ABERDEEN
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new - interim? - MD
'Aberdeen Airport @ABZ_Airport 23h
Our new MD Nick Barton is on page 32 of the @pressjournal. An interesting feature. pic.twitter.com/dkvA3USM0h'
This was a few days ago. TBH the feature didn't really say very much. Committed to developing the airport...what MD isn't.
More airlines/routes - only new schedule route since runway extension has been FRA with Lufthansa, with Virgin due to start LHR soon.
Underlining commitment to maintaining slots to London. Again, you would expect MD to confirm that.
Unless we get another route development fund & a relaxation of APD (unlikely) we'll always be waaaay down the pecking order for new routes. And even then, catchment area is always against us. Aberdeen bypass? Will that help? Maybe, but not to the extent the airport hope, I don't think. 5m+ pax by 2030 to me seems a tad optimistic! Hope I'm wrong of course.
Our new MD Nick Barton is on page 32 of the @pressjournal. An interesting feature. pic.twitter.com/dkvA3USM0h'
This was a few days ago. TBH the feature didn't really say very much. Committed to developing the airport...what MD isn't.
More airlines/routes - only new schedule route since runway extension has been FRA with Lufthansa, with Virgin due to start LHR soon.
Underlining commitment to maintaining slots to London. Again, you would expect MD to confirm that.
Unless we get another route development fund & a relaxation of APD (unlikely) we'll always be waaaay down the pecking order for new routes. And even then, catchment area is always against us. Aberdeen bypass? Will that help? Maybe, but not to the extent the airport hope, I don't think. 5m+ pax by 2030 to me seems a tad optimistic! Hope I'm wrong of course.
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No, BA/cityflyer have an opportunity (in my opinion...) to utilise the Embraer that sits in Aberdeen all saturday and sunday mornings! I'm sure they could fill it every week. Hopefully next ski season!
Join Date: Jan 2012
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DUB
See Aer Lingus have got a few days of double DUB penciled in example 11/4, 22/4. Nothing much only an ATR 42 but hopefully a positive sign of things to come on the route once they get their shiny new ATR's 
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Aberdeen has never really had a ski charter season. I can recall British Midland (DC9) & Swissair (MD80) in the 70s/80s but I think those were short seasonal only. I presume there just isn't the demand.
Local press (caught up?) says DLH to FRA will be all-737 for S13, from June. I recall they were increasing capacity this summer, but couldn't remember what to. Nice to hear DLH say they made the right decision in coming.
Edit:
Apologies, I also meant to add the Aberdeen-based aviation writer (& RNLI member I think) Jim Ferguson died today following a stroke, aged 74. I know the heli guys didn't agree with all he wrote, but I always found him an interesting listen. RIP to Jim & condolences to his wife & colleagues/friends.
Local press (caught up?) says DLH to FRA will be all-737 for S13, from June. I recall they were increasing capacity this summer, but couldn't remember what to. Nice to hear DLH say they made the right decision in coming.
Edit:
Apologies, I also meant to add the Aberdeen-based aviation writer (& RNLI member I think) Jim Ferguson died today following a stroke, aged 74. I know the heli guys didn't agree with all he wrote, but I always found him an interesting listen. RIP to Jim & condolences to his wife & colleagues/friends.
Last edited by Richard Taylor; 28th Mar 2013 at 21:47.
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The demand is definitely there and as Simfly says the BA 170/190 that sits around all Saturday in Winter would be a perfect fit for a GVA rotation.
Unfortunately London Airways would never launch a route not beginning/ending in London. Shame.
Unfortunately London Airways would never launch a route not beginning/ending in London. Shame.
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Runway extension paying dividends??
So, possibly Lufthansa apart, what airlines/routes have been attracted to Aberdeen Airport then?
Anything?...Anyone?? Any gen of might be in the offing?
Or is it the case that, as I continue to suspect, the airport are getting nowhere in their discussions with their 'airline partners' & airlines that don't fly to ABZ. I know these things can take a long time but in ABZ's case, we're always last isolated out-of-the way cab on the rank; or in fact a cab that is ignored. That's maybe one of the issues.
This area continues to grow (some would say it's booming), one of the few that did & is through the current economic troubles. You only have to look at the low unemployment rate & number of job vacancies. You would have thought perhaps a few scheduled flights to the sun might have been resurrected by now, or more airlines at least showing an interest in the strength of the NE Scotland economy.
Or have the airport given up on those.
Jet2 et al continue to add flights from other UK destinations, but ABZ never among them, despite our economic success.
It's just a tad frustrating I have to admit. Why should everybody be funneled via GLA/EDI - & indeed sometimes further afield for holiday flights?
