Thomson sees Dreamliner as changing long haul travel

Thomson is predicting that exotic locations such as Bali, Borneo and Hawaii will be part of its future packaged holiday offerings.

The projections about future destinations coincided with the first ‘environmentally friendly’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner rolling off the production line in Seattle, in the US.

Thomson, owned by TUI, is currently finalising its merger with First Choice, and will begin taking delivery of the Dreamliners it has on order in 2010.

Boeing’s Dreamliner has a flying range that will significantly “change the face of long-haul travel,” making it possible for holidays to be featured in destinations at great distances, without the aircraft needing to stop to refuel.

The 787 is lighter in weight, so it’s able to cover longer distances than traditional aircraft on the same amount of fuel.

Guy Stephenson, who is the commercial director for in-house airline Thomsonfly, noted: “This new airplane will open up a world of destinations that can be accessed by a single flight from the UK. Congratulations and thanks to Boeing for creating this new aircraft which has significant benefits for the travelling public, destinations worldwide and the environment.”

Parent company TUI announced in May of this year that it has placed orders for 11 Dreamliners that will be delivered from 2010 to 2013.

www.thomson.co.uk