TUI announces to start a new airline !?!

[SN30952]

I don't understand how they can plan so far ahead with their actual situation. Lien !

The seats need to be sold, Lien.
People decide their holiday trips -60 days (60d ahead of the departure date of their long haul voyage)
Within these 60 days, the seats sold are to business travellers, family travel and the kind.
Tour operators need even more time to plan their tours, book hotels and local transport. All this has to be printed in brochures and websites have to updated. Six month is in these terms not long. Airtravel is nowadays, not the most important thing in tourism business, talking money-wise. That's why it has to be the most flexibel.

[SN30952]

I got a press release this evening about a new airline being set up by TUI Belgium.
x airline will be launched in April 2004, nicely timed with the Eastern holidays
x 2 aircrafts will serve a part of the Jetair destinations (Jetair is a Belgian tour operator, member of the TUI Group)
x 70% of the Jetair flights are currently operated by Sobelair. In the press release, Jetair claims that the 2 additional aircrafts are rather seen as a back up in case something happens with a partner airline, and to cope with the increasing demand. Regards Frederic

TUI intends to launch a yet-to-be named, Brussels-based leisure airline with a 'fleet' of two aircraft around Easter.
Currently, TUI's Belgian lift is provided through 2007 by Sobelair, the former charter subsidiary of defunct Sabena.
TUI Belgium acknowledged that concerns over the financial stability of Sobelair played a part in its decision to start an in-house carrier but also said it needs more capacity than allowed in the current agreement.
Competitor Thomas Cook launched its in-house airline Thomas Cook Belgium in 2002 Spring.