Air Atlanta to base @ PIK

[kpiko3]

Founf this on Google groups,
Overheard today at work from an Islandsflug Engineer at PIK (Globespan
Maintenance Engineer):

"Air Atlanta are planning to create a maintenance base at PIK to
complement Polar and Ryanair in 2004".

I personally wouldnt be surprised if it did happen with PIK`s low costs and Maintenance history.

Kris

[Findo]

Other story is that Atlanta are to overwinter some of their fleet at PIK which they did a few years ago.

Maybe mixed messages or a forestaste of things to come. Story in today's Herald about another £6m investment being targeted at creating a maintenance centre of excellence at PIK.

[Woodman]

I heard that there were awful problems in getting enough people to work at PIK, especially Ryanair. Too far from anywhere.

[sparkymarky]

No offence Woodman but that quote displays a severe lack of local knowledge. PIK is 30-40 minutes from Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, and certainly well within commuting reach of over a million people.

There are plenty people commute from Ayrshire to Glasgow and beyond each day. A friend of mine commuted to Livingston for a while (two thirds of the way to Edinburgh).

So catchment area for PIK is not a problem!

[Flyin' High]

2 million people within 1 hr and 4 million within 2 hrs ... depends exactly how many people you need!

PIK is closer to its major city centre, Glasgow, than Stansted/Luton/Heathrow are to Central London.

Plus there are some major aviation employers in the area adding to the skills base .... BAE Systems, BF Goodrich to name but 2.

[the flying scot]

Awaiting Joe Curry's usual. I'm sure he'll say that they should have been based at EDI......................Scotland's favouirte airport(yeah right)!!!!!!!!

[signeti]

sorry woodman, gotta contradict u on the " FR finding it hard to get staff to go to PIK"...
believe it or not , prestwick is one of the most sought after bases on the ryanair map ...for cabin crew there is a waiting list of staff already in ryanair to get up there ( due in no small part to the large no. of scots in ryanair )
and the attraction for pilots is there cos the routes have a nice diversity ,yet the charm of the small base remains ,
housing is cheaper then being stansted or dublin based , schooling is better for the kids and u get to live beside a beach also u dont have to walk 30 mins to get to from the car park to the paperwork ,more like 5 ,

PIK rocks

[BAe 146-100]

Hi,

Will the aircraft be the 747-200?

BAe 146-100

[kpiko3]

I think it will be BAE146-100
Unless they are looking for somewhere to put the 767 and 757(TF-ARD/ARE) which excel have just now.
It would be great if there was to be another 747 hanger.

Also Polar are wanting to build another 747 hanger for finshing touches to the aircraft that have been in hanger number 1.
I also heard that Ryanair also want to build a twin hanger to the present one just now to keep up with the massive order for the 738`s.Maybe Ryanair will be dismantling there 732`s at PIK too,that would mean more training aircraft for the fire crews.

Kpiko3

[Woodman]

So if I currently live beside the sea in the cheapest driest and warmest part of southeast England next to a beautiful wide and long 747-capable runway that is relatively unused and with the ability to drive over to France for dinner - what's PIK got for me, then?

[PPRuNe Radar]

what's PIK got for me, then?

Jobs ?? :)

[codpiece face]

What has not been mentioned is the upgrade of the M77 motorway which is already underway and will make access to the airport much better. I can say from experience that Prestwick is one of the nicest airports in the UK to work at.

It would be good to see Air Atlanta back at the airport, I have always wondered why they did not decide to use it initially as it is one of the closest to the motherland.

Anyway the new units are taking shape at the end of the runway and the Ryanair hangar is looking good, with a good skillbase available from surrounding companies and a number of Scots who would like to return home to this part of the world from the overpriced parts of the country I really can only see great things happening at Prestwick, that great 10000ft thorn in the side of BAA Scotland.

[IanH]

Woodman......

PIK area has got plenty of good golf courses nearby.... plus scenery,better licensing laws,peace and quiet and a better way of life, I could go on.....

