Luton to see huge easyJet growth!!

[Buster the Bear]

easyJet is completing its network development plans for the next 12 months. The airline will bring 16 aircraft into service before the end of September 2004 and will continue its stated policy of expanding the range of flights wholly within continental Europe, growing its domestic UK network, and linking convenient local UK airports to the most attractive and popular European airports. The airline will pay particular attention to growth from London where it intends to increase the size of its operation by up to five aircraft, a growth of 15% in the next year, offering customers the opportunity to take advantage of low fares on even more routes.

Major development out of London Luton

easyJet will focus much of this growth from Luton. The airline currently operates a total of 12 aircraft, offering 17 routes to about four million passengers each year. The airline intends to increase its operation by at least two aircraft and add a number of new routes to both existing points on the easyJet network and completely new destinations. Negotiations with a range of airports around Europe are currently ongoing.

Ray Webster, easyJet Chief Executive, said:

"Our network development plans are proceeding well and our recent airport tender produced an excellent response. We are currently in the advanced stage of negotiations with airports across Europe which will provide us with a range of exciting new expansion opportunities."

"Many of these new airports are likely to be served from Luton which will see a significant degree of expansion over the next 12 months. Having focussed on other growth priorities in the last few years (such as Gatwick and Paris), it is now time to expand the benefits of the easyJet business model to millions more passengers in the Luton catchment who will be attracted by our unique combination of the lowest fares to the most attractive and popular European destinations."

Gatwick sees the launch of 3 new destinations for winter 2003/4

[Fifty Above]

Considering that Easy are currently employing both contract pilots and contract cabin crew, it would appear that any further growth will be constrained by their apparent inability to recruit or retain experienced crew.

Promised lifestyle improvements have failed to materialise, sickness rates amongst the pilots has reached an astonishing 12%, and more key personnel have resigned to join the Luton start-up Now.

I'm sure that somebody will say that "massive recruitment" has "stabilized" the operation, but the word is that the Institutional Investors do not think that the incumbent management are capable of delivering the promised 25% per annum organic growth; it is rumoured that at a recent Analyst's meeting Ray Webster asked when the share price would rise, and was told "when you learn how to run an Airline!"

[sparkymarky]

Excellent for Luton. But I wish EZY would give us more Euro routes from north of the border. :sad:

MOL is much more popular than Stelios and Ray up here!!

[nef]

Yeah, that'd be nice, doesn't seem to be happening though:( . EDI/GLA are supposedly still too expensive even with the Exec's route development fund.

I'd love an easy Orly/CdG service from EDI and/or GLA

[LGS6753]

EDI and GLA are owned by BAA - the monopolist that people in the south are trying to cut down to size.

Also, if the Scottish Executive subsidizes routes, it just goes to show how deeply rooted in the past Scottish socialism is!! You lads up there will have seen the industrial dereliction around the central belt caused by industries being subsidised to move there, rather than to where market forces dictate.

Back to the thread - I'm pleased that EZY are expanding ex-LTN, but could it be a spoiling tactic to upset Now's launch?

[LTNman]

I had heard that TBI has suspended the September start date for the construction work to begin on the new immigration hall and more importantly the new pier that will serve the northern and eastern aprons as well as opening up part of the yet unused departure lounge in the new terminal. The new pier would increase the walk on stands at LTN by 70%. One of easyjet’s major complaints at LTN is the lack of walk on stands. Reasons for the possible suspension include TBI running out of money to a possible take over bid.

There is a strong rumour that Luton will be the third A319 base for easyJet, with up to 5 aircraft being added mid-2004, this would be in addition to any growth during winter 2003/4, this coming from the 300's in Switzerland coming back to the UK as "Topswiss" get their A319's.

[OLNEY 1 BRAVO]

Interesting news Buster!

One does have to ask "why the sudden turnaround"? Less than 12 months ago RW was publicly saying that Luton was not an airport for further EZY investment. So what has changed at the airport? What have TBI done to make the place so attractive? The answer I would suggest is precisely zilch!

So if the airport has not changed, it must be the threat of competition, but I would suggest not just from NOW. I'm hearing rumours that TBI have signed up "two new major airlines" - could one be the overdue Baby so beloved of my good friend Buster?

The more flights at Luton the better as far as I'm concerned, but it will be interesting to see what EZY's motives are.

[Powerjet1]

Olney 1 Brav0

Would tend to agree. Only 2/3 months ago, Luton was low down in the priority list for expansion as far as easy was concerned and all of a sudden, hey, it moves right towards the top. Competition motives are playing a major part in this decision methinks.

Heard similar stories about two major airlines coming to Luton in the near future plus a 'third' waiting in the wings. Let's hope TBI's decision, if true, to put on hold further construction work, will not scupper these plans.

