Aer Arann gwy-wat-ltn services
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Aer Arann gwy-wat-ltn services
While trying to price a trip from Waterford to luton for the end of october I noticed that the evening rotation GWY-LTN-WAT-LTN -GWY is no longer available.
Is this true....
Is RE Opening new routes instead.
It seems like a step backwards if its correct, ar is it a computer glitch.
Is this true....
Is RE Opening new routes instead.
It seems like a step backwards if its correct, ar is it a computer glitch.
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Looks like they have a single aircraft doing a GAL-LTN-WAT-LTN-GAL rotation in winter. If they've pulled the second service to start more routes, they're certainly spreading themselves thin and leaving what seemed to be lucrative routes open to attack.
It could just be a delay in loading (or deciding) their timetable or maybe they're playing MOL tactics with the airports to reduce charges?
It could just be a delay in loading (or deciding) their timetable or maybe they're playing MOL tactics with the airports to reduce charges?
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Have flown LTN-WAT twice & LTN-GWY once in the last three months and the aircaft were completely full each time. I understand both routes are very successful for AA. Whether twice daily ops throughout the winter, especially on a ATR72, is a bit too much, i'm not sure. Certainly I believe an earlier departure from GWY to LTN allowing earlier flights back to WAT & GWY would be beneficial. Flights at present at 17.00 & 21.25 LTN-GWY are not ideal.
Join Date: Oct 2002
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From what I hear they are going to lose aircraft for maintenance over the winter months so some routes were going have to be reduced until all aircraft are back in service.
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The booking system shows Birmingham to Galway down to Monday, Thursday and Friday and Edinburgh losing Tuesday and Wednesday also. Rumour was they were running high passenger numbers so it would seem to make sense to grow these routes rather than cut back if they were making money on them (or were they?).
Did they not lease Dutch aircraft to cover this sort of situation before or have they become too penny wise to realise they are not doing their reputation any favours by destroying schedules like this? Surely it would make more sense to keep them going by planning a lease-in and building loyal passengers rather than dropping services because they haven't planned their maintenance cover in a customer focused way. Now sit back and watch the fares go up.
Loganair on Edinburgh and Eastern from Birmingham?
Did they not lease Dutch aircraft to cover this sort of situation before or have they become too penny wise to realise they are not doing their reputation any favours by destroying schedules like this? Surely it would make more sense to keep them going by planning a lease-in and building loyal passengers rather than dropping services because they haven't planned their maintenance cover in a customer focused way. Now sit back and watch the fares go up.
Loganair on Edinburgh and Eastern from Birmingham?
The routes in question are noticeably seasonal and if they had high loads in summer (possibly certain days only) this could not be expected to continue through the winter. I remember returning from Waterford to Luton with Euroceltic one winter afternoon with about 10 pax in the F27.
It certainly seems poor though to mess about with schedules like this so they do not become established. Aer Arann used to lease aircraft from VLM (and probably others) to cover downtime on their fleet.
It certainly seems poor though to mess about with schedules like this so they do not become established. Aer Arann used to lease aircraft from VLM (and probably others) to cover downtime on their fleet.
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WHBM....have a look at the CAA stats and tell me how seasonal the routes are. The real reason is that RE have worked the ass of the aircraft all summer and have to take at least two out for maintenance over the winter. High 80s load factor I reckon on both routes. Think before you talk or don't talk at all! Seasonal........I ask
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"I remember returning from Waterford to Luton with Euroceltic one winter afternoon with about 10 pax in the F27."
The same is not true of Aer Arann they operated 70-80% loadfactor average for winter season last year.
The same is not true of Aer Arann they operated 70-80% loadfactor average for winter season last year.
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Aer Arann dropping the evening LTN/WAT/LTN is hardly a blow to Waterford. The winter schedule from Waterford is still a lot better than Summer 2003 when Aer Arann started.
Waterford is keeping a daily LTN ,rumour has it twice weekly MAN and possibly a weekly Lorient service. Not bad for an airport that was in trouble in Jan.2003
I also understand that for the first time Waterford had oil support flights this summer, Jetstream 31 connecting with a CHC S61 five times a week.
Hopefully the small friendly regional airport is finally on course for a bright future.
Waterford is keeping a daily LTN ,rumour has it twice weekly MAN and possibly a weekly Lorient service. Not bad for an airport that was in trouble in Jan.2003
I also understand that for the first time Waterford had oil support flights this summer, Jetstream 31 connecting with a CHC S61 five times a week.
