TRU Simulation celebrates 10 years of innovation in flight simulation

TRU Simulation + Training has revealed that as it marks a decade of success in the aviation simulation industry, the company is rebranding to simply “TRU Simulation.” The new brand and logo reflect TRU’s shift away from providing pilot training experiences to a more targeted focus on designing, manufacturing and maintaining state-of-the-art, high-fidelity flight simulators to address the vital need for accurate and true-to-life pilot training tools.

TRU Simulation Inc., an affiliate of Textron Aviation Inc., is a Textron Inc. a company that designs, manufactures and delivers high-fidelity training devices and full-motion simulators for civil and defence customers.

“We are thrilled to celebrate TRU Simulation’s 10th anniversary, a significant milestone that showcases our commitment to excellence in advanced aviation simulation. We owe our success to our loyal customers and dedicated employees who have been instrumental in shaping our journey. Their trust and support have allowed us to deliver cutting-edge training tools that empower pilots to navigate the skies confidently,” said Jerry Messaris, vice president and general manager, TRU Simulation. “As we look ahead, we remain steadfast in our mission to provide safe, realistic and cost-effective simulators that meet the evolving needs of the aviation industry.”

Originally formed out of three legacy aviation companies, TRU Simulation has evolved since its founding in 2014 to address unique simulator needs for a wide range of customers. TRU prides itself on customizing simulator devices to meet specific customer needs while meeting or exceeding all regulatory requirements.

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Air Canada Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results

Air Canada Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results

Air Canada has just released details of its fourth quarter and full year 2023 financial results, which show record full-year operating revenues of $21.833 billion, reflecting strong demand for air travel and Full-year operating income of $2.279 billion.

Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Results

The following is an overview of Air Canada's results of operations and financial position for the fourth quarter 2023 compared to the fourth quarter 2022.

• Operating revenues of $5.175 billion increased $495 million or 11 per cent on an operated capacity growth of over 9 per cent year over year, close to the guidance provided in Air Canada's news release dated October 30, 2023.
• Operating expenses of $5.096 billion increased $388 million or 8 per cent. The increase was due to higher costs in nearly all line items reflecting higher operated capacity and traffic year over year, including higher wages, salaries and benefits. The increase was partially offset by lower aircraft fuel expense on a jet fuel price decline.
• Operating income of $79 million, with an operating margin of 1.5 per cent, improved $107 million.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $521 million, with an adjusted EBITDA margin* of 10.1 per cent, improved $132 million.
• Net income of $184 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.41 compared to a net income of $168 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.41.
• Adjusted net loss* of $44 million and adjusted loss per diluted share of $0.12 compared to an adjusted net loss of $217 million and adjusted loss per diluted share of $0.61.
• Adjusted CASM* of 14.25 cents compared to 13.68 cents, an increase of 4.1 per cent driven by higher salaries, wages and benefits expenses, higher maintenance costs and general inflationary pressures on certain line items.
• Net cash flows from operating activities of $985 million increased $338 million.
• Free cash flow of $669 million increased $349 million. 

Full Year 2023 Financial Results

The following is an overview of Air Canada's results of operations and financial position for the full year 2023 compared to the full year 2022.

• Operating revenues of $21.833 billion increased $5.277 billion or 32 per cent on approximately a 20 per cent growth in operated capacity. The capacity increase was in-line with the guidance provided in Air Canada's news release dated October 30, 2023.
• Operating expenses of $19.554 billion increased $2.811 billion or 17 per cent. The increase was primarily due to increases in all line items reflecting higher operated capacity and traffic year over year, including, higher salaries, wages and benefits. It also reflects the impact of a favourable maintenance cost adjustment of $159 million that was recorded in the first quarter of 2022.
• Operating income of $2.279 billion, with an operating margin of 10.4 per cent, improved $2.466 billion.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $3.982 billion, with an adjusted EBITDA margin* of 18.2 per cent, improved $2.525 billion, at the high end of the guidance provided in Air Canada's news release dated October 30, 2023.
• Net income of $2.276 billion and diluted earnings per share of $5.96 compared to a net loss of $1.7 billion and diluted loss per share of $4.75.
• Adjusted net income of $1.713 billion and adjusted earnings per diluted share of $4.56 compared to an adjusted net loss of $988 million and an adjusted loss per diluted share of $2.76.
• Adjusted CASM of 13.49 cents compared to 13.21 cents in 2022, a 2.2 per cent increase driven by higher traffic and selling costs correlated to higher revenues, higher labour costs, a favourable maintenance cost adjustment recorded in 2022, and inflationary pressure on certain line items. This was within the guidance range provided in Air Canada's news release dated October 30, 2023.
• Net cash flows from operating activities of $4.320 billion increased $1.952 billion.
• Free cash flow of $2.756 billion increased $1.960 billion.
• Net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio* was 1.1 at December 31, 2023, an improvement from 5.1 as at December 31, 2022, due to the increase in adjusted EBITDA and a $2.9 billion reduction in net debt. 

