LEEDS - 2
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TANGO100
Try this link for the story
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/investi...6&in_page_id=3
Did anyone read -
The Mail on Sunday
(finance) £100m+ Leeds Bradford Airport controlling owners consider sale...
The Mail on Sunday
(finance) £100m+ Leeds Bradford Airport controlling owners consider sale...
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/investi...6&in_page_id=3
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Many thanks for that
Postscript reads -
Leeds Bradford International Airport - which is valued at more than £100m - is on the brink of being put up for sale, it emerged last week.
Its owners, West Yorkshire's five councils, are understood to be considering whether to sell a controlling 51% stake or the whole business.
Leeds Bradford, the home of low-cost airline Jet2, currently flies more than 300,000 passengers a month to the Continent, Africa and the Caribbean.
However, the owners are keen to develop the airport and to improve its international services to attract more companies with overseas operations.
A decision on how much of the stake to sell is expected within weeks and information on the business will be sent to prospective bidders in November. Accountancy firm Ernst & Young is advising the councils.
Postscript reads -
Leeds Bradford International Airport - which is valued at more than £100m - is on the brink of being put up for sale, it emerged last week.
Its owners, West Yorkshire's five councils, are understood to be considering whether to sell a controlling 51% stake or the whole business.
Leeds Bradford, the home of low-cost airline Jet2, currently flies more than 300,000 passengers a month to the Continent, Africa and the Caribbean.
However, the owners are keen to develop the airport and to improve its international services to attract more companies with overseas operations.
A decision on how much of the stake to sell is expected within weeks and information on the business will be sent to prospective bidders in November. Accountancy firm Ernst & Young is advising the councils.
Join Date: Apr 2006
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A company interested in London City airport has said it is prepared to spend over 700m to buy the city airport. So if that is anything to go by then Leeds could be sold for much more than 100m as quoted.
Join Date: Nov 2003
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I believe that the 100 million that is regularly quoted in the local press is the Book value as stated on the asset accounts of the five local Councils. I'm sure they are hoping for a much higher return than that, especially for a 100% sale. Given the prices paid for partial stakes in other regional airports a few years ago, a higher final sale price would seem to be reasonable, but nobody will commit to saying so given the recent ups and downs or before any official tenders have been received.
At least the Councils have put in a stipulation about keeping the current name (that was a particularly strong issue for Bradford I suspect), and are being mindfull of avoiding the Competition Commission.
PTH
At least the Councils have put in a stipulation about keeping the current name (that was a particularly strong issue for Bradford I suspect), and are being mindfull of avoiding the Competition Commission.
PTH
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Thomson Strikes Again
Check out Thomsons commitment to LBA for next summer everyone:
MON Nothing (Palma and Paphos Gone !)
TUE Alicante (Tenerife Gone !)
WED Menorca (Ibiza Gone !)
THU Palma W (as 2006 !)
FRI Corfu (Dalaman Gone !)
SAT Ibiza (Reus and Malaga Gone !)
SUN Palma W (as 2006 !)
...........comments ???
MON Nothing (Palma and Paphos Gone !)
TUE Alicante (Tenerife Gone !)
WED Menorca (Ibiza Gone !)
THU Palma W (as 2006 !)
FRI Corfu (Dalaman Gone !)
SAT Ibiza (Reus and Malaga Gone !)
SUN Palma W (as 2006 !)
...........comments ???
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Package holidays
It surprises me that Thomson have not fought back at LBA against Jet2.
Jet2 have proved in spectacular style that the market is there and that it was not being fully exploited in the past. Increasing numbers of passengers still do want to travel to all the popular resorts. Many are probably still using the same Hotels and accommodation that was in the traditional package holiday.
Is the Thomson style business model dead?
I think it is. In the past, holidaymakers had to travel on the so-called change-over day at their chosen resort. Now, they can travel any day, for an odd number of days not just 7 or 14 days.
As in a previous comment I made, Thomson had maybe 1 or 2 flights per week to Malaga (none next summer)from LBA, Jet2 now have 14 757 flights per week! This is about the same size as the whole Thomson programme used to be from LBA in the good old days.
