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{{Infobox_Airline |airline=First Choice Airways|logo=First choice logo.jpg|logo_size=user|IATA=DP|ICAO=FCA|callsign=JETSET|parent=
TUI Travel PLC|headquarters=[Crawley, England,
United Kingdom, [Birmingham International Airport (UK),
Bristol Airport,
Cardiff Wales International Airport,
Dublin Airport,
Exeter Airport,
Glasgow Airport, London Gatwick Airport,
London Luton Airport,
London Stansted Airport, Manchester Airport, East Midlands Airport|| focus_cities= Cork Airport, Edinburgh International Airport, Humberside International Airport, Leeds-Bradford Airport,
Norwich Airport,
Shannon Airport|fleet_size=28|destinations=45-70 (dependent on season)|key_people=Chris(tine) Browne - Managing Director|website=http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/|-->
First Choice Airways is a charter airline of European tour operator TUI Travel plc, based in Crawley, England. It flies to more than 60 destinations worldwide from 14 UK and Irish airports. 70% of the airline's services are operated for its parent company, rising to 85% in the summer season, with the remainder on behalf of some 120 other tour operators. It also operates scheduled year-round leisure routes to
Cyprus and the popular resorts of
Spain and Portugal. Its main bases are Manchester Airport and London Gatwick Airport, but it's main hub is Manchester Airport. Its long haul services are sold only by internal companies such as First Choice Holidays, Eclipse Direct, Sunsail, Sovereign, Hayes and Jarvis and Unijet. The company also operates several luxury 'Around The World' flights each winter on behalf of
TCS Expeditions.
The company 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. Operating Licence
History
The airline started operations on 11 April 1987 under the name
Air 2000 with two Boeing 757 aircraft and a flight from Manchester to Málaga. The fleet doubled a year later, with one aircraft being based at Glasgow International Airport. In the same year, the airline set up a subsidiary in
Canada, to be called Air 2000 Airline Ltd. This subsidiary lasted only a few days before the Canadian government suspended its licence. The second attempt was more successful and became
Canada 3000.
Long haul services to Mombasa in Kenya were introduced during the
1988/1989 season. The 757s were re-equipped for extended range and flights to the
United States began in 1989. The airline was granted a licence for scheduled operations by the UK Civil Aviation Authority in 1992, which commenced in 1993, initially between London Gatwick and
Paphos, in Cyprus.
Expansion saw new bases in the UK established, with
Dublin becoming the airline's first overseas hub in 1996.
Leisure International Airways was fully integrated after the acquisition by First Choice of Unijet in June 1998. This included the entire fleet of aircraft, and an order for four
Airbus A330 aircraft, which First Choice immediately cancelled in favour of the company's
Boeing 767 aircraft.
air 2000 received a new colour scheme which is still in use, however in March 2004 the Air 2000 branding was removed and First Choice Airways branding added.
The airline carried 6.5 million passengers during
2002. The 2005 total was 6.0 million - fifth highest passenger figures of any UK airline. (per official CAA statistics - see below). In 2004 it announced plans to refurbish another six Boeing 767 aircraft to expand its long haul operations. The airline was the first in the UK to use the Boeing 777-style interior on their 767 fleet. The company now has a total of six aircraft flying long haul in 2007, in a two class layout, 63 Premium, 195 Economy. All seats feature Panasonic seat back entertainment,mood lighting and legroom previously unseen in traditional charter aircraft.
On
April 23 2007, First Choice confirmed it is to close its bases at
London Luton Airport and
Cardiff from 1 November
2007 and at the same time establish a new permanent base at
Exeter Airport.
In September 2007 First Choice became part of TUI Travel PLC. It is still unclear as to how the airlines will be integrated, two possible options are being explored and an official announcement will be made shortly. One possible method is for both First Choice Airways and Thomsonfly to become one airline, likely to be TUI Fly, however the second option is for both airlines to remain operating under separate names. Either way the airline(s) will operate under one Air Operator Certificate in the name of Thomsonfly and the headquarters of the new airline(s) will be based in Luton at the old Thomson head offices.