Regarding Now, understand that an announcement is fairly imminent re start date/bookings, either end of this month or first week of September. Autumn launch still very much on.

[Buster the Bear]

I hope that there is enough room to park them all.

New taxiway 'Echo' will open before November for B757's and smaller.

[LTNman]

I wonder if a shortage of parking could put a squeeze on executive jet movements at Luton. Around 20 executive jets permanently occupy stands 16 to 22 plus another 10 normally jammed into the northwest corner. The increasing amount of BBJ’s coming into Luton isn’t making the situation any better.

I make it that around 26 stands excluding cargo are left for the airlines but that includes stands taken up by aircraft that are in for maintenance.

[BAe 146-100]

Hi,

Here (http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/news/view_article.asp?article_id=7860) is a article about the expansion from the Luton base.

BAe 146-100

[LTNman]

Looks like the rumour about a delay in the start of construction work on the new pier and immigration hall was false. Work begins in 3 weeks time. Good new indeed.:ok:

[Buster the Bear]

The airport operators over the years have always made a cracking profit from executive aircraft.

The airport does not need to provide car parks or tinminals, just a secure parking area and the planes certainly used to pay full rates for landing and parking charges. I am sure that TBI makes a lot more from these movements than the few cargo flights regularly operating?

[OLNEY 1 BRAVO]

LTNman - good news that the construction is to go ahead!

Re your comments on a number of stands always being occupied by biz jets:

Stands 18 - 21 inclusive are all "leased to Harrods Aviation" for their exclusive use. Only Stand 22 at the far eastern end of the South Apron can be allocated by the airport.

Stands 16 & 17 - contrary to popular belief these are not for the sole use of Signature handled biz jets, although in practice 95% of the movements using these stands fall into that category. Stand 51 (Light Aircraft Stand) by the old Apron Control building is also operated under the same "rules". Anyone know why this is currently out of service?

Signature only have exclusive use of the North West Corner (Stand 56) and the area in front of the Allied Signal Hanger (Stand 58) ... plus of course their own apron.

[virginblue]

Any news on the rumoured arrival of bmi baby at LTN and the expansion of the Ryanair operation ? Latest I heard is that a) Michael Bishop said that a presence in the London area is an imperative for the survival of bmi baby b) Ryanair met resistance basing 6 Boeing 737-200 at LTN because of noise concerns.

If NOW should take off as well, Easyjet expand I wonder how all these additional aircraft can be accommodated at LTN, The terminal landside should be ok, but airside and on the apron it will be terribly crowded, me thinks.

[Fiske]

Just wondering if easyjet will be getting rid of any of their 737s to make way for all the new A319s?

Who do you guys think will be trained to fly the A319s, 737 pilots who have been with the co. for a while or new hires?

I can't imagine there are too many A319 rated pilots around who aren't gainfully employed!

[rentaghost]

Putting 2 and 2 together...

EZY do a u-turn on increasing flying from LTN = less cash due to better deal to make them increase...

Halt to planned building work = less cash due to increase in EZY flying!!!

Just a thought!

[PAXboy]

If NOW should take off as well, Easyjet expand I wonder how all these additional aircraft can be accommodated at LTN, The terminal landside should be ok, but airside and on the apron it will be terribly crowded, me thinks. Actually, I don't think the terminal can cope very well. My two trips through there in May and July found it worse than usual in the new people hanger that is landside. The toilets had not been serviced for 90 mins and that was based on their own counter. Baggage delivery times were the worst in years.

Airside was not too bad but the car parks have slipped again. Those lovely people that run the place have cut down on the number of drivers servicing the mid-term park. TBI are learning too many tricks from BAA. :yuk:

[LTNman]

In the days of the council running the airport baggage handling was quite a slick operation, as their staff loaded and unloaded all aircraft. But if memory serves me right the law was changed with the handling agents and airlines taking over the responsibility. You now have the situation where say Easyjet baggage handlers can’t cope but Servisair loaders have nothing to do and of course the reverse can happen.

Cleaning, parking and running the busses to the station and car parks are now subcontracted. Oh and if you don’t book in advance the cheapest parking is now £10 per day / £150 for a two week holiday.

The first floor of the new terminal will be opened up next year as airside as part of the construction work associated with the new pier and immigration hall.

[FLYMATE]

Well, let's see what happens when Now Airlines start operations from Luton. I think the easyJet turn around is that they are preparing for the new competition. NOW will be using Aviance as handlers so that will make easyJet fall further behind in the quality stakes.I do think though that NOW will not be in direct competition, as they are to offer a superior service in all fields, so easyJet might be safe, or will they?

[Alloy]

Now Airlines will be hard pushed to beat Monarch Scheduled on LTN-TFS route. Monarch are not going to let Now have an easy time on the TFS route (Tenerife on Now's web site), in fact Monarch are doubling scheduled flights to TFS for next summer.

