 |
||||
|
||||
| Founded | 1962[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 1 November 2008 (as Thomson Airways) | |||
| Bases | Belfast International Airport Birmingham International Airport Bournemouth Airport Bristol International Airport Cardiff Airport Doncaster / Sheffield Airport Dublin Airport East Midlands Airport Exeter International Airport Glasgow International Airport London Gatwick Airport London Luton Airport London Stansted Airport Manchester Airport Newcastle Airport |
|||
| Focus cities | Cork Airport | |||
| Fleet size | 63 (+13 orders) | |||
| Destinations | 109 | |||
| Parent company | TUI Travel PLC | |||
| Headquarters | Luton, England, UK[2][3] | |||
| Key people | Chris Browne[4] (Managing Director)
Carl Gissing (Director of Customer Services)[5] John Murphy (Director of Flight Operations)[6] Fraser Ellacott[7] (Director of Engineering) |
|||
| Website | flights.thomson.co.uk | |||
Thomson Airways is the world's largest charter airline, based in the UK, the company commenced operations on 1 November 2008 following the merger and subsequent re-branding of Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways. Thomson UK is headquartered in Luton, England.[8]
Thomson Airways is the third largest airline in the United Kingdom by total passengers carried.
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.[9]
Contents |
History
The airline can trace its roots back to January 1962, when it founded as Euravia (London) Ltd[1]; by December 1964 the airline was renamed Britannia Airways[10]. On the 9 May 2005 the airline changed its name once again to Thomsonfly [11]
Following the merger of the Travel Division of TUI AG and First Choice Holidays PLC in September 2007, First Choice Airways and Thomsonfly merged, 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.[12]
Thomson Airways, through its ancestor airlines, has operated continuously since May 1962.[13]
UK and Ireland bases
Thomson Airways' main bases are London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. Operations and engineering are based at London Luton.
The airline has aircraft based at London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, London Luton, Belfast International, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Doncaster Sheffield, Dublin, East Midlands, Exeter, Glasgow International, London Stansted and Newcastle.
Services also operate from several UK airports without locally based aircraft, such as Leeds Bradford, Norwich, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Humberside, Liverpool and Southampton.
Livery
The Thomson Airways Livery is basically the Thomsonfly livery with the fly.com removed. Most of the fleet are still in their old First Choice Airways or Thomsonfly livery. They will stay like this until the liveries are harmonised.[14]
Destinations
Fleet
Current
The Thomson Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft (at 5 October 2009):[15][16]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Options | Passengers (Premium/Economy) |
Routes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-214 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 180 (0/180) | Short-Medium Haul | |
| Airbus A321-211 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 218 (0/218) | Short-Medium Haul | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 148 (0/148) | Short-Medium Haul | 1 equipped with winglets |
| Boeing 737-800 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 189 (0/189) | Short-Medium Haul | 10 equipped with winglets Delivery: 2009 |
| Boeing 757-200 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 233 (0/233) | Short-Medium Haul | 6 equipped with winglets 1 operated by Skyservice Airlines |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 13 | 0 | 0 | 258 (63/195) 283 (31/252) 328 (0/328) 291 (31/260)* |
Medium-Long Haul | 1 now equipped with winglets |
| Boeing 787-8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | TBA | Long Haul | Entry into service: 2011 |
| Total | 63 | 13 | 6 |
Thomson Airways is the first European customer for the Boeing 787. TUI Travel PLC have a total of 13 Boeing 787s on order, 12 of which originated from the 787 European launch customer order, placed by First Choice Airways. Due to further delays by Boeing the new proposed date that TUI will launch the 787-8 with Thomson Airways is 2012 (depending on delivery dates). Tui Travel PLC cancelled 10 787-8 in September 2009 stating changes in the current market place.
Retired
Since commencing operations in 2008, Thomson Airways has retired the following aircraft types from the fleet:
See also
References
- ^ a b Euravia (London) Ltd
- ^ Thomson Airways CASA AOC
- ^ UK CAA aircraft ownership details
- ^ Company press release quoting MD
- ^ Carl Gissing (Director of Customer Service) LinkedIn profile
- ^ BALPA news article quoting John Murphy, Director of Flight Operations
- ^ Fraser Ellacott (Director of Engineering)
- ^ "Luton." Thomson UK. Retrieved on 27 September 2009.
- ^ CAA operating licence
- ^ Flight International article published 17th December 1964
- ^ Company news archive
- ^ New Thomson Airways brand launched
- ^ Thomson Airways careers webpage
- ^ Thomson Airways new livery
- ^ Civil Aviation Authority Aircraft Register - Thomson Airways, for G- registered aircraft
- ^ Thomson Airways Fleet at ch-aviation, for C- registered aircraft
External links
|
||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
