TUI Airways Limited is a British scheduled and charter airline, owned and operated by the TUI Group. They fly various scheduled and charter flights from the United Kingdom and Ireland to leisure destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.
The air carrier is the fourth largest UK airline by total passengers carried, after EasyJet, British Airways and Jet2.com. It is also the world's tenth largest airline by number of route pairings served. TUI Airways holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Type A Operating Licence permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. Its head office and registered office is Wigmore House in Luton, Bedfordshire.
History
Foundation and early years
TUI Airways has its origins in several airlines which were rivals. Britannia Airways (ex Euravia) in December 1964 Orion Airways, founded in 1978 by Horizon Holidays and later owned by the large brewing firm Bass Brewery and InterContinental Hotels Group, was sold and merged into Britannia Airways in 1989, with the Britannia name being retained for the combined airline.
Britannia was rebranded to Thomsonfly in May 2005 as its parent company Thomson Travel Group was bought by TUI Group as part of a wider reorganisation of TUI's operations in the UK. Air 2000 was founded in 1987, and integrated the operations of Leisure International Airways in 1998. In 2003 the airline was renamed First Choice Airways after being bought by First Choice and became their in-house airline.
Following the merger of the travel divisions of TUI Group and First Choice Holidays in September 2007 Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways merged on 1 November 2008. The Thomson Airways name was launched for the combined airline on 1 May 2009.New Thomson Airways brand launched
The new brand retained the Thomsonfly colour scheme, and aircraft in the fleet were gradually repainted. Several First Choice Airways aircraft remained in the First Choice livery as they were due to be phased out of service. A new livery, named "Dynamic Wave" (which will also be applied on Thomson Cruises ships), was introduced in May 2012.
TUI Airways became the first UK airline to take delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, receiving the first such jetliner in May 2013. Passenger services with the aircraft began on 21 June 2013 with a flight between London Gatwick and Menorca. Also in 2013, the parent group TUI Travel, now known as TUI Group, ordered 60 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for delivery to group airlines.
Rebranding and latest developments
On 13 May 2015, it was announced by the TUI Group that all five of TUI's airline subsidiaries would be named TUI, whilst keeping their separate Air Operators Certificate, a process taking over three years to complete. TUI Airways was the last airline to be completed in late 2017. The rebrand began in mid 2016, with the addition of the new 'TUI' titles to the fleet.
In December 2016, Thomson Holidays launched their final television advertisement using the Thomson brand, before integrating into the TUI brand. During the rebrand in 2017, the "TOMSON" callsign was dropped and replaced with "TUI AIR" and then changed again to "TOMJET".
In May 2017, the brand TUI Airways began to be used in several areas and was implemented on all flight tracker applications. Most of the aircraft had been branded with 'TUI' titles, and onboard items such as glasses and napkins carried the new brand. Thomson Airways officially changed its legal trading name to TUI Airways on 2 October 2017. TUI's sister company, TUI UK (formerly Thomson Holidays), ceased using the 'Thomson' brand, adopting the TUI UK brand on 18 October 2017.
In November 2023, TUI Airways retired their last Boeing 767 as the sole remaining passenger operator in the United Kingdom.aerotelegraph.com (German) 2 November 2023
Corporate affairs
Head office The airline's head office is in the Wigmore House near Luton, Bedfordshire. The facility is adjacent to Luton Airport.
Overview The airline is part of a single-branded group, being the product of two mergers: the travel division of TUI Group with First Choice Holidays in September 2007 to form TUI Travel, under which their respective airlines, Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways, were merged under the former's Air Operator's Certificate in May 2008 and rebranded as Thomson Airways Ltd. on 1 November 2008.
The investable enterprise and overall leadership formally merged with TUI to form London (LSE) and Frankfurt (DAX) listed TUI Group since December 2014. TUI Airways officially changed its legal name from Thomson Airways to TUI Airways on 2 October 2017. This was in line with TUI airline sister companies TUI fly Belgium, TUI fly Deutschland, TUI fly Netherlands and TUI fly Nordic.