Ian H
Who moved up here from the SE of England !

[billyg]

Codpiece Face, I think the BAA agree that PIK has become a thorn in their side, hence their new deal on landing charges with Flyglobespan. I hear Germania could be next to move to GLA Int, and after that?, well, who knows! It certainly seems that better times for GLA are just around the corner!:ok: :D :ok:

[PIK1967]

Yeah Billy G.Better days indeed.They really could`nt have got worse could they.Oh I forgot Continental are flying from Edinburgh shortly.
Lets see how long the Glasgow service lasts.:)

[billyg]

PIK1967, don't you mean, we'll see how long the EDI service lasts?. The GLA route is COAs biggest success story in the UK outside London, or didn't you know that?

[sparkymarky]

Now now folks, lets keep it positive.

New routes and new maintenance facilities = more incoming tourists and businesspeople and new jobs.

Let's let the airlines decide whether PIK, GLA or EDI is their preferred location. They are all good for Scotland!

[kpiko3]

Well then how come most of the COA passengers from Newark to GLA are more intersetd in going to Edinburgh.
You just wait and see,EDI will soon take the position as the best success story in the uk.
Plus,Germania wont move,as they are getting payed form PIK to keep there Berlin service going as the Route fund only accounts for services of 5 weekly or more.
BMI Baby(Looks like it),Jet2(we can only hope),Air Omega(will) and Ryanair(will) will base aircraft at Prestwick in the near future so looks if PIK has a good future to look forward to.

Kpiko3

[billyg]

Interested in your observation that the COA pax are more interested in EDI. How do you know?. I would also suggest to you that most of the foreign pax who arrive at PIK are under the impression that they are arriving in Glasgow, not the Ayrshire coast! Germania will have pulled out of PIK by next April at the latest, and if the BAA reduce the landing charges for other airlines, as they did with FlyGlobespan, then PIK will be in BIG trouble! Methinks a cargo ONLY operation by 2005! :ok:

[kpiko3]

People on Globespan think they are flying into Glasgow,But they arent,they are flying into PAISLEY
I dont think so,BAA only reduced there charges to Flyglobespan and Globespan only.And about PIK being a only freight operation,aload of Bull.

Ryanair will stay at Prestwick because of two reasons.Cheap and
a maintenance base.

BMI Baby will stay,it will not go crawling back to GLA after moving there cardiff service to PIK,plus they will soon base aircraft at Prestwick.

Germania will no doubt stay,why would they move to Glasgow when they allready operate to a Glasgow Airport,And PIK pay them to operate here,will BAA do that,no I dont thinkso.Germania
look likely to try a Munich service as said in the Press release.

I heard somebody who was on the COA flight to GLA and he said that all he heard was people talking about Edinburgh,not glasgow.

All you glasgow folk,just because one airline moved it doesnt mean the lot has to go.
Okay,you got Globespan but now you people are getting ahead of yourselves.Just be happy with what you got and dont be so sure that PIK will go to death again.

three words about PIK being a only freight operation.
IT WONT HAPPEN.
If airlines ever want to move,PIK will always give them a better deal than Glasgow will ever do as theyalways have done.

Kpiko3

[IanH]

Too add to this........ Prestwick is the only airport in the central belt that has its own railway station........ Working in the railway industry as I now do, I know that passengers like to get off a plane. quickly get on a train with minimal fuss and get where they are going without having to get on buses, go round housing estates etc etc........

It looks like it will be a good few years before Glasgow & Edinburgh airports get their own railway stations.........

Personally, I prefer flying out of PIK as its a lot more relaxed than GLA & EDI......... and its easier to get to !

Ian H

[Deeko01]

OK,

Its all about personal choice at the end of the day isnt it??

Lets face it everyone likes a bargain and most times flying from PIK you do get a bargain but its improtant to remember yes its a nice thing to have the railway link but remember not everyone uses this service, l would be interested to know the percentage of people from the central belt who actually use the car or public transport to PIK.

