On Friday 31 May and Saturday 1 June 2013 Thomson Airways finally took delivery of its first two Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with the arrivals of G-TUIA and G-TUIB respectively at Manchester International Airport. Images as credited.
The airline, part of the TUI Travel PLC group, which has 11 more examples on order and options for 13 additional aircraft, plans to commence revenue service with the type on 8 July, initially on routes between Manchester and Orlando and Glasgow and Cancun.
Thomson had hoped to start 787 services in May until the type was grounded following a series of smoke-related incidents linked to the lithium-ion battery used on-board.
The deliveries to Thomson came from Boeing’s facility at Paine Field, WA, and represented the first since the Federal Aviation Authority’s suspension of flights was lifted. G-TUIC, the company’s third example, is set to arrive on 14 June.
Prior to the commencement of passenger services, the aircraft will be used for crew training, as evidenced this afternoon when G-TUIA departed from Manchester International Airport for an eight-hour flight that included a number of circuits at Newquay Cornwall Airport – the former RAF St Mawgan.
Thanks are extended to Chris Batty and Tony Silgrim for the additional images.
Update – 05/06/2013 – Crew-training at Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
Yesterday (04/06/2013), GAR’s Glenn Beasley caught the second of Thomson Airways’ Boeing 787s to be delivered, G-TUIB (which has been given the name ‘Alfie’), crew-training at Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield.
