DURHAM TEES VALLEY AIRPORT - 5

[SWBKCB]

From the Northern Echo - no idea if these comments have any substance or are just kite-flying:

The region’s business leaders have defended the Passenger Facility Fee that comes into effect on November 15, but last night the move looked as though it could backfire. Budget airline Ryanair may scrap its summer services to Spain in protest and other airlines are monitoring the situation to see what impact the fee has.

The other English airports which have done this (Blackpool, Newquay, Norwich) have at least tried to link it to airport development, where is this seems to be of the use it or lose it, loss stemming (not profit making) variety.

Another quote:

Craig Richmond, Peel Airports chief executive, told The Northern Echo that the airport is losing millions of pounds every year and, unless it can balance the books, the region could lose what he called “a jewel of an airport”.

Mr Richmond said: “I understand some people might be quite incensed by this announcement given the economic climate. This is not an attempt to pad our pockets, we must do it to survive. The fact is somebody has to pay for it or Durham Tees Valley won’t exist. We won’t get bailed out by the Government and our investors are not going to be infinitely patient, writing cheques to keep the airport open."

[skyman771]

Craig Richmond, Peel Airports chief executive, told The Northern Echo that the airport is losing millions of pounds every year and, unless it can balance the books, the region could lose what he called “a jewel of an airport”.

Well unless I am mistaken then this is the first instance when Peel have "come out" and stated what has been obvious to any reader of this thread over the past 12 months or so.

[pug]

Seems a great shame to me, would things be different had Peel taken a different approach and continued to develop the charter market instead of getting WW in?

What about DSA, that only a couple of years ago was reported to be losing around a million quid a month? LPL has yet to make a profit too. I just hope they are not going down the road of SZD again.

[Jamesair]

I am presuming this is for departing passengers only!

Just can't imagine this charge doing anything at all except to decrease passenger use of DTV.

I have a feeling that you won't see Ryanair for dust, Eastern being a niche business airline will have to watch to see how it affects their pax numbers.
Charter Airlines.....this would have a big effect on family groups...i.e. 2 adults + 2 children...£16...not good.

[jetstar.8]

airport charges

There is one plus that it free to arrive at DTVA the fee is only for departing passangers or you could look at the fee as £3.00 to Depart and £3.00 to return which doesn`t seem too bad

jetstar.8

[LEEDS APPROACH]

In my opinion there are too many airports in this small country. Should every sizeable town, such as Doncaster or Middlesbrough, have its own airport when there are other principal airports serving large conurbations less than an hour away? The only routes that will ever really work are to Malaga, Alicante and the like. Routes repeatedly being started and then failing from these smaller airports only serve to destabilise the same routes from the key airports. Admittedly Teesside airport has a fine history (was it an RAF base?) but it will always struggle to be a viable airport. Don't get me started on Doncaster as it never should have been built - that's knowlegable politicians for you. The same inept politicians that for years have helped hold back my local airport by having zero ambition and foresight, and now having sold it for millions, wonder why there are no proper roads too it!! I know you will come back trying to justify these airports but the hard facts speak for themselves. Not wishing to antagonise but just saying it how it is. Oh yes LUFC will win at boro tomorrow too. So there!

regards,

LEEDS APP.

[Toadpool]

Something seems to have been overlooked here. What happened to the supposed £12 million court settlement the airport, not Peel, won against BMI baby?

Is this another example of Peel's asset stripping of the airport?

[TSR2]

Oh yes LUFC will win at boro tomorrow too. So there!

Hope they don't take a 4 - 1 lead

[SWBKCB]

Isn't the bmi baby case subject to appeal (i.e. £12m up at half time)?

[Mike Tee]

A "well spoken" lady passenger when interviewed on local TV last night sais she would object to paying the £6 charge to fly from DTV. I can't see the logic in that. Would she rather travel 100 miles (round trip) to Newcastle and pay the associated costs. In my opinion DTV has always suffered for being just a bit too close to "Big Brother" Newcastle. Years ago even Teesside Travel Agents would offer flights and Holidays from Newcastle when there was an alternative from our own doorstep here at Teesside. Also many years ago (Remember Hurricane Charlie) during a "Cockpit" visit I asked the Captain of our Cyprus Airways Airbus what is our "Alternative" if we couldn,t get into Newcastle. "Manchester" was his reply. "What about Teesside". "Where ?" I pointed it out to him on his chart !!!. Hhmmm he said !!. All very frustrating.

[aidoair]

I'm not sure but I thought the bmibaby case was all sorted now

I do know one thing about them taking baby to court though. While they had a right to do so, it will have put many potential based operators or imparticular low fare carriers off from flying into MME. Airports have to look attractive to airlines from the outset.