Thomson have been relying on timid people being afraid to organise their own holiday but maybe at LBA, there are fewer of these people than at some other airports.
All these changes must also be also having an effect on the resort hotels but I think a positive effect.
Probably with a tour operator, the hotel received a hugely discounted package payment and had to wait 6 months or more to collect. The private traveller pays slightly more, cuts out the middleman, and the hotel receives immediate payment.
If Thomson accept this trend, then I cannot see where their future lies with the present business strategy. Are the Thomsonfly low cost flights too little too late and at the wrong airports?
Jet2 have proved in spectacular style that the market is there and that it was not being fully exploited in the past. Increasing numbers of passengers still do want to travel to all the popular resorts. Many are probably still using the same Hotels and accommodation that was in the traditional package holiday.
Is the Thomson style business model dead?
I think it is. In the past, holidaymakers had to travel on the so-called change-over day at their chosen resort. Now, they can travel any day, for an odd number of days not just 7 or 14 days.
As in a previous comment I made, Thomson had maybe 1 or 2 flights per week to Malaga (none next summer)from LBA, Jet2 now have 14 757 flights per week! This is about the same size as the whole Thomson programme used to be from LBA in the good old days.
Thomson have been relying on timid people being afraid to organise their own holiday but maybe at LBA, there are fewer of these people than at some other airports.
All these changes must also be also having an effect on the resort hotels but I think a positive effect.
Probably with a tour operator, the hotel received a hugely discounted package payment and had to wait 6 months or more to collect. The private traveller pays slightly more, cuts out the middleman, and the hotel receives immediate payment.
If Thomson accept this trend, then I cannot see where their future lies with the present business strategy. Are the Thomsonfly low cost flights too little too late and at the wrong airports?
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Check out Thomsons commitment to LBA for next summer everyone:
MON Nothing (Palma and Paphos Gone !)
TUE Alicante (Tenerife Gone !)
WED Menorca (Ibiza Gone !)
THU Palma W (as 2006 !)
FRI Corfu (Dalaman Gone !)
SAT Ibiza (Reus and Malaga Gone !)
SUN Palma W (as 2006 !)
...........comments ???
MON Nothing (Palma and Paphos Gone !)
TUE Alicante (Tenerife Gone !)
WED Menorca (Ibiza Gone !)
THU Palma W (as 2006 !)
FRI Corfu (Dalaman Gone !)
SAT Ibiza (Reus and Malaga Gone !)
SUN Palma W (as 2006 !)
...........comments ???
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Rob T
I do not understand you. One minute you are advising people not to use Thomson, and now you are complaining that they apparently have reduced there operation at LBA? Which is it?
I think it is arrogant to suggest that package holidays are only for the "timid".
Is it more out going to have a lads weekend in Prague?
The package holiday market has not grown over the last few years, IMHO mainly due to the public enjoying the greater diversity and options avaliable in building your own holiday. These are also sometimes cheaper. Many people though seem to prefer the security of a rep in resort, and a known quality yardstick.
Lets just hope that as travel websites evolve, it will allow us to see off the money grabbing, largely now redundent middle man, AKA, the travel agent.
I do not understand you. One minute you are advising people not to use Thomson, and now you are complaining that they apparently have reduced there operation at LBA? Which is it?
I think it is arrogant to suggest that package holidays are only for the "timid".
Is it more out going to have a lads weekend in Prague?
The package holiday market has not grown over the last few years, IMHO mainly due to the public enjoying the greater diversity and options avaliable in building your own holiday. These are also sometimes cheaper. Many people though seem to prefer the security of a rep in resort, and a known quality yardstick.
Lets just hope that as travel websites evolve, it will allow us to see off the money grabbing, largely now redundent middle man, AKA, the travel agent.
Join Date: Aug 2000
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I couldn't find many flights for sale on the Thomsonfly website ex-LBA for next year, but the ones I could were all 'w' timings from other airports. A reasonable assumption therefore to suggest the based a/c has been pulled.
Somthing of a shake-out then in the last week or so in the Yorks / N.E. bmi at MME, XL at HUY and now TUI at LBA. What happens next is anyone's guess.
682.
