Hanover/Naples, 31 October 2023

Campania gets its own TUI plane

  • TUI Boeing 737-8 with registration D-AMAZ is named "Naples" and becomes flying ambassador for Italy
  • Over half a million guests travel with TUI to Italy
  • TUI airlines fly to Naples 18 times a week

Italy, one of the most popular destinations for TUI guests, gets a new flying ambassador at the end of a successful summer season. Naples, the metropolis of southern Italy, is the namesake of TUI fly's modern Boeing 737-8. The aircraft landed in Naples today at 10:10 a.m. with flight number X3 8983, 170 passengers on board and was ceremoniously welcomed. The subsequent naming ceremony of the aircraft with the name "Naples" was attended by Felice Casucci, Regional Minister of Tourism in Campania, Margherita Chiaramonte, Commercial Director Aviation of Naples Airport, Rosanna Romano, General Director for Cultural Policies and Tourism of the Campania Region, Luca D’Ambra, Presidente Federalberghi Ischia & Procida and Sebastian Ebel, CEO of the TUI Group, as well as Marco Ciomperlik, Chief Airline Officer of TUI.

Felice Casucci, as godfather, opened the ceremony with the words: "We are honoured that Italy, and Naples in particular, will become TUI's flying ambassador. We have enjoyed a strong and very successful cooperation with TUI for many decades, which has played a decisive role in shaping tourism."

"We are delighted to welcome our new aircraft “Naples” here today for the naming ceremony. This aircraft symbolises the long-standing strong partnership that Italy and TUI have enjoyed for over 50 years. Our aircraft are part of the travel experience and so this TUI Boeing will be an ambassador for the whole of Italy and our guests. More than half a million holidaymakers travel with us to northern and southern Italy every year, where we are strongly positioned with 400 of our own employees and seven TUI brand hotels and clubs. In summer alone we fly to Naples 18 times a week”, said TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel during the naming ceremony at the airport.

"The TUI Boeing 737-8 Naples, is one of the most modern and CO₂-efficient aircraft. With our investments in modern aircraft combined with the use of more sustainable aviation fuels and optimised flight routes, we are continuing on our path to becoming the most climate-efficient airline in Europe," adds Marco Ciomperlik, Chief Airline Officer of TUI.

Margherita Chiaramonte, Commercial Director Aviation at Naples Airport, emphasized: "It is of course an honour that a long-standing partner like TUI has decided to name one of its aircraft after Naples, but more importantly it is a sign of the strong relationship between TUI and Naples and the trust in our region. Naples and its stunning surrounding stand out as one of the most popular destinations in Europe. The ideal choice for tourists interested in culture, history, sun and sea and, last but not least, for those seeking first-class dining."

Italy is one of the most popular destinations for TUI guests, ranking 6th on the popularity scale of all global destinations in summer 2023. Within Italy, most holidaymakers are drawn to Lake Garda, the Upper Adriatic, Sardinia, Sicily and South Tyrol. TUI sees great potential in Campania, especially for the islands of Ischia and Capri in the Gulf of Naples. Overall, TUI offers over 4,000 accommodations and over 2,000 tours and activities in Italy. Guest favourites are the Robinson Apulia and the TUI Magic Life Calabria, as well as the four TUI Blue Hotels in Campania, Calabria and Sardinia. TUI is continuously expanding its offer in Italy – also with its own hotel brands. A new addition in summer 2023 is the TUI Suneo Villagio Ai Pini in Veneto, the brand's first hotel in Italy. TUI employs around 400 people in Italy at TUI Musement and TUI Italia, works with 2,300 suppliers and sells around 300,000 excursions, experiences and transfers per year.

About TUI Group

The TUI Group is one of the world's leading tourism groups and operates worldwide. The Group is headquartered in Germany. TUI shares are listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, in the regulated market of the Lower Saxony Stock Exchange in Hanover and in the FTSE 250, an index of the London Stock Exchange. TUI Group offers its 19 million customers integrated services from a single source and forms the entire tourism value chain under one roof. The Group owns over 400 hotels and resorts with premium brands such as RIU, TUI Blue and Robinson and 16 cruise ships, ranging from the MS Europa and MS Europa 2 in the luxury class and expedition ships in the HANSEATIC class to the Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises and cruise ships operated by Marella Cruises in the UK. The Group also includes Europe's leading tour operator brands and online marketing platforms, for example for hotel-only or flight-only offers, five airlines with more than 130 modern medium- and long-haul aircraft and around 1,200 travel agencies. In addition to expanding its core business with hotels and cruises via successful joint ventures and activities in vacation destinations, TUI is increasingly focusing on the expansion of digital platforms. The Group is transforming itself into a global tourism platform company.

Global responsibility for sustainable economic, environmental and social action is at the heart of our corporate culture. With projects in 25 countries, the TUI Care Foundation initiated by TUI focuses on the positive effects of tourism, on education and training and on strengthening environmental and social standards. In this way, it supports the development of vacation destinations. The globally active TUI Care Foundation initiates projects that create new opportunities for the next generation.