TUI Airways

[NOSIGWX]

A Thomson B738 will be based at Bristol from the end of this month through until the start of October, this will be in addition to the 2 based b757's.

 

[big g]

As said will be a TOM 738, due in on the 27th

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Three is the magic number for Thomson at Bristol Airport

Additional based aircraft will provide largest ever South West schedule.

ThomsonThis week Thomson and First Choice added another aircraft to their fleet at Bristol bringing the total operating from the South West’s biggest airport to three.

The enhanced fleet will operate the largest ever Thomson and First Choice flight programme and holidays available from Bristol Airport.

With the addition of the third aircraft, four new routes will be added to the network - Santorini and Thessaloniki in Greece, plus Pula and Dubrovnik in Croatia. It will also provide additional seats to Zante, Crete and Ibiza.

As well as this year’s additional destinations, this commitment by Thomson and First Choice will also result in three new summer routes in 2016 - Catania in Italy, Hurghada in Egypt, and Sal in Cape Verde.

The move to introduce these routes is part of the UK’s leading holiday company’s strategy to ensure customers across the UK can fly from their local airport and stay at the best hotels in some of the most exciting destinations.

Karen Switzer, Director of Aviation Planning for Thomson and First Choice, said:

“Adding more capacity in basing three aircraft demonstrates our commitment to Bristol Airport and the local area.

“Expanding access to our portfolio of destinations and hotels is a key part of our overall strategy and we hope that this move will enhance the holiday experience for our customers.”

Shaun Browne, Aviation Director at Bristol Airport, said:

“We are delighted to welcome the third based aircraft to Bristol Airport - and the additional jobs that will be created. The growth of Thomson and First Choice’s destinations offers passengers across the South West and wider region even more exciting destinations to choose to fly from their local airport.”[/textarea]

This is the official press release that confirms the enhanced base size discussed in the previous posts. There will be two B 757-200s and one B 737-800 based this summer.

http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/about-u ... 05/thomson

 

[Marko1]

Thomson are replacing the Wednesday enfidha service with Mahon and larnaca from the 15th of July in the wake of last weeks terrible events.

 

[Marko1]

It appears that Catania and one flight to sharm el sheik have been dropped for summer 16. Also one Naples and the fri Antalya remain flights annotated TBA

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It appears that Catania and one flight to sharm el sheik have been dropped for summer 16. Also one Naples and the fri Antalya remain flights annotated TBA

I must have missed Catania being announced in the first place.

It may be that with easyJet flying to Catania 2 x weekly in summer TOM has decided the market isn't big enough for them as well. TOM did much the same with Marrakech last year. They announced it then withdrew it when easyJet began operating the route.

Sharm might be a tactical move should the market there suffer in the same way that recent events have affected Tunisia. However, they've announced Hurghada for this winter so that might not be the reason.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

http://press.thomson.co.uk/thomson-airw ... -aircraft/

The Thomson press release begins as under:

Two years on from the delivery of Thomson Airways’ first 787 Dreamliner, the UK’s largest holiday airline today announced it will take delivery of up to four new, larger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to expand its long haul programme.

Demonstrating its continued commitment to the Dreamliner, Thomson Airways has converted two existing orders for 787-8 (for delivery in summer 2016) to the new larger capacity 787-9 aircraft. The airline has also placed an order for a third 787-9 with an option to purchase a fourth, growing its Dreamliner fleet to 13 aircraft by June 2016.

This may be good news and bad news for BRS.

The good news may be that Thomson will have a slightly increased B 787 capability next summer, currently in excess of the current timetable's demands for summer 2016 (according to a poster on another forum).

The bad news may be that with more 9 series aircraft on order BRS may find itself sidelined to an extent given that the 8 series hasn't yet turned up there, and the 9 series is almost certain to be too big for the airport's physical infrastructure.

When TOM operated the B 767 BRS always saw the smaller (in terms of seats) former First Choice aircraft on its summer transatlantic flights, so I suppose a 'precedent' was set in that the company was prepared to recognise BRS's limitations then and might do so again with a 'mixed' 787 fleet.