Prestwick isnt going to go away and will plug away getting airlines to operate there but they are limited down there to what they can offer facilities wise and it is not Glasgow whatever you say, the argument that Glasgow Airport is Paisley right ok its 7 miles to the city centre not 30 and no major airport is right in the city centre l would say between 5-10 miles is the average distance between most major cities and airports.

If you give me the choice and the price is right l will go from GLA everytime but if its cheaper at PIK then l will go from PIK but only if its cheaper and at least we all have a choice but to be honest Stansted is the only place l would go from PIK but it takes to long at stansted to get to London what with baggage reclaim and transport and with Globespan pulling out of PIK l probably have even less reason to go to PIK, also Germania l smell a rat there whether they move to GLA or pull the route completely l sense that route is not what was expected.

BMI Baby l think there is a longer term plan there to operate from PIK to further destinations but they would be mad to pull to GLA-EMA route as it makes money but Baby cant offer anything more than FlyGlobespan or Air Scotland will offer from GLA.

Re continental lets face it guys there is still a heck of a lot of people travelling to and from North America via London so we should not be thinking how long is it going to last at EDI or GLA, lets hope they both still continue to prosper, anybody on this forum who actually enjoys flying via London to get to there destination must be off there head in my opinion.

So in essence folks enjoy the choice you have and long may it continue and the more airlines who decide to operate from Scotland the better.

p.s. you can continue this bickering but really it doesnt make you look good ecspecially if you dont have the facts!

[sisyphus1965]

billyg

Surely biggest success story outside London and Manchester! Or are the CAA figures unreliable.

[billyg]

I know the word of the press cant always be trusted but numerous Scottish newspapers insist that GLA is COAs biggest success outside London!

[GOLF-INDIA BRAVO]

Probably north of the border (not Watford that is) knowing the press because as previously stated Manchester is upgrading to a B777 again in spring, just out of interest what operates from GLA
is it a B767 and if so what model

Golf India Bravo

[billyg]

400 this summer, 200 this winter!

[Findo]

Deeko01

You are right about personal choice. That choice is exercised by the airlines and the passengers if they have one. I am afraid that fact seems to constantly escape the local councillors in Glasgow who are convinced of an anti Glasgow conspiracy by the route development people. It is also conveniently ignored by the headline writers in the Evening Times who should know better.

Trains to PIK. I think the published figure is around 30% of all PIK pax use the train station. Nothing published for the bus links.

Distances from city centres of airports. I think your 5 - 10 miles is way out. There is hardly a UK airport never mind an international airport which meets that figure. 25 - 30 miles is pretty common and further with many new airports.

I am personally sad to see the Globespan move from PIK because I think they were a good balance to Ryanair. They have a different and apparently successful marketing strategy and good luck to them. I hope at some point they expand to serve the other airports.

When they move out I'd be very surprised if someone doesn't have a go at replacing them especially as they will operate very reduced service over the winter. As their flights have been operated by Channex I would bet that Jet2 will have try at least with Palma and similar services in addition to their rumoured double daily Amsterdam service. :)

[FDMS]

billyg:
You must be really excited about the proposed rail link for Glasgow Paisley - woops, International ! No more being moved on by traffic wardens/Police after 30 seconds while trying to avoid car park charges, no more legalised extortion by taxis, no more park & ride bus into Paisley then waiting for the promised frequent train service - perm 1 from 3 to reach the city centre !
btw are you a St.Mirren supporter ? - as they say in the ad "Not everything in black & white makes sense " ;-))

[GOLF-INDIA BRAVO]

Thanks BillyG I thought I had read it was a B767-400

Golf India Bravo

[billyg]

FDMS, I think that you're correct re the legalised extortion at GLA, although I've also noticed a marked increase in parking charges down your way as well. As for the rail link at GLA, it's a half-baked idea anyway compared to the EDI proposed link, and it's not the answer!