ISLE OF MAN
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Isle of Man/Sheffield/N Wales
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The health service contract for patient transfer has gone back to Flybe for 12 months as Manx2's 6 month trial comes to an end.
Flybe wins back Isle of Man patient transfer contract - Isle of Man Today
Sounds like Flybe have undercut Manx2 considerably to secure this since the health minister says he was more than happy with Manx2's performance.
I suppose this is the end of the Hawarden flights but I'd love it if Manx2 see it as an opportunity and push BAE Systems to let them start up commercial flights.
Flybe wins back Isle of Man patient transfer contract - Isle of Man Today
Sounds like Flybe have undercut Manx2 considerably to secure this since the health minister says he was more than happy with Manx2's performance.
I suppose this is the end of the Hawarden flights but I'd love it if Manx2 see it as an opportunity and push BAE Systems to let them start up commercial flights.
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As far as I am aware the Health 'people' decided it was too expensive to continue the Chester flights and were considering scheduled flights as an alternative - nothing was mentioned about price so I dont think its that as such. I think its more the point that BE fly direct to Liverpool 3 times a day (most of the time) and it is more convenient option other than a special flight with Manx2
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Join Date: Jun 2001
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Nice new website.....but old pics.
New website, with an old picture, as previously seen on the Balpa site:
https://www.balpa.org/home.aspx
Must be a library image they've used?
https://www.balpa.org/home.aspx
Must be a library image they've used?
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Isle of Man
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Website may be nice, but the presentation of arrivals and departures is dreadful. There is a "helpful" block inviting you to check car park charges etc alongside the arrivals/departures info which compresses the whole screen (and in particular the info I actually want to see) laterally. That means the font used for the arrivals/departures info is unreadable unless you manually increase the text size.
Why oh why do these wiz kid developers with their 30" screens fail to consider that the average user probably has a 19" screen. Or am I the only one out there?
I'm dreading bringing it up on my mobile - it used to be ok, but now???
Why oh why do these wiz kid developers with their 30" screens fail to consider that the average user probably has a 19" screen. Or am I the only one out there?
I'm dreading bringing it up on my mobile - it used to be ok, but now???
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Seems that Eastern will no longer be basing an aircraft at IOM from the end of August as well as ending IOM-BHX. It's a shame. Best of luck to all the staff at IOM base, they are a good crowd. Flybe still desperate to recruit more cabin crew.
Comes as a bit of a shock that they have pulled out so soon. BE don't go double daily until end of October for W09. It had been mentioned that Eastern had tendered for the patient transfer contract so maybe they were hoping to get it.
IOM-BHX has also been removed from their website for booking after 23rd August. Interesting times again at IOM.
Comes as a bit of a shock that they have pulled out so soon. BE don't go double daily until end of October for W09. It had been mentioned that Eastern had tendered for the patient transfer contract so maybe they were hoping to get it.
IOM-BHX has also been removed from their website for booking after 23rd August. Interesting times again at IOM.
Last edited by FS01; 28th Jul 2009 at 18:56.
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Perhaps another casualty of the ludicrous IOM Government 'Open Skies' policy?
Let all the airlines operate all the same routes at all the same times, let them fight it to the death and we are then left with a monopoly.
Let all the airlines operate all the same routes at all the same times, let them fight it to the death and we are then left with a monopoly.
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I heard this was coming a few days ago.
There has been competition on IOM-BHX for many years, so this is not really a reflection of Open Skies policy, as it worked just fine for all those years. Simply a case of falling numbers of pax on route overall, due to economic situations, and a rapidly falling market share due to their pricing model and resultant high fares. And that was all before BE even had time to put their extra 400 seats a week on the route.
Wonder if BE will be able to bring their fourth Q400 forward, to plug the gap until W09 timetable.
Good luck to all the people impacted. There often seem to be cabin crew from MAN and BHX on the IOM crewed BE flights, so presumably the CC could mopped up by FlyBe.
Bet Manx2 will pick up NCL.
There has been competition on IOM-BHX for many years, so this is not really a reflection of Open Skies policy, as it worked just fine for all those years. Simply a case of falling numbers of pax on route overall, due to economic situations, and a rapidly falling market share due to their pricing model and resultant high fares. And that was all before BE even had time to put their extra 400 seats a week on the route.
Wonder if BE will be able to bring their fourth Q400 forward, to plug the gap until W09 timetable.
Good luck to all the people impacted. There often seem to be cabin crew from MAN and BHX on the IOM crewed BE flights, so presumably the CC could mopped up by FlyBe.
