Summary
- TUI’s recent Boeing 737 MAX 8 has been named “Reykjavik” to support the carrier’s winter services to Iceland and promote the capital city.
- TUI will fly over 100 frequencies between UK cities and Reykjavik through the winter season, with 10,000 vacationers expected to travel to Iceland.
- The naming ceremony in Reykjavik was attended by over 50 people, including TUI’s hotel partners, and TUI plans to proceed expanding its services to Iceland.
The most recent addition to European leisure carrier TUI’s fleet, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, has been nicknamed “Reykjavík” by the carrier. In a recent press release, the airline indicated that the jet’s name is meant to support TUI’s winter seasonal services to Iceland from the UK, and is supposed to function an “ambassador” for the nation’s capital city.
Throughout the winter season, TUI will fly over 100 frequencies between cities in Britain and Iceland’s capital. The airport offers services from London’s Gatwick Airport (LGW), Manchester Airport (MAN), and Bristol Airport (BRS).
Across the board, 10,000 vacationers are expected to travel to the Nordic island nation from the UK on TUI’s aircraft between 17 December 2023 and 28 February 2024. The carrier is happy about receiving the 737 MAX 8s as they are going to allow the carrier to expand their offerings with more frequencies to the favored destination.
A special ceremony
On the morning of 20 December, the aircraft that may soon be named for Iceland’s capital touched down at Keflavik Airport (KEF) at 10:15. The jet had just accomplished its inaugural flight, a service that departed from London-Gatwick at 07:25 and operated as TUI Flight 4308.
Photo: TUI Group
The jet had a warm greeting in Reykjavík, where Fiórdís Lóa Fiórhallsdóttir, the deputy mayor of the town, would christen the aircraft with its recent special name. Fiórhallsdóttir relayed her excitement on the naming ceremony, issuing the next statement:
“It’s an incredible pleasure to be the godmother of this TUI Boeing 737-8 named after our beautiful city, the northernmost capital on the planet.”
Fiórhallsdóttir would proceed to debate Reykjavik’s rising global status as a tourist destination and relayed her optimism in regards to the recent aircraft’s ability to draw more visitors to the nation. The unique naming ceremony was attended by over 50 people, including representatives of TUI Group’s many hotel partners within the nation.
A wonderful addition
TUI has continued to expand its seasonal offerings to Iceland and now offers comprehensive vacation packages. These can range from go-at-your-own-pace getaways to much more structured experiences, and passengers can at all times book a ticket and decide to handle the remaining on their very own.
Photo: TUI Group
By the top of February 2024, the carrier may have transported over 115,000 holiday-goers to the island, including many which have connected to the airline’s services from other European destinations. Gumundur Dai Rúnarsson, Keflavik Airport’s Development Officer, had the next comments to share regarding the 737 MAX’s naming and the special partnership between TUI and the island nation:
“It’s clearly an honour that a long-standing partner reminiscent of TUI has chosen to call one among its airplanes after our capital city. Yet more importantly, this marks not only the close relationship between TUI and Iceland, but in addition the boldness placed on us as a crucial holiday destination.”
The airline’s CEO, Sebastian Edel, agrees with this assessment and is happy by the opportunities that would come from future service expansions to Iceland. TUI has been operating services to Iceland for eight years now and can proceed to explore the market in the approaching years.
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Edel would go on to say the rising popularity of Iceland as a tourist destination as one among the important thing aspects driving the carrier’s continued interest within the nation. With a brand new 737 MAX 8 bearing the name “Reykjavik,” the airline might be in a greater position than ever to proceed filling seats on routes to the island.
Photo: Lukas Wunderlich | Shutterstock
TUI will not be the one carrier that has rapidly expanded its services to Keflavik Airport. Today, the ability sees 212 weekly flights to the USA and Canada, including connections from Icelandic airlines Icelandair and PLAY, in addition to North American legacy carriers.