ABERDEEN

[throw a dyce]

When is the runway extension(120m) starting?
Or are they going to make some stands first for the summer.All these new services,nowhere to park.

[Richard Taylor]

There were surveyors on the 16 undershoot over the weekend.

Hearing City Star may have slots for a STN route?

[Meeb]

City Star are recruiting more crew for 2 further aircraft due to arrive soon.

[Inverted81]

there were a couple of city star flights upto sumburgh from aberdeen the other week... just charters? as i haven't seen them since...

[5711N0205W]

City Star to LSI, one was definitely a charter, crew change for a DSV (Diving Support Vessel) in Lerwick at the time, maybe the other one too.

[Richard Taylor]

T3 have also had a few Sumburger charters. Part of the same thing, or were they helping out Flightline?

[Inverted81]

FLT usually only fly upto scatsta, supporting the bristow op up there. so unless they had a bad crosswind up at PM, then FLT's usually dont route to PB. BUT, depending on whats and who's where each day determines where they will go..

[Richard Taylor]

Thanks 81

Andy Flower leaves ABZ to become MD of LGW.

Kevin Brown takes over as ABZ MD, having followed Mr Flower around for the past 6mths.

Mr Brown was previously Customer Services Mngr, I think it was.

Good luck to Mr Broon.

[tangoecho]

SAS

Scandinavian airlines SAS announced yesterday that will launch an additional flight from Aberdeen Airport to Copenhagen on March 25. It will operate double daily serviceson the route.
The morning service, leaving Aberdeen at 09:30, will complement the existing SAS evening service. One-way fares on the route, operated using a 50 seat CRJ Cimber Jet aircraft, start from Ł72 including taxes

Well not before long as the flight is almost always full.

Stu...

[Richard Taylor]

It's excellent news Stu, hopefully more to come from City Star & Eastern among others?

Couple of questions for anybody:

How are GSM doing load/yield-wise on their TFS service? I read traffic had shot up 90% since the scheduled route had been introduced. Is that correct?

Also how are BEE doing on the EXT-LBA-ABZ service, & has their arrival impacted on EZE's loads on their LBA-ABZ route.

[tangoecho]

GSM/Flybe

GSM loads are very good.
Last friday when I was on it went out with 145 and came back with 180 pax.
Not on today so don't know about todays loads.

Flybe Leeds/Exeter varies between 30 odd and 60 odd pax. Then it has to pick up and drop of in Leeds so figures could be higher/lower.

So not bad in my opinion.

Stu...

[throw a dyce]

Saw something in the local rag about BMI starting up to Norway;Kristainsand I think. Also a little birdie whispered with what the airlines are scheduling/proposing for the summer,they are going to be about 6 to 8 stands short at peak times.That's before any delays,diversions,etc..Judging by the BAA's ability to run out of stands now then I hope that this is just a rumour.

[Richard Taylor]

Dalaman

TENT AT THE READY!!

Meantime, looks as if ABZ will get a Turkish IT flight this summer (it's 1st Turkish route?)

DLM down to operate on Tues - in ABZ 0830, out 0955.

Don't know airline/type...TBA.

[Mister Geezer]

The tent will be outside the terminal entrance for the security queues! I suppose you will end up queuing alongside those waiting for a taxi!

Let’s face it… for the numbers going through nowadays… the facilities are nothing short of a joke!!!

[Richard Taylor]

Snowy ops question

With the snow on the runway last night came the usual fun & games of pilots asking about the braking action.

ATC had to tell them that they couldn't give the readings they required as, being wet snow, the readings would be unreliable. Makes me wonder why readings are taken if they aren't for the ears of the pilots.

I am sure in olden times the braking co-efficients WERE given, so what changed?

Could the pilots not be given the readings, with the provisio that it is wet snow & therefore possibly not 100% reliable, therefore landing is at pilots' discresion?

Or was there some incident somewhere which resulted in the change.

Not as if Aberdeen hasn't had snow down the years...maybe in the olde days it was more of the dry powdery stuff & not the heavy slushy stuff climate change brings us.

ps. no criticism of ATC or snow teams, they only apply the rules.

[Meeb]

Braking action

The equipment currently used to measure braking action does not work on snow covered runways, due to the machine not being able to run along the surface of the ground. There must be ground contact for the Mu Meter to work.

The CAA funded a research project to develop suitable brake friction test equipment, but I am not sure what happened with that, probably still on going.

[Richard Taylor]

Thanks Meeb.

I understand braking action can be given in conditions of compacted snow, but not the wet stuff.

Mister Geezer: I did know the tent would be at the entrance, was just an excuse for a bad gag at ABZ's expense! I am sure the tent (same one??) was in use a few years ago when ABZ had transatlantic flights. It's also available for marquees too...

See NJE have an ad in tonight's paper for pilots, obviously to do with this area becoming a NJE "gateway".

[youngskywalker]

Yes, and more than just a coincidence they are holding the open meeting in Elgin! Fairly obvious who they are trying to recruit!

[Mister Geezer]

youngskywalker

An interesting observation youngskywalker! I think your theory is spot on when NetJets even advertised in the Northern Scot which is the local Elgin rag.

[Richard Taylor]

Kevin Brown MD

All gone quiet for now on the new routes front, but see evening paper had a short interview with the new head honcho.

Nothing we didn't know already, bit of a rehash of old news, but he hoped to have transatlantic flights "within 2 yrs".

ARE YOU LISTENING CONTINENTAL OR KLM...?



ps. no news on start of runway ext yet, unless someone knows better.