More than five years after receiving its initial Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, TUI Airways was once again the first UK airline to take delivery of a new Boeing commercial airliner, with its initial 737 MAX 8, G-TUMA (c/n 44593), named Kittila. The aircraft arrived at Manchester, from where it conducted its inaugural rotation to Malaga. A second jet, G-TUMB (c/n 44595), named Menorca, followed shortly afterwards.
TUI Airways, formerly Thomson Airways, is part of the TUI Travel Group’s stable of airlines across Europe. The carrier is set to receive 32 737 MAX 8s, which will replace the 737-800s in its fleet on both short and medium-haul routes over the next five years. Sister airlines TUI Belgium and TUI Nordic received their initial 737 MAX 8s early in 2018 and TUI Netherlands its first example in December 2018, with Germany-based TUIfly due to receive its initial 737 MAX 8 in early 2019. The TUI Group has ordered 72 737 MAX 8s for its airlines in total.
The TUI Airways 737 MAX 8s feature a new personalised inflight entertainment system called Navigate, where passengers can use their own electronic devices to stream entertainment content.
Mark Broadbent
