SOUTHEND
I wonder if Flybe's take-over of BAConnect could have any positive results for SEN?
Two years have passed since they expressed the (provisional) intention of opening a hub at SEN similar to that at NWI, but this seems to have stalled in recent months. Whether this was due to distractions elsewhere or the fact that the E195 cannot operate economically from SEN I don't know, but they obviously thought, at one point anyway, that a viable operation could be established at SEN.
Flybe say in their press releases that the acquistion of BAConnect will enable them to "bring forward their growth plans by two years" and they also say that their "new commercial plan envisages the opening of new bases", with these being announced by the end of December.
I heard from a very reliable source last week that SEN's best prospective airline, while still interested and in still in discussions with SEN have had their priorities shifted and are unlikely to be in a position of making major expansion announcements before 2007. Could that be Flybe I wonder?
Two years have passed since they expressed the (provisional) intention of opening a hub at SEN similar to that at NWI, but this seems to have stalled in recent months. Whether this was due to distractions elsewhere or the fact that the E195 cannot operate economically from SEN I don't know, but they obviously thought, at one point anyway, that a viable operation could be established at SEN.
Flybe say in their press releases that the acquistion of BAConnect will enable them to "bring forward their growth plans by two years" and they also say that their "new commercial plan envisages the opening of new bases", with these being announced by the end of December.
I heard from a very reliable source last week that SEN's best prospective airline, while still interested and in still in discussions with SEN have had their priorities shifted and are unlikely to be in a position of making major expansion announcements before 2007. Could that be Flybe I wonder?
Good News on the Flybe Front
I have been have told today that Flybe are considering SEN as a hub once the integration of BA Connect is completed, this having put other considerations on temporary hold.
While their provisional plans will not be actioned immediately, I have been told that the SEN project has by no means been abandoned and, while they cannot guarantee SEN will become a hub of Flybe, it will be considered in depth once the BA Connect integration is complete.
It comes as a relief to know that the E195 performance problem at SEN has not killed-off their interest and things surely now look a little more hopeful than for some time.
While their provisional plans will not be actioned immediately, I have been told that the SEN project has by no means been abandoned and, while they cannot guarantee SEN will become a hub of Flybe, it will be considered in depth once the BA Connect integration is complete.
It comes as a relief to know that the E195 performance problem at SEN has not killed-off their interest and things surely now look a little more hopeful than for some time.
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: East Midlands
Posts: 723
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh to pass via ATC............
Te He He as the FLT overflew.
Smaller, Cheaper, Less well visited ...................................... 1
Expensive, European, Over visited ...................................... 0
Tilson for Aport Manager at Freddie Eastwood International Airport!
Sorry, back to the thread, could not resist.
Bored,
A shrimpers and EGMC fan
Smaller, Cheaper, Less well visited ...................................... 1
Expensive, European, Over visited ...................................... 0
Tilson for Aport Manager at Freddie Eastwood International Airport!
Sorry, back to the thread, could not resist.
Bored,
A shrimpers and EGMC fan
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the banks of the Crouch
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
New station - or not, as the case may be
The Echo reported yesterday that Bulldozers have started the preparatory work for the construction of the new Southend Airport railway station.
However, before we all get too excited it appears the work is starting only to ensure the planning permission is retained.
The period during which work had to start expires at the end of this week and as there are still a number of planning issues to be resolved the bulldozers moved in.
The main stumbling block, apart from generating enough air traffic to warrant a new station, appears to be the requirement for a commuter car park to be built on green belt land, which Rochford District Council and the local residents are not too keen on.
It appears that legally not a lot of work needs to be done to ensure the planning application remains valid, so probably the bulldozers will be gone by next week and we can relax again in the knowledge that the status quo will be maintained for the forseeable future.
At least the intention is still there to build the new station, but if it ever gets built is another matter.
Cheers
Southender
However, before we all get too excited it appears the work is starting only to ensure the planning permission is retained.
The period during which work had to start expires at the end of this week and as there are still a number of planning issues to be resolved the bulldozers moved in.
The main stumbling block, apart from generating enough air traffic to warrant a new station, appears to be the requirement for a commuter car park to be built on green belt land, which Rochford District Council and the local residents are not too keen on.