"Air Canada produced very strong results for the fourth quarter and full year 2023, delivering on its key financial goals and strategic priorities. For the full year, we had record operating revenues of $21.8 billion, up 32 per cent from 2022 as demand for air travel remained strong. Annual operating income was $2.3 billion; a $2.5 billion improvement from the previous year. Our adjusted EBITDA was nearly $4 billion; more than twice that of the full year 2022. 

These results stem from the effective management, hard work and customer-centric approach of everyone at Air Canada. I thank the entire team for their dedication as we safely transported more than 46 million passengers in 2023. The focus on operational improvements was evident as, even with the growth in traffic and ongoing supply chain challenges, our key operational metrics and customer satisfaction improved year over year," said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.

Air Lease Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter & Fiscal Year 2023 Results

Air Lease Corporation, one of the global leaders in aircraft leasing and management has just released details of its financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2023.

Air Lease Corporation is a leading global aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. Air Lease Corporation and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing new commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions.

“Fourth quarter and full-year performance at ALC was very strong. With the exception of the benefit of tax reform in 2017, we achieved record revenues and profits for the 4th quarter, with net income increasing 56% and revenues increasing 19% over the prior year’s quarter. Similarly, for the full year 2023, we enjoyed record revenues, aircraft sales, and total assets which exceeded $30 billion for the first time. Looking forward, the commercial aircraft supply/demand backdrop remains highly favourable for our current fleet and our $22 billion forward orderbook scheduled to deliver over the next 4-5 years,” said John L. Plueger, Chief Executive Officer and President, and Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of the Board.

Fourth Quarter 2023 vs. Fourth Quarter 2022

Our total revenues for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased by 19% to $717 million as compared to the three months ended December 31, 2022. The increase in total revenues was primarily driven by the continued growth in our fleet, an increase in sales activity and higher end-of-lease revenue. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, we recognized $59 million in gains from the sale of eight aircraft. We also recognized $60 million in end-of-lease revenue related to the return of seven aircraft. During the three months ended December 31, 2022, we recorded approximately $28 million in gains from the sale of six aircraft1.

Norwegian delivered a record strong operating profit of NOK 2,232 million for 2023

European airline Norwegian Air Shuttle has just released details of its fourth quarter and preliminary full-year results for 2023, which show the carrier achieved an operating profit of NOK 2,232 million, the highest in company history. 

The firm says its liquidity position improved to NOK 9.5 billion at year-end, which means shareholders will get a dividend of about 60 øre per share. 

For the full year of 2023, the operating margin was 9 percent, also a record high for the company. For the fourth quarter of 2023, the company delivered an operating profit (EBIT) of NOK 328 million. Profit before tax (EBT) amounted to NOK 1,804 million for the full-year of 2023 and NOK 208 million for the quarter. The Norwegian fleet comprised 87 aircraft at year-end, of which 20 aircraft were the latest 737 MAX 8 aircraft. 

“I am thrilled to announce that Norwegian achieved all-time high profits for 2023. Our loyal customer base continued to grow, and we are grateful for their trust in us. Colleagues across the entire company have worked tirelessly to ensure operational excellence, ranging from the planning of our network and services to everyday execution,” said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.

More passengers, higher load factor

Norwegian had 4.7 million passengers in the quarter, up from 4.6 million passengers in the fourth quarter of 2022. Production (ASK) was 7.1 billion seat kilometres, while passenger traffic (RPK) was 6.0 billion seat kilometres. Compared to the previous quarter, capacity was down 32 percent as the company reduced its production to match seasonally lower demand during the winter period. The quarterly load factor was 84.4 percent, up three percentage points from the same period the previous year.