Business figures +Year Total passengers (m) Total flights (k) Load factor Passenger change (YoY)2005*15.5 82.9 88.6% 2006*15.1 83.5 88.4% 2.4%2007*15.0 82.3 89.1% 0.8%200812.2 65.3 91.1% 18.5%200911.2 59.1 90.2% 8.1%201010.9 56.5 89.9% 2.4%201111.0 57.7 89.3% 0.8%201210.7 54.3 92.0% 3.1%201310.5 54.9 92.4% 1.4%201410.3 54.2 93.0% 1.7%201510.6 53.8 93.8% 2.4%201610.9 55.2 94.1% 3.1%201711.2 57.6 93.5% 2.9%201811.1 58.3 92.8% 0.7%201911.8 60.6 92.9% 5.8%20202.0 10.6 88.0% 82.9%20212.0 13.8 73.9% 0.2%2022 11.2 61.2 88.6% 458.6%2023 11.5 60.1 91.0% 1.4%2024 12.0 64.2 91.1% 4.9%* Data for 2005 to 2007 includes First Choice AirwaysSource: UK Civil Aviation Authority
Destinations Most scheduled flights operated by TUI Airways are on behalf of tour operators. The airline offers flights to destinations around the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean from 19 base airports in the United Kingdom. Additionally, seasonal charter routes are served from Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm.
, TUI Airways flies (or has flown) to the following destinations.
List CountryCityAirportNotesRefsArubaOranjestadQueen Beatrix International AirportAustriaInnsbruckInnsbruck AirportSalzburgSalzburg AirportBarbadosBridgetownGrantley Adams International AirportBulgariaBurgasBurgas AirportSofiaVasil Levski Sofia AirportVarnaVarna Airport Cambodia Sihanoukville Sihanouk International Airport Cape VerdeBoa VistaAristides Pereira International Airport SalAmílcar Cabral International Airport Costa RicaLiberiaGuanacaste Airport CroatiaDubrovnikDubrovnik AirportPulaPula AirportRijekaRijeka AirportSplitSplit AirportCubaHavanaJosé Martí International AirportHolguínFrank País AirportSanta ClaraAbel Santamaría AirportVaraderoJuan Gualberto Gómez AirportCyprusLarnacaLarnaca International AirportPaphosPaphos International Airport DenmarkCopenhagenCopenhagen AirportDominican RepublicLa RomanaLa Romana International AirportPuerto PlataGregorio Luperón International AirportPunta CanaPunta Cana International Airport EgyptHurghadaHurghada International Airport LuxorLuxor International AirportMarsa AlamMarsa Alam International Airport Mersa MatruhMarsa Matruh International AirportSharm El SheikhSharm El Sheikh International AirportTabaTaba International AirportFinlandHelsinkiHelsinki AirportIvaloIvalo AirportKittiläKittilä AirportKuusamoKuusamo AirportRovaniemiRovaniemi AirportFranceChambéryChambéry AirportToulouseToulouse–Blagnac AirportGreeceChaniaChania International AirportCorfuCorfu International AirportHeraklionHeraklion International AirportKavalaKavala International AirportKefaloniaKephalonia International AirportKosKos International AirportMykonosMykonos AirportMytileneMytilene International AirportPreveza/LefkadaAktion National AirportRhodesRhodes International AirportSamosSamos International AirportSantoriniSantorini International AirportSkiathosSkiathos International AirportThessalonikiThessaloniki AirportZakynthosZakynthos International AirportIcelandReykjavíkKeflavík International AirportIndiaGoaDabolim Airport Manohar International Airport IrelandDublinDublin AirportItalyAlgheroAlghero-Fertilia AirportCataniaCatania-Fontanarossa AirportLamezia TermeLamezia Terme International Airport NaplesNaples International AirportOlbiaOlbia Costa Smeralda AirportTurinTurin Airport VeniceVenice Marco Polo