MELBOURNE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TUI, the world’s leading holiday company and the UK’s number one holiday provider, announced today that Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB) will become the Florida gateway for all customers traveling to Orlando and Central Florida beginning 2022.
Melbourne Airport Authority Chairman Jack L. Ryals and MLB Executive Director Greg Donovan, A.A.E., were welcomed by TUI UK & Ireland Managing Director Andrew Flintham and TUI Airways Managing Director Dawn Wilson to the TUI UK Headquarters to celebrate the new partnership. The celebration included a signing ceremony, a tour of the airline’s hangar and a peek into one of TUI’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the 300-seat aircraft type that will be used for all the new transatlantic flights. The initial schedule is still under development, but has the potential to be made up of nonstop flights between MLB and nine European cities.
“At TUI we’re committed to offering our customers an outstanding airline and holiday experience and we are delighted to be working with Orlando Melbourne Airport on their exciting expansion plans,” said Dawn Wilson, managing director at TUI Airways. “Our new Orlando gateway will be perfectly situated to offer TUI UK customers total flexibility in designing their holiday around any combination of theme parks, beaches or cruising.”
MLB Executive Director Greg Donovan, A.A.E., added, “TUI’s proven product combined with MLB’s exceptional concierge services will make for an unprecedented customer experience for UK holidaymakers traveling to Florida. With more than $100 million of investment into MLB’s airport facilities over the last few years, and much more on the way, MLB will be practically the newest and most modern airport in Florida.”
MLB plans to invest millions of dollars in terminal enhancements that will directly benefit all TUI UK customers and MLB passengers. The brand new terminal expansion will include unique concessions, innovative passenger amenities and many other family-friendly features that will provide an entertaining, speedy, stress-free and uncongested experience.
Landing at MLB will keep existing TUI customers in close proximity to Orlando’s world-famous theme parks, and bring them even closer to Central Florida’s beaches, cruises and attractions on the Space Coast. The geographic upgrade also brings TUI customers more than an hour closer to Miami and Fort Lauderdale in South Florida.
“This is a major win for Melbourne and our entire region,” said Airport Authority Chairman Jack L. Ryals. “Tourism is our region’s biggest asset, and I look forward to the day when UK travelers are admiring our beaches, enjoying our restaurants, relaxing at our hotels and catching a Space Coast thrill at our attractions.”
ABOUT ORLANDO MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MLB)
MLB is an award-winning airport, named Florida’s 2019 Commercial Service Airport of the Year by FDOT and #1 Most Scenic Airport Approach in the U.S.A. by PrivateFly.com. Located on the Central Florida coast, MLB serves nearly 500,000 passengers annually on American Airlines and on Delta Air Lines.
More than $100 million has been invested in airport infrastructure within the last few years to include three rehabilitated runways, a new ATCT and a reconstructed 40,000 sq. ft. customs facility. Plans are to invest millions of dollars into the 200,000 sq. ft. terminal to provide an ultimate customer experience in time for TUI UK’s arrival in 2022. MLB is an epicenter for aviation, aerospace and defense growth, home to Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, Embraer Executive Jets, Collins Aerospace, Thales and more.
For additional information, visit www.MLBair.com.
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