Punctuality, share of flights departing on schedule, was 81.5 percent, down from 82.3 percent in the same period the previous year. While punctuality fell in December as winter weather condition impacted operational performance at key airports, the airline managed through relentless efforts to ensure that close to all passengers made it home for the festive period. Cirium, the global aviation consultancy named Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) Europe's most on-time airline in October and the fifth most punctual airline for 2023. It also ranked the airline as Europe’s top performer on regularity.

Widerøe acquisition completed

In January, Norwegian completed the acquisition of Widerøe, a regional carrier in Norway with a fleet of 48 aircraft, predominately turboprops. The acquisition of Widerøe will enable the linking of complementary route networks, create significant operational synergies, and provide Norwegian with additional diversification through Widerøe's substantial public service obligation (PSO) operations.

New Eurowings designed gate at Dusseldorf Airport

Eurowings passengers travelling to Berlin and Hamburg enjoy faster access to security checks and shorter distances to the gates at Dusseldorf Airport with ‘Wings Express’. In addition, the flights are always positioned at the same, nearby gates in Pier A so that only a few steps are required for boarding even after the security check. 

From now on, this is also visible from the outside at gate A25: this gate, branded in Eurowings design, is located just a few meters behind the security checkpoints and is reserved for Eurowings flights to Berlin and Hamburg. Travellers who have already checked in online in advance can reach their flight within 40 minutes.

Stuttgart Airport: new Senator Comfort Area

From now on, waiting will be even more comfortable for Miles & More passengers with Senator status at Stuttgart Airport: Whether travelling on business or on holiday, the new Senator Comfort Area offers free snacks and drinks at every seat, as well as power sockets at every seat and a view on the apron that invites you to linger. It is located in the security area of Terminal 3, level 4 near gate 310 and is available exclusively to all authorized passengers on Lufthansa Group flights between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. every day.

Your travel planning isn’t complete without learning the language—or at least some essential phrases. Fully immerse yourself in the language, or use Phrasebook to learn travel essentials—the choice is yours!

Record breaking January at London Stansted

London Stansted kicked off 2024 with another strong passenger performance to record the airport’s busiest-ever January.

Stansted welcomed 1.95 million passengers in January 2024, up 6.9% on the same month last year, and beating the previous best of 1.93 million passengers set in January 2019.

The number of passengers using London Stansted in the 12 months ending January 2024 reached 28.1 million, an increase of 14.8% on the previous year.

The top three most popular countries during the month were Spain, Italy and Poland, while the busiest routes were Dublin, Istanbul and Edinburgh.

Operational performance in January remained strong, with 99% of departing passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less, and with an average queue time of under four minutes during the main departure peaks.

Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said:  “I’m really pleased we were able to deliver yet another the strong passenger performance last month, welcoming more passengers in January than ever before at London Stansted, and coming hot on the heels of a record-breaking December.

I’m also delighted our passengers continue to experience a smooth and efficient security operation when flying from the airport, which we aim to maintain as we welcome more passengers when they head off on half-term breaks this month, and as we build-up to what we anticipate will be a very busy Easter next month.

The year ahead looks really exciting for everyone connected with London Stansted, and the millions of passengers who will continue to take advantage of the extensive choice, great value and convenience we are able to offer.

We have a host of new routes launching this year, including Royal Jordanian’s new service to Amman next month, British Airways flights to Nice, Florence and Ibiza plus new routes from Ryanair, Jet2.com and Sun Express.   

And we will also continue driving forward our investment plans to transform the airport experience and operation. This will include the opening of a new EV charging forecourt, the commencement of work on our 14.3MW solar farm as well as finalising design details of our terminal extension ahead of the first phase of construction later in the year."

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UK to supply thousands of drones as co-leader of major international capability coalition for Ukraine

The UK and Latvia will jointly lead a capability coalition, which will see thousands of drones supplied to Ukraine, including first-person view (FPV) drones, which have proven highly effective on the battlefield.

Ukraine will receive thousands more drones as Defence Secretary Grant Shapps announced yesterday. that the UK will co-lead a major drone capability coalition with Latvia for Ukraine.

As part of the coalition, the UK will scale up and streamline the West’s provision of “first person view” (FPV) drones to Ukraine. FPV drones have proven highly effective on the battlefield since Russia’s full-scale invasion, providing their operators with situational awareness to target enemy positions, armoured vehicles, and ships with explosive ordnance.