Bet Manx2 will pick up NCL.
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I am not so sure it is just the BHX issue. The same thing happened with the Southampton route - flybe started in competition, saw off Eastern and then withdrew it.
Look at the flybe Blackpool charade - start up in competition to Manx 2, I suspect this put Manx 2 under severe financial pressure, and then pull out.
They are like a plague of locusts!
I have seen flybe pull out of the Isle of Man once before. They are ruthless business people and certainly would not think twice about ditching us again if the climate dictated it.
Look at the flybe Blackpool charade - start up in competition to Manx 2, I suspect this put Manx 2 under severe financial pressure, and then pull out.
They are like a plague of locusts!
I have seen flybe pull out of the Isle of Man once before. They are ruthless business people and certainly would not think twice about ditching us again if the climate dictated it.
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Originally Posted by This is a crisis
Look at the flybe Blackpool charade - start up in competition to Manx 2, I suspect this put Manx 2 under severe financial pressure, and then pull out.
Join Date: Sep 2007
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FlyBe seemed to score an own goal on IOM - BLK, underestimating pax loyalty to Manx 2 and abstracting other pax from their own LPL service. They certainly threw the towel in pretty quickly. Now they've got the patient transfer traffic back, perhaps the motivation to make life tricky for Manx2 has gone.
BHX - IOM is a 55k-60k pax a year route, so should comfortably support double daily plus weekends on a Q400, so repeat of the SOU debacle seems unlikely.
TIAC - I'd agree regarding FlyBe's wider business style and ethics, and you are right that at some point they might feel they can hold the IOM to ransom, but I don't see any evidence they've shown any inclination to do this so far. Apart from a bit of seasonal and credit crunch trimming, the route network and frequencies compare favourably to what we enjoyed in Manx Airlines days, and I don't recall anyone being too bothered about their dominant market position, at the time.
Also, with the exception of Scotland, there is still reasonable competition to most areas of the UK, even if it is less so to individual destinations.
Anyway, it all keeps things interesting.
Again, good luck to the Eastern folks.
What are the odds VLM will actually come back at the end of the holiday season?
BHX - IOM is a 55k-60k pax a year route, so should comfortably support double daily plus weekends on a Q400, so repeat of the SOU debacle seems unlikely.
TIAC - I'd agree regarding FlyBe's wider business style and ethics, and you are right that at some point they might feel they can hold the IOM to ransom, but I don't see any evidence they've shown any inclination to do this so far. Apart from a bit of seasonal and credit crunch trimming, the route network and frequencies compare favourably to what we enjoyed in Manx Airlines days, and I don't recall anyone being too bothered about their dominant market position, at the time.
Also, with the exception of Scotland, there is still reasonable competition to most areas of the UK, even if it is less so to individual destinations.
Anyway, it all keeps things interesting.
Again, good luck to the Eastern folks.
What are the odds VLM will actually come back at the end of the holiday season?
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Realistically, in the long term IOM might very well be down to two carriers, Flybe for the trunk routes and Manx2 for the thinner routes.
I do not see VLM lasting forever on the LCY route, and Aer Arann's loyalty is also somewhat doubtful should they get under more overall pressure and cut back their operations. DUB would probably be sufficiently served by a Manx2-style operation anyway. And as for Blue Islands, not much difference whether they run a Jetstream to the C.I. or Manx2 a Metroliner.
I do not see VLM lasting forever on the LCY route, and Aer Arann's loyalty is also somewhat doubtful should they get under more overall pressure and cut back their operations. DUB would probably be sufficiently served by a Manx2-style operation anyway. And as for Blue Islands, not much difference whether they run a Jetstream to the C.I. or Manx2 a Metroliner.
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BBC NEWS | Europe | Isle of Man | Airline closes island crew base
Airline closes island crew base
An airline is closing its crew base and considering cutting all its flights to the Isle of Man.
Eastern Airways has blamed the "current tough economic trading conditions" for the move which could cost seven jobs.
A company spokesman said the pilots and air stewards could face redundancy or redeployment.
The airline is also debating whether to stop flying to the Isle of Man's Ronaldsway airport, cutting routes from Newcastle and Birmingham.
No online bookings to the Isle of Man are being taken from 27 August while the matter is under consultation.
The spokesman for the company, which flies to 17 airports across the UK, added: "We will of course endeavour to find jobs for those at the crew base.
"But it will of course depend on whether they are willing to be redeployed.
"Our Isle of Man routes are currently under review as we are looking at the schedules and timings to operate services from the other end of route."
