Thomsonfly.com
Thomsonfly.com (formerly Britannia Airways) have worked with Born Free since 1995. They have raised over £2.5 million for Born Free, through their inflight coin collections and staff fundraising.
The Thomsonfly.com funding has provided vital support for a wide range of Born Free projects including orphan polar bear rehabilitation in Canada, a wildlife ambulance in Scotland, a chimpanzee sanctuary in Uganda, elephant relocation in Kenya, and basking shark conservation in UK waters. Not only do Thomsonfly.com provide essential funds, they have also helped Born Free rescue lions, tigers, and leopards from lives of misery in tiny cages, and fly them to new homes at big cat sanctuaries in South Africa, India and USA.
To book a flight, please go to www.thomsonfly.com
2008 Rescue
Brutus the six-year old male lion is the ‘top secret big cat’, featured in Born Free’s appeal last autumn. For four long years, the sum total of his world was a cramped ‘beast-wagon’ in the tiny hamlet of St Denis d’Authou in northern France. With the help of Thomsonfly.com, Brutus the lion has been given a new home in Africa, together with two female cubs
rescued in Romania.
Two lucky Thomsonfly.com crew members won the opportunity to accompany our team to rescue Brutus the lion from France. Nina Housley and Rachel Kelly, who act as Born Free ambassadors, were selected to experience a rescue first hand from their bases in Doncaster and Bournemouth. Like all Thomsonfly staff, they had tirelessly promoted our projects and rescues on their daily flights, resulting in their bases collecting the most amount of money over last year.
Nina and Rachel travelled with the team from Dover driving down to Chateau Gontier in central France to collect Brutus. They were involved with all the elements of the rescue and even managed to carry sedated Brutus into his crate with a little help! The team then travelled on an overnight ferry back to the UK’s Heathrow airport so Brutus could undertake the final leg of his journey to South Africa. Thanks yet again to Thomsonfly.com staff and passengers for their relentless fundraising.
- Nina and Rachel with Brutus’s travel crate
Thomson Fly and Born Free
The Born Free Foundation would like to express their deep gratitude to Thomsonfly and its passengers who have helped fund the relocation of the leopards Pitou and Sirius, and their life-time care at Shamwari. More >
Celebrating 10 Years of Supoort
Thomsonfly MD, Colin Mitchell celebrated 10 years of working with the Born Free Foundation by presenting the charity’s CEO, Will Travers, with a cheque for £2.5 million pounds, raised through the airlines’ in-flight appeal and staff fund-raising.
Colin said, “We are proud to support the unique efforts of the Born Free Foundation in support of wildlife around the world. Clearly our customers have been happy to contribute to this worthy cause and we are pleased that our Thomsonfly cabin crew have done their part in collecting and processing the donations on every flight. Well done to everyone for this fantastic effort!”
“This is a truly outstanding achievement,” Will Travers commented. “Thomsonfly’s support has allowed us to tackle some extraordinary projects that have helped thousands of animals in need. Together we have moved elephants, rescued Polar bears, fought the ivory trade, protected orphan chimpanzees and assisted some of the most disadvantaged communities in remote parts of Africa. Perhaps, most significantly of all, Thomsonfly.com has actively participated in the rescue dozens of big cats – lions, tigers and leopards – from conditions of unspeakable squalor and has given them the chance of a new life in Sanctuaries in South Africa, India and the USA.”
The Born Free Foundation/Thomsonfly in-flight film which starred Martin Clunes, helped raise the £2.5million. Born Free Patron, Martin, said; “As far as I’m concerned, Thomsonfly.com is the world’s favourite animal airline.”
Watch the hand over
Recent Support
2006
- Thomsonfly.com passengers and crew made a generous contribution to the Three Lions appeal, to rescue the French circus lions in 2006. Collection totals have doubled during this time from last year, making a significant contribution to the total raised. Not only were Thomsonfly.com able to help with the rescue of Djunka, Nalla and Shada, they have also provided the three lions vast new enclosure and funds for their ongoing food and lifetime care.
2005
- A new inflight film was made with Martin Clunes, Jeremy Guscott and Virginia McKenna when Britannia Airways changed it’s name to Thomsonfly.com
- Baboon Rescue.
2004
- Rescued lioness Achee from Romania, and flown to UK on route to new home in South Africa, assisted by Amanda Holden.
- In-flight film with Martin Clunes and Amanda Holden nominated for prestigious travel award.
- New elephant hospital at the Elephant Transit Home, sponsored by Britannia, opened in Sri Lanka by Born Free patron Helen Worth.
- Responding to public complaints about captive animal exploitation, including information reported by Britannia crew.
- Born Free campaigner visits Mexico to investigate big cat suffering, courtesy of Britannia and Thomson Holidays (an ongoing campaign).
- Martin Clunes receives £1.5 million cheque representing total money raised to date by Britannia’s passengers and crew
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