Aer Arann
Join Date: Nov 1999
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But back to our regularly scheduled programming: note that the main market for most ATR-type routes to SEN is going to be people coming TO London (whether for business or leisure) more so than London residents going to these secondary destinations. This implies that a carrier seeking to deploy a number of ATR aircraft on a network from SEN would likely end up having most of those aircraft (and crews) overnighting away from base, so that they can pick up the peak morning demand for travellers to London (plus, in the case of continental Europe, benefit from the timezone difference).
Also, since the predominant market is outside London, it's arguably a harder marketing task for a UK (or Irish) airline to get themselves known in e.g. the Netherlands than a local carrier. (The idea behind JOIN Regional Airlines, as I understand it, is to ease the marketing challenge by having a number of small/start-up carriers band together under a common brand.)
Those are two reasons why a given SEN-XXX route might more easily be served by a startup XXX-based carrier rather than a startup SEN-based carrier.
Maybe this discussion belongs more in the Southend thread than the Aer Arann one anyway...
Cyrano is quite right when he says that the majority of pax will be inbound to SEN from a number of mainland Europe secondary airports and that it will be necessary to overnight the aircraft to offer a prime arrival time SEN. But what is the problem with that? BA nightstops an EMB at AMS for a 0725 departrure to LCY and Flybe has an 0710 departure INV to LGW with a Q400. The additional cost for that is weighed against the commercial benefits and effectively gaining an extra hour to the operational day. For example, a departure from GRQ at 0700 arrives SEN 0715 so allows a SEN departure to DUB at 0745 (probably a double daily destination), so you get two bites of the day return market cherry from the one aircraft.
Some routes need a day return facility (inbound business), some a double daily rotation (traffic split more 50/50 each way) and some just a single daily off-peak rotation (more leisure than business). Cost effective scheduling simply means satisfying those needs. Just as an off the cuff example try GRQ-SEN-DUB-SEN-CFR-SEN-DUB-SEN-GRQ, which caters for all three types of route.
I also think the 'lack of brand recognition' argument is overdone. In the current economic situation secondary mainland airports are extremely keen to restore/maintain their London links so will offer substantial marketing/brand awareness support and who better to do that than those airports? Certainly that is one of JOIN's strategies and I thought RE had much the same idea in mind.
The fact is that RE had surely thought all this through only to be unable to bring it to fruition at the last minute due to the Board wobbling. I still feel that it is an opportunity missed without an alternative strategy to replace it.
By the way, definitely an Aer Arann topic not belonging more on the SEN thread in my view.
Some routes need a day return facility (inbound business), some a double daily rotation (traffic split more 50/50 each way) and some just a single daily off-peak rotation (more leisure than business). Cost effective scheduling simply means satisfying those needs. Just as an off the cuff example try GRQ-SEN-DUB-SEN-CFR-SEN-DUB-SEN-GRQ, which caters for all three types of route.
I also think the 'lack of brand recognition' argument is overdone. In the current economic situation secondary mainland airports are extremely keen to restore/maintain their London links so will offer substantial marketing/brand awareness support and who better to do that than those airports? Certainly that is one of JOIN's strategies and I thought RE had much the same idea in mind.
The fact is that RE had surely thought all this through only to be unable to bring it to fruition at the last minute due to the Board wobbling. I still feel that it is an opportunity missed without an alternative strategy to replace it.
By the way, definitely an Aer Arann topic not belonging more on the SEN thread in my view.
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Sorry Cyrano. I should definitely have said "non British Isles based or continental airline". My apologies. I'm not anti-European. Some of my best friends are European (whoops, I've done it again......). 
Expressflight has got it absolutely right. SEN is ideal for Aer Arann as a base for carefully selected continental (!) services - although Aer Arann may not be ideal for SEN in its confident post-EZY deal mood. I guess it is a difficult time for risk taking, but all these cutbacks across Aer Arann's route network feed speculation that the company is only hanging on rather than trying to move forward.
Expressflight has got it absolutely right. SEN is ideal for Aer Arann as a base for carefully selected continental (!) services - although Aer Arann may not be ideal for SEN in its confident post-EZY deal mood. I guess it is a difficult time for risk taking, but all these cutbacks across Aer Arann's route network feed speculation that the company is only hanging on rather than trying to move forward.
