Now I thought long and hard before taking the bait and posting, but what the hell.
ncleflights- What evidence do you have that the airport business is becoming unviable? Why can't it exist on the current level of business? What evidence do you have that bmi are only keeping the route going for slots? Re Flyglobespan- There is still time before winter 2007 and things might change, and don't other operators at Newcastle reduce their operations during winter periods? What evidence do you have that they are going to do transatlantic flights from Newcastle? If IT operators are reducing their business for next year, more business from MME for flyglobespan. Can you provide the figures that you base your last quote on please?
In fact isn't the airport just about to have its most successful Summer yet? 2 based flyglobespan aircraft, new route to Warsaw with Wizz, Gerona doing well with Ryanair, all the advertised IT flights running.
People seem to have also forgot FRA, Flight Precision, 2 successful flying clubs, TNT freight flights and maintenance base, MOD trooping flights. For a small airport (people seem to forget that too, it is a small airport) with huge competition from 2 larger airports near by it is not doing too badly is it really? Peel were not silly they knew what they were getting into.
Now the ATC situation is not good, and the worrying thing is that management do not seem to be doing anything about it, but when the maternity leavers go back and the sick leavers return it would help. I am not saying it solves the problem but it would help.
The other matter is of course the local politicians, do you really think they would let it close down? I am sure the airlines wouldn't want it close either? I wonder how many have got good deals at Newcastle by threatening to fly from MME instead? Ryanair have played the 2 against each other as evidenced by the Gerona flights being split.
The management need to sort the ATC situation out quickly, but I am sorry Newcastle fans it aint going to close.