Originally Posted by
rog747
Yes indeed, a few A320's were leased to BY from Translift/TransAer around 1998/99.
To put the A320 history into context here with TUI musings about any new order -
Excalibur Airways' Airbus A320-200's were the first operator to hit the UK charter market with the new type in 1992 - and look where we have come since then.
Soon after Excalibur, almost everyone who was already a 757 and/or a 737 operator had dipped their toes with the then new A320;
Often just with one or two examples at first - Owners Abroad/Air 2000, IEA, Inspirations Holidays/Caledonian, Leisure International, Ambassador Airlines, and of course Britannia Airways.
Monarch joined in too with a small fleet starting from 1993.
Airtours International took over IEA in 1993 inheriting their two A320 and soon AIH ordered a sole new A320 in their own right, and they then obtained more A320's through Danish partner Conair/Premiair and that saw off their MD-83 fleet. AIH also leased the Excalibur A320's after they went under.
Airworld was an early A320 operator, subsequently, being the in-house charter airline of Thomas Cook, Airworld, adopted the Flying Colours Airlines brand.
Leisure International was bought by Air 2000, and Caledonian Airways was merged into Thomas Cook's new airline brand along with Airworld and Flying Colours to become JMC Air.
I can maybe foresee a 'seachange' at TUI and the A321N's could be part of an order if the Boeing debacle continues, although the B738M has shown and continues to be popular, but notwithstanding the pretty poor show of 787 reliability last summer which saw some sustainable work subbed out to other airlines in the height of the season to keep the long haul operation going.
The TUI 787's seem to be rather long in the tooth and resale prospects look patchy.
For long-haul, many of the European Charters airlines are going with the latest A330-900NEO type, and some with the high density A350.
TUI would be 'back of the queue' for any big Airbus order though, unless there are airfarmes unallocated still not snapped up having been idle due to the economic downturn and Russia etc.
What charter airline in Europe operate the a350?