Destinations
Short Haul
- Austria - Innsbruck, Salzburg
- Bulgaria - Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna, Bourgas
- Cyprus - Larnaca, Paphos
- Egypt - Luxor, Sharm-El-Sheikh, Taba
- Finland - Kittilä, Rovaniemi
- France - Grenoble, Toulouse
- Gambia - Banjul
- Greece - Chania, Corfu, Heraklion, Kefallonia, Kos, Mytilini, Preveza, Rhodes, Santorini, Skiathos, Thessalonika, Zakynthos
- Italy - Bergamo, Naples, Turin, Verona
- Malta - Malta
- Morocco - Agadir
- Portugal - Faro, Funchal
- Slovenia - Ljubljana
- Spain - Alicante, Almería, Arrecife, Fuerteventura, Ibiza, Las Palmas, Mahón, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Reus, Tenerife South
- Switzerland - Geneva
- Tunisia - Monastir
- Turkey - Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Izmir
Worldwide
- Antigua & Barbuda - Antigua
- Aruba - Aruba
- Bahamas - Nassau
- Barbados - Bridgetown
- Brazil - Salvador
- Cuba - Cayo Coco, Holguin, Varadero
- Costa Rica - Liberia
- Dominican Republic - Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Samana
- India - Goa, Trivandrum
- Jamaica - Montego Bay
- Kenya - Mombasa
- Maldives - Male
- Mexico - Cancun, Cozumel, Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta
- Sri Lanka - Colombo
- USA - Fort Lauderdale, Orlando Sanford, New Orleans (from Nov 2007)
- Venezuela - Porlamar
Fleet
As of May 2007 the First Choice Airways fleet includes Civil Aviation Authority Aircraft Register:
- 7 Airbus A320 (two aircraft are wet-leased from Skyservice until 1 November 2007Civil Aviation Authority Official Record Series 2, Number 1793 Dated 10 April 2007 Part 3 Use of Foreign Registered Aircraft)
- 3 Airbus A321
- 16 Boeing 757 (one aircraft is wet-leased from Skyservice until 1 November 2007Civil Aviation Authority Official Record Series 2, Number 1793 Dated 10 April 2007 Part 3 Use of Foreign Registered Aircraft)
- 6 Boeing 767
As of August 2006 the fleet age is 8.3 years.
Aircraft orders
- 12 Boeing 787 (deliveries from 2009 to 2011)
The airline will be the UK launch customer for the Boeing 787. The airline placed a firm order for six aircraft in February 2005, with an option for a further six. The airline will be the first UK company to receive the B787. In December 2006, the airline announced the purchase of a further two 787 Dreamliners, taking its total order to eight aircraft. In March 2007 First Choice Airways announced it was converting all four remaining options to orders, bringing the total to 12 aircraft. In 2009 First Choice will receive its first B787-8 aircraft. Each B787-8 will replace a B767-300 on long haul routes as they are delivered. The deliveries are expected to take around two years.
Trivia
- First Choice were the Official Holiday Company Partner of The Comic Relief Charity 2007.
- Aircraft G-OOBI and G-OOOX, both Boeing 757-200's, appeared in a modified livery, from February 2007 onwards, promoting Red Nose Day, a charity fund raising day organised by Comic Relief.
- The airline has an exclusive agreement with Disney to offer Disney themed flights to Orlando Sanford International Airport.
- Some Long Haul crew (those operating on the routes to Orlando Sanford airport) are specially trained experts on Disney and Walt Disney World.
- The Microsoft Flight Simulator add-on "FS2Crew: Level-D 767 Edition" features First Choice Airways' operating procedures.
