787 to ‘change face of long haul’ – Thomson
Borneo, Bali, Hawaii and Mauritius are all future package holiday destinations for Thomson, the operator predicts.
The claim coincided with the roll out of the first ‘environmentally friendly’ long haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner off the manufacturer’s production line in Seattle.
Thomson, whose parent company TUI is in the process of finalising a merger with First Choice, is to start taking delivery of 787s in 2010.
The range the 787 Dreamliner can achieve will “change the face of long-haul travel” in future, enabling holidays to be offered in far reaching destinations without the need to touch down and re-fuel, according to the company.
The Dreamliner is lighter so can cover a greater distance than a traditional aircraft would on the same amount of fuel – making it possible to fly greater distances than it has been possible to achieve in the past.
Guy Stephenson, commercial director of in-house airline Thomsonfly, said: This new airplane will open up a world of destinations that can be accessed by a single flight from the UK. Congratulations and thanks to Boeing for creating this new aircraft which has significant benefits for the travelling public, destinations worldwide and the environment.”
TUI AG announced in May that it has 11 787s on order for delivery between 2010 and 2013.
*See Air Berlin 787 order story
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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