TUI to buy West Midlands Airport

Europe’s largest travel group TUI said on Thursday it would spend less than EUR10 million euros (USD$12.7 million) to buy and invest in Britain’s West Midlands Airport, situated between London and Manchester.
The purchase of the airport, currently owned by airline Air Atlantic, must still be approved by TUI’s supervisory board, a spokesman said.
Thomson Fly, a UK-based no-frills airline founded by TUI, would start operations at West Midlands on March 31, the spokesman said, adding the airport would become its central hub.
Two further Boeing 737-800s would be added to Thomson Fly’s existing two aircraft, he added.
“With this we will have all slots at West Midlands and want to further expand from here in Great Britain,” he said.