External links
- First Choice Airways
- First Choice Airways Fleet
- Photos of First Choice Airways aircraft
- British Photo Database - First Choice Airways
References
{{Infobox_Airline |airline=First Choice Airways|logo=First choice logo.jpg|logo_size=user|IATA=DP|ICAO=FCA|callsign=JETSET|parent=TUI Travel PLC|headquarters=[Crawley,
England, United Kingdom, [Birmingham International Airport (UK),
Bristol Airport,
Cardiff Wales International Airport, Dublin Airport,
Exeter Airport,
Glasgow Airport,
London Gatwick Airport,
London Luton Airport,
London Stansted Airport,
Manchester Airport,
East Midlands Airport|| focus_cities=
Cork Airport,
Edinburgh International Airport,
Humberside International Airport,
Leeds-Bradford Airport,
Norwich Airport,
Shannon Airport|fleet_size=28|destinations=45-70 (dependent on season)|key_people=Chris(tine) Browne - Managing Director|website=http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/|-->
First Choice Airways is a charter airline of European tour operator TUI Travel plc, based in
Crawley, England. It flies to more than 60 destinations worldwide from 14 UK and Irish airports. 70% of the airline's services are operated for its parent company, rising to 85% in the summer season, with the remainder on behalf of some 120 other tour operators. It also operates scheduled year-round leisure routes to Cyprus and the popular resorts of
Spain and Portugal. Its main bases are
Manchester Airport and London Gatwick Airport, but it's main hub is
Manchester Airport. Its long haul services are sold only by internal companies such as First Choice Holidays, Eclipse Direct, Sunsail, Sovereign, Hayes and Jarvis and Unijet. The company also operates several luxury 'Around The World' flights each winter on behalf of
TCS Expeditions.
The company 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. Operating Licence
History
The airline started operations on
11 April 1987 under the name Air 2000 with two Boeing 757 aircraft and a flight from Manchester to
Málaga. The fleet doubled a year later, with one aircraft being based at Glasgow International Airport. In the same year, the airline set up a subsidiary in Canada, to be called Air 2000 Airline Ltd. This subsidiary lasted only a few days before the Canadian government suspended its licence. The second attempt was more successful and became Canada 3000.
Long haul services to
Mombasa in Kenya were introduced during the 1988/
1989 season. The 757s were re-equipped for extended range and flights to the
United States began in
1989. The airline was granted a licence for scheduled operations by the UK Civil Aviation Authority in
1992, which commenced in
1993, initially between London Gatwick and
Paphos, in Cyprus.
Expansion saw new bases in the UK established, with
Dublin becoming the airline's first overseas hub in 1996.
Leisure International Airways was fully integrated after the acquisition by First Choice of Unijet in June
1998. This included the entire fleet of aircraft, and an order for four Airbus A330 aircraft, which First Choice immediately cancelled in favour of the company's
Boeing 767 aircraft.
air 2000 received a new colour scheme which is still in use, however in March 2004 the Air 2000 branding was removed and First Choice Airways branding added.
The airline carried 6.5 million passengers during
2002. The 2005 total was 6.0 million - fifth highest passenger figures of any UK airline. (per official CAA statistics - see below). In 2004 it announced plans to refurbish another six
Boeing 767 aircraft to expand its long haul operations. The airline was the first in the UK to use the
Boeing 777-style interior on their 767 fleet. The company now has a total of six aircraft flying long haul in
2007, in a two class layout, 63 Premium, 195 Economy. All seats feature Panasonic seat back entertainment,mood lighting and legroom previously unseen in traditional charter aircraft.
On April 23 2007, First Choice confirmed it is to close its bases at
London Luton Airport and Cardiff from 1 November 2007 and at the same time establish a new permanent base at
Exeter Airport.
In September 2007 First Choice became part of TUI Travel PLC. It is still unclear as to how the airlines will be integrated, two possible options are being explored and an official announcement will be made shortly. One possible method is for both First Choice Airways and Thomsonfly to become one airline, likely to be TUI Fly, however the second option is for both airlines to remain operating under separate names. Either way the airline(s) will operate under one Air Operator Certificate in the name of Thomsonfly and the headquarters of the new airline(s) will be based in Luton at the old Thomson head offices.