Join Date: Jun 2010
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Hi all, I see Galway airport and AA are winding down operations in Galway from end of this month, and that AA maintenance operations are not impacted. Does anyone have info on if this maintenace facility will be sustainable in this location given that AA will no longer have aircraft based there? And I assume will have to pay additional landing charges to the airport to move aircraft in and out of there..
Yes, I think you may be right so perhaps Cityjet at DND would be a more appropriate example with an 0640 departure to LCY. That aircraft seems to operate as I had suggested for GRQ-SEN in that it doesn't depart LCY back to DND but is employed elsewhere on the network during the day.
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Aer Arann put summer 2012 flights on sale recently. All flights that are operating this winter on sale.
No Galway not a suprise as the airprot will have no funding after December so it will be closed and Aer Arann most lightly said that they would return for some good PR.
Also shocked to see the CSO July figures for Waterford - BHX and MAN.
For the first time ever BHX carried more passengers than MAN.
BHX - 1360
MAN - 1313
No Galway not a suprise as the airprot will have no funding after December so it will be closed and Aer Arann most lightly said that they would return for some good PR.
Also shocked to see the CSO July figures for Waterford - BHX and MAN.
For the first time ever BHX carried more passengers than MAN.
BHX - 1360
MAN - 1313
I very much doubt that anything is cast in stone as far as next summer's operations are concerned. I don't think the fact that you can book for the summer months on the website tells you very much.
I tend to agree about GWY but time will tell and as far as I know it hasn't yet been announced that the airfield will close at the end of this year.
I tend to agree about GWY but time will tell and as far as I know it hasn't yet been announced that the airfield will close at the end of this year.
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does anyone know if aer araan has any plans to re-introduce the man-kir route next summer? and if so when do they go on sale?. a group of us are trying to plan a trip for next september,i know its a long way off but we want try and book it as soon as we can.
cheers.
cheers.
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Walsh caught in airport turbulence - Galway Independent
10% LF on GWY flights.
And was on an EI regional flight recently and the crew on board after landing were talking to passengers about the airline and Galway and RE crew don't expect RE to return to Galway next summer. They have even taken Galway out of the booking system completely.
10% LF on GWY flights.
And was on an EI regional flight recently and the crew on board after landing were talking to passengers about the airline and Galway and RE crew don't expect RE to return to Galway next summer. They have even taken Galway out of the booking system completely.
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Sunday Times interview with Andrew Tinkler, CEO of Stobart Group, appears to support the idea that his investment in Aer Arann was to support SEN:
"Last November Stobart Group took a 5% stake in Aer Arann, a small loss-making Irish airline, with an option to increase it to 37%. Where's that going? Tinkler launched into a rapid-fire reply about opportunity in Ireland, government subsidy, how well Aer Arann works with Aer Lingus for which it operates some domestic flights. But he doesn't really answer the question. Then he adds that part of it was to create a service from Southend. But if he has easyJet from next year shouldn't he focus on that? Sure he says, but he also wants to offer Stobart's biggest haulage customers - firms such as Tesco and Coca-Cola- an air-based service. If I've got Coca-Cola with a factory breaking down and they need a part and the say fly me something in.... But wouldn't they use international couriers? Tinkler's plans look hubristic.
' No worries. Southend was cheap. We had to get planning but I knew we could do it. I want to put a smile on passengers/ faces.' But no Stobart airline? 'No, not unless someone pays us to use the name.' "
I wonder if he will proceed with the additional 32% investment?
"Last November Stobart Group took a 5% stake in Aer Arann, a small loss-making Irish airline, with an option to increase it to 37%. Where's that going? Tinkler launched into a rapid-fire reply about opportunity in Ireland, government subsidy, how well Aer Arann works with Aer Lingus for which it operates some domestic flights. But he doesn't really answer the question. Then he adds that part of it was to create a service from Southend. But if he has easyJet from next year shouldn't he focus on that? Sure he says, but he also wants to offer Stobart's biggest haulage customers - firms such as Tesco and Coca-Cola- an air-based service. If I've got Coca-Cola with a factory breaking down and they need a part and the say fly me something in.... But wouldn't they use international couriers? Tinkler's plans look hubristic.
