Thomsonfly has launched new regional long-haul flights from Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester for summer 2008.
The new routes from Birmingham to Jamaica and Punta Cana and Newcastle to Florida, Punta Cana and Cancun as well as additional flights from Manchester and Gatwick do not compete with potential merger partner First Choice’s routes.
However, Thomson long-haul planning general manager Alex Loftus denied the move was intended to complement First Choice’s programme, saying it was planned long before the merger announcement.
He said: “It has been business as usual here because the merger hasn’t gone through.”
Loftus added as well as increased frequencies from Manchester and Gatwick, both airports would benefit from new fortnightly flights to Los Cabos, Baja California, Mexico and Puerto Vallarta as well as an additional flight each to Cancun.
He said this was part of a strategy of long-haul growth by the operator.