Hopefully the small friendly regional airport is finally on course for a bright future.
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I'd say eiwf's future is secure hopefully, back in july i heard they had more movements in july than they did in a whole year when ba operated from the airport.
EI-WAT
EI-WAT
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Everyone's missing the point - to develop routes to support business development you need consistency and flexibility. If I'm a Galway businessperson and, on the back of a daily Birmingham service, start to build my business in the UK, I now have to constrain my business travel to fit in with a reduced schedule. Similarly if I used to do a day's business in London. I suffer because the airline treats the service as a regional and seasonal leisure route.
Galway and Waterford had never had it so good, and the passengers reacted by travelling more, avoiding the connections over Dublin and supporting their local airport. With Lingus trying to cut back on connections at Dubiln, Arann are perfectly positioned to capitalise on regional traffic to the UK but instead elect not to take the bait - high load factors, developing demand and a poor alternative over Dublin are all features which make routes such as Birmingham and Manchester attractive and worth exploiting. History on these routes is meaningless as the market has fundamentally changed with better access, lower fares and higher numbers travelling.
Sure the leisure passenger will move to a day the flight operates but, IMHO, not operating every weekday year round does not instill a vote of confidence from a business user's perspective.
My philosophy in my own line of business is never to take a step back if the signs for going forward are good, otherwise you waste the energy you have spent getting to where you are.
Galway and Waterford had never had it so good, and the passengers reacted by travelling more, avoiding the connections over Dublin and supporting their local airport. With Lingus trying to cut back on connections at Dubiln, Arann are perfectly positioned to capitalise on regional traffic to the UK but instead elect not to take the bait - high load factors, developing demand and a poor alternative over Dublin are all features which make routes such as Birmingham and Manchester attractive and worth exploiting. History on these routes is meaningless as the market has fundamentally changed with better access, lower fares and higher numbers travelling.
Sure the leisure passenger will move to a day the flight operates but, IMHO, not operating every weekday year round does not instill a vote of confidence from a business user's perspective.
My philosophy in my own line of business is never to take a step back if the signs for going forward are good, otherwise you waste the energy you have spent getting to where you are.
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Euroceltic had virtually no distribution, it's not exactly like with like...eh hello I agree with you totally...when the volume and yield are there use it or you'll probably lose it!
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Just to confirm yes we do have aircraft on rotation for maintaince and this is partly the reason for the reduced schedule. Also the Pax numbers do tend to drop for the winter but not enough to warrent dropping the services.
I work for AA and I'm galway based and we have no idea what the reasoning is behind it. I am aware that Galway airport are causing some problems with the development of the Airport and maybe thats why.
We have a big meeting next week so maybe they'll tell us then.
I work for AA and I'm galway based and we have no idea what the reasoning is behind it. I am aware that Galway airport are causing some problems with the development of the Airport and maybe thats why.
We have a big meeting next week so maybe they'll tell us then.
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Wonder what the problems are....I heard that they have and continue to invest heavily in terminal, new ILS new runway lighting. Just saw a NOTAM that they are closed in November for three days for re-surfacing!
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Topcover
Topcover,
Is your job title - "Waterford Airport Information Manager"?
EH Hello, I agree with your sentiments on the mainline routes interms of how much traffic has changed. However I would say,it was long beleived the WAT-LON route held an almost uptapped market. FR managed 3 flights per day, early morning, lunchtime and late evening. From the figures so far, EIWF is quickly heading back that way. Regional routes I beleive in Ireland are less effected by fares and schedules than mainline routes. The simple logic here being still not so wonderful road networks and rail connections generally routing direct to Dublin City Centre. So most people are not too bothered providing they are not flying in the middle of the night.
Cheerio
Shamrogue
Is your job title - "Waterford Airport Information Manager"?
EH Hello, I agree with your sentiments on the mainline routes interms of how much traffic has changed. However I would say,it was long beleived the WAT-LON route held an almost uptapped market. FR managed 3 flights per day, early morning, lunchtime and late evening. From the figures so far, EIWF is quickly heading back that way. Regional routes I beleive in Ireland are less effected by fares and schedules than mainline routes. The simple logic here being still not so wonderful road networks and rail connections generally routing direct to Dublin City Centre. So most people are not too bothered providing they are not flying in the middle of the night.
Cheerio
Shamrogue