Personally I would expect the planned Smartlynx A321 will indeed be replaced by an A320 most likely YL-LCT, but TUI is still showing a seating plan for an A321 on various flights, despite SmartLynx not having an A321's available, still quite a mess!

Even though YL-LCT might have TUI stickers on it, it still could be transferred to TUI Fly Belgium, Germany, Netherlands etc as they also use SmartLynx aircraft.

A long haul configured 787-8 is positioning from BHX-BRS to operate MEL. Meanwhile, a long haul configured 787-8 is positioning BRS-BHX to operate what will end up being a delayed PMI. I’m sure there was must be a logical reason but it seems a strange one. A Wamos A330 had arrived in BHX last night seemingly to operate the wide bodied short haul flights so no idea what’s going on.

G-TAWC
 

Went tech at EXT yesterday. Max 8 flew in yesterday from LGW to cover the PMI flights but yesterdays Heraklion service still hasn’t gone.

That sort of thing often associated with some aspect of ETOPS which has failed and is not readily fixable. The alternative, diverting both out and return legs via overhead Iceland and Gander on the non-ETOPS track, might be more expensive and disruptive.

Are this year’s s/h configured 788s G-TUIH and G-TUIF (the latter still in LTN at present)?

At the same time as TUIC is positioning BHX-BRS, we have TUID positioning NCL-BHX…

I had no idea TUI operated to Melbourne.

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I think he meant to put MLB, the Melbourne in the US

They moved the Florida flights from Orlando, FL (MCO) to Melbourne, FL (MLB). One suspects that they got a better deal from the airport.

Currently in Malaga with an indefinite delay apparently, we were meant to depart at 11:10 local time, the ETD at the moment is 14:50 local according to the screens but I can see on FR24 our aircraft hasn’t even departed Manchester yet, was due to be a 767 so I can only assume it’s gone tech? No info this side from check in staff, I only found out of the delay initially by checking FR24!

They were moved from Sanford (SFB) weren't they. Don't think TOM have operated from MCO (in recent years anyway)

Hi yes I’m sat at Manchester waiting to get on it with the other 300 odd people! Should have left at 6am but there’s a fault on the aircraft! The captain came up to
the gate hours ago to update us all. The new part has been fitted but tests on it keep failing!? So we have to wait! Been given £15 in vouchers! But it’s starting to get peoples temper up now.I think the crew have got off it and it’s still parked on A2 with maintenance vans around it! We haven’t been updated since!

Orlando MCO only became interested in mainstream multiple daily flights long ago, and UK holiday flights moved over to Sanford, little used and still with immigration facilities. However the later has in recent times become a major point for US LCC airline Allegiant, and the focus has moved on, so Melbourne is the next to get used. Being "cheap" for charges, and "somewhere in Florida" are its characteristics.

Despite its rebranding as "Melbourne Orlando airport", it puts Frankfurt Hahn in the shade, being 75 miles from Disney, probably a couple of hours drive each way (I doubt the brochures say that), given the 192 that links the two is not even a freeway and has signals etc along the way. Melbourne is actually on the Atlantic coast. The airport used to handle such NASA traffic to Cape Canaveral as wasn't entitled to the NASA internal flights, but seems to have retreated to being a Florida secondary airport.

Cardiff Sunwing A/C still stuck in Reus. It's currently been there for 27 hours. Does anyone know the reason? Knock on effect once again to today's Cardiff departures.

WOW! These TUI tech aircraft seem to be happening more and more. Please keep us updated Mark J Bowcock and hope you get on your way soon.

Cape Verde has just been delayed till tomorrow! They are transferring passengers to hotels! But nothing been said to us lot who have been here since 2am.

That is so bad. FR24 states expected departure time is 7pm for Cape Verde so clearly hasnt been updated yet. Any more news on your flight yet?

It must be a huge problem for TUI when a 767 or s/h 787 has issues. It’s hard enough to lease that sort of capacity in on short notice and as pointed out in a post above theres next to no slack in the TUI fleet currently so it’s not like they can do what Jet2 did last week when the air tanker A330 went tech and they split the following days flight into two (757 & 737) to avoid delays.

and we have just been cancelled till tomorrow! So no Malaga today!

Yes same for us in Malaga…we are now on the coach to a hotel overnight. No flight info known until later this evening

I can think of at least 3 EU passenger airlines which have an A320 or B738 on the ground and which have wet leased those aircraft to other airlines in the last week.
There is ACMI capacity in Europe... just maybe not at a price TUI are willing to pay.