Yeadon Aerodrome fog !
Aviatrix73.
I can only think that the famous Fog at the Yeadon hilltop aerodrome is obscuring your view...... That or a bit too much of that fizzy John Smiths beer that you had at the Boxing Day whippet races had given you a headache.
Apart from a few 737-400's the NAS fleet is fresh out of the Boeing factory and following the biggest NEW aircraft order in European airline history the NEW aircraft are going to keep arriving for the foreseeable future, unlike Channel Express air services who are retreading their already old fleet, as for the New B738 aircraft, are they really new or just new to EXS ?
To just look at the NAS LGW operation you can expect to see ten 738 aircraft based at LGW by the end of 2014 as well as at least one B787, they are doing third party work for other operators out of LGW this summer so you can expect to see the Red nose aircraft in the usual holiday destinations this year.
Europe wide NAS have a wide network that is expanding with new bases opening at BCN, FCO & MAD in the coming year with more planned, it is logical to think that it won't be long before NAS start looking at the UK market outside London in the near future.
You seem to think the EXS post work is a money spinner, it may be by EXS standards. My guess is the NAS freight company is moving more than twice the amount of mail and freight each day on the NAS passenger network using the spare underfloor capacity than EXS do on their much talked about mail flights.
The Channel Express policy of buying old airframes and upgrading them has served then well over the years but it is one that is better suited to the low hours high yeald night freight market rather than the high hours low yeald low cost passenger market.
To return to the thread the effect of competition from NAS on the pilot market in the north if they set up a base north of Watford will be to drain the experienced pilots out of EXS. This is good news for the low timers on this forum as EXS will be forced to fill the empty seats with new comers, being that EXS keeps high standards in the Fligh Opps department this is would be very good news for the careers of newcomers to the industry.
It just remains to see if EXS will be sharp enough to quickly improve the remuneration package to retain their experienced staff...........my guess that with the track record of the EXS HR department they won't see the problem untill aircraft start getting grounded due to lack of pilots.