Originally Posted by
LBAflyer22
There usually is "based" aircraft at certain bases for all airlines (well it's pretty obvious for BA/Virgin).
The reasons they'd swap out is for, as I've stated, maintenance that cannot be performed a the base due facilities (Usually akin to a car service check) and maybe where they need to clear a defect but again would rather do it in a base that has facilities to in case of grounding.
I'm not that ofay with TUI fleet and where they are based, but when Jet2 had the 757 split fleet, AG/AC/AE were predominately MAN based with AK/AB/AJ been LBA based. AA/AD/AI/AH/AN would swap between both bases would AH would be seen more in LBA then MAN and AD the other way round. It was only really AA/AI that would flick properly between the two.
Of course its obvious for BA/Virgin, who have 1 main base (LHR)
The TUI fleet of approx 65 airframes has approx 13 UK bases so the airframes are rotated around all those bases, as has been said, for maintenance/lease costs etc.
I am based at LGW on the 787 and never fly the same airframe every week......