By creating a competition to produce these drones at scale and at an affordable price point, the UK will leverage the strength of Western industry. This is the first project to be launched from the £200 million drone package announced by the Prime Minister in January this year. It will see the UK order thousands of FPV drones for Ukraine, including from UK manufacturers, providing a boost to the industry and delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: "The UK continues to do all we can to give Ukraine what it needs – upping our aid to £2.5bn this year and committing £200m to manufacture drones, making us Ukraine’s largest drone supplier.

Today, we’re going even further. I’m proud to announce that the UK and Latvia will co-lead an international coalition to build Ukraine’s vital drone capabilities. Together, we will give Ukraine the capabilities it needs to defend itself and win this war, to ensure that Putin fails in his illegal and barbaric ambitions."

The Defence Secretary also met his NATO counterparts on Thursday to review progress on support for Ukraine, NATO’s new warfighting plans, ramping up defence production capacity and preparations for the NATO Summit in Washington in July, where leaders will mark the Alliance’s 75th anniversary.

The UK continues to play a leading role in NATO, contributing to all operations and missions, committing almost all our Armed Forces under the NATO Force Model, and offering a full spectrum of capabilities.

With Eurowings and ChatGPT to an affordable dream holiday......Tour operator brand Eurowings Holidays goes live with AI-supported travel advisor

Eurowings goes ChatGPT: Eurowings Holidays, the tour operator brand of Germany's largest leisure airline, has gone live with an artificial intelligence (AI) powered travel advisor called “Holly”. It is the first online travel advisor that not only provides travel ideas tailored towards individual preferences within a very short time, but also enables the immediate booking of complete package holidays via the Eurowings Holidays website in the same step – a first in German tourism. The AI tool takes personal preferences into account and compares them with billions of flight and hotel combinations.

On the Eurowings Holidays website (German only), interested parties can now find tailor-made holidays that take special requests such as food preferences, sporting activities, excursion ideas or physical limitations into account right from the start. The more the digital travel consultant learns about their customers' wishes, the lower the risk of being disappointed on holiday. The technology finds exactly the travel package that best suits the preferences entered. The Eurowings Holidays AI travel advisor also takes, for example, hotel reviews into account, and immediately checks whether suitable adventure excursions or car hire offers are available.

Faster to the right destination with artificial intelligence

Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof: “We know that many travellers find the search for the right holiday destination time-consuming and tedious. With the digital travel advisor from Eurowings Holidays, the often complex path to the perfect holiday takes a shortcut and is radically simplified. Learning AI software recognises patterns and personal preferences for the benefit of our customers. Eurowings Holidays is thus increasing the quality of tourist offers and makes them much more individualised. We are delighted that we are taking on a pioneering role with these new-generation travel offers.”

The AI travel advisor “Holly” has been developed by the Hamburg-based start-up Honeepot. “The technology used ensures that customer data is fully protected and never passed on,” emphasises Honeepot CEO Torsten Ostmeier.

RAF Typhoons are flying on a large scale Saudi Arabian multinational air exercise

The RAF Typhoons from XI (Fighter) Squadron that are in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia taking part in this year’s Spears of Victory exercise are flying daily sorties as part of a large coalition of nations.

During the exercise, the nations are flying together in mixed groups to conduct air operations against a simulated peer adversary. Each contingent during the missions is practicing conducting defensive counter-air and offensive counter-air operations, as well as air interdiction training against live and simulated threats. 

Colonel Alshehri Saeed, Royal Saudi Air Force Exercise Director said:  “The RSAF and the RAF have a strong alliance that has continued to develop here on Spears of Victory 24, we look forward to working together in the future."

Squadron Leader Hodgkinson, UK Detachment Commander commented:  “The missions that are flown on Spears of Victory 24 are the centrepiece of the exercise. Pilots and aircrew on a multinational exercise are able to build relationships through shared experiences."

In addition to the RAF Typhoons taking part, the Royal Saudi Air Force are flying their Typhoons, Tornados and F-15s. F-16s are taking part from, Greece, and the UAE. The Saudi F-15s have been joined by others from Qatar, with the French Air and Space Force detachment contributing Rafales. The Pakistan Air Force are flying their JF-17s. The Royal Air Force of Oman IS also flying Typhoons. The US contribution this year has been to allocate KC 135 sorties to add to the Air to Air Refuelling capability. In total, over 60 aircraft are taking part in the exercise this year.

