PRESTWICK
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Didn't think Donald Trump had much input at PIK except for parking his 752 their.
Councillor demands for airport to 'dump Trump' (From Irvine Times)
Councillor demands for airport to 'dump Trump' (From Irvine Times)
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Councillor Cullinane, Labour's Cunninghame South candidate at next year's Holyrood elections, says it would be
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New Prestwick boss: US pre-clearance and direct flights to London would help revive airport
http://eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14211194.New_Prestwick_boss__US_pre_clearance_and_direct_fli ghts_to_London_would_help_revive_airport/
http://eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14211194.New_Prestwick_boss__US_pre_clearance_and_direct_fli ghts_to_London_would_help_revive_airport/
<begin rant>
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-stewart-1885078
This guy cannot be serious. He's surely been in the industry too long to believe the words he's saying here....
Yup, you and every UK airport that serves the US.
Easier than PIK? He uses the SNN analogy but Ireland has way more daily directs to the US than Scotland.
SNN EI BOS JFK UA EWR ORD AA PHL DL JFK = 6
EDI AA JFK UA ORD EWR x 2 DL JFK = 5
GLA AA PHL UA EWR = 2
Even if you throw in the totality of Thomson, Thomas Cook and Virgin's US bound Scottish traffic, PIK would need to have transatlantic gateway status re-established to make this viable, and surely EDI or GLA is a better bet. The only airline who could make PIK-London viable is Ryanair, so again, incredible. I am staggered he think this is a realistic strategy, or more likely it's window dressing for public comsumption to show they're doing something. But gimme a break if he honestly thinks PIK will get US CBP status before any other airport that has an existing transatlantic operator. Completely fantastic.
US pre clearance has to be paid for and there has to be a major ROI to this. You would need the totality of Scotland-US each day to make this a credible proposition. Or potentially it's just fluff for the voters, but ina fight against GLA/EDI/MAN/BHX etc, what possible reason would the US CBP have to choose PIK? NWA wouldn't even come back to PIK in 1994 when they were offered the use of the airport for free. Come on!
They need to stop living in the past. The false monopoly of transatlantic "glory days" are never coming back, Ryanair now operate GLA-STN. If they are serious, they need to cut the business down to size, cut losses and stop chasing yesterdays rainbows.
</end rant>
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-stewart-1885078
This guy cannot be serious. He's surely been in the industry too long to believe the words he's saying here....
"It's what we need at the airport and it's what the local people want too," he said, adding that it would be "absolutely fantastic" if Prestwick could follow the example set by Ireland and lure the UK's first US pre-clearance facility to Ayrshire.
I've seen recent news reports about London and Manchester potentially applying for it, but I think for both it would be extremely difficult to achieve.
SNN EI BOS JFK UA EWR ORD AA PHL DL JFK = 6
EDI AA JFK UA ORD EWR x 2 DL JFK = 5
GLA AA PHL UA EWR = 2
Even if you throw in the totality of Thomson, Thomas Cook and Virgin's US bound Scottish traffic, PIK would need to have transatlantic gateway status re-established to make this viable, and surely EDI or GLA is a better bet. The only airline who could make PIK-London viable is Ryanair, so again, incredible. I am staggered he think this is a realistic strategy, or more likely it's window dressing for public comsumption to show they're doing something. But gimme a break if he honestly thinks PIK will get US CBP status before any other airport that has an existing transatlantic operator. Completely fantastic.
US pre clearance has to be paid for and there has to be a major ROI to this. You would need the totality of Scotland-US each day to make this a credible proposition. Or potentially it's just fluff for the voters, but ina fight against GLA/EDI/MAN/BHX etc, what possible reason would the US CBP have to choose PIK? NWA wouldn't even come back to PIK in 1994 when they were offered the use of the airport for free. Come on!
They need to stop living in the past. The false monopoly of transatlantic "glory days" are never coming back, Ryanair now operate GLA-STN. If they are serious, they need to cut the business down to size, cut losses and stop chasing yesterdays rainbows.
</end rant>
Last edited by Skipness One Foxtrot; 19th Jan 2016 at 16:25.
SNN has the 2 A318 shuttles from LCY to JFK stopping too. All business class so they don't pick up too many locals but the fees they pay to the US CBP are another reason it's viable. No point in having it if it's going to cost the airport an arm and a leg.
This doesn't even seem to be the same numpty that wanted PIK to become a hub for Intra-Scottish services
I have a cunning plan - these Scottish services along with the London and Transatlantic flights could all provide feed for the spaceport!?!
I have a cunning plan - these Scottish services along with the London and Transatlantic flights could all provide feed for the spaceport!?!
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I like his optimism regarding freight, and to give him his due he seems to have used his contacts well.