Somthing of a shake-out then in the last week or so in the Yorks / N.E. bmi at MME, XL at HUY and now TUI at LBA. What happens next is anyone's guess.
682.
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bundybear, these were my comments not Rob.
(I think it is arrogant to suggest that package holidays are only for the "timid".)
(Is it more out going to have a lads weekend in Prague?)
I was not talking about the lads weekend out.
This is not at all connected.
I am talking about the huge choice of flights and flexibilty of making your own package. If you are right, then where are all the package flights?
And, tell me what you think the reasons are for big decline and the monumental rise of the D.I.Y package.
Say what you like, Thomson seem to have got it wrong for one reason or another with their product. I am right,or am I wrong?
wawkrk
(I think it is arrogant to suggest that package holidays are only for the "timid".)
(Is it more out going to have a lads weekend in Prague?)
I was not talking about the lads weekend out.
This is not at all connected.
I am talking about the huge choice of flights and flexibilty of making your own package. If you are right, then where are all the package flights?
And, tell me what you think the reasons are for big decline and the monumental rise of the D.I.Y package.
Say what you like, Thomson seem to have got it wrong for one reason or another with their product. I am right,or am I wrong?
wawkrk
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Thomsonfly Leeds Bradford
Months and months ago I warned of the departure of Thomsonfly from LBA and nobody believed me. My original comments were on the LEEDS - 1 Thread which has now been removed.
I have never had much of a soft spot for Thomsonfly (as you all know) but I have promised Pprune that I wont rant on about them. (but they're not worth it anyway IMO
)
On the good side of things at least PM will have space for a 4th 757, go baby go!
I have never had much of a soft spot for Thomsonfly (as you all know) but I have promised Pprune that I wont rant on about them. (but they're not worth it anyway IMO
)On the good side of things at least PM will have space for a 4th 757, go baby go!
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Suggestions that the charter market is dead and buried are wide of the mark. I've just extracted the CAA passenger data for August from their site and it reveals that 4 million passengers were flown on short-haul charter services to/from the UK last month. 25% of these passengers were flown to/from Manchester which at close to 1 million passengers represented 40% of the total passenger throughput at MAN. Of this million, over 400,000 were travelling to/from spain and the canary islands, 250,000 to Greece, 100,000 to Turkey and 75,000 to Cyprus. So whatever we might think is happening in the low-cost arena, there is still a sizeable market out there for package holidays and spain and the canaries still contribute a significant proportion of the market. No doubt this market was bigger prior to the low-cost boom, but one can't deny it is still a very big market - 1 million passengers per month is 90 return trips on a full A320 every day, probably meaning there are around 30+ based charter aircraft at MAN to run that sort of programme.
At LBA only 60,000 charter passengers passed through in August,, compared to the 1 million at MAN which is in no way reflected of relative catchment areas. When you consider that LBA's 60,000 was well above HUY, DSA, LPL etc then it shows just how much MAN dominates the market for this type of operation. By contrast, over 240,000 passengers were on short-haul charters out of NCL, yielding 4 x times the passenger throughput of LBA. Interestingly, short-haul non-domestic scheduled passengers at LBA were nearly 200,000 passengers which were 10% higher than NCL. All of which reinforces my long-standing belief that the lack of charter pax at LBA isn't because of lack of demand, or because people won't choose to fly from LBA.
Unfortunately TOM represented almost 50% of the 60,000 charter passengers at LBA, so their loss is a big one. It means less choice for local passengers for whom the self-tailored option is not right for them and reinforces the MAN stranglehold on package holiday bookings. But they have made a business judgement here so let's respect that and companies do not generally walk away from profitable routes or bases. It remains to be seen if new owners are installed at LBA whether any connections with the major tour operators might reverse the trends and whether a profitable way can be found to exploit the huge leakage to MAN. Personally, I'm sceptical.
At LBA only 60,000 charter passengers passed through in August,, compared to the 1 million at MAN which is in no way reflected of relative catchment areas. When you consider that LBA's 60,000 was well above HUY, DSA, LPL etc then it shows just how much MAN dominates the market for this type of operation. By contrast, over 240,000 passengers were on short-haul charters out of NCL, yielding 4 x times the passenger throughput of LBA. Interestingly, short-haul non-domestic scheduled passengers at LBA were nearly 200,000 passengers which were 10% higher than NCL. All of which reinforces my long-standing belief that the lack of charter pax at LBA isn't because of lack of demand, or because people won't choose to fly from LBA.
