MD 's Xmas address; staff were told that the terminal (new) and rail station has been approved and construction will commence next week ? FlyBe have made an initial commitment to base several a/c there from 2006 on completion of the terminal. Expected expansion also of ATC present hangarage and new parking stands for stored a/c.

Yes, but will B707 HZ123 witness the changes??

FlyBe have made an initial commitment to base several a/c there from 2006 on completion of the terminal.

I hope FlyBe are not looking for 20-minute turnrounds landing to take-off at Southend: the airspace can't handle Luton's, London City's & Stansted's present-day traffic without causing snarl-ups and take-off delays, and there's unlikely to be any improvement by 2006...

FlyBe operating out of Southend will just make matters even worse!

:*

Flybe's minimum turn around times are 25mins, and for a 78 seater, it is'nt too difficult to achieve.

Would suspect routes will be operated by Q400 based a/c to Belfasy City, Dublin, Jersey, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Glasgow and Newcastle.

Regards

Mike

Can we expect a large clear out of all the 'junk' airframes scattered around the airfield then?

Fried Chicken

Now that's no way to talk about Flightline now is it ;)

There are only a few items of 'junk' 2 F27 parked on the far side of the airfield, as well as a 707 awaiting the torch. The B 1-11 which is complete maintained for the sky programme featuring 'Freshair' and the Belfast, which is worked on periodically but no one is sure what the end result is to be. It would not be SEN without the parked aircraft.

I also beleive there is, or was during the summer, some old Aer Lingus BAe 146s, old BA ATPS, and a couple of old Spanair (i think) MD-80s, of which one i know has since been sold and moved.

Flybe's minimum turn around times are 25mins, and for a 78 seater, it is'nt too difficult to achieve.

aeulad - I don't think Ebenezer is talking about ramp or handling delays, but rather, ATC departure delays caused by airspace congestion northeast of London especially if FlyBe really does start schedules that initially route westbound from Southend i.e. to Belfast, Dublin, Jersey, Edinburgh, Liverpool & Glasgow.

It's not just the M25 that's crawling at peak times!!!

:{

So where is the massive catchment area which is going to sustain these flights??

Much as Southend has a fine history, this was in the days of car ferries and not much else. Now there is Stansted with an unrestricted runway, good motorway links and rail links allowing a good catchment area to north, east, south and west.

I've been wrong before, but I cannot see how flybe can get sufficient business to keep the flights profitable.

I agree 'surely not.'

Southend isn't the easiest place to get to compared to Luton and Stansted, which already offer the destinations FLybe want to offer, usually at a much cheaper price tha FlyBe who I always think are quite expensive compared to Ryanair and EasyJet.

Southend doesn't have a big enough catchment area considering half of the area around it is water!

...but what about offering itself as the low-cost London city airport? Isn't it closer to London than Heathrow?

London city is so damned expensive, i'm sure there is a case to be made for Southend. Although I hear you regarding comments about Stansteds proximity.

There are SOOOO many airports in the UK!!! Seems like one for each village!

Stansted has a rail link and a road link direct into the City which Southend cannot compete with so I don't think the loco alternative works either.

surely not....

Part of the plans for the new terminal include a rail station (the main line to London runs alongside the airport).
Also I think some of you you miss the point about Flybe's business model. It is to offer a limited range of flights from local airports (eg SOU, NWI, EXT) to select destinations using lower capacity aircraft.
Southend has had too many false dawns in the past but there is a decent catchment within an hour's drive and Essex is stuffed full of timeshare/villa owners so a couple of routes to Spain, also Dublin maybe, could prove a winner.

I look forward to being proved wrong small pilot, but until then I remain sceptical of the re birth of Southend Apt, new rail station or not.

The same was said of STN when I was a policeman there in the 70's,ditto the second terminal at LGW. Once the terminal is open I am sure others will come there, already there is a steady flow of exec jets selecting SEN over City. The only down side I can see is the runway limitations excluding the likes of fully laden 73' and Airbuses, however, even the aircraft performnaces will change.

Nakata,

There are SOOOO many airports in the UK!!! Seems like one for each village!

SSSSSSSSHHHHH! Don't tell the Labour Government, or they'll want to close a few more and build starter homes for the chavs of this parish...:{

I don't doubt for a minute that adequate research into Southend's catchment area hasn't taken place.

Flybe has the advantage over the likes of EZY and Ryanair in that the Q400 can operate quite happily in and out of there, whereas a fully loaded 737...... forget it!

Best of luck to Southend. I hope they succeed.

Foxy

PS what are the chances of them getting their CTZ back???

whats ctz?

Southend have gained a couple of mail flights from Bournemouth in the new year

CTZ = Control Zone
an area of CAS (controlled Airspace) around the airport

Fried Chicken

Southend have gained a couple of mail flights from Bournemouth in the new year
Any idea what airline?

Nakata77

I think u r confusing Southampton SOU (on South coast)
with Southend SEN (on East coast).

The only thing wrong with EGMC is the runway length. Forget the Church go East young man and take the runway across the railway and the road. There is just open land to the East and hardly anyone lives there. AW and the team at RAL maybe do not have deep enough pockets so get someone in that can invest.

Unless the runway gets to 2000m or more forget it. The airport will not make enough money to pay for a railway crossing let alone a station and a terminal unless the runway is lengthened.

JF's aiforce with their egg beaters will never bring enough capacity to SEN. Most of the people in the very large catchment area want to go south to Spain, Italy etc. To get the right seat rate the smallest jet like the B733 needs to be able to operate with a ful payload. Forget the 146 with its hairdriers no one could afford to buy the seat.

Come on get real you are sat on a goldmine. The nearest airport to Western Europe and London. Operating to SEN could save at least 20 block minutes per sector from and to Western Europe. How much is that in Euros for the airline that is brave enough to takeover the airport as its "London Gateway"

There is obviously no interest in SEN. I mailed on Jan 1 went on holidays and today on my return no response. SEN is probably the best opportunity for airport development in the London area. MSE eat your heart out for our population. No I do not work for RAL and would never want to. Hey come on where are you airlines