Aer Lingus - 2
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There are a few seasonal routes going; we had our last DUB flight of the Summer here in Jersey today and although they'll be back next Summer, it's only going to be two weekly. Oh well.
Here's a little snippet from Airwise; some good and bad news for EI - good on the overall pax numbers, but t/a seems to have taken a hit from the whole security fiasco recent months, with load factors down about 7% to 72%; hopefully, it's just temporary. http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1162296499.html
With regard to fleet changes, I see from various threads on A.net that Air Madrid is teetering, due to continued serviceability and reliability issues; they've had flights delayed for over a day and in one case, by 60h and it's expected that the Spanish CAA will pull their licence. One of their aircraft, an A330-300, has been grounded at BCN for a good while - the aircraft formally known as EI-SHN. HOWEVER, they do have two GE powered A330-200s. Just a thought ...
On the whole Open Skies issue, I started a thread on this and the general vibe is that the actual agreement could be a long, long way off, in which case we need to see Plan B in place, from the govt. If the issue holding up agreement is something which is completely irrelevant to us (US airline ownership issues), then we really should be pushing for movement. This 50/50 Shannon nonsense can't go on for another year.
Here's a little snippet from Airwise; some good and bad news for EI - good on the overall pax numbers, but t/a seems to have taken a hit from the whole security fiasco recent months, with load factors down about 7% to 72%; hopefully, it's just temporary. http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1162296499.html
With regard to fleet changes, I see from various threads on A.net that Air Madrid is teetering, due to continued serviceability and reliability issues; they've had flights delayed for over a day and in one case, by 60h and it's expected that the Spanish CAA will pull their licence. One of their aircraft, an A330-300, has been grounded at BCN for a good while - the aircraft formally known as EI-SHN. HOWEVER, they do have two GE powered A330-200s. Just a thought ...
On the whole Open Skies issue, I started a thread on this and the general vibe is that the actual agreement could be a long, long way off, in which case we need to see Plan B in place, from the govt. If the issue holding up agreement is something which is completely irrelevant to us (US airline ownership issues), then we really should be pushing for movement. This 50/50 Shannon nonsense can't go on for another year.
Brunel to Concorde
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Bearcat
Things never change apparently. I have a slim volume written by a man who worked at the old Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport in the 1930s. Part of his duties consisted of preparing a weather report (not a forecast, he was at pains to point out) by looking at the wind sock and wind vane for wind speed and direction, and looking towards the hill beyond Long Ashton which if clear would give a visibility of beyond six miles.
The information was then converted into a code, known as the Q Code, which was transmitted by radio telegraph to Baldonnel for the information of the pilot of the daily Aer Lingus flight (DH Dragon) from Dublin to Bristol which service had commenced on 27 May 1936.
The problem was of course the weather had often deteriorated by the time the aircraft reached the West Country and I guess those pilots had as much trouble at times in landing at Whitchurch as you do on occasions at Lulsgate.
The City Council should have gone for Filton when they had the chance, but that's another story.
It will be a great pity if the Aer Lingus DUB-BRS service lapses again. It only re-started two or three years ago, after a gap of a few years that followed an unbroken run from the route's inception (WW II apart).
Furthermore, this winter's schedule appears to have increased to 6 x weekly from the summer's 5 x weekly.
It's a shame about the loads and yield. Of course with one daily rotation it isn't possible to do a daytrip so I suppose business pax like my son who sometimes needs to be in Dublin for only one day use Ryanair.
I was always a bit surprised that the Aer Lingus Airbus seemed to be timed for the early afternoon about an hour after the lunchtime Ryanair. I suppose it's all down to aircraft utilisation.
Overall, with the extra Ryanair flights and their 738s instead of 732s, the first nine months of 2006 on the Bristol-Dublin route has seen 270,000 pax compared to 220,000 in the first nine months of 2005.
Will be very sorry to see you go again.
Things never change apparently. I have a slim volume written by a man who worked at the old Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport in the 1930s. Part of his duties consisted of preparing a weather report (not a forecast, he was at pains to point out) by looking at the wind sock and wind vane for wind speed and direction, and looking towards the hill beyond Long Ashton which if clear would give a visibility of beyond six miles.
The information was then converted into a code, known as the Q Code, which was transmitted by radio telegraph to Baldonnel for the information of the pilot of the daily Aer Lingus flight (DH Dragon) from Dublin to Bristol which service had commenced on 27 May 1936.
The problem was of course the weather had often deteriorated by the time the aircraft reached the West Country and I guess those pilots had as much trouble at times in landing at Whitchurch as you do on occasions at Lulsgate.
The City Council should have gone for Filton when they had the chance, but that's another story.
