TUI Airways

[TheLocalYokel]

Great video TLY, it looks as if there was a good turnout to welcome it.

Most of the spectators were across the other side of the runway where there is a long roughly surfaced layby at the side of the perimeter road, albeit at the western end of the field from where this video was shot. The layby is the main spotters area and is also the location from where most pics of BRS are taken with the Severn estuary and South Wales coast in the background.

There were probably 40 cars parked in the layby area. I'm sure there would have been more if Thomson/BRS had publicised the arrival beforehand. It was a deliberate ploy not to so it meant that only those who'd heard rumours turned up.

This less popular location actually works very well for the 787 arrival in my opinion.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I'm assuming this video was taken from the area that you mention? It looks alot busier.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

That's the area, Ray.

it was a bit cloudy and the view across the estuary was not as clear as it can be.

It's usually possible to see the cities of Newport (about 16 miles distant) and Cardiff (about 20 miles distant) from this vantage point which is over 600 feet above sea level with the estuary no more than seven miles to the west. Looking south across the broad Wrington Vale fills the eye with the Mendip Hills around five miles away. On really clear days it's possible to see the Brecon Beacons and the edge of Exmoor beyond Bridgwater Bay where the Severn estuary has morphed into the Bristol Channel.

Add the fact that this area of the airfield sits cheek by jowl with fields replete with livestock, with wooded combes and rolling hills adding to the rural scene, and it's almost a paradise on Earth for those who love walking in the countryside whilst at the same time being around aircraft coming and going. I'm one of those individuals. There probably aren't too many of us as most serious walkers of my acquaintance tend to be committed environmentalists who aren't particularly keen on airports (except when they want to go somewhere in a hurry).

I used to think that the BRS and CO management missed a trick when the Continental service was operating. They could have advertised the route to Americans as landing at a diddy little airport right in the middle of a chocolate box English country scene.

 

[forest1979]

Hi all, great to see the pictures, videos and comments on the Dreamliner into BRS. I have just come back from Mexico, flying the Dreamliner (living the dream) and have to say it was rather good.
I hope this proves popular with people when it starts. Long haul expansion for both TC and Thomson seems to be a serious priority so it would be great to think that more may come and maybe to those smaller airports which show demand. BHX where I flew in and out of this time have certainly reaped the rewards of people wanting and using more services.
Incidentally does anyone have any video's of this bird leaving? Would like to see it power up the runway!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Welcome back, forest. Trust you had a great time in Mexico.

I can't find any take-off videos on YouTube. It didn't leave until after 2100 hours with darkness having fallen so wouldn't have been the best background for videoing. It was a clear evening though and the 787 flew over my house around seven miles from BRS off runway 09 en route to Stansted. I could see and hear the aircraft clearly overhead.

#Thomson #BRS #Dreamliner

 

[Ornsack]

Flying the Dreamliner to Orlando next year. So excited! A small part of me is disappointed I'm not visiting another airport for a change of scenery but I never thought I'd be home within half hour of a long-haul landing.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Summer 2016

I’ve had a look at the BRS TUI operations for the main part of the summer and below are the daily departures. All flights are by TOM Boeing 757 except where indicated. The base consists of two 757s and one 738, as last summer.

Monday

0600 Burgas
0605 Mahon
0610 Thessalonika (738)
1440 Corfu
1525 Dalaman (738)
1525 Naples (non-based 738)
1550 Ibiza

Tuesday

0600 Kos
0650 Alicante (738)
0730 Palma
1405 Tenerife (738)
1525 Zakynthos
1620 Santorini

Wednesday

0700 Paphos
0720 Palma
0730 Fuerteventura (738)
1450 Rhodes
1755 Larnaca (738)
1910 Ibiza

Thursday

0645 Dubrovnik
0735 Arrecife
0850 Ibiza (738)
1435 Heraklion
1600 Bodrum (738)
1750 Malaga

Friday

0530 Corfu
0700 Tenerife (738)
0705 Mahon
1355 Sal, Cape Verde
1425 Zakynthos
1725 Naples (738)
1935 Antalya (Freebird A320)