Are we really that bad?? Are the management complacent & happy just to manage the airport, not promote it??
Anything?...Anyone?? Any gen of might be in the offing?
Or is it the case that, as I continue to suspect, the airport are getting nowhere in their discussions with their 'airline partners' & airlines that don't fly to ABZ. I know these things can take a long time but in ABZ's case, we're always last isolated out-of-the way cab on the rank; or in fact a cab that is ignored. That's maybe one of the issues.
This area continues to grow (some would say it's booming), one of the few that did & is through the current economic troubles. You only have to look at the low unemployment rate & number of job vacancies. You would have thought perhaps a few scheduled flights to the sun might have been resurrected by now, or more airlines at least showing an interest in the strength of the NE Scotland economy.
Or have the airport given up on those.
Jet2 et al continue to add flights from other UK destinations, but ABZ never among them, despite our economic success.
It's just a tad frustrating I have to admit. Why should everybody be funneled via GLA/EDI - & indeed sometimes further afield for holiday flights?
Are we really that bad?? Are the management complacent & happy just to manage the airport, not promote it??
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MON worked AGP-ABZ out of a base in AGP & it worked. Then they closed AGP base & operated it with an a/c & crew from MAN base, if memory serves. Then it didn't work due to the increase in costs from operating it with MAN a/c & crew.
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The base wasn't a success no with BLK and BOH IIRC failing miserably so it closed but the ABZ route was the last to get chopped and operated with very high loads all the time.
And then there was GSM who, after a couple of years of chopping and changing seemed to get a schedule nailed down in 2009 that worked.
And then there was GSM who, after a couple of years of chopping and changing seemed to get a schedule nailed down in 2009 that worked.
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Aberdeen has one unique selling point that could/should attract more traffic - it probably has the highest percentage of full-fare/business passengers in the UK outside of London City due to the oil business
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I often wonder if what Heathrow Harry says, which is very true, has a detrimental effect? For non oil non business people, fares from Aberdeen can be very expensive compared to GLA or EDI and I have often thought that prices from ABZ are expensive because the airlines know they will be able to sell the tickets to probably business people. This could then drives pax away from Aberdeen as fare prices for non oil travelling people are too expensive..
For example when BA used to fly to Manchester a few years ago the fare from ABZ was ridiculous. My mum lives near Manchester so when I went to visit, a couple of times we have driven to GLA for a BA flight to MAN as we could save ourselves a couple of hundred pounds!
I priced flights to London a few months ago and just short of £400 for the two of us. For not much more you can fly Long Haul with Lufthansa or KLM?
Not everyone who wants to go to London/Manchester are business people however it would be interesting to know what percentage would be?
For example when BA used to fly to Manchester a few years ago the fare from ABZ was ridiculous. My mum lives near Manchester so when I went to visit, a couple of times we have driven to GLA for a BA flight to MAN as we could save ourselves a couple of hundred pounds!
I priced flights to London a few months ago and just short of £400 for the two of us. For not much more you can fly Long Haul with Lufthansa or KLM?
Not everyone who wants to go to London/Manchester are business people however it would be interesting to know what percentage would be?
Last edited by c2lass; 31st Mar 2013 at 09:35.
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Rabbits
Airport bosses are contemplating a unique solution to the airport's rabbit problem - put them in the pot.
Numbers are booming, and the airport is considering handing any it catches over to catering.
So rabbit stew could well be appearing on the menus some time soon.
Although I don't know how many would fancy eating a rabbit that's been run over by an A319.
Numbers are booming, and the airport is considering handing any it catches over to catering.
So rabbit stew could well be appearing on the menus some time soon.
Although I don't know how many would fancy eating a rabbit that's been run over by an A319.
Join Date: Jan 2012
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As per The Southampton thread it seems Eastern are ending their BRS one stop via LBA as of 19/4.
Not at all surprising and I'm sure the bean counters at BMR will be delighted.
Not at all surprising and I'm sure the bean counters at BMR will be delighted.
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Looks like the Sunday evening LGW EZY875/876 flight is changing to an A320 from December. I was on the EZY875 flight last night on an A319, and it left with only 1 spare seat. Good to see that this route is doing well 
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Scottish Independence
I wonder if Scotland gets independence next year and hopefully they do whether that will increase air travel to not only Aberdeen but Scottish airports as a whole?, been able to lower apd which puts so many airlines off but also because 90% of oil revenue will be streaming thru Aberdeen and holywood instead of via London with a trickle returning north. Perhaps with an independent Scotland, and not the huge benefits bill of England which is a disgrace anyways, more money can be invested properly in Scotland, especially the north east!!