PRESTWICK
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Today O'Leary flew into Prestwick, using his 737 EI-ENR as his taxi, to officially open Ryanair's new second hangar. It's been in use for several months. Also in use recently has been the former Polar hangar as Ryanair aircraft have been taken out of service and prepared for a Turkish airline, whose staff have been resident undertaking acceptance of said aircraft, which then airtest and are flown out for painting and delivery.
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From the Greer website
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Thursday 17th March 2011
Having built up the company from a standing start at Edinburgh Airport in 2005 Bert Greer, MD of Greer Aviation and his son Robert Greer, Director of Greer Aviation in Edinburgh handed over the keys to Alex Macdonald, Regional Vice President of Signature Flight Support having agreed the sale of the Edinburgh facility.
Greer Aviation's business at Prestwick International Airport continues as normal
Having built up the company from a standing start at Edinburgh Airport in 2005 Bert Greer, MD of Greer Aviation and his son Robert Greer, Director of Greer Aviation in Edinburgh handed over the keys to Alex Macdonald, Regional Vice President of Signature Flight Support having agreed the sale of the Edinburgh facility.
Greer Aviation's business at Prestwick International Airport continues as normal
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Parent company of a major low cost airline, and the sister companies of said airline were looking at launching Routes from 2012 from PIK. This included having a presence in the terminal. However agreements failed when it was agreed that "Barrhead" Staff could leaflet in the Arrivals Hall and also right outside the planned location of the operators offices. However the operator was not allowed to do the same.
1. This could annoy passengers-do you really want someone handing out leaflets to you when you land?
2. Why should operators put passengers through to be marketed to by Barrhead and lose revenue from Direct Sales (every operator relies on a portion of direct sales).
3. There was no objection to the Barrhead Shop, just the agreed marketing activities.
As I said all eggs in one basket- Barrhead are allowed to be dominant and PIK fails to gather new routes.
Commercially the Barrhead "shop" was getting a better deal than an actual operator that wanted to introduce new routes.
1. This could annoy passengers-do you really want someone handing out leaflets to you when you land?
2. Why should operators put passengers through to be marketed to by Barrhead and lose revenue from Direct Sales (every operator relies on a portion of direct sales).
3. There was no objection to the Barrhead Shop, just the agreed marketing activities.
As I said all eggs in one basket- Barrhead are allowed to be dominant and PIK fails to gather new routes.
Commercially the Barrhead "shop" was getting a better deal than an actual operator that wanted to introduce new routes.
Join Date: Nov 2010
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This can't be right...
Sorry, are you saying 'Sunsetrep' that because PIK have allowed Barrhead Travel to 'leaflet' passengers in the terminal then whoever was going to potentially operate new routes in 2012 have thrown their toys out the pram and said that they won't operate unless Barrhead Travel do not leaflet? So, if PIK are allowing the leafleting by Barrhead then what they are saying is that they will make more money from Barrhead Travel than from any new operator? There is something not right here - spill the beans - who is this supposed operator and what routes were they supposedly planning?
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Dont take anything from my nickname.
You are right there is something not right- The management @ PIK seem to have no idea on business development.
No operator will allow direct marketing right outside their premises-its not a case of throwing toys out of prams but commercial sense. Every operator needs to have a good mix of direct and agency business to ensure routes are commercially viable.
The operator wanted to introduce new routes next year, both flight only and package. Something that is really missing from PIK at the moment. However why would any operator work to develop routes / passengers, to have those passengers so directly marketed to on their return. This is not allowed at ANY other airport in the UK!
As I also said, the "Barrhead" Shop was also getting a better commercial deal.
You are right there is something not right- The management @ PIK seem to have no idea on business development.
No operator will allow direct marketing right outside their premises-its not a case of throwing toys out of prams but commercial sense. Every operator needs to have a good mix of direct and agency business to ensure routes are commercially viable.
The operator wanted to introduce new routes next year, both flight only and package. Something that is really missing from PIK at the moment. However why would any operator work to develop routes / passengers, to have those passengers so directly marketed to on their return. This is not allowed at ANY other airport in the UK!
As I also said, the "Barrhead" Shop was also getting a better commercial deal.
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The M77...
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There was a rumour a wee while back that a major tour operator was to go into one of the buildings at the Aerospace Park. However nothing ever came of it, so could the two be linked?
However Sunsetrep does have a valid point in management at Prestwick putting all their eggs in one basket (first Ryanair and now Barrhead Travel).
Ever since the demise of Seguro (and Globespan moving up the M77) Prestwick has been crying out for an integrated tour operator to have services out of it as not everyone can be bothered to trawl through hotel websites, arrange their own transfers etc.
I personally reckon it could have been Monarch that was the proposed new operator that Sunsetrep was talking about (makes sense to me, they offer both flight only and package deals and have no significant presence in Scotland) and if any potential deal is now dead over leafleting(!), then that's poor business strategy from management.
Another point about PIK and GLA is the lack of city routes available, if I was management at Prestwick, I'd be pulling out all the stops to beat Glasgow to the punch and attract a regional operator (with CRJ's or E-jets) to operate routes to major German cities (Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich), the major Scandanavian cities, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels because there is a market there for business and leisure routes there.
