Thomson Airways announced its fleet renewal decisions on the same day as it revealed wide-ranging plans for its aircraft cabins and customer service. The airline, part of the TUI Travel group, is the UK's third largest and, together with its tour operator partner, First Choice, unveiled a five-year vision to "change the face of holiday flying". These, it says, will be achieved through introducing new aircraft, more long-haul destinations and 'out of the box' on-board product and service concepts. Thomson Airways currently operates 61 aircraft; a mixture of Boeing 737, 757, 767 and 787s to 73 destinations in 20 countries. It was the first British airline to operate the 787 Dreamliner and a recent order for two more will give it a fleet of ten of the new-generation jets. A simultaneous order for 47 new Boeing 737 MAX means the average age of its fleet will be reduced to just five years by 2020. A multi-million pound refresh will also be implemented across the existing 737 and 757 aircraft this winter to enhance comfort, service levels and provide "a more contemporary on-board environment".
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