TUI fly, the German airline branch of travel company TUI Group, will start its first long-haul flights using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft in November 2020.
The airline has now outlined further details, after plans for long-haul flying were first announced in November 2019.
Initial flights will be operated from Dusseldorf Airport, Germany’s third largest airport, to leisure destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. These new connections will be available for booking ‘in the coming weeks’, as TUI is currently preparing specific flight plans.
Dusseldorf is TUI’s second most important airport in the country, following its home base Hannover. Seven Boeing 737 are currently based at ‘DUS Airport’.
While other airlines of the TUI Group already operate a number of wide-body aircraft, it is the first time for TUI fly to do so. By adding the 787-8, the carrier becomes the first airline in Germany to operate Boeing’s ‘Dreamliner’.
At the moment, TUI fly operates a fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, some of which are operated on behalf of Lufthansa-owned low-cost carrier Eurowings. In addition to over 30 737 NG (-700 & -800), it has 25 737 MAX on order. The first MAX was due to be delivered in April 2019, but is delayed for an unknown period of time, as the aircraft type is currently grounded around the world following two deadly crashes. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing suspended deliveries of the planes in March 2019.
Jakob Wert is an aviation journalist from Germany. He built up the website IFN.news and is the Editor-In-Chief of International Flight Network.