This sort of thing always makes many BRS followers want to use the F word.................ilton.

 

[jfy1999]

I don't suppose there is any hints as to where the new aircraft will be based?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I don't suppose there is any hints as to where the new aircraft will be based?

Nothing specific in the Thomson press release although this part of the release might suggest that the larger bases will see an increase in some shape or form.

Holidaymakers can also look forward to exciting new destinations flying on Thomson Airways Dreamliner in the future, as the new aircraft have a longer range than the original 787-8 fleet with the ability to fly an additional 830 kilometres (or 450 nautical miles).

 

[big g]

I think with the taxiway widening and turning circles being added in the winter, BRS hinting at the 787 next year.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I think with the taxiway widening and turning circles being added in the winter, BRS hinting at the 787 next year.

I have been told on what is usually reliable authority that BRS received a letter from EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) in the past week giving approval for B 787 operations at the airport. I must admit that I wasn't aware of this requirement.

Perhaps the only fly in the ointment now will be APD devolution. If this tax is devolved to Wales BRS long haul is likely to be compromised. The options that the government is contemplating to reduce the impact on English airports of devolved APD to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be useless so far as BRS is concerned.

 

[alphagolf]

It appears that Catania and one flight to sharm el sheik have been dropped for summer 16. Also one Naples and the fri Antalya remain flights annotated TBA

Just looked at Thomson's flight schedule for Summer 2016, Catania has re-appeared and the Sharm el Sheik also seems to be back on, however no change on the Naples/Antalya flight still showing TBA.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

alphagolf posted

Thomson are replacing the Wednesday enfidha service with Mahon and larnaca from the 15th of July in the wake of last weeks terrible events.

That looks to be a bonus for BRS as the early morning Wednesday NBE didn't return until the evening, presumably having done a 'W' to/from NBE from/to another airport. BRS will now have an additional TOM rotation on Wednesdays.

The Sunday morning TOM Enfidha seems to have been replaced by a Malaga rotation, meaning that two TOM flight go to (and return from) Malaga on Sunday mornings.

[offtopic]Incidentally, TCX doesn't seem to have found a replacement for its Wednesday morning and Sunday evening NBE rotations, although its Saturday morning NBE seems to have been replaced by a flight to/from Faro.[/offtopic]

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Summer 2015

With three based aircraft this summer (two B 757s and one B 738) the number of destinations and rotations have increased over recent years, albeit things are slightly complicated following the withdrawal of the Enfidha services (2 x weekly) part way through the season following the dreadful events in Tunisia. The Enfidha services have been replaced by other routes and the below summary represents the situation post Enfidha.

All services except Verona (Mistral B 734) are operated by based 757s except where shown as the based 738.

There were 42 rotations each week including the non-based Mistral; in summer 2014 there were 34 weekly rotations including four by non based aircraft; in summer 2013 there were 33 weekly rotations including three by non-based aircraft plus the weekly rotations to Sanford and Cancun (both discontinued after summer 2013).

Monday

0605 Mahon
0610 Thessalonika
0700 Naples 738
1310 Dalaman
1515 Burgas
1520 Bodrum 738

Tuesday

0600 Kos
0650 Alicante 738
0730 Palma
1425 Zakynthos
1620 Santorini

Wednesday

0700 Paphos
0730 Fuerteventura
0925 Mahon 738
1610 Larnaca 738
1755 Palma
1910 Ibiza

Thursday

0600 Ibiza
0615 Kefalonia
0645 Dubrovnik 738
1320 Sharm el Sheikh
1435 Heraklion 738
1555 Dalaman

Friday

0530 Corfu
0700 Tenerife
0705 Mahon 738
1425 Zakynthos
1430 Antalya 738
1725 Naples

Saturday

0600 Reus
0650 Pula 738
0910 Palma
1200 Verona Mistral 734
1315 Ibiza
1400 Las Palmas 738
2030 Palma

Sunday

0600 Malaga
0600 Arrecife
0755 Malaga 738
1355 Sharm el Sheikh
1535 Heraklion 738
1600 Larnaca

Summary: Palma 4 Ibiza 3 Mahon 3 Dalaman 2 Naples 2 Zakynthos 2 Heraklion 2 Larnaca 2 Sharm el Sheikh 2 Malaga 2 Burgas 1 Alicante 1 Kos 1 Paphos 1 Fuerteventura 1 Kefalonia 1 Corfu 1 Tenerife 1 Antalya 1 Reus 1 Las Palmas 1 Verona 1 Arrecife 1 Thessalonika 1 Bodrum 1 Santorini 1 Dubrovnik 1 Pula 1

