LEEDS

[aeulad]

Excellent to see Astraeus maintaining a presence at both LBA and HUY for the winter season, I know AEU are keen to keep the LBA base through the winter season.

Regards

Mike

[LBA]

I read on another forum that AEU were looking to start the kind of programme we have been crying out for, flights to Greece on behalf of Olympic holidays (Who use AEU this year to Larnaca).

Apparantly Rhodes, Zante, Corfu and Heraklion are in the pipeline. Maybe AEU could be just what LBA has been looking for.

Of course, no new based a/c would be required, the AEU unit operates a very small number of flights midweek, Palma on a Tuesday, none on a Wednesday, and Faro on a Thursday.

[NEW-CREW]

AEU

Only problem is that AEUs flights to PMI and FAO are W-patterns in to East Mids and Liverpool (respectively). Ive also heard rumours floating around the place that a possible service to SSH could be on the cards for next summer... that would be good!

[RobT100]

I am sure AEU could easily scrap any W's into LPL and EMA. I wouldn't bother with any positioning to MAN or HUY either. I am convinced AEU could make a real go of it.
Theres always FCA peeking over the horizon who I have heard have shown some interest also !
2006 could be very interesting !

[LBA]

I could see SSH been very sucessful if they brought in the 73G.

I could also see FCA fitting in just nicely at LBA, there are still plenty of gaps in destinations.

LBA looks to have a very bright future!

[BombardierCR7]

SSH is true, there WERE 4 tour operators keen to be part of this flight, but due to the events of a couple of weeks ago, it may now unfortunately be in doubt.

I read on another forum that AEU were looking to start the kind of programme we have been crying out for, flights to Greece on behalf of Olympic holidays (Who use AEU this year to Larnaca).

LBA, Olympic only want to be a sharer, not the charterer. There is a big difference. Should that famous Rossendale company get its arse in gear it may happen, but don't hold your breath.

Shame about Gambia Experience for the winter, but SPU is on the cards for S06 on the AEU if things work out, fingers crossed..

[LBA]

Thanks Bombardier, seems AEU are trying to bring more interesting destinations to LBA good on them..

I can see SSH recovering from the bombing eventually.

[Going loco]

If what's being implied here is true - i.e. AEU have the capacity but the tour operators won't commit to taking seat allocations - then I find that staggering. Why should everything hang on the whim of My Travel? What about Kosmar, Libra, Olympic, Thos.Cook, First Choice, TUI et al. It's only a 150 seater for gawds sake, so what are we talking about? 50 seats per week from 3 of these major operators? Is that really going to prove impossible?

loco

[NCLRULES]

I doubt the bombings will not get LBA a SSH route. Excel Airways have just recently added after the bombings an SSH from NCL.

[LBIA]

Been told that FCA are to make LBA and Exeter there new base's for next summer 2006.

16 weekly flights to Spain, Portugal, Turkey & some Greeck destinations. Also mentioned was that they are considering a weekly Orlando flight with a B767-300 Via Bangor Maine.

LBA base A320 is to be operated by an Canadian Sky Service Crews. (as they know what to expect at LBA after years of operating for My Travel.)

[LBA]

That would be absolutely fantastic news if true!

Would be great to see a new tour operator show some commitment to LBA, everyone thought DSA would really hurt LBA, seems to be getting better!

16 flights a week, the current AEU unit only does 12! Though I can see that increasing.

Come on FCA!

[RobT100]

FCA - what a surprise (not). LBA, I was also told they have been sniffing around and were looking for another northern base. We are lucky they have chosen LBA !
Cheers

[682ft AMSL]

I flew LBA-EXT recently and managed to pick up some blurb from EXT about their IT programme. They have a Monday CFU shared with Libra, Olympic & Kosmar and Sky Holidays, a Tues HER shared with Libra, Olympic and Sky and in addition Kosmar have their own HER and RHO flights on Fri and Sat respectively. Would something along these lines be possible out of LBA I wonder if MYT are dragging their heals?

A bigger programme from First Choice and their subsidiaries would be nice - no idea if that particular rumour is true though. I suppose a based unit would take care of the weekly FAO, DLM and PMI sectors on which the First Choice group are the principle charterer, so the net gain would be less than 16 flights, but let's see whether there's any truth first before nit picking.

682

[wawkrk]

I am curious as what departing LBA passengers think when they look at the departures board and see intead of Funchal,Cardiff.
And Lahore, Skavska.
Is this not confusing for the average pax.
And why list the name of oscure airports. Plymouth/Roborough. How many airports in Plymouth ?

[pwalhx]

For the average passenger I would imagine it is quite confusing. However it is not uncommon at a lot of airports.

However remember seeing on the LBA website the real time arrivals showing 1 flight diverted to Durham Tees Valley and another to Teeside so I don't think they quite have their computers up to date.

Equally confusing I would imagine is haveing several flight numbers for different codeshare partners for one flight.

This is now the way of the avaiation world.

[LBIA]

hi

I've got some more info on the FCA programme to be comfirmed for summer 2006 at LBA

Destinations listed by a First Choice rep today were as follows.

Based A320 (Sky Service) - Alicante, Malaga, Gerona, Palma, Ibiza, Mahon, Tenerife South, Las Palmas, Arrecife, Paphos, Corfu, Rhodes, Heraklion, Kos, Zakynthos

Also

Spanair MD83 = Saturday - Palma
Sun Expess B738 = Monday - Dalaman
First Choice B752 = Thursday - Faro
First Choice B763 = Wednesday - Orlando (via Bangor Maine)

[HOODED]

Nice one LBIA leave the best for last! Orlando via Bangor with a 763! Hope the winds 140 15/20Kts then.

[BombardierCR7]

LBIA, ask your First Choice rep the following questions:

1. Why would First Choice, an operator who has little presence in the Yorkshire area, suddenly want to take the risk and put thousands and thousands of seats out of LBA? - especially to some of those Greek destinations.

2. How come the airport management know nothing about it? especially in light of the last meeting they had with them a few months ago, FC said they had no intention of any significant increases in their programme in the North outside Manchester.

3. Gerona? do FC have much of a presence in that location anyway from anywhere in the UK?

4. FC wouldn't even put a 30 seat allocation on the LPA this year on the AEU, now they suddenly want to do it all on their own?

I think someone is winding you up.

[682ft AMSL]

I agree this sounds fishy....

FCA did no flying of their own to GRO in May/June this year which does cast doubt on the credibility of everything else . A decent UK wide programme to REU though.

That said of course First Choice (the airline) offer the best part of 200k seats PER MONTH out of Manchster in summer. In common with the MAN IT programme in general, I find it hard to believe that a reasonable slice of that isn't taken up by custom from within LBA's catchment. A single A320 represents only about 10% of that capacity overall. Is this the size of gamble the tour operator would be prepared to take to try and establish a foothold in the Yorks / Humber market. Excel are obviously taking a punt over at HUY, so perhaps FCA at Leeds.

682

[HOODED]

Well said 682, maybe they've seen the Jet2 figures to the sun spots. Yes I know it's not IT but it shows there's a market there. Perhaps they've finally realised if they don't do it now Jet2 may start to some of those Greek destinations, and their MAN loads may suffer if they did. Personally I take it with a pinch of salt but then again I'm an eternal optimist!