Repatriation Flights: Over 550 package holidaymakers arrived in Germany overnight
Repatriation Flights: Over 550 package holidaymakers arrived in Germany overnight
- Special flight from the Maldives lands in Frankfurt
- Two TUI Airline aircraft fly from Al Ain in the UAE via Heraklion to Hanover
- Passengers from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland and Poland on board
Around 300 travellers from the Maldives had the longest journey: due to cancelled connecting flights in the Gulf, they were flown directly to Germany.
Another 250 guests were on board two Boeing 737-8 that flew from Al-Ain Airport in the United Arab Emirates to Hanover. The planes made a short technical stopover in Heraklion (Greece) beforehand.
In addition to German guests, the passengers included citizens of other EU countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Poland, as well as travellers from the United Kingdom.
Sebastian Ebel, CEO of the TUI Group, said at Hanover-Langenhagen Airport: "Tonight we reached another important milestone in organising additional flight connections for our package holiday guests and ensuring their return to Germany and other European home markets.
Our airline team has achieved a remarkable feat: from the smaller departure airport of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, we were able to establish a connection to Hanover via Heraklion with our medium-haul aircraft. I would like to express my special thanks to our colleagues from all five national airlines, who worked together to carry out the necessary safety checks for TUI Airline and then made flight planning possible in close coordination with the relevant authorities.
The safety of our guests and crews – both on the ground and in the air – remains our top priority. At the same time, we would like to thank our guests for their patience and understanding during their return journey.
In order to enable the journey home as quickly as possible, we are using our own fleet of aircraft, working closely with partner airlines and chartering additional aircraft as needed. Further flights by our TUI Airline will take place in the coming days. In addition, we are also making available seats to other travel companies and the respective governments to support the repatriation process."
TUI flew its first guests back to Germany with Emirates on Tuesday. TUI Cruises had booked further full charters with Emirates for the return journey in recent days and has now been able to fly the guests of Mein Schiff 4 home. The return journey for the guests of Mein Schiff 5, which is in Doha, begins today, Sunday.
Sebastian Ebel had already thanked his colleagues in the travel agencies, call centres and customer service departments the day before. They are currently the first point of contact for many customers and are also doing an outstanding job in these challenging times. He also expressed his particular thanks to the crews who are working on TUI's own flights.
About TUI Group
The TUI Group is a leading global tourism group. The group is headquartered in Germany. TUI shares are listed on the MDAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the regulated market of the Lower Saxony Stock Exchange in Hanover. The TUI Group offers its more than 34.7 million customers integrated services from a single source and covers the entire tourism value chain under one roof. The Group owns more than 460 hotels and resorts with premium brands such as RIU, TUI Blue, and Robinson, as well as 18 cruise ships, ranging from the luxury class MS Europa and MS Europa 2 and the HANSEATIC class expedition ships to the Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises and cruise ships at Marella Cruises in the UK. The group also includes leading European tour operator brands and online marketing platforms, for example for hotel-only or flight-only offers, five airlines with 125 modern medium- and long-haul aircraft, and around 1,200 travel agencies. In addition to expanding its core business with hotels and cruises through successful joint ventures and activities in holiday 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. The TUI Care Foundation, initiated by TUI, focuses on the positive effects of tourism, education and training, and the strengthening of environmental and social standards with projects in 30 countries. In this way, it supports the development of holiday destinations. The globally active TUI Care Foundation initiates projects that create new opportunities for the next generation.
