Air 2000
A defunct British charter passenger airline that was later renamed First Choice Airways.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Air 2000 was a British leisure and charter airline established in the late 1980s. It focused on outbound holiday travel from the United Kingdom, operating flights for tour operators and holiday packages to destinations in Europe and selected long-haul leisure markets. Unlike a conventional scheduled network carrier, its business was centered on seasonal charter operations and air transport linked to package holidays. The airline later became part of the First Choice tourism group and was renamed First Choice Airways around 2004. As the group consolidated its travel and airline operations, the Air 2000 name disappeared from the market. The airline business subsequently became part of the operations that evolved into TUI Airways. Public information about its full corporate history, fleet changes and route network is limited, so this entry records only the better-established aspects of its positioning and succession.
History
Air 2000 was a British leisure airline operating in the charter segment of the United Kingdom’s holiday market. Established in 1987, it concentrated on flights arranged for tour operators and holiday packages rather than building a broad conventional scheduled network. Its operations served European holiday destinations as well as selected long-haul leisure markets, with demand shaped by seasonal travel and the schedules of package-tour businesses. As consolidation increased in the British travel industry, Air 2000 became part of the airline activities associated with the First Choice tourism group. Around 2004, the airline was renamed First Choice Airways, ending the use of Air 2000 as its principal commercial brand. First Choice’s airline operations later became part of broader integrations involving travel-group aviation assets and ultimately contributed to the business lineage of TUI Airways. The brand is therefore best understood as an example of a British charter airline that moved from a distinct identity into a unified tourism-group airline structure. Publicly available information about its management succession, complete fleet history and detailed route changes is limited, so those details are not expanded here without stronger sources.
- 2004
- 1987
Products and positioning
Charter passenger flights
Air 2000’s core business was charter passenger transport for the UK outbound holiday market, commonly linked to tour-operator packages and seasonal leisure demand.
Leisure destination flights
The brand operated leisure flights to European and selected long-haul holiday destinations, focusing on resort travel rather than a broad business-oriented network.
Sources2 sources
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