Unfortunately TOM represented almost 50% of the 60,000 charter passengers at LBA, so their loss is a big one. It means less choice for local passengers for whom the self-tailored option is not right for them and reinforces the MAN stranglehold on package holiday bookings. But they have made a business judgement here so let's respect that and companies do not generally walk away from profitable routes or bases. It remains to be seen if new owners are installed at LBA whether any connections with the major tour operators might reverse the trends and whether a profitable way can be found to exploit the huge leakage to MAN. Personally, I'm sceptical.
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Just a further point on the charter passenger figures.
Is it possible that some of these numbers are for flight only passengers?
Do the CAA figures seperate these in some way, how can they do this?
I imagine quite a few of the Manchester flights are topped up with flight only deals.Just look on the internet.
Is it possible that some of these numbers are for flight only passengers?
Do the CAA figures seperate these in some way, how can they do this?
I imagine quite a few of the Manchester flights are topped up with flight only deals.Just look on the internet.
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Yes, the CAA data reflects the principle purpose of the flight, not the passenger mix on board. So, there will be passengers travelling with Jet2 for example who have bought tickets through some of the "readers holidays" clubs or other pre-packaged holidays. Likewise, the charter flights carry seat only passengers.
682
682
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From the internet...............
In 2005 Avro was voted the best Charter Seat Only Company for the 7th ...
It seems to me the that the whole package tour description has been blown out of the water.We simply do not know what the flights are being used for.
Maybe this is why we cannot understand why charter flights are being dropped. As I said earlier but I should re-phrase it, the full blown package tour is dying a death.The advent of the Loco airlines was the Nemesis of the charter industry, but, it is not quite so easy to see that so clearly.
I know many people who have been using TOM for example from LBA for a number of years,but flight only.
They now use Jet2 and book about 4 holidays in advance at fantastic prices.
In this case,are the CAA figures meaningless.
In 2005 Avro was voted the best Charter Seat Only Company for the 7th ...
It seems to me the that the whole package tour description has been blown out of the water.We simply do not know what the flights are being used for.
Maybe this is why we cannot understand why charter flights are being dropped. As I said earlier but I should re-phrase it, the full blown package tour is dying a death.The advent of the Loco airlines was the Nemesis of the charter industry, but, it is not quite so easy to see that so clearly.
I know many people who have been using TOM for example from LBA for a number of years,but flight only.
They now use Jet2 and book about 4 holidays in advance at fantastic prices.
In this case,are the CAA figures meaningless.
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Jet2 are vastly superior to Thomsonfly.
We dont need Thomson anymore.
Good riddens I say and more power to PM
warkrk, how old are you?
Your opinion is myopic, parochial and biased.
Good on Jet2 for getting more people flying. Clearly they have a large and loyal customer base, so they must be doing something right. But does that meen TOM are doing something wrong? How many people have TOM flown from LBA over the years? They have maintained a year round base at LBA longer than all the other IT companies haven't they? If TOM can fill their aircraft at a lower cost and perhaps greater revenue from another base, then they, like any other business, will.
There rumoured reduction in flights is not an attack at LBA. They still have their full complement of cabin crew based there, with no mention of moving anybody, so maybe more flights to come? I for one, hope so.
BB
We dont need Thomson anymore.
Good riddens I say and more power to PM
warkrk, how old are you?
Your opinion is myopic, parochial and biased.
Good on Jet2 for getting more people flying. Clearly they have a large and loyal customer base, so they must be doing something right. But does that meen TOM are doing something wrong? How many people have TOM flown from LBA over the years? They have maintained a year round base at LBA longer than all the other IT companies haven't they? If TOM can fill their aircraft at a lower cost and perhaps greater revenue from another base, then they, like any other business, will.
There rumoured reduction in flights is not an attack at LBA. They still have their full complement of cabin crew based there, with no mention of moving anybody, so maybe more flights to come? I for one, hope so.
BB