Air UK Leisure
Encyclopedia
Air UK Leisure was a British
airline operating charter flights on behalf of its parent Air UK.
which would start operating in 1988 with two leased Boeing 737-200
aircraft. The company Air UK (Leisure) Limited was formed in 1987 with Air UK providing 30% of the £2.5 million capital, B&C Holding (the parent company of Air UK) 30% with the rest from the travel group Viking International.
The airline started operations in 1988 with two leased Boeing 737-200
aircraft and placed orders for four new Boeing 737-400
s from a leasing company for delivery in October 1988. The first flight was from London Stansted Airport
to Faro Airport
in Portugal. The airline became the first operator of the Boeing 737-400 in Europe when the first aircraft was delivered on 14 October 1988.
The airline went on to operate seven Boeing 737-400s on both charter and scheduled services and to base aircraft at Manchester and Gatwick Airport as well as Stansted.
In 1993 the airline introduced two leased Boeing 767-300
aircraft on behalf of British holiday tour operator Unijet.
On 29 March 1996 the airline introduced the first of three Airbus A320
s into service to replace the Boeing 737-400s.
In 1998 First Choice
acquired the airline when it took over Unijet, the aircraft fleet and operations were taken over by the First Choice airline Air 2000
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
airline operating charter flights on behalf of its parent Air UK.
History
In June 1987 Air UK announced that it would start a new charter airline based at London Stansted AirportLondon Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
which would start operating in 1988 with two leased Boeing 737-200
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft. The company Air UK (Leisure) Limited was formed in 1987 with Air UK providing 30% of the £2.5 million capital, B&C Holding (the parent company of Air UK) 30% with the rest from the travel group Viking International.
The airline started operations in 1988 with two leased Boeing 737-200
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft and placed orders for four new Boeing 737-400
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
s from a leasing company for delivery in October 1988. The first flight was from London Stansted Airport
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
to Faro Airport
Faro Airport
-Incidents and accidents:*On 21 December 1992, Martinair Flight 495 skidded off the runway in bad weather at Faro Airport killing 54 passengers and two crew out of a total of 340 people on board....
in Portugal. The airline became the first operator of the Boeing 737-400 in Europe when the first aircraft was delivered on 14 October 1988.
The airline went on to operate seven Boeing 737-400s on both charter and scheduled services and to base aircraft at Manchester and Gatwick Airport as well as Stansted.
In 1993 the airline introduced two leased Boeing 767-300
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
aircraft on behalf of British holiday tour operator Unijet.
Leisure International Airways
In 1996 the airline was sold to the tour operator Unijet and was renamed Leisure International Airways and moved its main base to London Gatwick Airport.On 29 March 1996 the airline introduced the first of three Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
s into service to replace the Boeing 737-400s.
In 1998 First Choice
First Choice
First Choice may refer to:* First Choice * First Choice , owned by TUI Travel PLC** First Choice Airways, its in-house airline* First Choice Haircutters, a Canadian hairdressing company...
acquired the airline when it took over Unijet, the aircraft fleet and operations were taken over by the First Choice airline Air 2000
Air 2000
Air 2000 was a British charter airline that operated for 17 years between 1987 and 2004. The airline was renamed as First Choice Airways in 2004 which lasted until TUI Travel PLC merged with First Choice Holidays PLC in 2008 and as a result First Choice Airways was merged with Thomsonfly to create...
.
Fleet
Over the years, Air UK Leisure operated the following aircraft types:| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... |
1988 | 1989 |
| Boeing 737-400 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
1988 | 1997 |
| Boeing 767-300 Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail... |
1993 | 1997 |