Originally Posted by
ROC10
TUI are struggling today on what is arguably the first proper day of the ski season flights. They have had to charter a EuroAtlantic Airways 767 to operate yesterday’s LGW-LPA well over 24hrs late (must’ve been cancelled yesterday) and are suffering hefty delays from various bases. Definitely sent too many aircraft off to Sunwing this winter methinks (10 x 738). I suppose it must’ve been agreed prior to the MAX groundings but they’ll certainly be regretting it now.
TUI flights are package holiday flights, and as such they are not normally ever ''cancelled'' but merely delayed (however badly) and here in the LPA case TUI seems to have subbed in an ACMI airline to play catch up.
Am surprised TUI let the LPA delay slip to 24+ hours but guess ACMI availability for a larger 757 capacity type was limited.
Normally TUI do a better job than most in getting their program back on track.
The Sunwing 738 winter swap round is likely bound by a contractual plan as you mention, and therefore TUI UK would have to let those planes go back over to Canada for Sunwing's busy season.
I would think it would have been untenable to renege on that contract at short notice, especially as Sunwing have their own MAX's grounded.
As for next winter (20/21) which sees huge expansion with new, and reintroduced routes for TUI I guess they are planning hard now with regard to covering the program, (let alone this coming summers!!) plus the nagging doubts of whether they will ever see the MAX RTS, then add in the looming retirement decisions = Do we/Don't we? of the remaining 757/767 fleet.