As Prestwick is losing money, I hope that any deal with the potential new operator can be revivied and give Ryanair and Barrhead Travel some competition as it is not a healthy situation to be in, relying on 1 major operator and 1 travel agent.
However Sunsetrep does have a valid point in management at Prestwick putting all their eggs in one basket (first Ryanair and now Barrhead Travel).
Ever since the demise of Seguro (and Globespan moving up the M77) Prestwick has been crying out for an integrated tour operator to have services out of it as not everyone can be bothered to trawl through hotel websites, arrange their own transfers etc.
I personally reckon it could have been Monarch that was the proposed new operator that Sunsetrep was talking about (makes sense to me, they offer both flight only and package deals and have no significant presence in Scotland) and if any potential deal is now dead over leafleting(!), then that's poor business strategy from management.
Another point about PIK and GLA is the lack of city routes available, if I was management at Prestwick, I'd be pulling out all the stops to beat Glasgow to the punch and attract a regional operator (with CRJ's or E-jets) to operate routes to major German cities (Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich), the major Scandanavian cities, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels because there is a market there for business and leisure routes there.
As Prestwick is losing money, I hope that any deal with the potential new operator can be revivied and give Ryanair and Barrhead Travel some competition as it is not a healthy situation to be in, relying on 1 major operator and 1 travel agent.
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Another point about PIK and GLA is the lack of city routes available, if I was management at Prestwick, I'd be pulling out all the stops to beat Glasgow to the punch and attract a regional operator (with CRJ's or E-jets) to operate routes to major German cities (Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich), the major Scandanavian cities, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels because there is a market there for business and leisure routes there.
Glasgow can't even connect to Paris or Frankfurt with their respective flag carriers and own connecting hubs which gives an indication of how strong that market really is.
Last one to try was Transavia out of PIK and that died away once everyone who had ever wanted to try Amsterdam had done so.
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I know for a fact that Barrhead Travel have not been giving out flyers in the terminal. Yes they are opening a shop but I don't see how that's all the airport's 'eggs in one basket'??
As for the new operator being put off because of Barrhead supposedly giving out flyers - get real, surely the opposite is true, anyone entering the PIK market would benefit from having a on-site distribution channel.
As for the new operator being put off because of Barrhead supposedly giving out flyers - get real, surely the opposite is true, anyone entering the PIK market would benefit from having a on-site distribution channel.
Join Date: Nov 2010
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I am struggling to make sense of this and would value the real facts. Sunsetrep says "the "Barrhead" Shop was also getting a better commercial deal" - Can we establish what deal they are getting? It must be some deal to stop an airline / tour operator starting a flight programme. As regards this distribution of promo flyers are you saying that only Barrhead Travel can distribute flyers and this potential operator couldn't? Is it possible that this potential operator has been scared off by FR (ass they had threatened the same destinations?) and to save face is blaming the Barrhead Travel deal? As ever with these things there is always so much more reality behind the rumour and counter rumours.
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Apologies if anything I've said has confused the matter, I was just wildly speculating!
From what I gather the only thing concrete about this is Barrhead Travel are opening a shop in the terminal.
Thanks for the response Skipness, I hadn't really thought of it that way. I agree with what you say about price sensitivity, but when I flew the city routes (Hahn, Luebeck, Budapest and Torp) the flights were packed but again this may have been because they were ridiculously cheap (well, not in the case of BUD).
I personally don't think there would be the market for running a 180ish seat aircraft daily to the city destinations any more, but with a smaller aircraft with the admittedly higher operating costs could it work if the right price balance was struck?
If it was me setting up or running my own airline(!) I'd give Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris and possibly Brussels a shot at daily flights, but this is probably why I don't run my own airline...
From what I gather the only thing concrete about this is Barrhead Travel are opening a shop in the terminal.
Thanks for the response Skipness, I hadn't really thought of it that way. I agree with what you say about price sensitivity, but when I flew the city routes (Hahn, Luebeck, Budapest and Torp) the flights were packed but again this may have been because they were ridiculously cheap (well, not in the case of BUD).
I personally don't think there would be the market for running a 180ish seat aircraft daily to the city destinations any more, but with a smaller aircraft with the admittedly higher operating costs could it work if the right price balance was struck?
If it was me setting up or running my own airline(!) I'd give Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris and possibly Brussels a shot at daily flights, but this is probably why I don't run my own airline...
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If it was me setting up or running my own airline(!) I'd give Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris and possibly Brussels a shot at daily flights, but this is probably why I don't run my own airline...
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Skipness, for weeks I've been trying to remember the name of that airline! So, once again, thanks!
I think you are probably right, the market for the west coast seems to be set up for outbound bucket and spade routes while Edinburgh has the stronger inbound pull.
I think in this economic climate it would take a brave operator to have a go with expensive to operate aircraft, while trying to maintain a low price point.
I think it was probably just wishful thinking on my part (just to make my travelling life easier!)
I think you are probably right, the market for the west coast seems to be set up for outbound bucket and spade routes while Edinburgh has the stronger inbound pull.
I think in this economic climate it would take a brave operator to have a go with expensive to operate aircraft, while trying to maintain a low price point.
I think it was probably just wishful thinking on my part (just to make my travelling life easier!)
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Glad to see PIK plugging the Derry route (in the departure lounge today). Hint of false advertising perhaps? 
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