It will be a great pity if the Aer Lingus DUB-BRS service lapses again. It only re-started two or three years ago, after a gap of a few years that followed an unbroken run from the route's inception (WW II apart).
Furthermore, this winter's schedule appears to have increased to 6 x weekly from the summer's 5 x weekly.
It's a shame about the loads and yield. Of course with one daily rotation it isn't possible to do a daytrip so I suppose business pax like my son who sometimes needs to be in Dublin for only one day use Ryanair.
I was always a bit surprised that the Aer Lingus Airbus seemed to be timed for the early afternoon about an hour after the lunchtime Ryanair. I suppose it's all down to aircraft utilisation.
Overall, with the extra Ryanair flights and their 738s instead of 732s, the first nine months of 2006 on the Bristol-Dublin route has seen 270,000 pax compared to 220,000 in the first nine months of 2005.
Will be very sorry to see you go again.
Aer Lingus-Ryanair deal could be too small for EU
A hostile takeover of Aer Lingus by Ryanair could be too small in size to justify an EU competition probe, the Financial Times said today.
http://www.rte.ie/business/2006/1101/aerlingus.html
JAS
http://www.rte.ie/business/2006/1101/aerlingus.html
JAS
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If you're referring to the EU anti-trust review, the deadline for EU authorities to approve the deal (in their so-called 'Phase 1' is December 6th. That Financial Times article stating that the two companies don't meet EU thresholds (ie. 'too small') is pure and utter nonsense.
If you're referring to the EU anti-trust review, the deadline for EU authorities to approve the deal (in their so-called 'Phase 1' is December 6th. That Financial Times article stating that the two companies don't meet EU thresholds (ie. 'too small') is pure and utter nonsense.
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So Aer Lingus are going to use their 2 new long haul planes to increase frequencies on existing routes.
http://www.rte.ie/business/2006/1102/aerlingus.html
hoped they might have been adventerous and tried something new, but i guess they have to defend their market.
http://www.rte.ie/business/2006/1102/aerlingus.html
hoped they might have been adventerous and tried something new, but i guess they have to defend their market.
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I was just looking at the Aer Lingus website and I noticed that they offer onward connections to many US cities via New York. The flights being operated by American Airways. Have they been doing this for long or is this a new initiative?
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Apparently, DM was on Marion Finucane's radio show yesterday and was pressed on the relationships between EI and Airbus and Boeing. DM said that the relationship between EI and Boeing was just as good as FR's relationship "and EI was currently in negotiations with Boeing for a particular type of aircraft".
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Very good interview - was challenged on the business value issue and the fuel surchages and other points. Almost sure he said that 4 extra A320s and 2 extra A330s would be on for next summer but wonder if I picked that up wrong.
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I thought it was 2 a320's and 2 a330's for next summer? Perhaps they're picking up extra aircraft from Airbus/Lessor???? If they are taking 4 a320's next summer, maybe we will see further frequency increases, new routes for winter 07, or new routes from cork?
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The announced expansion plans only require a single additional Dublin-based aircraft from the first weekend in June. So, one way or another, there is further short-haul expansion to be announced for next summer.
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I doubt if it will cease; at the end of the day, it's business for AA and it works for EI, so why would they want to throw this away.
As for EI's fleet, DM mentioned a few weeks back - before the FR takeover plans became known - that Airbus was talking to them about three A330s for 2008 delivery.
The problem for EI is that the current regulatory "black hole" is making life very difficult for EI from a planning standpoint; if the rule is changed to 3:1, then EI should be allowed to add new routes, but that's not at all certain. It should be, in that if O/S is agreed, we'll revert to the Nov 05 plan and if it isn't, then Ireland should be allowed to proceed with that agreement. There's no way the EU can justify a claim that changing the SNN stopover issue undermines its negotiations with the US and I think there are also competition and environmental law issues which the govt can use. I can't see the US govt objecting to a change in the stopover ratio, so I doubt if they'll object; US carriers won't either. I'm just wondering what the EU could do if the Irish govt decided to proceed and deem the EU approval as given - particularly given:
a) a conflict of laws, and
b) the current situation was never anticipated when the Commission took Germany and other countries to the ECJ
I can't see the govt having enough backbone to do this, but I do suspect that Cullen is growing impatient over the issue.
As for EI's fleet, DM mentioned a few weeks back - before the FR takeover plans became known - that Airbus was talking to them about three A330s for 2008 delivery.