Saturday

0600 Reus
0650 Pula (738)
0910 Palma
1250 Verona (Neos 738)
1315 Ibiza
1400 Las Palmas (738)
1655 Rhodes
2030 Palma

Sunday

0600 Malaga
0600 Arrecife (738)
0805 Faro
1340 Larnaca
1535 Kefalonia
1610 Heraklion (738)

There are 46 weekly departures to 30 separate destinations:

Palma 4, Ibiza 4, Mahon 2, Malaga 2, Tenerife 2, Arrecife 2, Naples 2, Zakynthos 2, Heraklion 2, Rhodes 2, Corfu 2, Larnaca 2 and 1 weekly departure to Alicante, Reus, Las Palmas, Fuerteventura, Faro, Verona, Kos, Santorini, Kefalonia, Thessalonika, Paphos, Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Burgas, Pula, Dubrovnik and Sal.

In summer 2015 there were 42 weekly rotations. The difference between 2015 and 2016 is as follows, taking the 2015 situation post the Enfidha routes withdrawal in early season which were replaced with other routes.

Ibiza +1
Mahon -1
Tenerife +1
Arrecife +1
Corfu +1
Dalaman -1
Sharm el Sheikh -2 (no Sharm route in 2016)
Faro +1 (no Faro route in 2015)
Sal +1 (no Sal route in 2015)
Rhodes +2 (no Rhodes route in 2015)

The Saturday Verona service is operated by a Neos B738 this year after several seasons with a Mistral B734.

 

[CraigW92]

Very intrigued looking at the Thomson schedule for next summer with the number of carriers yet to be confirmed for a number of routes:

Tuesday Antalya : AYT 06:00/ BRS 08:25
BRS 09:25/ 15:20 = potentially Freebird/ Onur Air

Thursday Bodrum : BJV 06:00 / BRS 08:15
BRS 09:15/ 15:10 BJV = potentially Pegasus / Onur Air

Friday Dalaman : DLM 06:00 / BRS 08:25
BRS 09:25/ 15:05= potentially Freebird/ Pegasus/ Onur Air

Tuesday Tenerife : TFS 07:10 / BRS 11:10
BRS 11:50 / TFS 15:50 = potentially Norweigan/ Air Europa/ ( interestingly same timings as CWL)

Tuesday Palma : PMI 10:30 / BRS 11:50
BRS 12:50/ PMI 16:10 = Albastar/ Norweigan ( yet again same timings as CWL Albastar flight)

Saturday Alicante : ALC 07:30 / BRS 08:50
BRS 09:50/ ALC 13:10 = ... ?

I'll be quite intrigued to see what Airlines they use on these routes , although I would say Albastar need to be avoided ... Don't think we've had am on time flight yet from them down here ! the hour turn around on the ALC flight is very intriguing as to who this may be.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I haven't looked at the full schedule to see if the two based 757s and the based 738 are yet fully employed. If they are it will mean more weekly rotations overall presumably if all these tbc flights operate. A couple of summers ago Jetairfly, of TUI Belgium, operated one of the PMIs for TUI at BRS for a season. However, Thomson can be a bit like Ryanair used to be: their early timetable is not always the final one by any means, with some routes or some rotations not operating at all in the end.

Turkey is very marginal these days and it may be that if bookings are down some of the Turkey rotations won't operate. At a pinch Thomson could always take seats on the easyJet fights to Dalaman and Bodrum if they want to reduce their Turkish rotations assuming the easyJet flights operate next summer. I've flown twice with TUI group companies lakes/mountains holidays to Switzerland from BRS in recent years and the carrier was easyJet to Geneva.

I tend to have a look early in the new year for TOM's summer offering that year as things are usually confirmed by then.

 

[CraigW92]

Found that also to be correct with regards to the operation at CWL, I've had no problems with regards to AEA, however I did change my flight from Albastar this year to a TOM frame, especially so with a nervous flyer in the group. I'm still very intrigued as to the ALC flight, I've been doing a bit of digging as to companies that have been used with regards to TOM, Evelop seem to have been cropping up a fair few times.