Changes from summer 2014 :

Palma down from 5 to 4; Mahon up from 1 to 3*; Malaga up from 1 to 2*; Larnaca up from 1 to 2*; Sharm el Sheikh up from 1 to 2; Heraklion up from 1 to 2.

Rhodes was dropped but Bodrum was reinstated after being dropped just for summer 2014. New routes (some operated recently and others many years ago, not necessarily by Thomson) are Thessalonika, Santorini, Dubrovnik and Pula

* One Mahon, one Malaga, and one Larnaca are replacements for the discontinued Enfidha operations

 

[Marko1]

There appears to be some additions to the schedule for 2016 . Ibiza increases to 4x weekly, larnaca to 2 xweekly , Malaga to 2 x weekly plus a new weekly faro service . All others remain with the exception of one of the two weekly sharm . One Naples and the Antalya service remain TBA

 

[TheLocalYokel]

All others remain with the exception of one of the two weekly sharm . One Naples and the Antalya service remain TBA

Does that include the reinstatement of Enfidha for next summer? TOM operated 2 x weekly this summer until the tragic events occurred.

The reason I ask is that TOM switched its Enfidha flights in mid season this summer to Malaga and Larnaca respectively giving additional rotations each week to those destinations and I wondered whether the extra Malaga and Larnaca for next summer meant this was carrying on to the continued exclusion of Enfidha.

Sharm may well be reduced next summer. I read elsewhere that TOM had axed the once weekly Sharm flight from Luton in summer 2016. Tour companies might be getting a bit twitchy again about Egypt. I hope this doesn't impact adversely on the new Hurghada route from TOM.

It was only a few years ago that BRS had five flights to Sharm each week in summer across a number of airlines.

 

[Marko1]

Hi local yokel. As far as I can see holidays for Tunisia are still on sale for weds and sun. The fourth Ibiza flys on Monday p m , Malaga thurs pm and faro sun am. I see there is some overlap but as far as I can see no other route has been dropped to account for them.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Sharm may well be reduced next summer. I read elsewhere that TOM had axed the once weekly Sharm flight from Luton in summer 2016. Tour companies might be getting a bit twitchy again about Egypt. I hope this doesn't impact adversely on the new Hurghada route from TOM.

Unfortunately, my post of 24 August this year - quoted above - was correct in its fears. Following the recent Russian aircraft disaster the UK government has suspended flights between Sharm and the UK.

BRS has two TOM flights to Sharm each week this winter on Mondays and Thursdays. Tomorrow's (Thursday's) flight will not operate.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Flights-Sh ... story.html

 

[Aviador]

Yes, it's not good news. Looking back with flights to Tunisia, now Egypt, most UK airports have now seen the loss of several flights this year. I expect both Manchester and Gatwick airports will have faired worst.

 

[superking]

Sharm may well be reduced next summer. I read elsewhere that TOM had axed the once weekly Sharm flight from Luton in summer 2016. Tour companies might be getting a bit twitchy again about Egypt. I hope this doesn't impact adversely on the new Hurghada route from TOM.

Unfortunately, my post of 24 August this year - quoted above - was correct in its fears. Following the recent Russian aircraft disaster the UK government has suspended flights between Sharm and the UK.

BRS has two TOM flights to Sharm each week this winter on Mondays and Thursdays. Tomorrow's (Thursday's) flight will not operate.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Flights-Sh ... story.html

at the moment its only the sharm flts affected.british security are going out there to check what security is like at sharm. if all looks good and british security will help out, then flts will recommence on november the 12th. thats the plan but all could change.