ABERDEEN

[Richard Taylor]

BE S12

It's just the E175 that is ABZ-based just now. The Q400 due is for the beefed up MAN & the extra BHX. I did see a couple of rumours about a 2nd Q400, but I've not seen anything definite about that since. Not particularly surprised at the loss of LBA & EXT; there was talk about the LBA route going. I guess T3 will be pleased at having LBA to itself, but a shame about the loss of EXT. Doubt we'll see it back any time soon. Surprised they've retained BHD for so long if I'm honest. Guess it underlines how hard it is for UK domestics, especially those routes outwith the main UK cities.

[CaptainDoony]

Does anyone know what the TCX 752 was doing yesterday? Flew up from LGW in the morning, parked on the remote stand before flying back to LGW in the evening ~7.45pm. Is it connected to the Malabo charter last year?

[Inverurie Lane]

I understand the TCX 757 brought members of the 'Closed Bretheren' or some such organisation up to visit a new church that's opened in Balmedie. The BEE E190 that was parked on 23 with it, came in from Manchester for the same purpose.

[Richard Taylor]

So they came in on 'a wing & a prayer'?

[Richard Taylor]

APD

The question of retaining slots for LHR & the loss of competition when bmi comes to drop the route still seems to be exorcising the minds of NE politicians, what with the matter recently raised at PMQs & the recent news that a couple of Libdem politicians raised the matter with the Scottish Secretary. At least the matter is out in the public domain, but I don't know what difference it will make, & how much sway politicians would have on the matter. Not a lot, I would have thought.

The MD of Aberdeen raised the issue of devolving the APD to the Scottish Govt, saying that the transferral of this matter would allow the Scottish Govt to set a rate that would help to attract new serivces to Scottish airports. He also said in his letter to the Scottish Govt that as it stood, the level of APD set by the UK Govt was in danger of providing a barrier to attracting new airlines & services to the likes of ABZ.

[SWBKCB]

APD etc

Local media and politicians in the North East of England have been making the same points for quite a while (although there is no competition to lose on NCL-LHR). Newcastle in particular dislikes the idea of the Scottish Govt getting devolved rights on APD, as it feels that it could potentially be facing unfair competition.

[Richard Taylor]

Neu-Isenburg, February 21, 2012 (STAT):- time:matters, the expert for global Special Speed Logistics, consistently continues to expand its Sameday Air network. Effective immediately, the Scottish airport Aberdeen (ABZ) is available as an additional station for the transport of highly urgent and complex shipments. This increases the time:matters Sameday Air network to a total of 104 stations.
“We actively promote the opening of new stations, in order to offer our customers the most comprehensive network coverage possible and the best service at all times. With Aberdeen, we are incorporating the focus area for the oil industry in the North Sea region into our network. The new station is therefore highly interesting for customers from the Oil & Gas, Ship Spares and Maritime industries – their time-critical shipments benefit from several daily direct flights to the international hub Frankfurt (FRA) and subsequently from the fastest possible access to our entire Sameday Air network. This translates into shorter transport times and increased flexibility for our customers and their highly urgent shipments,� says Franz-Joseph Miller, CEO of time:matters GmbH.

Aberdeen is one the most important airports in Scotland and already the tenth time:matters Sameday Air station in the UK
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Should we expect more freight charters from Germany going forward, or will they stick anything urgent on the Lufthansa FRA service?

[Richard Taylor]

Baku Codeshare

I thought this had happened ages ago, but Eastern have confirmed a codeshare arrangement with AZAL on the Baku service. News released by Eastern yesterday. Service also changing to a J41.................

...................only joking!

[exlatccatsa]

Jetstream41?? You're one month early Richard, April fools is on the 1st of April not March!!!

[Aero Mad]

I think you're the one who is a month early - it isn't an April Fool.

EASTERN AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES CODESHARE WITH AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES | Eastern Airways

[exlatccatsa]

Is that AN12 from Baku parked on 01 in Eastern colours or is that just a coincidence?

[Richard Taylor]

B-KTL

I believe this GLEX was/is in today?

Is this the first Chinese-reg'd plane at Dyce?

Any idea why it arrived?

Oil, renewables, Trump? - I realise the last two don't go together!!

I believe the proposed windfarm testbed in the Bay is attracting quite a bit of attention - including from the CAA & weetabix head.

[Richard Taylor]

CS-TFU

Also the above Corpy 319, belonging to White Air, parked up on the east side. Same day as the arrival of the Chinese GLEX.

Some interesting movements of late.

Note that there has been a large order of S92s for Bond, a type I see increasingly flying out of ABZ. Wonder how many of these will end up at Dyce? I miss the variety of helis you used to get 'in the old days'.

