the re-branding of Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways.
Thomson Airways is the worlds largest charter airline and the third largest airline in the United Kingdom
In May 2010 Thomson Airways will become the European launch customer for the B787-8 with the first of 12 deliveries.
Thomson Airways Limited holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.[3]
History
Following the merger of the Travel Division of TUI AG and First Choice Holidays PLC in September 2007, First Choice Airways was merged into Thomsonfly, with all flights being operated under the Thomsonfly Civil Aviation Authority Air Operator’s Certificate since 1 May 2008. On 1 November 2008, Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways became Thomson Airways, the third largest airline in the UK.[4]. Aircraft retain their pre-merger livery with the decal 'Operated by Thomson Airways' until liveries are harmonised.
Thomson Airways and ancestor airlines have operated continuously since May 1962[5]
UK and Ireland bases
Thomson Airways' main bases are London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. The engineering base is at London Luton Airport (which is near the airline operations headquarters in Wigmore House). The crew training centre is located at East Midlands Airport, with smaller training centres in Commonwealth House at Manchester Airport and Jetset House at London Gatwick Airport.
The airline also has aircraft based at London Luton Airport, Belfast International, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Doncaster Sheffield, Dublin, East Midlands, Exeter, Glasgow International, London Stansted and Newcastle.
Services operate from the following UK airports without locally based aircraft: Leeds Bradford, Norwich, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Humberside, Liverpool and Southampton.
Destinations
Fleet
The current Thomson Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft[6]:
| Aircraft | Total | Routes | Notes |
| Airbus A320-214 | 6 | Short-Medium haul | |
| Airbus A321-211 | 2 | Short-Medium haul | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 9 | Short-Medium haul | Exit from service: End of October 2009 |
| Boeing 737-800 | 13 (3 orders) (6 options) |
Short-Medium haul | Deliveries: January - March 2009 |
| Boeing 757-200 | 25 | Short-Medium haul | |
| Boeing 767-200ER | 2 | Medium-Long haul | Exit from service: End of 2009 Operating for Garuda Indonesia |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 13 | Medium-Long haul | One operating for Garuda Indonesia |
| Boeing 787-8 | (23 orders) | Medium-Long haul | Entry into service: May 2010 |
| Total | 69 (26 orders) (6 options) |
Thomson Airways is to be the European launch customer for the Boeing 787. TUI Travel PLC have a total of 23 Boeing 787s on order, 12 of which originated from the 787 European launch customer order, placed by First Choice Airways. It's been confirmed TUI will launch the type with Thomson Airways in mid-late 2010 (depending on delivery dates).
References
External links