IT’S all change for tour operator TUI, which will operate flights for certain package holidays through a third-party rather than its own airline.
Next summer, TUI will fly holidaymakers to its destinations using other airlines like easyJet and Sun Express.
According to reports, TUI is dropping its direct flights from Manchester to Portugal‘s Faro and Bodrum in Turkey.
On TUI’s website, Sun Travel found that direct flights between Manchester and Faro can’t be booked after April 19, 2026 – with only four other flights available between now and then.
The routes won’t be scrapped entirely though as these are routes are available with a package holiday deal and will be operated through a third-party airline.
On its website, TUI is offering packages from Manchester to Portugal throughout the year and into 2026 with direct flights from easyJet.
Package holidays from Manchester to Bodrum with TUI can be booked from May 2026 with flights from Sun Express.
Flights from regional airport Birmingham and Gatwick to Faro for next summer will also be operated by third-party airlines.
As a result TUI said it will be putting more capacity into destinations including Balearics, Italy, Greece and Croatia, with TUI Airlines.
Sun Travel has contacted TUI for comment.
In March, TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel said in an interview with the Financial Times that the it planned to sell more seats on other airlines, including Ryanair and easyJet in order to “generate growth”.
Earlier this year, the tour operator completely scrapped its flights from the UK to Costa Rica, St Lucia and Orlando.
The London Gatwick to Costa Rica route was scrapped in April 2025, and TUI’s St Lucia flights from London Gatwick stopped at the end of May.
TUI first launched flights to St Lucia from both London Gatwick and Manchester Airport in 2020.
Again, TUI still offers holiday packages to both St Lucia and Costa Rica, but flights will no longer be with TUI Airways.
TUI also scrapped its direct flight route from Birmingham to Orlando, which was axed in October 2025.
In other news, TUI has confirmed that it is in talks to return to Doncaster Sheffield Airport if it can open next year.
It was forced to shut back in 2022 due to financial difficulties, with TUI operating the last flight.
When it comes to airlines, TUI has said they could relaunch their flights – which once connected the airport to destinations including Alicante, Malaga and Tenerife.
TUI boss Neil Swanson said at the ABTA conference in Majorca: “Clearly that is something we are talking about.
“We were in there before, it is part of an ongoing discussion.”
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