His comments about passenger ops are laughable. He talks up this so called half a million Ayrshire and D&G population area. This would be an area that is economically stagnant, plus its fairly inaccurate. Areas like Dumfries have better access to GLA than PIK. Half a million for a so called regional airport is hardly much to boast about. Its significantly less than the catchment of smaller airports like BOH, EXT, SOU, NWI.
If Prestwick has a future it is not running commercial ops. Two flights again today as with many other days in Winter. More staff than passengers. Give it up.
I guess its a start though, something resembling semi sensible business aims coming from the airport.
His comments about passenger ops are laughable. He talks up this so called half a million Ayrshire and D&G population area. This would be an area that is economically stagnant, plus its fairly inaccurate. Areas like Dumfries have better access to GLA than PIK. Half a million for a so called regional airport is hardly much to boast about. Its significantly less than the catchment of smaller airports like BOH, EXT, SOU, NWI.
If Prestwick has a future it is not running commercial ops. Two flights again today as with many other days in Winter. More staff than passengers. Give it up.
I guess its a start though, something resembling semi sensible business aims coming from the airport.
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"I guess its a start though, something resembling semi sensible business aims coming from the airport."
A first for sometime, Spoke with ground staff this evening and they feel optimistic.
Certainly don't feel the likes of TCX THOM will want to come here but potentially a company similar to Seguro could do well. It worked in the past and travellers as far as Edinburgh did travel to PIK in numbers.
Anyhow positive ideas coming from the airport and wish them well. Its always a pleasure coming in and out of PIK
A first for sometime, Spoke with ground staff this evening and they feel optimistic.
Certainly don't feel the likes of TCX THOM will want to come here but potentially a company similar to Seguro could do well. It worked in the past and travellers as far as Edinburgh did travel to PIK in numbers.
Anyhow positive ideas coming from the airport and wish them well. Its always a pleasure coming in and out of PIK
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Prestwick can have a place for cargo, maintenance, other miscellaneous ops.
The commercial passenger side is done though and continuing to chase it is going to mean ongoing major losses.
The commercial passenger side is done though and continuing to chase it is going to mean ongoing major losses.
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His comments about passenger ops are laughable. He talks up this so called half a million Ayrshire and D&G population area. This would be an area that is economically stagnant, plus its fairly inaccurate. Areas like Dumfries have better access to GLA than PIK. Half a million for a so called regional airport is hardly much to boast about. Its significantly less than the catchment of smaller airports like BOH, EXT, SOU, NWI.
Having Ryanair there is certainly a bonus - for many people it's the first place they look when booking flights. I'd be curious to know what effect Ryanair experienced when they moved flights from PIK to GLA - how much has demand for those flights changed?
Despite the small population, Stewart quotes that this area made 1.6 million trips in 2013. That's a lot of business for the airport to be targeting, and is certainly enough to sustain some kind of passenger operations, especially combined with a share of the 5.9 million trips made by the central belt catchment area in the same year.
While it will never rival Edinburgh or Glasgow, it may be possible for the airport to carve out a niche passenger market. They should be able to persuade Ryanair to launch a few new flights, and a few charter flights should be viable too.
Glasgow airport would have given Ryanair a good deal to start flights from the airport - these deals typically only last 3 years, before the price rises closer to normal levels. That deal will be coming to an end soon, so we might see a few Ryanair destinations switching back to PIK if they don't get the deal they want from GLA.
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But you've just pointed out the major flaw in the "passenger flights can work from Prestwick" argument. You suggest that Prestwick might have to buy back more Ryanair flights which can only mean the Scottish tax payer stumping up yet more money.
Certainly don't feel the likes of TCX THOM will want to come here but potentially a company similar to Seguro could do well. It worked in the past and travellers as far as Edinburgh did travel to PIK in numbers.
That's a lot of business for the airport to be targeting, and is certainly enough to sustain some kind of passenger operations, especially combined with a share of the 5.9 million trips made by the central belt catchment area in the same year.
UK Outbound Market :
Thomson, Jet2, Thomas Cook, Virgin - all are happiliy using GLA with facilities like lounges with daylight and stands with airbridges. PIK cannot begin to offer this. TOM, TCX and LS have crew bases and history and see nothing in splitting ops or moving to PIK.
US Transatlantic :
UA, DL, AA not a chance, PIK cannot compete with GLA for premium business, it would use EDI before PIK
Canada Transatlantic :
Transat have a long history at GLA after moving out of PIK and need to compete with Rouge and Westjet who have joined the market. Westjet may have been an option but chose GLA. Potential others I have missed?
Inbound short haul :
Used to see Transavia once a week but ad-hoc business like this can't make a profit on PIK's cost base.
If you try and nail down who is even slightly likely to use PIK in this market for passengers, the list is vanishly small when GLA is up the road with competitive pricing and way better facilities.
All PIK can offer is "much cheapness" to Ayrshire outbound sun travellers and GLA is also all over that one.
Last edited by Skipness One Foxtrot; 22nd Jan 2016 at 11:39.