I've been watching Dragon's Den
asdf1234,
Even to cover, let's say, opening/operational hours of 0600L-2300L Monday thru Sunday MSE is going to need to employ some 4 watches of fire fighters and 4 watches of Air Traffic Control personnel, it's also going to need to employ some 4 watches of loading staff along with some passenger handling staff, 4 watches of refuellers, then it's going to need to employ administrative personnel, a couple of maintenance type guys to maintain the vehicles and equipment, some electricians, some cleaners, a groundsman/gardener and that's just the Indians, MSE can't have Indians without having some Chiefs so then come all the Duty Officers, junior and senior managers etc.
So what would you estimate MSE's annual salaries bill to be?
Then there comes ground rent, rates or council tax or whatever, water, electricity, gas, fuel for vehicles and equipment, general maintenance and wear and tear expenses etc.
So what would you estimate MSE's annual bill for these to be?
Now, if as you suggest, in 2014 Cargolux generates 22,000 tonnes of cargo may I presume that was 5 x B747F's per week, you say other carriers generated a further 22,000 tonnes of cargo so perhaps we may round the total freighter movements of 2014 up to an average of 14 per week, 2 per day!
What would you estimate the net profit to be of 730 freighters and 44,000 tonnes of cargo per annum?
How can anyone in their right mind value such a business at £300 million?
You suggested that I am being negative but I'm not, if you read back thru my posts I am actually suggesting positivity, RiverOak have suggested 14 freighters per day yet you have suggested only 2 freighters per day, and I'm the one being negative?
MSE is never going to become viable on air freight alone, they need to think outside of the box and to what an airfield in such a remote location can do to market itself for business and I've suggested a maintenance facility, general aviation, I had a look on GE at Lydd yesterday and visible on the ground were 14 singles, 6 twins and 1 rotary, what are they doing there, why aren't RiverOak marketing for general aviation, maintenance rather than freight and perhaps some passenger services as an aside?
I used to drive semi-regularly from S. Wales to Ramsgate and to get there was the southern M25 wasn't good, the drive necessitates the M25, M20, then a cut thru past the old Detling airfield on the A249 to join the M2, then the A roads after the end of the M2, and that was in a car, trucks don't like going thru thru the gears, they like to, as best as possible, get up to cruising speed and stay there.
I wish Manston well but it's going to need more than just air freight to achieve it!