Flight Lieutenant ‘Boz’,  RAF Typhoon pilot on the exercise told us: “Whilst on Spears of Victory, a number of us will take part as the Mission commander, Deputy Mission commander, or a Package Lead.

“During one sortie I was the Air to Air package lead.  What that means is whilst I am leading a formation of Typhoons, I'm also feeding into the bigger picture and in charge of other assets within the area of operations.  With this being a network-enabled exercise I not only have the situational awareness of my own formation, but also what other call signs are doing and that is a critical element of modern warfighting."

Your travel planning isn’t complete without learning the language—or at least some essential phrases. Fully immerse yourself in the language, or use Phrasebook to learn travel essentials—the choice is yours!

New Cancun service from Toronto with budget airline Lynx Air

Canadian budget carrier Lynx Air has started a service between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Cancún International Airport this week.  The airline will operate six direct flights per week on its Boeing 737 MAX jets. 

Vijay Bathija, Chief Commercial Officer of Lynx commented:  "Lynx Air took to the skies for the very first time less than two years ago, and we are excited to be expanding to Mexico, our third country in our network. The choice of Cancún as our first true beach destination was easy – it is a very popular holiday spot for Canadians, with its famous beaches, hospitality, and great weather, of course!” 

Kurush Minocher, Executive Director, Airlines Relations and Customer Experience, Greater Toronto Airports Authority explained the allure of the Mexican holiday hotspot:  “Cancun is our highest-demand international destination, with more than 2,000 passengers headed down to the beach every day. We’re pleased to see Lynx continue to grow their network from YYZ and provide passengers with increased choice.”

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Eurowings expands BIZclass

One of the leading airlines in Germany, Eurowings is expanding its BIZclass offer in response to the significant increase in demand on short and medium-haul flights. 

As of recently, the first four rows on all Eurowings A319 and A320 flights have been reserved for BIZclass travellers instead of the previous three. Passengers who book the premium fare benefit from advantages such as a preferred seat, a free middle seat, more baggage, à la carte catering and lounge access.

Davina McCall suns herself on location in The Maldives with TUI BLUE

TV presenter Davina McCall enjoys a range of activities on a social media shoot in The Maldives.

From snorkelling to cooking on the beach she went behind the scenes with TUI’s global hotel brand TUI BLUE.

On a mission to find out what goes in to curating a perfect holiday, TV presenter Davina McCall embraced island life on her latest social media shoot for hotel brand TUI BLUE. 

Davina has been a brand ambassador since 2022, first exploring the restorative benefits of travel in Turkey and then the importance of reconnecting with friends in Cyprus.  Her latest shoot took her to the idyllic Indian Ocean setting of South Male Atoll in The Maldives where she went behind the scenes with staff to investigate the other side of holidays in paradise. 

Spending time with the BLUE Guides and island hosts at The TUI BLUE Olhuveli Resort, Davina helped curate personal experiences for some fellow guests and joined them to put them to the test.  She went snorkelling with one couple to discover the spectacular marine inhabitants of a deserted shipwreck, joined a pair of sisters to learn how to prepare Maldivian delicacies in a cooking class on the golden sands and teamed up with an adult family for an exercise session over the Indian Ocean. 

And she took everyone on an evening cruise to experience the stunning golden light of sunset on the ocean and enjoy a very special moment, witnessing bottlenose dolphins swimming in their natural habitat. 

Surf Air Mobility and Electra enter bilateral agreement to bring eSTOL aircraft to market

Surf Air Mobility, a leading green regional air mobility platform, and Electra Aero Inc, a next-gen aerospace company, have joined forces to introduce affordable, sustainable, and easily accessible regional air travel to a broad customer base leveraging Electra’s hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft on Surf Air’s technology-driven, on-demand air mobility platform, and through Surf Air’s Aircraft-as-a-Service (ACaaS) offering to air operators.

Surf Air has secured early delivery positions for 90 Electra eSTOL aircraft for integration into the Surf Air national flight network including Southern Airways Express and Mokulele Airlines, as part of Surf Air’s aim to use its platform to support the launch, growth, and optimization of new electrified aircraft. The Electra eSTOL aircraft’s ability to take off and land in as little as 150 feet will enable direct-to-destination air transportation beyond large airports, including small regional airports and novel Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure, expanding regional transportation to a broader customer base than private aviation currently serves.