It appears that legally not a lot of work needs to be done to ensure the planning application remains valid, so probably the bulldozers will be gone by next week and we can relax again in the knowledge that the status quo will be maintained for the forseeable future.
At least the intention is still there to build the new station, but if it ever gets built is another matter.
Cheers
Southender
niknak
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 2,335
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As far as the railway station is concerned, I don't think it will make a lot of difference.
I made a few enquiries, and it transpires that, in the majority of cases, where a railway station at or adjacent to an airport which wishes to be associated with it, the airport authority has had to fully fund the station development costs and pay an abitary fee for each passenger using that station.
The vast majority of Southend's passengers will be arriving by car, not rail and that would be the case if they had twice the current throughput of passengers.
I simply cannot see the justification for a station at the airport.
I made a few enquiries, and it transpires that, in the majority of cases, where a railway station at or adjacent to an airport which wishes to be associated with it, the airport authority has had to fully fund the station development costs and pay an abitary fee for each passenger using that station.
The vast majority of Southend's passengers will be arriving by car, not rail and that would be the case if they had twice the current throughput of passengers.
I simply cannot see the justification for a station at the airport.
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Middlesesx
Posts: 2,075
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Southender is spot on the rumours rumble onwards and it is also reflected in much of the seafront areas, also the subject of grand plans for marinas and 16 storey blocks of penthouse flats. SEN will take another dip soon when the 707 / Belfast depart. The only sucess story is 'Fords' and for the life of me with modern tech it is amazing that emplyees need to be ferried on a weekly basis. There is a thread on 'Cargo' about a new operator with 2 Shorts 360's and do not forget the work ATC / Flightline Eng bring in.
Don't forget that a lot of passengers will actually be arriving by AIR from Continental points of origin. Many of these pax will welcome a rail alternative into central London, rather than face hiring and driving a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side or a slow coach journey.
As an expat who has, I'm afraid, rather gone native it would seem totally bizarre to a Frenchman not to take advantage of an adjacent railway line that goes direct to the city whose name you are promoting. What's more, it would all be up and running within a couple of years, fully supported by the regional, local and commune councils. Vive la difference!
Recidivist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 1,239
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fair enough about rail travel being desirable, but Rochford station almost adjoins the boundary of the airport, so I can't see it would be any great hardship to make use of that.
1) Lug your cases outside the terminal, wait for the bus, drag your cases onto the bus, spend 10 minutes getting to Rochford Station (it must easily take that long at most times of day), lug your cases off the bus and into the station, buy your ticket then carry your cases over the footbridge to the 'up' line, then wait for the train.
2) Take your trolley direct onto the platform of the airport station, after buying your ticket in-terminal, then wait for your train (without having to cross the line).
If an airport station wasn't feasible then, sure, have a shuttle bus to Rochford Station. But as it is perfectly feasible then why make a simple transport interchange unnecessarily time consuming and hard work?
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Isle Du Cyber
Posts: 933
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Qantas 707 Departure
An e-mail received this afternoon stated the long Boeing 707 resident now of QANTAS will be on its way to the Channel Islands on Monday time unknown at the moment
The aircraft will be flying around Jersey with a practice approach and go-around and depart to where i do not know at the moment.
The aircraft will be flying around Jersey with a practice approach and go-around and depart to where i do not know at the moment.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Essex
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've been told by 2 seperate (well placed) sources that the airport authorities are considering laying a completley new runway ( I assume parrallel to the existing runway ).
As a result of this, I've also had a quick look around the internet and a found a document which reports on a visit to Rochford District Council on 5th October 2006 (no it's not an old document from 2001/2) by some Essex County Council Officers. It States,
"Consideration is being given to runway extension/realignment which could involve a closure or diversion of Eastwoodbury Lane".
I'm aware that this option was looked at a few years ago and rejected, but I'm assured that it is definitley being reconsidered currently - I assume this may have been forced on the airport management because of their inability to persuade carriers to use the existing runway configuration.
I have no idea how far things have progressed, but would assume that if they are serious, something will be announced within the next few months.
