There is a requirement on Canadian registered aircraft for the crew to be fluent in French and all announcements (even between UK and the Med) to be in both English and French. It is likely therefore the easiest way for that to be proven as complied with, is to put a SWG crew member on board.

Some of the aircraft going to Canada sometimes remain on the UK register, some are re-registered onto the C register. The SWG crew can therefore comply with any CAA rules since they all speak English.

I believe it's because they have a kind of 'damp lease' agreement where they use the Canadian Sunwing flight crew, so not to have to increase their own UK flight crew numbers just for the sake of the summer season, plus union agreements if it was to be operated as a TOM flight on a G- reg aircraft. I appreciate that may be the case in those other respective countries. However, they'll have other types of local agreements in place with those crew.

New Routes for W19 and S20

Birmingham - Agadir Eff 07Nov19 1x weekly B737-800
Birmingham - Marsa Alam Eff 04Nov19 1x weekly B737-800
Bristol - Memmingen Eff 21DEC19 1x weekly B737-800
Bristol - Reykjavik Eff 26Jan20 - 04Mar20 2x weeky B737-800
Edinburgh - Malaga Eff 01Mar20 1x weekly B737 Max8
Edinburgh - Toulouse Eff 29Dec19 - 08Mar20 1x weekly B737 Max8
London Gatwick - Memmingen Eff 21Dec19 1x weekly B737-800
London Stansted - Chambery Eff 14Dec19 1x weekly B737-800
Manchester - Marsa Alam Eff 06Nov19 1x weekly B737 Max8


Reported by Routes Online.

Is Memmingen for ski pax?

Probably, for the Oberallgaue region (resorts such as Oberstdorf) which are currently not well known and frequented by the UK mass market - thank heavens! That said, with major events such as the Four Hill Skijumping taking place over the Christmas period I would imagine that reasonably priced accommodation for the mass market could be a real issue over Christmas and New Year there.

Both the EDI routes have been operated in W18/S19 using chartered BACF a/c.

The dates for Bristol-Reykjavik (Keflavik) are confusing. Have they been transposed? TUI is already down to operate the route at 2 x weekly in January and February 2020 with the last flights on 1 March. A transposition of dates would simply mean the route's season is extended by three weeks.

easyJet already operates through the winter at up to 3 x weekly on BRS-KEF.

Addendum

I note the dates have now been amended in the original post. These dates have been in the TUI booking timetable and on sale for a long time.

add Newcastle - Agadir to that S20 list

Sunwings B737-800 C-FFPH diverted to Edinburgh from Aberdeen, does anyone know why?

A poster on the BOH thread also mentioned about several recent AOG's there with TUI and trying to cover the main program due to the MAX groundings --

Yep indeed when it goes Pete Tong it really does in high season - not something you want when you already have about a dozen ACMI airlines on your books to cover the 9 MAX's

From AVHerald Incident: Titan A320
operating for TUI flight BY517
RAK-LGW
Mayday near Bordeaux on Jul 5th 2019, engine stall

A Titan Airways Airbus A320 on behalf of TUI Airways, registration G-POWM was enroute from Marrakesh at FL360 over the Bay of Biscay about 100nm northwest of Bordeaux when the crew declared a Mayday reporting they were descending due to an engine (IAE V2527) stall. The aircraft diverted to Bordeaux for a safe landing on runway 23 about 35 minutes later.
A listener on frequency reported the crew called Mayday due to an engine stall and reported they were descending. After working the checklists they requested to divert to Bordeaux.

The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Bordeaux about 31 hours after landing.

So Titan then have now try to cover the AOG of this one for the TUI contracts....