With TUI Airways retiring its Boeing 757s, Mark Broadbent looks at the aircraft’s service with the airline, reflects on the type’s legacy and asks what lies in store for the airframes?
In early October 2021, TUI Airways retired the last of its Boeing 757s. On October 3, BY4707 from Heraklion, Greece to London/Gatwick was operated by G-OOBP. The next day, BY7723 from Paphos, Cyprus to Birmingham was flown by G-OOBB.
For so many passengers, who associated the 757 with nostalgic memories of jetting off on their holidays, it marked the end of an era. The same sense of loss was felt by the people who flew the type professionally. Captain Alastair Pease, director of safety, compliance and AOC at TUI Airways Flight Operations, told Aviation News the phase-out was “quite emotional. There are many, many people, both with the airline right now and those who have retired or gone on to different jobs, who have really fond memories. It’s been a longstanding aeroplane in this airline and others around the world.”