[PAXboy]

One point of view on the baggage handling situation that I gleaned from one of the older members of staff at LTN ...

"In the summer, they [Servisair, et al] hire kids out of school and students in their holidays. They get paid and then drink it all and do not know how to get up early in the morning! We get worse absenteeism in the summer from the kids, than we do from the rest."

Now, that is a biased view but has the ring of truth to it!

[FLYMATE]

We will wait and see if Now actually go ahead with the night TFS. It was only at the planning stage, as you may not have noticed Now will launch soon in Mid September and will announce it's full timetable then on the web site. If TFS is on the timetable remains to be seen. I would rather they concentrated on untapped business flights to Europe and Eastern Europe. Now should update their web site soon to avoid people commenting that they will not be in the air until December at the earliest.

[Buster the Bear]

As I have said before, the destinations currently on the NOW web site may not reflect those revealed at the launch of bookings.

Keeping their cards closely secured to thier chests and who can blame them with the might of their Lo-Co rivals in the shadows.

[FLYMATE]

A quote from the section called "destinations" on the Now Airlines web site:

Destinations

Final Destinations - Coming Soon
We are in the final stages of formalising our route network and will release a complete schedule when the booking system is launched.

The flashing destinations on the main web site page are for reference only. I am sure no one will want to go to Ibiza in the winter, so that is why they are announcing the actual destinations at the launch mid-September.

The launch of Now has certainly got to be the biggest launch of a new carrier since Go. One can only wish that easyJet stay away and let Now get on with their superior service they plan to offer. easyJet is ASDA in the airline market, Now is Fortnum and Mason.

[mjenkinsblackdog]

FLYMATE,
NOW fortum and Mason.
Easyjet ASDA as you say.
I little premature laddie since you havent even started.
More like NOW then NEVER!;)

[FLYMATE]

Laddie? If nothing constructive comes from your mouth, the mouth should remain shut. I have my start date and have met the people at Now. It's all steam ahead. It will be a classy firm to work for, unlike most lo-cost companies. It will prove to be a great success, my laddie...

[mjenkinsblackdog]

Flymate,
You are full of nonsense from your interview.
Wait until its up and running properly.
It appears this is either your first airline job,or your first jet job.
Wait and see laddie.;)
Now wont be profitable until year 3 thats if its even around then!

[FLYMATE]

Will be my 4th airline,I am well over 30! Have 16 years flying, and know a lot more about aviation than you do obviously. As for Now, I have my contract to start in November. Next question?

[mjenkinsblackdog]

Flymate,
Wrong again laddie!
Im far more experienced than you will ever be!
I am merely trying to point out that NOW hasnt really started.
Your enthusiam outways the results!

PS you need glasses by spelling my name incorrectly!
As for you starting at NOW .Who cares!

[sloniger]

Flymate,

What happened to the other three airlines?

Sloniger:E

[Powerjet1]

easy are inviting punters on their website to vote for three new destinations they would like to see served from LTN. Two, possibly three, out of five additional aircraft earmarked for London, are to be based here, to serve the new routes and increase freq on existing services. Seems this type of thing is becoming the norm for all LCCs.

[Powerjet1]

Contrary to this threads tittle, when looking at easy's summer schedule from LTN compared to last summer or even the current winter schedule, there are several reductions in frequency on many routes, namely :

AMS - Reduced from 6 - 4 daily
BFS - Reduced from 6 - 5 daily
CDG - Reduced from 5 - 4 daily
EDI - Reduced from 7 - 5 daily
GLA - Reduced from 7 - 6 daily
NCE - Reduced from 6 - 5 daily

All other routes remaining as last summer.

With recent talk of easy basing between 2 and 4 more additional aircraft at LTN this summer to start new routes and increase freq on existing routes, it does seem rather odd, unless they are planning to start several more destinations than the rumoured three, Berlin of course being one of them. Or maybe they have just had a change of heart ?.

[LTNman]

Don’t panic! Easy did the same last year but built up the schedules before the summer season started.

[25minutes]

Yes gaps have been left in the programme for the new destinations, SXF timings published in- house, as well as one other new destination, sure to be public soon.

[Simon Lumley]

I heard from EZY crew that the first UK airports to get the Airbus A319s based, in order, would be:

1. London-Gatiwck
2. Nottingham-East Midlands
3. London-Luton

[Scottie]

Simon, the airport cleaners have a better idea where the new airbus are going than the crew :}

[Fifty Above]

... and the management!

[Buster the Bear]

How can you announce this expansion if you do not have crew to fly in the newly delivered planes?

Believe me, someone, some where will make a few quid from parked up deliveries!

If your expansion was based upon securing redundant 'Travel' crews, then no wonder extra services and routes are being with-held!

Rumours, oh rumours!