' No worries. Southend was cheap. We had to get planning but I knew we could do it. I want to put a smile on passengers/ faces.' But no Stobart airline? 'No, not unless someone pays us to use the name.' "
I wonder if he will proceed with the additional 32% investment?
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Aer Lingus Regional
Some good news for Aer Arann....
Aer Lingus Regional passenger numbers were up 30.2% YoY to 69,000 passengers.
Anyone have enough info to generate some approx load factors for this number of passengers? I'm also guessing the pick-up is due to in part to some new routes coming on-line relative to Oct '11?
All in all, good to see Aer Arann making good progress with this business.
Aer Lingus Regional passenger numbers were up 30.2% YoY to 69,000 passengers.
Anyone have enough info to generate some approx load factors for this number of passengers? I'm also guessing the pick-up is due to in part to some new routes coming on-line relative to Oct '11?
All in all, good to see Aer Arann making good progress with this business.
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Waterford Airport Closure
From 23.00 on Monday 5 December - 06.30 on Thursday 8 December
From 23.00 on Monday 9 January - 06.30 on Thursday 12 Janurary
From 23.00 on Monday 16 January - 06.30 on Thursday 19 Janurary
All Aer Arann flights are cancelled including the 7.30 flights to SEN on the Thursday mornings the airport reopens.
The airprot will also close 7 nights a week for a number of weeks also from 23.00 - 06.30.
The Airport are resurfacing the main runway, taxiways and access points / aprons and associated works. The associated works consist of repositioning of runway lights, ground build up along the perimeter of the runway area and grooving of the new surface.
It will also help Aer Arann during the quiet period of the winter. SEN will also reduce in mid Jan/Feb on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurday.
From 23.00 on Monday 9 January - 06.30 on Thursday 12 Janurary
From 23.00 on Monday 16 January - 06.30 on Thursday 19 Janurary
All Aer Arann flights are cancelled including the 7.30 flights to SEN on the Thursday mornings the airport reopens.
The airprot will also close 7 nights a week for a number of weeks also from 23.00 - 06.30.
The Airport are resurfacing the main runway, taxiways and access points / aprons and associated works. The associated works consist of repositioning of runway lights, ground build up along the perimeter of the runway area and grooving of the new surface.
It will also help Aer Arann during the quiet period of the winter. SEN will also reduce in mid Jan/Feb on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurday.
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Are they still extending the lenght of the runway at waterford? or has that been scraped now? If they're extending the lenght of the runway is there a possibility of FR or EI operating there?
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No..unfortunately the airport just missed the boat on the runway extension. With the transport Minister just last week outlining what would be done with his budget for capital projects til 2016, the runway extension was not one of them so it will be at least 5 years before it will be done. Though thankfully it appears the airport has been given a vote of confidence by the government which has made funding for the resurfacing available.
If the extension was done to B737/A320 capability i would certainly say FR would do a daily mid day STN or LGW flight with possibly a 3/4 day LPL service along with a few sun destinations in the summer..like what KIR, NOC and LDY have at moment. The only way i could see EI making an appearance at WAT is in the form of RE with the ATRs which does not need any extension so this could possibly happen for next summer.
If the extension was done to B737/A320 capability i would certainly say FR would do a daily mid day STN or LGW flight with possibly a 3/4 day LPL service along with a few sun destinations in the summer..like what KIR, NOC and LDY have at moment. The only way i could see EI making an appearance at WAT is in the form of RE with the ATRs which does not need any extension so this could possibly happen for next summer.
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:: Manx Radio :: The Isle of Man's Premier Radio Station ::
Isle of Man - London City next route to go...............RE warned the route was marginally viable, in business terms.
Isle of Man - London City next route to go...............RE warned the route was marginally viable, in business terms.
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How would the Aer Lingus brand help IOM-LCY? DUB-IOM, yes, of course, because of the brand presence in the Irish market, but IOM-LCY? Aer Lingus is hardly likely to start advertising the route in the London market - they have bigger fish to fry at LHR/LGW.