The problem for EI is that the current regulatory "black hole" is making life very difficult for EI from a planning standpoint; if the rule is changed to 3:1, then EI should be allowed to add new routes, but that's not at all certain. It should be, in that if O/S is agreed, we'll revert to the Nov 05 plan and if it isn't, then Ireland should be allowed to proceed with that agreement. There's no way the EU can justify a claim that changing the SNN stopover issue undermines its negotiations with the US and I think there are also competition and environmental law issues which the govt can use. I can't see the US govt objecting to a change in the stopover ratio, so I doubt if they'll object; US carriers won't either. I'm just wondering what the EU could do if the Irish govt decided to proceed and deem the EU approval as given - particularly given:
a) a conflict of laws, and
b) the current situation was never anticipated when the Commission took Germany and other countries to the ECJ
I can't see the govt having enough backbone to do this, but I do suspect that Cullen is growing impatient over the issue.
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Ryan2000
When Openskies does eventually come in, will the Shannon lobby have the neck to ask for another transition period?.
They can thank their lucky stars that this one didn't kick on 1st Nov in as they'll have more transatlantic flights than ever in 2007.
Biddy Early must be praying for them!
They can thank their lucky stars that this one didn't kick on 1st Nov in as they'll have more transatlantic flights than ever in 2007.
Biddy Early must be praying for them!
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You can't rule it out, particularly with an election coming up, but I doubt if they'll get it; the Americans won't have it. Besides which, the deal that now exists has been approved by the EU and included in the whole EU/US deal - whenever that happens; as things are, we are the ONLY EU country out of the 25 which won't have O/S from Day 1.
The real question, I think, is what happens if the overall O/S is delayed beyond 2008. It could still happen and in that case, would SNN get a transitional period - and airlines stand for it? EI would hit the roof (and as a privatised carrier, it would be able to say what it feels). The thing that bugs me is, even if the EU/US deal doesn't go ahead, why not allow Ireland to proceed with the reduction in the ratio of DUB/SNN flights from next year; that cannot possibly affect or undermine EU negotiations with the US, but it would make a very positive difference to EI. Can't see the Americans objecting either (what they did object to was full O/S for Ireland before everyone else got it), because their carriers must be pretty cheesed off with the 50/50. For EI, it means certainty and knowing when they'll be able to add new cities and when they'll have to add new aircraft.
One possibility occurs; the EU has ticked Ireland off about CO2 emissions - the Environment Dept of the Commission; however, another Commission Dept - Transport - is forcing the govt to maintain the most environmentally unfriendly use of a large passenger aircraft - the stopover. In that circumstance, can the Irish govt say that it is required by the Commission to reduce emissions and therefore, the 50/50 is no longer sustainable and if the Transport Commissioner wants to sue, the Irish govt will join the Environment Commissioner as a co-defendant ...?
The real question, I think, is what happens if the overall O/S is delayed beyond 2008. It could still happen and in that case, would SNN get a transitional period - and airlines stand for it? EI would hit the roof (and as a privatised carrier, it would be able to say what it feels). The thing that bugs me is, even if the EU/US deal doesn't go ahead, why not allow Ireland to proceed with the reduction in the ratio of DUB/SNN flights from next year; that cannot possibly affect or undermine EU negotiations with the US, but it would make a very positive difference to EI. Can't see the Americans objecting either (what they did object to was full O/S for Ireland before everyone else got it), because their carriers must be pretty cheesed off with the 50/50. For EI, it means certainty and knowing when they'll be able to add new cities and when they'll have to add new aircraft.
One possibility occurs; the EU has ticked Ireland off about CO2 emissions - the Environment Dept of the Commission; however, another Commission Dept - Transport - is forcing the govt to maintain the most environmentally unfriendly use of a large passenger aircraft - the stopover. In that circumstance, can the Irish govt say that it is required by the Commission to reduce emissions and therefore, the 50/50 is no longer sustainable and if the Transport Commissioner wants to sue, the Irish govt will join the Environment Commissioner as a co-defendant ...?
No votes in changing the Bi-Lateral
RB
I'm not involved in the aviation sector, so this is very much an outsiders (call me a consumer) view;
The sad and simple truth is that the Irish Government has no interest/motivation in changing the current US-Irl aggrment. There are not enough votes for a political party to bother.
The Shannon lobby have long been motivated enough the keep pressure on the politicians in Counties Clare and Limerick, warning of impending doom at the ballot box if the stop over were removed, where as the staff of Aer Lingus and (forermerly) Aer Rianta in North County Dublin have only been agitated when job cuts were mentioned, otherwise, they didn't give a damn about the agreement enough to raise it as a political issue with their represntives or make it an issue.
If the majority of those whose livelyhoods depended on improving air transport in Ireland (i.e. the then semi-state employees of Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta in Dublin Airport) couldn't be bothered to raise it as an issue, then why sholuld anyone bother changing it? The management of both organisations were (until the privatisation of EIN) unable to comment on the arrangement.