Airline closes island crew base
An airline is closing its crew base and considering cutting all its flights to the Isle of Man.
Eastern Airways has blamed the "current tough economic trading conditions" for the move which could cost seven jobs.
A company spokesman said the pilots and air stewards could face redundancy or redeployment.
The airline is also debating whether to stop flying to the Isle of Man's Ronaldsway airport, cutting routes from Newcastle and Birmingham.
No online bookings to the Isle of Man are being taken from 27 August while the matter is under consultation.
The spokesman for the company, which flies to 17 airports across the UK, added: "We will of course endeavour to find jobs for those at the crew base.
"But it will of course depend on whether they are willing to be redeployed.
"Our Isle of Man routes are currently under review as we are looking at the schedules and timings to operate services from the other end of route."
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It is a suprise that NCL has been seemingly axed as well. 
This route would seem to be ideal potential for Manx2 or a Flybe/Loganair operation. It would be a loss to IOM if nobody steps in for NCL as it is the only direct to the north east.
This route would seem to be ideal potential for Manx2 or a Flybe/Loganair operation. It would be a loss to IOM if nobody steps in for NCL as it is the only direct to the north east.
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IOM has treated RL like 
. Encouraged FlyBe all the time (on SOU and BHX) and when Eastern bid for the DHSS patient contract not even the curtesy of a phone call to say tough, its gone to our mates at FlyBe. No wonder he told em to stick it.
I'll betcha BE never operate the double daily BHX on Tues and Wed in Jan and Feb like now loaded. Same as there LPL winter schedule - its all marketing bull and now Eastern have gone the schedule will change.
Lets hope BEs chums at Loganair take on NCL. That way they can lose a fortune for them on the route
FlyBe s next victim in there quest for world domination? Watch out Air arran.
Good luck to the J41 crew, come and join us on the mainland
. Encouraged FlyBe all the time (on SOU and BHX) and when Eastern bid for the DHSS patient contract not even the curtesy of a phone call to say tough, its gone to our mates at FlyBe. No wonder he told em to stick it.I'll betcha BE never operate the double daily BHX on Tues and Wed in Jan and Feb like now loaded. Same as there LPL winter schedule - its all marketing bull
and now Eastern have gone the schedule will change.Lets hope BEs chums at Loganair take on NCL. That way they can lose a fortune for them on the route
FlyBe s next victim in there quest for world domination? Watch out Air arran.
Good luck to the J41 crew, come and join us on the mainland
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jetstream without wanting to sound too one sided BE are possibly the most sucessful airline around at the moment. The last airline to operate the same schedule all year round to LPL was Euromanx... say no more. Flybe are clever in the fact that they adjust capacity to meet demand. While some people may not like it, it is the way airlines survive these times.
And NCL in my opinion has the potential to replicate the sucess of SOU in the way pax figures went right up after BE started flights in S07.
This is not a knock at Eastern. Business service is what they provide and provide it they do, very well. However the world over business class products are taking a hammering as people spend less and look for economy over business class products.
And NCL in my opinion has the potential to replicate the sucess of SOU in the way pax figures went right up after BE started flights in S07.
This is not a knock at Eastern. Business service is what they provide and provide it they do, very well. However the world over business class products are taking a hammering as people spend less and look for economy over business class products.
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Eastern were only ever going to be a bit player in IOM market. Their business model, pricing and available capacity ensured that. But it's not just FlyBe that have caused them problems. Manx2's GLO service killed off their BRS route in just a week or two.
Even with a totally clear run at NCL (no alternative for many miles, in any direction) their pax numbers have been pitiful. I know several people with kids at Uni. in Newcastle or Durham, but no-one would contemplate using Eastern as they are simply far too expensive.
At the end of the day, I doubt they knew the IOM market anything like as well as FlyBe or Manx2, stuck to their model, and it's not worked out.
FS01 is spot on. Their business focused operators are struggling to make it work right now - will it work again in the future - who can tell.
On the two occasions I used them, their services was great, but not worth half what what my employer paid.
Even with a totally clear run at NCL (no alternative for many miles, in any direction) their pax numbers have been pitiful. I know several people with kids at Uni. in Newcastle or Durham, but no-one would contemplate using Eastern as they are simply far too expensive.
At the end of the day, I doubt they knew the IOM market anything like as well as FlyBe or Manx2, stuck to their model, and it's not worked out.
FS01 is spot on. Their business focused operators are struggling to make it work right now - will it work again in the future - who can tell.
On the two occasions I used them, their services was great, but not worth half what what my employer paid.