Wikipedia

Air UK Leisure

Air UK Leisure was a British airline operating charter flights on behalf of its parent Air UK.

Air UK Leisure
Boeing 737-400
IATA ICAO Call sign
MV UKL LEISURE[citation needed]
FoundedJune 1987 (1987-06)
Commenced operationsOctober 1988 (1988-10)
Ceased operations1996 (1996) (operations merged into Leisure International Airways)
HubsLondon Stansted Airport
Parent companyAirUK

History

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A Boeing 737-200 of Air UK Leisure at Faro Airport in 1989.

In June 1987 Air UK announced that it would start a new charter airline based at London Stansted Airport which would start operating before 1988 high season with two leased Boeing 737-200 aircraft.[1] The company Air UK (Leisure) Ltd.June was formed in June 1987 with Air UK providing 30% of the £2.5 million capital, B&C Holding (the parent company of Air UK) 30% with the rest from the travel group Viking International.[1]

The airline started operations in 1988 with two leased Boeing 737-200 aircraft and placed orders for four new Boeing 737-400s from a leasing company for delivery in October 1988.[2] The first flight was from London Stansted Airport to Faro Airport in Portugal.[2] The airline became the first operator of the Boeing 737-400 in Europe when the first aircraft was delivered on 14 October 1988.[2]

The airline went on to operate seven Boeing 737-400s on both charter and scheduled services and to base aircraft at Manchester and Gatwick Airport as well as Stansted.

In 1993 the airline introduced two leased Boeing 767-300 aircraft on behalf of British holiday tour operator Unijet.[3]

Leisure International Airways

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A Boeing 767-300 of Leisure International Airways upon take-off in 1999.
An Airbus A320 of Leisure International Airways

In 1996 the airline was sold to the tour operator Unijet, merged into its already estabilished subsidiary Leisure International Airways and moved its main base to London Gatwick Airport.[4][5]

On 29 March 1996 the airline introduced the first of three Airbus A320s into service to replace the Boeing 737-400s.[6]

In 1998 First Choice acquired the airline after it took over Unijet, and Leisure International fleet and operations were merged into the First Choice airline Air 2000 at the end of that same year[7].

Fleet

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Over the years, Air UK Leisure operated the following aircraft types[8]:

Aircraft Introduced Retired
Boeing 737-200 1988 1989
Boeing 737-400 1988 1997
Boeing 767-300 1993 1997

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "Air UK to set up charter airline". Flight International. 13 June 1987. p. 43.
  2. 1 2 3 "Europe sees first 737-400". Flight International. 5 November 1988. p. 5.
  3. ↑ "Marketplace". Flight International. 24–30 March 1993. p. 11.
  4. ↑ "Air UK Leisure sign for Airbus". Flight International. 13–19 March 1996. p. 11.
  5. ↑ "World Airline Directory 1997", page 66, Flight International weekly magazine supplement, U.K.
  6. ↑ "Leisure puts its A320-200s to work". Flight International. 1–7 May 1996. p. 11.
  7. ↑ Air Transport Intelligence, "World Airline Directory 1999", page 75, Flight International weekly magazine supplement, Reed Business Information Ltd., Sutton (Surrey - U.K.)
  8. ↑ "World Airline Directory 1997", page 66, Flight International weekly magazine supplement, U.K.

Further reading

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  • Woodley C., Flying to the sun (Briain’s Holiday Airlines), The History Press, 2016
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