JAS
I'm not involved in the aviation sector, so this is very much an outsiders (call me a consumer) view;
The sad and simple truth is that the Irish Government has no interest/motivation in changing the current US-Irl aggrment. There are not enough votes for a political party to bother.
The Shannon lobby have long been motivated enough the keep pressure on the politicians in Counties Clare and Limerick, warning of impending doom at the ballot box if the stop over were removed, where as the staff of Aer Lingus and (forermerly) Aer Rianta in North County Dublin have only been agitated when job cuts were mentioned, otherwise, they didn't give a damn about the agreement enough to raise it as a political issue with their represntives or make it an issue.
If the majority of those whose livelyhoods depended on improving air transport in Ireland (i.e. the then semi-state employees of Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta in Dublin Airport) couldn't be bothered to raise it as an issue, then why sholuld anyone bother changing it? The management of both organisations were (until the privatisation of EIN) unable to comment on the arrangement.
JAS
Last edited by Just a spotter; 7th Nov 2006 at 12:26.
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I think the reason things will change is that it's a totally different ball game now. The bleating of the Shannon stopover lobby, while not completely silent, has become a lot quieter. Not out of resignation alone, but I suspect that they understand (a) that it's unsustainable, (b) that with all the US carriers throwing 757s onto t/a routes, there's enough business for them to pick up and most fundamentally, (c) that, all things considered, the forced stopover doesn't actually help SNN much. I would be surprised if there were NO comments/points about this during the next election, but I suspect it will not be the major one.
Then you have the fact that EI is now privatised and can be a lot more vocal and even if it isn't, it has FR on board as a shareholder and it will want to see major growth on long haul. I also detect some impatience at govt level on this issue.
With the Democrats likely to take control of the US House of Representatives this evening, this is going to change things in the US and I don't think that will augur well for O/S at all. This will serve only to increase the pressure on the govt and ultimately, one hopes, the EU, to allow Ireland to change the ratio of flights. For the govt to be seen to acquiesce in something which is manifestly against our interests is very poor policy.
Maybe I'm being over-optimistic (it wouldn't be the first time), but I think that, one way or another, we will see change this coming Summer.
Then you have the fact that EI is now privatised and can be a lot more vocal and even if it isn't, it has FR on board as a shareholder and it will want to see major growth on long haul. I also detect some impatience at govt level on this issue.
With the Democrats likely to take control of the US House of Representatives this evening, this is going to change things in the US and I don't think that will augur well for O/S at all. This will serve only to increase the pressure on the govt and ultimately, one hopes, the EU, to allow Ireland to change the ratio of flights. For the govt to be seen to acquiesce in something which is manifestly against our interests is very poor policy.
Maybe I'm being over-optimistic (it wouldn't be the first time), but I think that, one way or another, we will see change this coming Summer.
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Shannon Stopover
We can't forget the fact that the government still own 25%. They still have a lot of power in the running of the company. If the Shannon stopover becomes an election issue they will do whatever gets the most votes. As well as that Siptu won't be too happy with Shannon workers losing their jobs. The Shannon stopover is completely ridiculous, and bad for the environment, but it could be around for some time to come
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A couple of other questions to satisfy my own mind. Its safe to say that this summer and indeed this year we have seen a lot of tech problems with A330's, i think the latest one being an a/c stuck in AGP for a few days. Well in years gone by we have seen the wet lease of the MD11 from World, was that not part of the equation at all this year? They knew about all the problems. Why wasnt something done like wet leasing for the summer season?
Is it not obivious to all in EI that the 330s are in serious need of overhaul and its simply not acceptable just to patch them up for another few weeks before something goes wrong again. Incidentally when are the next C and D checks scheduled for those a/c? On a tech issue, exactly how long does the 330 spend over water on the TA routes? And whats the ETOPS on a 330? Would it not be in their own best interests if the TA aircraft were kept in top form to prevent a loss over the atlantic which would send the share price into freefall?????
A recent trip to AGP on the 330, I paid the extra €35 for the premier seats. How in the name of god do they justify charging €3000 for DUB-JFK?
Is it not obivious to all in EI that the 330s are in serious need of overhaul and its simply not acceptable just to patch them up for another few weeks before something goes wrong again. Incidentally when are the next C and D checks scheduled for those a/c? On a tech issue, exactly how long does the 330 spend over water on the TA routes? And whats the ETOPS on a 330? Would it not be in their own best interests if the TA aircraft were kept in top form to prevent a loss over the atlantic which would send the share price into freefall?????
A recent trip to AGP on the 330, I paid the extra €35 for the premier seats. How in the name of god do they justify charging €3000 for DUB-JFK?