[skyman771]

Toadpool

What happened to the supposed £12 million court settlement the airport, not Peel, won against BMI baby?
Is this another example of Peel's asset stripping of the airport?

I must admit that I am not to sure as to whether this has been resolved, I had read that DTV had won it's appeal, but with all such cases these are subject to further action or perhaps a settlement that was of benefit to both parties with a restriction on full disclosure.
Either way you are perhaps missing the point somewhat. The reality is that DTV is part of a group & it is to the group that any settlement would be payable, thereafter funds would be allocated internally as in the best interests of the group.
The reality is that in any organisation running at a large trading deficit, then this requires funding, when further borrowing is unpractical/excessively expensive, and cost cutting providing only longer term returns, then it is totally acceptable business practice to use such "windfalls" in this way.
I suppose that on an equitable basis then as in all likelihood DTV's operations have contributed significantly to such loss then from this perspective also they have no reason to complain.

[ConstantFlyer]

There is a fundamental problem with airports like Teesside and Finningley: they are now in the wrong place. Years ago when they were built, they served the purpose for which they were built. Those purposes have changed, but unfortunately it's now quite difficult to put the runways where they really need to be. I've always thought that airports should be part of regional transport hubs that bring together air, car, rail, light rail and bus facilities, so that people not only have smooth easy transfers from one means of transport to another, but that they also see how easy it can be to get to and from the airport. I for one would like to see a city centre airport in every city catering to business, commuter and inward tourist traffic, linked by air or fast rail to larger out-of-centre leisure and long haul airports.

[highwideandugly]

DTV & Defence review

Do you think VAS/Peel have one eye on the up coming review?

I suppose the FR contract is the biggest money earner at DTV and if its part of the cuts to be announced then I would think DTV days could be counted in weeks.

Makes sense that FR operate from a MOD/RAF airfield.Just think of the savings to be made by the MOD.On top of that Peel cut the hours and availability of DTV some time ago and this cant have helped their cause?
This coupled with the shambles last winter with airfield opening-then I fear some decisions could be taken away from the local authorites/Peel/VAS.

It could be a very long(or short) winter!!

[Hipennine]

Passenger Charge

Although there may be a view that this extra charge is of no matter to the business traveller on expenses, believe me that it could be a big disincentive to use MME.

I was delighted to find out the other week that I can now book and pay for NCL short term parking on-line, because:

1/ It removes another transaction going through the airport.
2/ It allows me to get all the evidence of expenditure necessary to satisfy the Tax and VAT man electronically, and file it all on the PC without worrying about collecting numerous bits of small paper for filing.

Having to pratt about with another payment machine at the airport (probably early morning when I'm looking to maximise time in bed rather than having to allow further minutes for queueing for machines that are confusing people and may not work properly), and stash away yet another piece of paper/cardboard receipt, is in itself sufficient for me to go to NCL if there's a choice (and my experience of MME's parking ticket machines working properly/refusing credit cards is not good), even if NCL costs more (I'm equidistant between the 2).

Consider also the non-regular, non-UK business traveller who gets to the airport just in time to get his flight, who now suddenly is faced with another process.

I know that YVR used to charge an improvement fee (don't know if they still do), but they've got a bit more of a captive audience as a genuine international gateway.

If FR are threatening to pull out and do so, it's because they realise the impact of the charge when people work out the total cost of the flight.

[N707ZS]

Cobham come and go as they please 24 hour, new modern hangar, upgraded ramp. It would possibly be more cost effective to move the likes of the Hawks and grobs to DTVA and close the three or four dormant RAF stations in North Yorkshire.

[10 DME ARC]

Cobham come and go as they please 24 hour

?? Or go into NCL overnight in the winter when MME is closed!!

[papa oscar]

Cobham come and go as they please 24 hour, new modern hangar, upgraded ramp. It would possibly be more cost effective to move the likes of the Hawks and grobs to DTVA and close the three or four dormant RAF stations in North Yorkshire.

Not so. They still have to apply for an extension to operate outside the published hours.

[Centre cities]

Charges

At least with airline charges it is visible when booking, if I am not local, book a flight on the web, will it list the tax or will it be a lovely suprise when I arrive at the airport.

Can you imagine being charged to use the rail station in addition to the price of the ticket.

The days of several of the smaller UK commericail airports are numbered and this is one of them.

Centre cities

[N707ZS]

I thought the Beech 200s operated during the night some times, obviously someone needs to be there to put the lights on.