NORWICH

[turbroprop]

Is that Sir Peter's lot that own Coventry aerodrome?

[NickBarnes]

They own Exeter and Coventry as well

[Phileas Fogg]

Manston Airport got sold quite recently, latter half of last year, also

[NickBarnes]

Yes of course Norwich will end up like Manston! Silly me

[Phileas Fogg]

Nick,

Are you suggesting that it would be an impossibility that NWI would be closed in favour of real estate?

I worked at NWI and lived in NWI so I know the lie of the land, some prime land just off the outer ring road, even when I wast last living there more than 25 years ago they had electrified the London railway and housing development in Norwich was going "crazy".

So what has NWI got ... It's got FlyBE, yep Manston had FlyBE, it's got City Hopper, yep Manston had City Hopper also, it's got some helicopter business, yep Manston had helicopter business also, it's got a maintenance facility, yep Manston had that also, about the only difference between Norwich and Manson to me seems to be an ABZ route, some summer charters, and an Airport Development Fee!

[davidjohnson6]

Purely on commercial grounds, is it possible that turning NWI into a giant housing estate would be a money-spinner ? Yes, very possible

What is different between Manston and Norwich ? Extra 400k passengers per year

Would local or central Govt want to step in to make NWI's closure more difficult under the guise of planning law ? Would such a closure be politically acceptable ? Harder questions to answer

[NickBarnes]

Oh no of course it's not an impossibility, long into the future who knows but that could be said about so many of the UK's smaller regional airports, but for the foreseeable future yes it's pretty impossible.

so you are comparing Manston with Norwich.

Okay so Norwich has KLM Cityhopper yes but compared to Manston it is a whole differen't operation.

For 2013 the Manston route carried 35,854 now it did have less frequency than Norwich does and also it only started in April 2013 but.......

Norwich handled 132,056 passengers on that route, this was more for the year than; Belfast International 104,575, Cardiff 116,701, DTV 98,305, East Midlands 35,034, Exeter 35,356, Humberside 113,679, Southampton 103,524.

Now I know KLM don't operate at all of those airports, but at Cardiff, DTV, and Humberside they do, but Norwich was much higher, so Norwich remains an important base along with their maintenance and engineering which is strategically brilliant for KLM due to it's proximity of Amsterdam.

Flybe in fact only have their summer flight to Jersey, and now Loganair under the Flybe brand fly to Manchester and Edinburgh 3 times daily, choosing to base 3 aircraft and relocating crew and staff to the airport.

Norwich has a massive Helicopter operation compared to what Manston had serving the gas platforms and oil industry.

Norwich's Aberdeen Route saw 62,000 plus passengers a lot linked to the gas industry

Plus Holiday charter is growing year on year at the moment,

But the major thing to mention is Air Livery, currently planned to begin constructing a brand new 5 bay hangar painting facility, (north east section of the airport) at the 3rd quater of this year to bring all small to medium aircraft to be painted at Norwich, increasing movements by 10%.

now would they really be investing and building something like that if the airport had any sign of closing in the next few years..... no

The new owners also own Exeter and Coventry, have they been closed for housing nope in fact they reopened Coventry after it was shut previously.

But the major fact is this

Norwich's Total Aircraft movements 2013 = 40,702 (that was 20,000 more than Southend I believe)
Manston Total Aircraft movements 2013 = JUST 17,504

Norwich's Total Passenger Traffic 2013 = 463,401
Manston Total Passenger Traffic 2013 = 40,391

So from this we can see that Norwich is nothing like Manston was and im sure many people would agree with that.

So will it close in the foreseeable future NO
Into the Distant Future, who really can say!

[NickBarnes]

As davidjohnson has said it would be a much harder challenge to get Norwich Airport turned into a housing estate, politically and for local residents of nearby small villages. so just another reason why for now it won't be closing any time soon but on those figures set out above in my previous post it would make closing Norwich a very unpopular decision

[no slots]

Some of those comparisons above are basically b*$$*"ks! Norwich is the 2nd busiest North Sea helicopter operation after Aberdeen with approx 70 flights a day. The summer charter market has grown significantly enough for Thomson to base an aircraft there this year and next with additional routes for next year. The ex Flybe Edinburgh route is now 3 x daily as is Manchester. There is, as already stated, a large development on the north side being started soon. Norwich is one of the fastest growing regional airports in the country. I think it would be safe to say that it's been sold as a going concern with hopefully a bit of money invested into the infrastructure to achieve this. But, as usual we will wait and see!
Manston v Norwich???? please!!!!

[NickBarnes]

Least no slots has some common sense, good post

[jamesp]

So 3 x airports.....could it be mr rigby might start his own airline when he has enough airports. I dont think its going tp be to long before mr rigby starts his own airline.
He has devonshire and warwickshire now norfolk (apologies if norwich isnt in norfolk). My opinion is, he has the airports, the only thing next could only be...
On a seperate note he is doing well on business traffic at cvt. 737s and 757s are regular visitors at the airport. You get a fantastic view from the hangar bars balcony at the parked aircraft on the apron at cvt. I guess time will tell whats his plans are for the 3 airports.

[Musket90]

Also Rigby Group ( Regional City Airports Management) have interest in Blackpool and Derry

[tommynwi]

Any sign of new routes from Norwich in the pipeline??

Many thanks.

[JulieAndrews]

You would have thought nwi could afford some weed killer for the taxiways from the Airport Improvement Tax?

[NickBarnes]

tommynwi Any sign of new routes from Norwich in the pipeline??

Many thanks.

No sign of any new routes yet

[tommynwi]

Thanks for that info Nick. I have noticed on the thomson website that the new thursday dalaman flights are no longer available. The based aircraft looks as though it will operate ibiza on wednesdays with a W pattern to BHX, and tunisia on the thursday with a W pattern to BHX.

[NickBarnes]

Few weeks old news but Norwich has ski flights back for January and Febuary this winter.

To be operated by Intersky using their ATR 72's

News - Norwich Airport

[NickBarnes]

Tenerife Winter 2015-2016

For the 2015-2016 winter season Tenerife will increase to 2x weekly, from 1x weekly.

Days are Thursday and Sunday

About as exciting as it gets in terms of news at NWI

[LXGB]

North Denes heliport: Future of Great Yarmouth airfield 'in jeopardy'

[NickBarnes]

shame about North Denes can only see it closing and all traffic to Norwich eventually.

side note,

Tenerife saw 1767 pax in Novemeber

177 pax average = 94% LF

hence Thomson increase next winter