TUI Airlines has announced its summer 2027 flying program, introducing 25 new routes and adding roughly 640,000 extra seats across its European network. The move marks a 4.6% capacity increase on summer 2026, bringing the holiday company's total output to 17 million seats across 84,000 flights.
It is the first unified schedule published since TUI folded its five national airlines into a single commercial operation, expanding flight-only sales alongside its classic package holidays.
Gatwick leads UK expansion
London Gatwick, the UK's second-busiest airport, is the single biggest winner in the new rollout. TUI is adding eight brand-new destinations to its Gatwick schedule: Athens and Mytilene on the island of Lesbos in Greece, Palermo in Sicily, Santiago de Compostela, Seville and Valencia in Spain, Tangier in Morocco, and the Tunisian island of Djerba.
The expanded offerings bring TUI's total network at Gatwick to 59 destinations. Most of the new services will operate two to three times a week, providing greater flexibility across the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Scaling back elsewhere
However, not all UK airports benefit. London Luton and Dublin are among the airports losing TUI departures, meaning travellers in those catchment areas may need to route through Gatwick, Manchester, or switch to alternative carriers.
On the continent, Germany and the Netherlands are getting significant upgrades. Düsseldorf gains a twice-weekly Boeing 787 Dreamliner service to Curacao, along with new routes to Malaga, Naples, Venice, and Ljubljana. Hanover will see new links to Malaga and Sardinia's Olbia.
Amsterdam will gain a twice-weekly Boeing 787 service to Kilimanjaro via Zanzibar and is slated to launch TUI's new Boeing 737-10 fleet in Q2 2027, pending certification. Belgian routes to hotspots like Majorca, the Canaries and Marrakech will see increased frequencies, offsetting departure cuts at Liege and Antwerp.
Fleet and booking impact
The 2027 program represents a major shift in how TUI utilises its 130-strong fleet. While package holidays remain the core business, the airline is now actively competing with budget scheduled carriers by opening up more seat-only fares to independent travellers and third-party tour operators.
Passengers planning ahead for summer 2027 are urged to double-check their local departure schedules before booking accommodations, as frequency changes mean traditional departure days may have moved.