Destinations
Short Haul
- Austria - Innsbruck, Salzburg
- Bulgaria - Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna, Bourgas
- Cyprus - Larnaca, Paphos
- Egypt - Luxor, Sharm-El-Sheikh, Taba
- Finland - Kittilä, Rovaniemi
- France - Grenoble, Toulouse
- Gambia - Banjul
- Greece - Chania, Corfu, Heraklion, Kefallonia, Kos, Mytilini, Preveza, Rhodes, Santorini, Skiathos, Thessalonika, Zakynthos
- Italy - Bergamo, Naples, Turin, Verona
- Malta - Malta
- Morocco - Agadir
- Portugal - Faro, Funchal
- Slovenia - Ljubljana
- Spain - Alicante, Almería, Arrecife, Fuerteventura, Ibiza, Las Palmas, Mahón, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Reus, Tenerife South
- Switzerland - Geneva
- Tunisia - Monastir
- Turkey - Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Izmir
Worldwide
- Antigua & Barbuda - Antigua
- Aruba - Aruba
- Bahamas - Nassau
- Barbados - Bridgetown
- Brazil - Salvador
- Cuba - Cayo Coco, Holguin, Varadero
- Costa Rica - Liberia
- Dominican Republic - Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Samana
- India - Goa, Trivandrum
- Jamaica - Montego Bay
- Kenya - Mombasa
- Maldives - Male
- Mexico - Cancun, Cozumel, Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta
- Sri Lanka - Colombo
- USA - Fort Lauderdale, Orlando Sanford, New Orleans (from Nov 2007)
- Venezuela - Porlamar
Fleet
As of
May 2007 the First Choice Airways fleet includes Civil Aviation Authority Aircraft Register:
- 7 Airbus A320 (two aircraft are wet-leased from Skyservice until 1 November 2007Civil Aviation Authority Official Record Series 2, Number 1793 Dated 10 April 2007 Part 3 Use of Foreign Registered Aircraft)
- 3 Airbus A321
- 16 Boeing 757 (one aircraft is wet-leased from Skyservice until 1 November 2007Civil Aviation Authority Official Record Series 2, Number 1793 Dated 10 April 2007 Part 3 Use of Foreign Registered Aircraft)
- 6 Boeing 767
As of August 2006 the fleet age is 8.3 years.
Aircraft orders
The airline will be the UK launch customer for the
Boeing 787. The airline placed a firm order for six aircraft in February 2005, with an option for a further six. The airline will be the first UK company to receive the B787. In December 2006, the airline announced the purchase of a further two 787 Dreamliners, taking its total order to eight aircraft. In March 2007 First Choice Airways announced it was converting all four remaining options to orders, bringing the total to 12 aircraft. In 2009 First Choice will receive its first B787-8 aircraft. Each B787-8 will replace a B767-300 on long haul routes as they are delivered. The deliveries are expected to take around two years.
Trivia
- First Choice were the Official Holiday Company Partner of The Comic Relief Charity 2007.
- Aircraft G-OOBI and G-OOOX, both Boeing 757-200's, appeared in a modified livery, from February 2007 onwards, promoting Red Nose Day, a charity fund raising day organised by Comic Relief.
- The airline has an exclusive agreement with Disney to offer Disney themed flights to Orlando Sanford International Airport.
- Some Long Haul crew (those operating on the routes to Orlando Sanford airport) are specially trained experts on Disney and Walt Disney World.
- The Microsoft Flight Simulator add-on "FS2Crew: Level-D 767 Edition" features First Choice Airways' operating procedures.
External links
- First Choice Airways
- First Choice Airways Fleet
- Photos of First Choice Airways aircraft
- British Photo Database - First Choice Airways
References
- United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Statistics of passengers carried by U.K. Airlines 2002 and 2005 (Tables 1.6.0)
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