ABERDEEN

[throw a dyce]

The S61 will probably be back when the S92s breakdown.We'll see.

[Richard Taylor]

9.7% increase Mar07 - 37mths of growth

Very gratifying to see, with growth in all aspects.

Do you think the RYR/EZY/BEE of this world (& other locos) are considering further routes at ABZ given the continual growth - BAA say they are continuing to "work hard" to get more routes home & abroad, but is it these airlines they are talking to? I suppose it must be but there must be others we don't know of as well.

But are high operating charges at ABZ (perceived or otherwise) putting off airlines operating or coming to ABZ, or the lower catchment area?

Or are they waiting for the runway to be extended & no. of stands to be increased?

How long will this growth go on for?

[simfly]

The S-61's will be back when the S-92s replace them on the SAR contracts..... Oh well, plenty of spare airframes at ABZ then!

[throw a dyce]

I think the ex SAR 61's might be used elsewhere.Some off to Holland and some for logging.There is a worldwide shortage of heli airframes.Mine you BAA ABZ wouldn't care as they can't tell a swash plate,from a rotor spindle.

[Richard Taylor]

Good luck to bmi R with the new BRU link that starts today.

Rumours (on the EMA thread) of bmi B looking at EMA - ABZ.

Good for bmi Gp - one of the few that actually think ABZ is worth expanding at.

When is GSM's first "ABZ-based" flight?

[webby1919]

First ABZ based flight is ABZ-TFS on the 27th April, one week on Friday! Won't be long. The flight will operate ABZ-TFS-ABZ-ALC-ABZ

[tangoecho]

Todays Bru flight had 10 pax outbound and 18 pax Inbound. Not bad for first flight. They are using the E135 for the flight.

Also rumour has it, Houston flights to start in winter using a 757. Don't know which airline yet.
They say at least 70+ business pax travel back and forth daily to Houston via London, Amsterdam and Paris and (this airline) will be able to carry about 60 Pax (Business) using flat bed type seating with the runway length as it is.

Runway ext. is going ahead in the winter after the summer program finishes.

Stu...

[Richard Taylor]

So who do we know that operates 757s 'cross the Pond (wingletted one presumes).

Continental? North American?? Delta??? Privatair???? Loganair?

Looks like BLK is coming back, some operator called Silverstream Express or something, M-F.

City Star won't be amused if the new operator makes the route work where they couldn't!

Isn't the NW well served with MAN/LPL?

Besides thought maybe STN or CWL would be more a "domestic" priority.

How are the terminal developments getting on - any signs of new stands including "Stand 0"??

[Black Espresso]

Abredeen / Blackpool

Looking at their website, it looks like 'Jetstream Express' not silverline express, and they are using J31's so that would be far better than the Dornier 328's used by City Star. Loads averaging 12/15 PAX from looking at the CAA stats for the last time the route was operated, ideal for the J31's I would have thought.

[tangoecho]

Stand 0 has been put on hold as an old gas pipe has been discovered where they want to place the stand.
They have people in (Turiff contractors I assume ) to see if it can be moved or something.

Stu..

[Richard Taylor]

Stu:

You couldn't make it up!

Better not be BEAR Scotland, they'd probably fracture the pipe & cause worse traffic jams than they do on the A96!!

Oh & blow to smithereens anything sitting on Stand 1!

[Richard Taylor]

Local press pretty quick in picking up on the relaunch of BLK. Spokeswoman for the airline saying there could be potential for "more domestic" out of ABZ.

Would have thought most of the business routes within UK from here tied up with the likes of T3, but any airline or operator can say there is room for expansion in the future.

Local media now "caught up" with the fact that you can fly from ABZ to DLM this summer, despite there being adverts in the previous couple of weeks about flying direct to Turkey!

The tour operator (Scot Travel IIRC) saying that they will fly to Bodrum for 2008, don't know though if that is in addition to or instead of Dalaman.

Have to say never seen as many airline adverts in Aberdeen papers as now - likes of RYR, BEE, BMI, X9 etc all been advertising one way or another.

[aeulad]

The Scott website and also the BAA website for Aberdeen is saying flights to Dalaman on Mon AND Tue. Are there gonna be 2 flights a week?

Regards

Mike

[Richard Taylor]

Competition for IAH??

Mike:

looks like it, believe one of the flights though routes via EDI or NCL.
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Rumours that TWO airlines want to operate ABZ-IAH, could be interesting next summer...or it could all come to nowt.

KLM have been less coy than "the unnamed airline" as they have actually come out & said they would look to route one flight AMS-ABZ-IAH given right conditions.

Any news on STN or CWL being re-linked to here?

[aeulad]

Surely STN would be an ideal opportunity for FR? I still can't believe they haven't picked this one, or STN-INV up yet.

Regards

Mike

[Voldermort]

Dalaman flights

2 flights a week, the Mon one stops at GLA and the Tue stops at BHX both return Dalaman to ABZ non stop.

[Richard Taylor]

Globespan base

Their B73G positions up today to become based.

Good luck to them
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Hearing viewing area to make way for a new car park as part of the airport expansion - does this mean the end of THE FARM ???

[Richard Taylor]

Frankfurt?

In welcoming the GSM base, I see the ABZ MD mentioned FRA particularly as one destination desired by the business community from here in the future, and that he implied he was working his way towards achieving this aim.

So who would be favourites to operate such a route - bmi R? I can remember DLH up here only once with a charter flight in the 80s, would be nice to see them up here. Or would RYR operate to their HHN base from here?

Would have to be an aircraft in the "regional jet" sized category I would have thought, or via loco with the likes of RYR.

How likely is Frankfurt?
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Good to see healthy enough figures on GSM's first few flights out of ABZ, with only MJV the worst at about 18 seats down, & Cyprus sold out (thanks to Webby for the info).

[gflynorw]

todays GSM@ABZ...:

ABZ-BCN - 141 pax
ABZ-MJV - 104 pax

very good loads!!

[Richard Taylor]

Houston & Haugesund

Houston:
Update appears in local paper this morning, claims a direct link could be up & running by the autumn. Currently a large oil-related conference (OTC) in Houston, which many NE companies attend, & Aberdeen/Grampian Chamber of Commerce has provided an update whilst there. However BAA has been talking to an "unnamed" European airline which may knock the persistent COA rumours on the head, although it claims there is more than one airline interested. However it is also not apparently KLM, who did express an interest. Talk of a likely narrow-bodied aircraft to operate the service, in business config. Fares currently £2000-2500 & businesses claim they would be prepared to pay more for a direct link, however "not much more" than that. Any direct link would shave approx 2hrs of journey time on each direction.

So who could it beeeeeee........................................

Haugesund:
A Coast Air flight from HAU appears now in the BAA arrivals board, however showed "canx" yesterday. So is this due to operate, & as a scheduled or a charter route? Appears again today at 1100hrs. Nothing in Coast website that I had a quick glance at yesterday.