First Choice Airways

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Airbus A321 with the previous air2000 titles. Aircraft now display 'First Choice' with this livery.

First Choice Boeing 757-200, wearing the now-replaced air2000 titles.

First Choice Airways is the charter airline of British tour operator First Choice plc, based in Manchester in England. It flies to more than 60 destinations worldwide from 14 UK and Irish airports. 70% of the airline's services are operated for its parent company, rising to 85% in the summer season, with the remainder on behalf of some 120 other tour operators. It also operates scheduled year-round leisure routes to Cyprus and the popular resorts of Spain and Portugal. Its main bases are Manchester International Airport and London Gatwick Airport.

Contents

1 Code Data
2 History
3 Destinations
4 Star Class and Star Class Premier
5 Current Fleet
6 Future Fleet
7 External links

Code Data

IATA Code: DP
ICAO Code: FCA
Callsign: Jetset
Boeing customer code: 8A eg. 757-28A

History

The airline was established in 1987 and started operations on 11 April 1987 under the name air2000 with 2 Boeing 757 aircraft and a flight from Manchester to Málaga. The fleet doubled a year later, with one aircraft being based at Glasgow International Airport. In the same year, the airline attempted to set up a subsidiary in Canada, to be called Air 2000 Airline Ltd. This subsidiary lasted only a few days before the Canadian government suspended its licence. The second attempt would prove more successful and became Canada 3000.

Long haul services to Mombasa in Kenya were introduced for the first time during the 1988/89 season. The 757s were re-equipped for extended range and flights to the United States began in 1989.

The airline was granted a licence for scheduled operations by the CAA in 1992, which commenced in 1993, initially between London Gatwick and Paphos, in Cyprus.

Expansion saw several new bases in the UK established, with Dublin becoming the airline's first international hub in 1996. Leisure International Airways was fully integrated after the acquisition by First Choice of Unijet in June 1998. air2000 was rebranded as First Choice Airways in March 2004.

First Choice Airways was a launch customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, placing a firm order for 6 aircraft with an option for a further 6, to be delivered in 2009. The airline was the first European customer for the aircraft, and also for the General Electric GEnx engine option.

Destinations

First Choice Airways serve the following international scheduled destinations (at May 2005): Aruba Alicante, Almería, Arrecife, Faro, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Ibiza, Larnaca, Las Palmas, Mahon, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Reus and Tenerife (Reina Sofía).

In addition, regular charter flights to other points in Spain and Portugal, as well as Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Bulgaria, Austria, France, Israel, Italy, North Africa, the Caribbean, the United States, Mexico, Kenya, Gambia and India.

New destinations for 2005/2006 include; Maldives, Brazil and Sri Lanka. First Choice has an expanding long haul fleet of aircraft and in 2007 they will serve Costa Rica.

Star Class and Star Class Premier

In 2005 First Choice Airways launched a new longhaul service called Star Class and Star Class Premier.

Star Class features:

33" seat pitch
7" widescreen personal seatback TV
4 course meal
Amenity kit
Leather seating

Star Class Premier features:

36” seat pitch
Air-filled leather seats with winged head support
9” widescreen seat back TV (with television and video games on demand - ability to stop, start and rewind programmes)
Priority check-in and boarding
Choice of 4 course meal served on china crockery and a snack before landing
Complimentary drinks
Sparkling cocktail before take-off
In-flight air therapist (On selected flights)
Complimentary pampering pack and noise reduction headphones
Cabin mood lighting
Sitting Together (Please be aware you may be seperated by an aisle, and/or depending on a first come first service basis be completely seperarted)

First Choice markets the service as the first of its kind on a charter airline in the UK comparng itself to other scheduled airlines.

Current Fleet

The First Choice Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft (at June 2006):

5 Airbus A320-200 (Economy only)
4 Airbus A321-200 (Economy and Premium Economy)
13 Boeing 757-200 (Economy only)
4 Boeing 767-300 (Economy(Star Class) and Premium Economy(Star Class Premier))

In March 2006, First Choice Airways fleet average age was 8 years old.

Future Fleet

2 Boeing 767-300 from EVA Air due in August 2006, In service January 2007.

G-DBLA has been added to the UK Aircraft Register.

6 Boeing 787-800 - delivery 2009, 6 more options.

External links

Airlines of the United Kingdom

Lists of Aircraft | Aircraft manufacturers | Aircraft engines | Aircraft engine manufacturers

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