SOUTHEND 5
Join Date: Nov 2015
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Nellie
Your posts says to me you've never worked in airport development. As express flight says, it's a very long burn process and Southend is a 3rd tier London airport. Not only that, Southend isn't competing with London airports. It's competing across Europe.
An airline can chose where to base their aircraft and their choice isn't Southend or stansted, it's London or Liverpool, or Paris or Milan or Rome.
For Southend to win it has to be prove that the risk is worth it, and the risk is huge. The cost of operating 1 737 for a year is something like £10m - massive numbers.
Southend is doing well, yes it's in a period of consolidation but it will come out of it and grow. All new airports go trough the same.
I can see how it may appear frustrating that stansted or Luton get growth seemingly at the expense of Southend but you don't know how long Luton or stn have been working on these deals and it will have been years.
Be patient ...
Your posts says to me you've never worked in airport development. As express flight says, it's a very long burn process and Southend is a 3rd tier London airport. Not only that, Southend isn't competing with London airports. It's competing across Europe.
An airline can chose where to base their aircraft and their choice isn't Southend or stansted, it's London or Liverpool, or Paris or Milan or Rome.
For Southend to win it has to be prove that the risk is worth it, and the risk is huge. The cost of operating 1 737 for a year is something like £10m - massive numbers.
Southend is doing well, yes it's in a period of consolidation but it will come out of it and grow. All new airports go trough the same.
I can see how it may appear frustrating that stansted or Luton get growth seemingly at the expense of Southend but you don't know how long Luton or stn have been working on these deals and it will have been years.
Be patient ...
By no means am I saying Southend hasn't made mistakes in the past few years, however to propose that a business that has spent £150million on a development programme is not bothered/trying to get new business is crazy! Hopefully the new management team have the right attributes to make a real change. So I agree, be patient!
...and a final thought, I am sure many who cite their Vast experience and expertise in this industry did not predict ezy ever setting up a base at SEN. The airline business is a funny old one, Southend will have its day, let's just hope that is sooner rather than later!
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Nellie1, don't be confused, it's my fault entirely... I got all my usernames mixed up. However my point remains, these things take time, and none of us really know what is/has gone on behind he scenes!
Join Date: Jul 2014
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I know, I must live on another planet. My lot launch new routes within 9 months of first identifying a potential destination and putting rubber to tarmac. As I said, I'll just watch and learn.
Last edited by Neile1; 18th Dec 2015 at 21:02.
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Same old SEN thread
Those of us that pointed out the error in Stobart's strategy in bringing EZY to SEN were roundly booed 3 years ago. EZY stifle competition and demand expensive sweetheart deals to relocate their aircraft to non core airports.
I applaud your decision to watch from the sidelines; that's where I've been for a while.
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Don't argue with them Neile1, they will baffle you with garbage and drag you down to their level.
Those of us that pointed out the error in Stobart's strategy in bringing EZY to SEN were roundly booed 3 years ago. EZY stifle competition and demand expensive sweetheart deals to relocate their aircraft to non core airports.
I applaud your decision to watch from the sidelines; that's where I've been for a while.
Those of us that pointed out the error in Stobart's strategy in bringing EZY to SEN were roundly booed 3 years ago. EZY stifle competition and demand expensive sweetheart deals to relocate their aircraft to non core airports.
I applaud your decision to watch from the sidelines; that's where I've been for a while.
Yes I am a fan of Southend, you clearly are not, or not their business decisions over the past few years at least. However, let's enjoy and embrace our difference of opinion and if either of us makes a point that the other think is wrong we can feel happy rebuking it without the accusations of 'baffling people with garbage'
Now let's all be friends :-)
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Chesna
I would be careful about suggesting that ADSF is not a fan of Southend.
I will end this by saying there are previous posts from us that have debated this issue, from quite a while ago. Progress has been zero and some of us are active in this industry and we speak to each other, albeit working for differing operators. We have asked each other the question "why is nothing happening there?", smiled and added more flights from STN.
I would be careful about suggesting that ADSF is not a fan of Southend.
I will end this by saying there are previous posts from us that have debated this issue, from quite a while ago. Progress has been zero and some of us are active in this industry and we speak to each other, albeit working for differing operators. We have asked each other the question "why is nothing happening there?", smiled and added more flights from STN.
