A330 Contract at Brize

[rolandpull]

Just read an ad on the FI website for cabin crew to be based at MAN and Brize (the advert reads prizenorton!). Didnt mention the airline. New long term sched me thinks.

[Mobile Muppet]

I believe the Air Luxor contract runs out in the next couple of months.
I also heard a rumour Virgin and BMI are after it.

[Razor61]

Wouldn't be surprised to see BMI get the contract. Didn't they do the Falky runs before Air Luxor for a little while?

Also, BMI have been involved in 'lending' an A330 for Boscombe Down to do trials with it for the Tanker programme.

[BEagle]

British Midland have been of assistance to AirTanker in the long drawn-out FSTA programme and are acknowledged as such on the AirTanker website. But as for 'lending' an A330 a/c to Boscombe...??

Cynical me would see British Midland securing the contract over the period of FSTA contract award - and the aircraft then being 'operated' by AirTanker (but not as a tanker) to provide strategic AT between the UK and the Malvinas.

If British Midland do secure the contract, will their passengers receive Star Alliance air miles points?

[scroggs]

As BMI are trying to operate to Washington, Boston, Chicago, Barbados, Antigua and now Mumbai with just three A330s, I can't see them taking on any military contracts just now!

[MarkD]

Could bmi get their 4th 330 back (think it went to SAA on lease)?

[Razor61]

What i meant by the 'lending' to Boscombe was that they had 'use' of it previously when they conducted trials over Devon using a Tornado in the 'refuelling' position behind the A330 of BMI.
Both the BMI A330 and the Tornado landed back at Boscombe Down along with the Falcon 20 (from FRA) cameraship.

[BEagle]

That clarifies matters somewhat!

You can download the A330 movies from: http://www.airtanker.co.uk/airtanker/dynamic/airtanker42.jsp

[scroggs]

Could bmi get their 4th 330 back (think it went to SAA on lease)?

I think they only have three. The one leased to SAA came back some months ago.

Edit: yep, after a little search, I've confirmed there are only three!

[MarkD]

ah - apologies for that - I believe bmi may have declined delivery of a fourth some time back which sat around Toulouse awhile.

(from flybmi.com - 2000 : A firm order is placed for four wide-bodied A330-200 aircraft from Airbus Industrie, with options on a further eight. The total value of the order is £1.2 billion (US £1.9 billion) (23 February))

this was pre-Sept 11 and back when the bilateral might reasonably be thought sorted in five years :hmm:

[jumbo girls]

Air Luxor has signed this contract for a futher 2 years now, the crews are going to change to a full set of British Cabin Crew as of the end of april.

These crews will be manchester based and be postioned to Brize to operate the flights.

Even though the Air luxor airbus is asigned to run the services on this route - does anyone know if they are to perform all the flights in a single month or do the RAF Tristars run along side them & still operate some of the rotations down to the Falklands?

[barry lloyd]

Air Luxor won the Falklands flights after a bidding competition held by the MoD, i.e. they came in with the lowest bid. My understanding (though it depends who's doing the talking), is that the contract (which started in September 2004 I believe), is for two years, but with breakpoints, based on the fact that the RAF has too many commitments at present for the TriStars. (Apparently there are some obligations which have been made in other parts of the world for which they are needed!).
If, for some reason Air Luxor cannot do the work during the summer, (they operate a lot of charter flights from Portugal to Brazil and parts of Europe), I imagine the MoD would put the route out to tender again, as the law requires.
I spoke to one of the Portuguese cabin crews (in their own language, so they felt less restrained about speaking out), when I travelled on this flight recently, and they told me that they find it incredibly boring - there is nothing to do in the Falklands, and they spend most of their time at Mount Pleasant Airfield, which is 35 miles from Stanley, across roads which are basically gravelled tracks.
It's the same at Ascension, where they get +/- 3days off, staying at the RAF accommodation at Traveller's Hill, but they have the use of a hire car. Not that there's much to do on Ascension. There are a couple of beaches suitable to swim off, but one is right next to the BBC relay station, and there are dire warnings of radiation.
Coupled with this was the fact that they had to position to and from LIS/OPO before they operate any of the services, and the company was finding that they were short of CC for other flights, because the Falklands run tied them up for too long. They could be away from base for up to two weeks.
Also, the flights are sometimes delayed/diverted due to weather in the Falklands.
And be warned, mobile phones do not work in either the Falklands or Ascension - it's bliss!
I hope this is of some help, but feel free to send me a PM if you want to know any more.
BL
ps Methinks I'd rather have a couple of days off in Washington -even in the winter!