[Richard Taylor]

Aberdeen 2011 figures

Source: CAA (was posted on another forum, hopefully the following of interest to those who follow the ABZ thread here)

ABERDEEN

2011 Annual
(Total Pax in 2011 in first column, percentage change from 2010 in second column)

HEATHROW 652520 5.638237953
OIL RIGS 498326 8.614609352
AMSTERDAM 272104 10.00590247
GATWICK 177765 36.79702759
SCATSTA 154077 1.788333178
STAVANGER 152384 10.59709834
LUTON 147688 14.47084904
MANCHESTER 144547 55.21658707
PARIS (CHARLES DE GAULLE) 117193 8.32747911
BIRMINGHAM 83011 -7.622884274
SUMBURGH 69086 8.724937439
NORWICH 61701 2.896738052
DUBLIN 55997 35.6352186
BERGEN 51685 9.634516259
COPENHAGEN 46998 6.639135959
KIRKWALL 41512 7.669562817
BRISTOL 32810 44.7414856
DURHAM TEES VALLEY 31342 4.88939476
HUMBERSIDE 30175 11.46614456
NEWCASTLE 24801 -6.220222473
SOUTHAMPTON 22621 -18.97922707
EXETER 22429 -25.48999977
PALMA DE MALLORCA 22097 -12.05174129
TENERIFE (SURREINA SOFIA) 19675 516.3847118
EAST MIDLANDS INTERNATIONAL 18901 4.442725182
BELFAST CITY (GEORGE BEST) 18899 -0.290176213
DALAMAN 18029 52.81403628
WICK 14798 0.516234219
FRANKFURT MAIN 14580 0
CARDIFF WALES 10542 2110.062988
ESBJERG 10454 19.80288792
STORNOWAY 5957 -6.011360168
BURGAS 5598 0.974025974
REUS 4644 -6.896551724
GRONINGEN 4146 -9.928307625
ANTALYA 4109 146.7867868
IBIZA 4065 56.28604383
BAKU (HEYDER ALIYEV INT'L) 4061 0
MALAGA 4026 0
JERSEY 2122 -4.371338367
MAHON 1229 0
FUERTEVENTURA 932 97.04016913
VAGAR 772 -23.79072063
OPORTO (PORTUGAL) 591 109.5744681
VERONA VILLAFRANCA 588 2.083333333
LEEDS BRADFORD 531 -93.48306274
LARNACA 460 0
DUBROVNIK 410 0
NAPLES 290 -33.63844394
GLASGOW 241 0
ARRECIFE 236 0
GRENOBLE 217 0
CATANIA (FONTANAROSSA) 147 0
LIVERPOOL (JOHN LENNON) 86 309.5238037
STORD 78 0
MALABO 66 0
DONCASTER SHEFFIELD 57 0
STANSTED 49 0
VALENCIA 45 0
LONDON CITY 29 0
OXFORD (KIDLINGTON) 25 0
NEWQUAY 8 0

Total ABZ pax in 2011 = 3,084,562

[Richard Taylor]

Lufthansa reported in the local press today, revealing that more than half of their total passengers on Scottish services in the last quarter of 2011 travelled on the FRA service from here.

More excellent news that passenger numbers for Feb 2012 vs. Feb 2011 leaped (geddit?) 18.7%.

[CaptainDoony]

We are 3x daily up against EDI at only 1x daily On A319/320 (~350 seats more for ABZ)

So it's not actually that great although I'd imagine pax numbers will rise in summer months especially with the 737 being deployed over S12.

[Joe Curry]

I note on anna.aero that BAA have at last listed one Scottish airport - Glasgow - in the route shop. I find it strange they should state this in their
submission.

Propensity to fly

In Scotland, there is a total of nearly 25% more terminal passengers and over 250% more airport movements per resident population compared to the UK. Last year, there were over 20 million passengers in Scotland.

Surely this embraces ALL it's Scottish airports and not just the airport they wish to highlight.? OK, they will soon divest EDI but it seems to me that ABZ is being shortchanged.

[Richard Taylor]

APD plea

Scotland's leading airports are urging the chancellor to rethink a planned increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD).

The tax is due to increase by 10% in the budget later this month

The managing directors of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports claim it will leave them at a disadvantage against their European rivals.

In a letter to George Osborne, they say: "In Scotland, we have particular concerns about our future ability to attract new airlines."

This was particularly true, they said, in an "intensely competitive global market".

They added: "There is a risk that airlines looking to serve new markets will choose other European countries at the expense of Scotland.

"This in turn will have a significant impact on employment, business competitiveness and inbound tourism."

The letter highlighted a report commissioned by airport operator BAA in 2011, which warned that further increases in APD could cost Scotland's airports about 1.2 million passengers over three years, with a loss of £77m in tourism revenue.

The number of passengers travelling through the three Scottish airports increased by 8.1% last year, with the airports collectively handling 19 million travellers.

Emirates airline recently announced that it will operate double daily flights from Glasgow to Dubai, and a new flagship service from Aberdeen to Frankfurt has been launched.

However, the airports warned that APD was "regularly cited as a barrier to growth" in discussions with airlines.

"Several airlines have made it clear to us that APD levels are simply too high to enable route development from Scotland to be commercially viable," they added.


I doubt Georgie boy will listen.

[CaptainDoony]

Noticed that Air France have downgraded ABZ to an Embraer 170.

Don't understand this considering it was an E190 for last year and the route has been showing double digit growth for most of last year?

[capt ronweb]

Air France

That's wierd, I was on the late CDG-ABZ on Sunday night, a 190, full...
It changes from day to day, 170/190 as required..

CRW.