COVENTRY

[A Very Civil Pilot]

TOM rumours before the announcement was made were that Cov handling would no longer cover pax flights after Nov 2.

Was that because TOM had already intended to pull out, or was the decision to stop operations made so suddently because there would no longer handling agent to cover the flights?

[call100]

Now perhaps the airport can get down to reality instead of the fantasy world it's been occupying for the last couple of years.....

[Blighty Pilot]

From the horses mouth:

Airline announcement
We have confirmed today that Thomsonfly will stop flying from Coventry Airport this winter. An increased focus on charter flight operations since the merger has meant less of a focus on scheduled services and therefore impacts those flights operated out of Coventry Airport.

The last outbound flights operated by Thomsonfly from Coventry Airport will be on the 2nd of November 2008 and the last inbound flights to Coventry Airport will be on the 9th November, except for inbound flights from Jersey which will operate up to and including the 3rd November. Any customers with bookings for travel after these dates will be contacted over the next few days to arrange alternative travel plans or a refund.

We are currently working with the airline employees based at Coventry airport to discuss next steps and will where possible endeavour to find replacement roles within the company.

Thomsonfly will continue to fly from 23 airports across the UK, including those within easy reach of Coventry residents, such as Birmingham, East Midlands, Doncaster, Luton and Stansted, therefore offering more regional departures than most other airlines operating in the UK.

[aidoair]

Looks like they won't be returning for the summer either. Coventry has been totally removed from the booking engine after Nov 08.
Hopefully, perhaps we may see some of the new charter routes announced for summer 09 to operate on a W-leg from another airport.

[spider_man]

What was the winter schedule from CVT and how many based aircraft? 2 weeks to termination is pretty short notice.

[Leofric]

One based aircraft and a handful of flights a week (until the ski flights started) had been planned.

More remarkable than the news of Thomsonfly's departure are the airport company chairman's comments
"I would like to emphasise that we are still very positive, focused on our goals and convinced that Coventry Airport has a bright future; one that the people of Coventry and Warwickshire can share in and be proud of.”

This person of Coventry and Warwickshire will be very interested to see how this can possibly be!

[oscargolf]

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire: BBC NEWS | England | Coventry/Warwickshire | Thomsonfly ends Coventry services

[twostroke]

Since the airport's owners are property developers, perhaps that gives the clue as to what 'goals' they will 'focus on' and where they think the 'bright future' is

Coventry Airport is wholly owned by Howard Holdings plc
The Howard Group

[Leofric]

More precisely, Howard Holdings hold a lease on the airport from Coventry City Council (125 years from when it was privatised -1997?). This lease specifies the land must be used as an airport. Howard Holdings have three choices - carry on running the airport, sell the lease or, as a last resort, surrender the lease and let it revert to the City Council.

[0523 cov man]

thomson/cvt

any jobs at bhx

[JennyB]

It could always get taken over by Allied Irish Bank who hold the mortgage on the airport? Can't imagine they'll get any money back though either way

[Alvechurch]

Leofric

Surely the point is that Howard Holdings have spent a lot of money pretty well proving that this site cannot be run as a successful passenger airport.
There is no such thing as a lease which can't be varied given time and persuasive lawyers and the fact is, the present leaseholders are in prime position as potential developers if planning permission can be obtained.
I reckon the councils with an interest in the area wouldn't fight too hard now against efforts to turn the land to mixed development use.

[Buster the Bear]

I would suggest that fleet ralionalisation and the fact that the -800 cannot operate at full yield and load to all destinations from Coventry year round spelt the end? Not Coventry's fault apart from the runway length being the final death knell?

[twostroke]

...This lease specifies the land must be used as an airport...

Ah, so you've seen the lease have you?

...anyway as Alvechurch says... Cov CC will need a development partner to realise the value of the land, who better than HH?

[jamesp]

at tom's peak, tom carried approx 650000/700000 i would of thought some other carrier would take over and try make it work. i still think if cvt has planning for 1 million terminal, they should of built it and possibly things could of been different with tom.

[moggiee]

Originally Posted by CVT

A very disappointing day overall for CVT and a lot of the local sub-region. .

But good news for aviation in the region as a whole, in my opinion. Coventry is a dreadful place to have an airline base with it being so close to Birmingham and with the CVT and BHX runways at 90 degrees to each other ATC have a nightmare job keeping traffic separated.

Did the region need another passenger carrying facility so close to BHX? CVT is only 25 mins by road from BHX, after all. There may be a little extra inconvenience for the passengers, but the airborne side of ops will be safer and easier (which also equates to safer, in my book).

[Skypartners]

Missed the good news?

I don't believe that any decision made out of political cowardice with a good measure of corruption thrown in will ever be good for aviation regardless of which axe you happen to be grinding.

[moggiee]

Originally Posted by Skypartners

I don't believe that any decision made out of political cowardice with a good measure of corruption thrown in will ever be good for aviation regardless of which axe you happen to be grinding.

The process through which this decision has been reached is irrelevant - it's the right decision, even if being made for/by the wrong reason/methods. I'm not grinding any axes, either.

We are commercial operators in that area and we are delighted with this result - as users of the airspace around CVT and BHX we think that this is a good day for aviation safety. Of course you feel for anyone who may lose their job as a result, but if common sense had been applied, neither Thomsonfly nor any other airline would have been there in the first place.

[jettesen]

Thomsonfly pulls out of coventry

Important notice on their website states that they are no longer flying from coventry airport . last flight departs 2nd november. Whats the reason for this??

[CVT]

moggiee,

You do raise a very valid point regarding air traffic seperation that does, undoubtedly need to be addressed if both airports are to expand, however, I do refuse to accept your last point that implies that Coventry Airport isn't needed.

In 2005, thomsonfly carried over 700,000 passengers from the airport on its scheduled operations. This, in my opinion, quite clearly states in black and white that there is a demand for passenger operations at the airport. Initially, passenger load factors were very encouraging, especially, on the city routes that were attractive to business travellers as an alternative to Birmingham, and I truly do believe that if a different style of business model was to be employed by thomsonfly or any other airline, then Coventry could develop a successful passenger operation.

It will be very interesting to examine what the reasoning behind the refusal of the passenger terminal application is this time, and watch how the situation progresses over the coming months.

p.s, Skypartners; your last post was amongst the most truthful that I have seen on this forum in a long while.

CVT