The first of TUI’s three new Embraer E195-E2 planes has been officially put into service.
The jet was named “Flanders”, during a special launching ceremony at Antwerp Airport (ANR) on Monday, June 19, 2023.
After “Flanders”, “Brussels” and “Wallonia” will follow as the names of the two other E195-E2 aircraft that will replace all existing aircraft at Antwerp over the next few weeks.
Flanders was given the registration OO-ETB and took off from Antwerp under the flight number TB1001.
“Since launching in 2004, we have always focused on introducing the most modern and innovative airplanes. With the Embraer E195-E2 we have once again reached a new milestone. We are also the only Belgian airline flying Embraer jets and therefore can draw on exceptional expertise regarding the operation and maintenance of these airplanes,” Gunther Hofman, managing director of TUI fly Western Region announced during the ceremony.
According to TUI, it now operates a network of some 130 airplanes with the E195-E2 planes giving the airline an extra travel distance of 4,000 kilometers.
Due to the short runway at Antwerp, TUI was searching for an aircraft that was able to operate there and found the solution in the Embraer jets.
“Taking advantage of an increased range of more than 4,000 kilometers, we are able to add very popular destinations to our Antwerp network such as the Canary Islands, the Turkish Riviera and the Greek islands. And in the future, we may also be able to add a few more to our schedule to take our guests faster to their favorite holiday destinations from Antwerp,” Elie Bruyninckx, CEO of TUI Western Region said.