AirportVeronaVerona Villafranca AirportJamaicaMontego BaySangster International Airport JerseyJerseyJersey AirportKenyaMombasaMoi International AirportMalaysiaLangkawiLangkawi International Airport MaldivesMaléVelana International AirportMaltaLuqaMalta International Airport MauritiusPort LouisSir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport MexicoCancúnCancún International Airport Los CabosLos Cabos International AirportPuerto VallartaLicenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport MontenegroPodgoricaPodgorica AirportMoroccoAgadirAgadir–Al Massira Airport MarrakeshMarrakesh Menara Airport NorwayFagernesFagernes Airport, LeirinOsloOslo Airport, GardermoenTrondheimTrondheim AirportPortugalFaroFaro AirportFunchalMadeira Airport Porto SantoPorto Santo AirportSpainAlicanteAlicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport AlmeríaAlmería AirportFuerteventuraFuerteventura Airport GironaGirona-Costa Brava Airport IbizaIbiza AirportJerez de la FronteraJerez AirportLanzaroteLanzarote Airport Las PalmasGran Canaria Airport MahónMenorca AirportMálagaMálaga Airport Palma de MallorcaPalma de Mallorca AirportReusReus AirportSanta Cruz de la PalmaLa Palma Airport TenerifeTenerife South Airport St LuciaSaint LuciaHewanorra International Airport Sri LankaColomboBandaranaike International AirportSwedenGothenburgGöteborg Landvetter AirportStockholmStockholm Arlanda AirportSwitzerlandGenevaGeneva AirportThailandKrabiKrabi International AirportPattayaU-Tapao International AirportPhuketPhuket International Airport TunisiaEnfidhaEnfidha–Hammamet International Airport DjerbaDjerba-Zarzis International AirportTurkeyAntalyaAntalya AirportBodrumMilas-Bodrum AirportDalamanDalaman AirportİzmirAdnan Menderes AirportUnited Kingdom (England)BirminghamBirmingham AirportBlackpoolBlackpool AirportBristolBristol AirportCoventryCoventry AirportDoncaster/SheffieldDoncaster Sheffield AirportEast MidlandsEast Midlands Airport ExeterExeter Airport Kingston upon HullHumberside AirportLeeds/BradfordLeeds Bradford AirportLiverpoolLiverpool John Lennon AirportLondonGatwick AirportLuton Airport London Stansted Airport ManchesterManchester AirportNewcastle upon TyneNewcastle International AirportNorwichNorwich AirportTeessideTeesside International AirportUnited Kingdom (Northern Ireland)BelfastBelfast International AirportUnited Kingdom (Scotland)AberdeenAberdeen AirportEdinburghEdinburgh AirportGlasgowGlasgow AirportUnited Kingdom (Wales)CardiffCardiff AirportUnited StatesMelbourne Melbourne Orlando International Airport OrlandoOrlando Sanford International AirportVietnamPhú QuốcPhu Quoc International Airport
Airline partners TUI Airways has partnerships with the following airlines:
Aer Lingus AirExplore Air Mauritius AlbaStar Avion Express Malta BA CityFlyer British Airways Corendon Airlines easyJet Emirates Enter Air Fly4 Airlines Freebird Airlines Go2Sky KM Malta Airlines Qatar Airways Ryanair SunExpress Titan Airways Virgin Atlantic Vueling
Fleet
Current fleet , TUI Airways operates an all-Boeing fleet composed of the following aircraft:
Aircraft typeIn serviceOrders PassengersRemarksWYTotalBoeing 737-80033——189189Older aircraft to be retired.Boeing 737 MAX 82711Boeing 737 MAX 10—28TBADeliveries delayed due to certification issues.Boeing 787-88—47253300—325325Boeing 787-95—63282345Total7240
Seasonal leasing