As you say mind with the trouble in Turkey at the moment it could well all depend on bookings with regards to BJV and AYT, I can see the DLM flight being ok mind , very popular destination even with the ongoing problems. Of course there could well be more rotations added to the Balearics if the demand is there into the new year.

 

[Jerry]

Found that also to be correct with regards to the operation at CWL, I've had no problems with regards to AEA, however I did change my flight from Albastar this year to a TOM frame, especially so with a nervous flyer in the group. I'm still very intrigued as to the ALC flight, I've been doing a bit of digging as to companies that have been used with regards to TOM, Evelop seem to have been cropping up a fair few times.

As you say mind with the trouble in Turkey at the moment it could well all depend on bookings with regards to BJV and AYT, I can see the DLM flight being ok mind , very popular destination even with the ongoing problems. Of course there could well be more rotations added to the Balearics if the demand is there into the new year.

Could be an Evelop A330? As long as it isn't fully loaded then it shouldn't have a problem landing and taking off as BH Air have showed.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Could be an Evelop A330? As long as it isn't fully loaded then it shouldn't have a problem landing and taking off as BH Air have showed.

I was told on good authority a few months ago that a well-known airline had been doing some serious sums for a long haul route out of BRS with A 330-200 aircraft. They concluded that the range was much greater than many people believe, so a flight to Alicante should present no problem at all.

BRS only has one charter rotation to Alicante this summer - Thomson. With easyJet's 14 x weekly (2 x daily every day) and Ryanair's up to 10 x weekly it seems well covered. However, if emphasis is to continue to be switched away from the likes of Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey to the traditional Costas then maybe there will be more charter flights to such airports as Alicante.

 

[Jerry]

I was told on good authority a few months ago that a well-known airline had been doing some serious sums for a long haul route out of BRS with A 330-200 aircraft. They concluded that the range was much greater than many people believe, so a flight to Alicante should present no problem at all.

BRS only has one charter rotation to Alicante this summer - Thomson. With easyJet's 14 x weekly (2 x daily every day) and Ryanair's up to 10 x weekly it seems well covered. However, if emphasis is to continue to be switched away from the likes of Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey to the traditional Costas then maybe there will be more charter flights to such airports as Alicante.

Hopefully that airline isn't who i think it could be as that could be negative for CWL! If they use an airline like Evelop to do their Alicante it could mean they are looking to increase current rotations on existing routes or potentially add another!

 

[big g]

Hopefully that airline isn't who i think it could be as that could be negative for CWL! If they use an airline like Evelop to do their Alicante it could mean they are looking to increase current rotations on existing routes or potentially add another!

I think you have guessed correct, from what I know the A330 can do Orlando/ Cancun direct from BRS. Overall the A332 is not much bigger than the 787-8 also efficiency wise there's not a huge difference between them, after all the 787 is still a fat overweight plastic pig!

 

[Jerry]

I think you have guessed correct, from what I know the A330 can do Orlando/ Cancun direct from BRS. Overall the A332 is not much bigger than the 787-8 also efficiency wise there's not a huge difference between them, after all the 787 is still a fat overweight plastic pig!

I honestly think if Thomas Cook could do long haul from BRS they would've done already. If they wanted to expand at CWL then they would add to Orlando and fly it during the school holidays. Their long haul focus seems to be on MAN at the moment.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I honestly think if Thomas Cook could do long haul from BRS they would've done already. If they wanted to expand at CWL then they would add to Orlando and fly it during the school holidays. Their long haul focus seems to be on MAN at the moment.

Perhaps they might if TUI hadn't stepped in at Bristol. Probably not enough traffic for two airlines to Florida, at least if yields are not to be diluted.

 

[big g]

I honestly think if Thomas Cook could do long haul from BRS they would've done already. If they wanted to expand at CWL then they would add to Orlando and fly it during the school holidays. Their long haul focus seems to be on MAN at the moment.

They would but airline politics came in to play. We're have to see what happens in 2019!

 

[Marko1]

New long haul routes for April 2018. Dominican Republic. Mexico and Florida !!

 

[Marko1]

And a few Barbados. All flights on the Dreamliner

 

[superking]

looks like Thomson really going for long haul from brs. hope it works well for them.