Skift Take
In the latest installment of our Leaders of Travel: Skift C-Suite Series, we had the opportunity to interview Marco Ciomperlik, Chief Airline Officer at the TUI Group, to gain insights into what lies ahead for the company.
The TUI Group is a tourism powerhouse. Known for its family-friendly vacations, the company operates across hotels, cruise ships, travel agencies, and digital platforms, all under a single umbrella brand.
TUI is also a significant player in the aviation sector.
TUI owns five European carriers with 130 medium and long-haul aircraft collectively. These planes, along with over 8,000 employees, fly to 140 destinations worldwide. With 26 million passengers flown last year, TUI is a key player in the European leisure market.
At the helm of this operation is Marco Ciomperlik, TUI Group’s Chief Airline Officer. In a conversation with Skift, he shared valuable insights into current travel trends and growth strategies for the airline division.
Skift: How is the coming summer season shaping up?
Marco Ciomperlik: We’re very confident about the upcoming summer season. The current situation looks promising, and if things continue as they are, it seems like a good year ahead.
Do you see current booking trends as the new normal, or are we still in a post-pandemic peak?
Nobody can say for sure. Looking at the pent-up demand, 2022 surprised us as everyone wanted to get away from home and lockdowns. This year, despite various challenges, demand remains strong. It seems like the situation is stabilizing rather than a peak in demand.
The industry is nearing revenue levels from 2019, including inflation and other factors, but passenger numbers are not yet there. It depends on the economic outlook for the future trends.
Premium leisure has been a growing niche. Is this reflected in your operations?
While there’s demand in premium leisure, our core business still revolves around package holidays. Around 70% of our business caters to families. The TUI brand sits in the middle-to-premium segment, and we see people willing to spend more for additional services.
You currently operate the Boeing 737 Max 8. Do you have plans for the Max 9?
We have the Max 10 on order, so the Max 9 isn’t in our plans. We are looking forward to integrating the Max 10 into our fleet.
What about the 737 Max 7?
We are phasing out our 737-700s and prefer a homogenized fleet. Our fleet consists mainly of Boeing 787s, and we are strategizing on the future of our long-haul fleet.
TUI was an early adopter of the Boeing 787. How are you preparing for the future as the Dreamliners age?
We are currently planning the future of our long-haul fleet as the Dreamliners mature. All our 787 aircraft are undergoing maintenance checks, giving us insights into their future performance. We are satisfied with using the Dreamliners for westbound routes like the Caribbean.
TUI operates five airlines (AOCs). Is there a plan to consolidate them?
While each AOC is necessary for traffic rights, we have consolidated many operations under TUI Airline. If consolidation makes sense in the future, we may consider it. For now, we are on a journey to consolidate under TUI Airline.
Some responses have been edited for clarity.
Airlines Sector Stock Index Performance Year-to-Date
What does this show? The performance of airline sector stocks in the ST200. This index includes publicly traded global travel companies, including network carriers, low-cost carriers, and related companies.
The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. Explore more about airlines sector financial performance.
