“This decision follows an in -depth analysis showing that operations from Liège do not meet profitability expectations, with a limited potential for short and medium -term structural improvement,” said the group. This measure is part of the wider TUI strategy concerning its fleet, which aims to deploy planes where they offer the greatest commercial and operational efficiency.
“We received the official notification yesterday,” reacted Christian Delcourt, spokesperson for Liege Airport. “This decision marks the end of a long collaboration started in 1994, 31 years ago.” He recognizes that it is “a historic turning point, although TUI’s activity represented only a very limited or even film share, traffic at Liège airport mainly centered on freight”.
About 200,000 passengers take Liège airport each year to reach destinations such as Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Spain or Turkey. Tui was the only operator to offer passenger charter flights and provided, on average, one to two flights per day in summer. His departure raises questions, especially on the human level: what will become of the teams of TUI present on site, as well as the internal employees of the airport and those of the sub-concessionaires (Aviapartner, Aeroservices, Unit Protection, Catering team, etc.)?
According to Christian Delcourt, a few dozen jobs could be threatened. The Liege Airport services are currently analyzing the consequences of this withdrawal. Discussions are planned to assess the concrete impacts and consider any solutions.
Tui says, for its part, remain “fully engaged on the Belgian market”, with operational bases in Brussels, Ostend and Antwerp. “We collaborate closely with all the stakeholders concerned to ensure a fluid transition,” concluded the group.
