Aberdeen Dyce

[Vansin]

Any tips for a 'new' operator into ABZ?
Kinda short for a B737 opreration?

[kkong]

Local rumour is that VLM are to start up a route to BRU and possibly LCY.

I'm not sure that there has ever been a direct ABZ/BRU service.

ABZ/LCY has been tried with varying degrees of success by Air UK / KLM UK / British European / Scot Airways in the past few years but there is currently no service.

BTW, ABZ can handle the B737 easily, e.g. non-stop charter B737-800 to Cyprus (~4.5 hours) has been running for the past few years. B767-200/300 is a fairly regular visitor and and even A330 have landed there before now!

[Jordan D]

Don't EZY use the 737s on the route to LTN?

Jordan

[In trim]

Yes, EZY use the -300 and -700. No problems.

[FlyboyBen]

Mr Blair normally borrows a BAe 146 from the Queen's Flight when he comes up to visit. Can't imagine Dyce can handle a 777, the taxiways probably aren't big enough!!!

73's and 75's are used regularly along with A319's and 320's. 76's aren't uncommon either

[newswatcher]

http://www.jetphotos.net/images/images2/g/g-bbaf_gla.jpg.72714.jpg.thumb G-BBAF July 31, 1999, photo by Gary Watt

[FlyboyBen]

Maybe his "Blairforce One" stopped off at an air force base or some other 777 capable civil airport so he could jump onto the BAe146.

There isn't enough tarmac on Dyce's runway to handle a 777. It would end up with muddy wheels if it tried to land

[ajamieson]

KL will be using a mixture of 73x and F100 for its AMS-ABZ rotations when the winter timetable starts, instead of just F100.

The slightly larger a/c is being used because transfer traffic from the ABZ catchment area through AMS to worldwide destinations is actually quite high since the only real competitor is BA through LHR.

[Data Dad]

RE: Aberdeen.

KLM have already switched 2 x daily fights to a 737. Blairforce one did indeed arrive as a 777 and we have had a number of A330's in as well as the Sultan of Brunei in an A340. Tristars used to be fairly regular - BA used them on friday eve schedule to Heathrow back in the 80's.

Not heard the VLM rumour but I have always felt that ABZ-BRU had potential. One rumour doing the rounds is for a full service airline to (re-) start ABZ- STN.... lowest odds are for Eastern, with bmi Regional not far behind!

Oh.... and ABZ - LCY was never flown by the "Best" airline :D - no doubt it might have been if the cloggies hadnt murdered that great outfit.... Air UK RIP

DD

[Jordan D]

If Blairforce One did arrive at an airbase to see the Queen (who is up at Balmoral), the nearest one available to take this plane would be either RAF Kinloss or Lossiemouth.

Jordan

[newswatcher]

Jordan, would Leuchars be a candidate? Runway is about 8.5k feet. Is that enough for a "lightly" loaded 777? I believe this is OK for a 777-200, but the -300 might be pushing it!

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

Well, if a Tristar landed at Aberdeen, surely there should be enough room - runway and ramp - for a 777 (not saying it happened...).

[kkong]

It sure did happen - September last year. Blair flew in from Washington on a BA 777 on his way to brief the Queen about the Iraq situation whilst she was staying at Balmoral. Presumably a fairly empty plane with little fuel left at that point.

No photos of the 777, but here's a link to a couple of photos of an A330-300 landing at ABZ last year - and that one was full of 300+ German football fans so wasn't too lightweight!

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/275168/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/275169/L/