The agreement between Surf Air and Electra highlights several key points of collaboration:

Surf Air secures preferred delivery positions on 90 eSTOL aircraft from Electra

Surf Air and Electra will collaborate on the development of route networks to be served by Surf Air’s air mobility network leveraging the Electra eSTOL aircraft

Surf Air is the preferred lessor and provider of Electra eSTOL aircraft to Surf Air customers under its Aircraft-as-a-Service leasing program

Surf Air, its data services partner(s), and Electra will collaborate on the development of predictive analytics systems to reduce overall operating costs and streamline operations.

“Electra stands out as one of the early market leaders in regional air mobility, and we’re excited to bring them onto our platform. Their innovations around hybrid-electric, short takeoff and landing aircraft—which can essentially take off and land on a football field-sized space—will unlock tremendous opportunities within the changing landscape of regional air mobility. We intend to leverage our leading position to become the definitive launch platform for new advanced aircraft technologies such as Electra,” said Stan Little, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Surf Air Mobility.

“As the country’s largest commuter airline, Surf Air is at the forefront of addressing the growing demand for cleaner, more affordable and convenient travel options. Electra is pleased to partner with Surf Air in spearheading the decarbonization of regional business aviation through the integration of our eSTOL aircraft into their fleet,” said John S. Langford, founder and CEO of Electra.

Bombardier launches U.S. Technician Apprenticeship programme in collaboration with WSU Tech

Bombardier confirmed it has collaborated with Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech) to create an apprenticeship programme aimed at training future airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanics. During the two-year paid apprenticeship programme, students will complete hands-on instruction at Bombardier Group’s Wichita site and in-class training at WSU Tech. They will have the opportunity to learn from experienced instructors and aviation maintenance leaders, as well as gain valuable knowledge on Bombardier’s world-class portfolio of business jets.

Upon successful completion of this state-registered A&P apprenticeship programme – the first of its kind in the state of Kansas – students will have obtained their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) A&P certification, as well as on-the-job training. Their job classification will transition from apprentice to full-time A&P technician at Bombardier, expanding the company’s technician roster and enabling the growing delivery of timelier OEM maintenance services.

“We are pleased to deepen our roots in Wichita and the U.S. through the launch of this foundational programme in collaboration with WSU Tech, a leader in aviation mechanic training in Wichita,” said Paul Sislian, Executive Vice-President, Aftermarket Services & Bombardier Strategy, Bombardier. “The start of this apprenticeship program highlights Bombardier Group’s ongoing commitment to not only expanding its footprint in Wichita, but to training, hiring and retaining qualified professionals, which will further increase our ability to provide exceptional customer service to our clients.”

Holiday giant TUI to start using Ryanair flights for package holidays.

The UK arm of the European holiday giant TUI is to start using Ryanair as part of its dynamic package holiday business for the first time.   This landmark deal will see the holiday firm sell more than a million packages using the low-fare-high-fees carrier’s flights. It's a move that will no doubt surprise a lot of people in the travel and aviation industries who wouldn't have thought these two entities were likely bedfellows.  But, in recent times, Ryanair has been trying to forge a way forward with holiday companies and recently signed a deal with other holiday firms.

David Schelp, CEO Markets & Airlines, at TUI Group, said: “More hotels, more flight connections, more excursions, and activities while travelling and at home – we are creating even more choice for our guests. The agreement we have now reached will create more travel options for our guests than ever before. In the UK in particular, our guests will be able to choose from an even wider range of flights in future – and furthermore to a strong program with TUI Airline’s own flights.”  

Ryanair’s Dara Brady said:  “We are pleased to announce this partnership with TUI, which will enable TUI customers to now book Ryanair flights, seats, and bags as part of their holiday package with the guarantee that they will have full price transparency of Ryanair products, and that they will receive any information regarding their flight directly from Ryanair as well as having direct access to their booking through their myRyanair account."

It is unknown if TUI UK has taken on more customer service agents to cope with the expected increase in the number of complaints, however, a number of recently recruited cabin crew have expressed concern that their jobs are no longer secure. 

 

Your travel planning isn’t complete without learning the language—or at least some essential phrases. Fully immerse yourself in the language, or use Phrasebook to learn travel essentials—the choice is yours!