Britannia Express comfirm it’s CVT

[jmc757]

Well its really happenned!! Strange day to launch though, as all the aviation news today will be about the new runways/airports plans. This news would usually get a look in on Midlands Today/Central News, but today I would guess they'll just be banging on about the new runway at Birmingham??

Good News anyway!

[Ian Farquharson]

Well it is has been announced, ThomsonFly will offer direct flights from Coventry to 11 destinations, 2 aircraft from 31.03.03 then additional aircraft from 22.04.04 and again from 20.05.04:-

Dept 0615 TOM191 Nice Arr 1050 TOM192 - Daily 22.04.04-30.10.04
Dept 0635 TOM101 Jersey Arr 0925 TOM102 - Daily 31.03.04-30.10.04
Dept 0640 TOM201 Rome Arr 1245 TOM201 - Daily 31.3.04-30.10.04
Dept 0720 TOM209 Naples Arr 1400 TOM210 - Daily 20.05.04-30.10.04
Dept 1005 TOM037 Valencia Arr 1545 TOM038 - Daily 31.03.04-30.10.04
Dept 1135 TOM003 Palma Arr 1715 TOM004 - Daily 22.04.04-30.10.04
Dept 1335 TOM205 Venice Arr 1850 TOM206 - Daily 31.03.04-30.10.04
Dept 1510 TOM207 Pisa Arr 2035 TOM208 - Daily 20.05.04-30.10.04
Dept 1640 TOM015 Malaga Arr 2240 TOM016 - Daily 31.3.04-30.10.04
Dept 1800 TOM195 Marseille Arr 2240 TOM196 - Daily 22.04.04-30.10.04
Dept 2000 TOM035 Malaga Arr 0200 TOM036 - Sat Only 12.06.04-30.10.04
Dept 2210 TOM007 Ibiza Arr 0340 TOM008 - Fri & Sat from 11.06.04 & Sun from 08.07.04
Dept 2320 TOM025 Palma Arr 0500 TOM026 - Fri & Sat from 09.07.04


Good Luck to Coventry and Thomson !

Ian

[Electric Sky]

Website says they will be operating 131 seat 737-500 aircraft. I was under the impression they were to use 737-800s (don't know why?? )

I am not sure that a low cost based at BHX and at CVT and 2 at EMA can possibly all succeed but hopefully they can.

ES

[Pitot Heater]

Yet MORE work dumped on the remnants of an overstretched and overstressed Ops dept at LTN no doubt.

Now where’s that repellent gone??

[fueldump]

There is no OPS Dept at LTN anymore. Its all handled from GOS Hannover

[Pitot Heater]

Is it really?! Bare in mind that by defination 'Ops' relates to more than Flight Watch and ATC

[LGS6753]

This is real low-cost!!

An unknown airport so close to the Heart of England that you need surgery to find it.
An "interim passenger facility" (Portakabins).
"Designed for our needs" (No-one else wants it).
Perhaps a couple of Daks borrowed from Atlantic!
Or a DC6 on a busy day?

[larry walker]

Replying to Volrider, CVT is about 15 miles from BHX, NOT
Birmingham city centre, this is about 23 miles from CVT.

[Caslance]

Perhaps a couple of Daks borrowed from Atlantic!
Or a DC6 on a busy day?

Well, they've got my business if that's the equipment they're going to use! Where can I buy a ticket?

[volrider]

Cheers Larry yeah got my sums mixed up! But I do hope they do well however I wonder what will happen if My Travel Lite do scale down?? Why use CVT when all the facilities are in place at BHX..Ok cost may be a factor, but how much will it cost to devlop Coventry??? Plus there is no planning permission for the terminal yet! Must admit I was tempted by the prices to book a flight to Jersey in June... will I need to get to the car park early.. I mean should I start out now as I think they have about 26 places

[Courtman]

Pitot Heater
Flight Watch and the ATC Cell have indeed transferred to Hapag Lloyd Operations in Hannover. As Hapag Lloyd Ops now handle BAL UK, BAL Nordic, NEOS, White Eagle, Hapag Lloyd Mainline and Express they've given Hapag Ops the catchy title GO Centre, although you'll find that the Germans working there all seem to still answer the phone "Hapag Lloyd Ops". The ATC functions started transferring in the spring, it finally all went east on October 3rd when a new system was implemented in Luton for Crewing (the same system used in Hannover which is not a patch on the system we used in Luton). Not many Brits transferred to Hannover, and all the Ops guys have now left BAL. Crewing and Rostering remain in Luton, for now...

Anyway, back to the ThomsonFly thread....

The aircraft will be 737-500 aircraft, initially two are coming from Maersk and at least one from BMI.

[Charles Web]

Coventry - Thomsonfly

Still no terminal I hear, it looks like portakabins for this summer at least. The decision on the application may be delayed again. With the firemen doubling as the baggage handlers etc, its gonna be an interesting start-up.

Its rumoured the TUI safety guys had some real concerns with the 737's on the short runway and the airspace.

Parking may be offered at Peugeot Ryton plant to ease the shortage, as the Buses will probably attract abot 0% of the pax.