As a result of this, I've also had a quick look around the internet and a found a document which reports on a visit to Rochford District Council on 5th October 2006 (no it's not an old document from 2001/2) by some Essex County Council Officers. It States,
"Consideration is being given to runway extension/realignment which could involve a closure or diversion of Eastwoodbury Lane".
I'm aware that this option was looked at a few years ago and rejected, but I'm assured that it is definitley being reconsidered currently - I assume this may have been forced on the airport management because of their inability to persuade carriers to use the existing runway configuration.
I have no idea how far things have progressed, but would assume that if they are serious, something will be announced within the next few months.
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Isle Du Cyber
Posts: 933
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Belfast Update
Has any one got any news on how the Belfast is comming on this seems to have gone quite in view of the Qantas 707 being imminent to depart to greener pastures??
With the clearout of two more large aircraft and the pending plans for redevelopment going on, will there be some losses in the engineering department to make way for all this???
If only the clock could turn back 25 to 40 years when the Airport was humming with lots of raidal type aircraft.
With the clearout of two more large aircraft and the pending plans for redevelopment going on, will there be some losses in the engineering department to make way for all this???
If only the clock could turn back 25 to 40 years when the Airport was humming with lots of raidal type aircraft.
Presumably the idea would be to move the runway South to eliminate the intrusion of Eastwoodbury church into the Runway Strip Width if this were to be extended somewhat. The problem there is that the housing estate (Avro Road is it?) then intrudes into the 'new' Strip Width. The simple fact is that there is not the clear 300m width needed between the church and the housing.
The only real scope for improvement would seem to be the diversion of Eastwoodbury Lane so that the 06 threshold would no longer need to be displaced (adding some 110m to LDA on 06) and allowing a Starter Extension of up to 150m to be constructed for 06.
At the same time extending the existing Strip Width by just 35m (taking it up to the church wall and necessitating the laying flat of some gravestones), would take the church out of the Clearway cone, give an increase of TODA on 24 of some 140m, possibly more.
Thus, the new distances would be something in the order of:
06 TODA 1694 LDA 1395
24 TODA 1731 LDA 1459
Quite worthwhile increases on the current situation, so perhaps there is some mileage in trying to achieve those changes.
Last edited by Expressflight; 24th Nov 2006 at 08:14. Reason: My lousy maths!
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Middlesesx
Posts: 2,075
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As an S-O-S council tax payer and gainfully employed in aviation I must ask where some of you threaders get your infomation. A new runway is fiction, RAL are virtually brassic, it is a miracle that Ford are there for 3 years as the terminal public areas are a disgrace. RAL would spend there time better attempting to retain the little business they have got. As I have stated before they have little if any experience in airport / aviation development and are a bit part player operating 2 airfiields dealing in general aviation. Much of the present runway has only been resurfaced thie summer and is still far from perfect. Having spent the last 7 weeks working at LGW, that airport is dead as a doornail for long parts of the day with numerous empty stands and is also only 60-75 minutes from the alleged SEN catchment area. I cannot see who will be flying in from mainland EU to SEN and paying twice as much as they need to at LGW, STN or LTN. Whatever spin you wish to put on it I fail to see any LOCO coming to SEN operating turbo props to the EU. The only airline in this field is FlyBe and if you study their fares you will see they are not that cheap at all and having taken on BA Connect will surely be looking to consolidation not setting up at somewhere like SEN.
As always I hope to be proved wrong but these rumours, planning applications have been doing the rounds since 1997 to my knowledge to no effect.
As always I hope to be proved wrong but these rumours, planning applications have been doing the rounds since 1997 to my knowledge to no effect.
Also, why would an operator from an EU departure point be charging twice as much for its pax to fly into SEN as into LGW, LTN or STN? I can think of no basis for this being the case, but you obviously can so please enlighten me.
Still, at least your posts are consistent - consistently pessimistic.
If you really don't think that London area airports are approaching saturation at some periods of the day, then you must be in a minority of one.
Of course SEN's runway is a problem, but at least there are options which can be usefully explored to improve the situation. Whether it will happen or not is, of course, another question but at least this time it won't be for a lack of trying on the part of the airport management.