jmc-man

Flightrider,

it would therefore be consistent with NOW's approach of flying in the face of all proven concepts of successful low-cost operations. So no change there.

Anyway, while there's no money, it's all just pie-in the-sky.

Max Autobrake

What is it that's "moving" to Manston? The President of Flight Operations' desk? Obviously Luton not big enough for NOW's "expansion" plans?

C'mon FLYMATE, spill the beans!

NOW news is no news, I sense another thread about to be closed.

VIKING9

MSE is a non starter for NOW, and that's official ! (allegedly)

Woodman

Very Civil Pilot's point is correct. There is too much sea in the catchment area. There's only around half a million people in the area of Kent to the east of Maidstone. Maidstone is considered to be more Gatwick catchment. Half a million total market is unlikely to provide much traffic for scheduled routes outside of the really thick ones. I might accept plans for a small aircraft connecting to Amsterdam/Manchester/Glasgow/Malaga and a frew summer charters to the mega-markets but anything more is pie in the sky, especially now that STN is going to have serious development. And it only takes an hour to get to LGW by road.
Manston will stay as a freight and maintenance base.

No comment

The coordinators shouldn't really be divulging plans willy nilly... chances are they're using dummy airports anyway to disguise the real plan!

Tenminutes

So is this a scam to show that NOW are likely to get up and running this year or are they likely to just wind the whole thing up as a bad job ?

Any further news on their new investors or have they run away too ?

Buster the Bear

I understand that the head folk from Now are touring the City for cash.

If you see a busker on the underground, it could well be the boss!

Fatter Cat

How NOW will ever get off the ground will be one of the greatest miracles of all time, if it ever happens.

As every day goes by, they seem to lose more credability. I was one of those hoping to see them succeed , as a bit of competition would be good for everyone.

But, how will they ever do it? Loads of people have jacked in stable jobs and started at NOW, only to be dumped once the spin stopped, and the hard facts of no money in the kitty, struck. The ex-Ezy staff can't go back and are all looking for new jobs, as is everyone else.

Who would ever trust them again.

LTNman

Apparently EasyJet are not going to base two extra Boeing 737's as proposed, but four additional from May 2004 with sixteen night stopping. Apparently this will make Luton FULL overnight so squeezing Now out of Luton

omoko joe

perhaps EZY will put 120 buses in Manston and squeeze them out of there too.

FEBA

JMC-M
You are the font of all knowledge as far as Now intelligence is concerned. I agree with you, and others, that Manston is an obvious red herring. Couple of questions for you;
Who were the original investors that dropped Now at the alter and do you know who may take their place?
Cheers
FEBA

LGS6753

LTNman -

I don't think 16 EZY 737s will 'fill' Luton if they all night-stop. OK there are other night-stoppers, a couple of MON, an FR 732 and maybe a BY757, but by my calculations LTN has plenty of stands, without resorting to remote parking areas.
Also, not all LTN-based EZY 737s night-stop. There is one away in ATH and another 2 doing late BCN/AGP.

LTNman

Stands 1R – 9 = 10 facing the terminal
Stands 10 – 15L = 7 opposite the terminal
North Apron 40R – 42L = 4 stands
East Apron 43L – 48L = 5 stands and not 6 due to the easyjet tent
South Apron 18- 22 Harrods executive jet apron
Stands 16 – 17 Signature executive jet apron
Stands 31-34 Cargo Apron

I make that 26 stands available for the punters but in reality some of those stands will have aircraft on them that are in for maintenance.

For the summer Britannia have two 757’s based at Luton, Monarch have three aircraft of various types, Ryanair one plus what ever the other tour operators are going to base at Luton this summer so I make the place rather full. Can’t see much room for anyone else now who intends to night stop.

OLNEY 1 BRAVO

LTNman - entirely agree with your assessment of the position.

Two things to add:

1) Stand 9L is available again but can not accomodate anything of 737 size

2) During the peak summer season, Britannia normally have up to 4 757's based.

And of course this does not account for anything else that TBI might be lining up ... e.g. additional Ryanair 737-200's and of course the Babies (stands by for incoming from Buster!!!!).

LGS6753

LTNman -
Your maths are spot-on, and I agree there could be a problem with 16 EZY night-stoppers.
But all the tour operating aircraft (BY, AMM, most MON, MYT etc) are utilised at night, returning between 0000 and about 0700. In my view, the crunch time would be at about 0600-0700 when the night stoppers are getting ready to depart and being joined by late arriving night charters.
The terminal will be pretty chaotic then too. When are TBI going to open the upper floor of the terminal?

CAP670

I think you'll find that four additional 'finger' stands capable of accommodating x 1 each B737-800/A319-size aircraft, will be constructed at Luton east of Taxiway Delta, opposite the current East Apron.

The fitting out and opening upper storey of the 'new' terminal building is dependant on additional services/operators taking the annual passenger throughput above (I think...) 8M (planning consent) as is the construction of a boarding pier and air jetties to serve the North Apron stands and the north side of the East Apron.

The additional services/aircraft were Now and Ryanair, neither of which has materialised. Therefore, TBI's plans remain on hold until the expenditure can be justified.

Unlike a certain Big Airports Authority, TBI doesn't cross-subsidise its Luton operation (loss-making East Anglian airports from other more lucrative locations...) and unlike that Big Airport Authority, it has to pay the hard up Luton Borough Council, £3 for every passenger it attarcts into using Luton, before any cash comes into the airport operator's coffers.

This compares with around £2.70 for each passenger using the cross-subsidised Big Airport Authority's East Anglian Regional Aerodrome...

Manston?

Well, it DOES have a fantastically long runway...

LTNman

Unless TBI has changed its mind the idea was for 2 new aprons each the size of the east apron. The plan shows one apron with its entrance opposite the east apron with the second one opposite the short-term car park. Both would be fed via Taxiway Delta. Both are marked out for 6 stands each but then the north apron shows 3 stands and not 4. This would give the airport between 12 and 16 extra stands depending on what was parked there. The plan also shows the short-term car park as another apron with a further 6 stands and a terminal exension in front of it but then the airport would loose all parking in its central area.


If easy do base another 4 aircraft at Luton then this would push the airport into making the commitment for a new pier. Whatever happens they are going to have to build a new Immigration Hall as Immigration has been shouting loud about cramped conditions. The immigration hall is planned for the side of the new terminal fronting Taxiway Echo and can only be fed with passengers by extending the existing pier that fronts the old terminal. I have a hunch that the work will start in the next financial year so come April expect to see something happen.

VIKING9

Despite all this, NOW won't be going to Manston. But then will they be going from Luton ????

jmc-man

I believe one of the last posts from the NOW camp talked about confirmation of an Investor within 2 weeks ( I think it was late December) or shelve the whole project.

So, shelved or not? Is anyone left to get the project under way again?

There was the small matter of a case of champagne to be delivered, or a hat to be eaten.

Anyone got any news?

bacardi walla

jmc-man You are just waiting to gloat aren't you. Tell the whole world that "I told you so" or words to that effect. However, my sources close to the LTN camp advise that a positive announcement will be made next week. They also advise that new staff are slowly being taken on. Someone actually joined them this last Monday, in what capacity, I don't know. We may all be proved very wrong and they might just start up, albeit a bit late - ok a year later than originally planned

That said, have you got 2 glasses