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S16 new operators is essentially dead and buried, perhaps the slot issue may reap some rewards.
Those of us that pointed out the error in Stobart's strategy in bringing EZY to SEN
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Those of us that pointed out the error in Stobart's strategy in bringing EZY to SEN were roundly booed 3 years ago. EZY stifle competition and demand expensive sweetheart deals to relocate their aircraft to non core airports.
Easyjet don't stifle competition they bring recognition that an airport can be successful and a place that other airlines might want to operate from. Easyjet transformed Luton from an airport that was being used by almost half of the amount of passengers in 1995 than passed through the airport in its peak in the early 70's before Courtline went bust.
S16 new operators is essentially dead and buried, perhaps the slot issue may reap some rewards.
Personally I don't mind if people think I'm putting out "garbage" as they're entitled to that opinion if that's the way they feel. Some on here seem to think my opinions are worth reading anyway so I'll carry on.
I certainly don't think Stobart can be justly criticized for encouraging easyJet's unexpected approach to them; name any other 'new' airport that would have rejected such an approach. I agree to an extent that they can have the effect of somewhat stifling competition simply by cherry picking the most viable routes. Without easyJet being at SEN I wonder if someone else would have opened AMS for example or another based operator might have appeared at SEN; that must remain unknown.
As far as new routes for SEN are concerned for next year, well you never know do you?
I certainly don't think Stobart can be justly criticized for encouraging easyJet's unexpected approach to them; name any other 'new' airport that would have rejected such an approach. I agree to an extent that they can have the effect of somewhat stifling competition simply by cherry picking the most viable routes. Without easyJet being at SEN I wonder if someone else would have opened AMS for example or another based operator might have appeared at SEN; that must remain unknown.
As far as new routes for SEN are concerned for next year, well you never know do you?
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moving on...
I happened to be passing by the airport this morning and saw a strange sight. One EZY had landed on 24 and was backtracking whilst another EZY had left the stand and was under tow towards the runway for a 24 takeoff. Strange thing was that this aircraft was being followed by a tug towing a set of passenger steps. Both aircraft and steps were on taxiway alpha near to and facing the runway. Did an EZY go tech this morning after leaving the stands?
It was towed there for an engine run following a component change. I believe a spare aircraft positioned in to take its place in the schedule.
SEN helping out BACF again this afternoon taking a late LCY arrival from IBZ.
SEN helping out BACF again this afternoon taking a late LCY arrival from IBZ.
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Businesses will often turn full circle as they flirt with diversification and then get back to their roots. Stobart's airline and airport division is never going to give them a reasonable return on their investment so a sale of both is always going to be a strong possibility.
Sounds like company running SEN has realised that running an airline as well creates a conflict of interest. Assuming a sale goes through, expect some routes (ie the unprofitable ones) at SEN flown by Stobart to be cut. Long term this *might* see SEN appeal a little more to other airline for new routes.
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They only took bought Aer Arann in the first place to put services through Southend from March 2011 before the new terminal even opened. Even then they got their fingers burnt as most passengers didn't like the move to the old wooden terminal without a rail link so Stobart were too quick off the mark with the move. Things might have been better if they waited for the new terminal as the passengers that then struggled to get to and from London didn't come back when the new terminal opened.
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Stobart distribution centre
I'm pretty sure that the reason Stobart went into the airline business was to secure the planning for their distribution centre at Carlisle Airport. Planning for the distribution centre was conditional upon Carlisle Airport delivering pax flights. Given that there was zero demand for pax flights out of Carlisle Stobart claimed that they would deliver a Carlisle - Southend and Carlisle - Dublin service with their own airline, and thereby securing the planning permission they so desperately required. Now they have the panning secured, they don't need the airline. I think there is a farmer up there who argued that CAX-SEN was totally unviable and therefore the planning should not be awarded - guess he is reading the news today with his "I told you so" face on....
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Regional service Stobart Air plans sale
Think Southend can now kiss goodbye to any link with Carlisle and probably their other Southend routes.
Think Southend can now kiss goodbye to any link with Carlisle and probably their other Southend routes.