Eastern Airways
Join Date: Dec 2015
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Sorry, in French
Will base one aircraft in Rodez (France) to operate to Lyon, Milano and Southampton
Trois nouvelles destinations à partir de l?aéroport de Rodez | Journal de Millau
Will base one aircraft in Rodez (France) to operate to Lyon, Milano and Southampton
Trois nouvelles destinations à partir de l?aéroport de Rodez | Journal de Millau
Join Date: Jun 1999
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Surprised to see an airport with flights to Southampton but nowhere in London!
Edit: In fact, google tells me there's a train station at the airport with trains to London only 80 minutes away. Probably just as quick as arriving at London's main airports.
Join Date: Jun 1999
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I should have made it clear that I meant a cheaper alternative for the airline in terms of landing and handling fees in comparison to the major airports. There's also the question of available landing slots at peak periods. As for ground transportation, the airline may perhaps have negotiated with the railways and is able to offer an air/rail deal.
Southampton has for a long time been a bit of a hub for flights from south east UK to regional France. Apart from Rodez, Southampton has summer seasonal flights to Brest and Toulon, neither of which are served direct from London. Other small regional French airports served from Southampton include Avignon, Bastia, Bergerac, Biarritz, Chambery, La Rochelle, Limoges, Perpignan and Rennes. There's an awful lot of wealthy people living in Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex with 2nd homes in French villages or who like the snob value of rural France
There are a number of other factors that might encourage this:
- Routes from the UK to small regional French airports often do not have sufficient profitable passenger demand to fill a 150 seat aircraft. Rodez is a charming town for a stroll but it is little known amongst the UK public and in the middle of nowhere - we are not talking Nice or Marseille
- The terminal at a small French regional airport may not have the capacity to handle a 150 seat aircraft.
- Until Stobart began flying ATRs from Southend, the charging schemes used by the likes of Gatwick were often economically prohibitive to aircraft with less than about 150 seats
There are a number of other factors that might encourage this:
- Routes from the UK to small regional French airports often do not have sufficient profitable passenger demand to fill a 150 seat aircraft. Rodez is a charming town for a stroll but it is little known amongst the UK public and in the middle of nowhere - we are not talking Nice or Marseille
- The terminal at a small French regional airport may not have the capacity to handle a 150 seat aircraft.
- Until Stobart began flying ATRs from Southend, the charging schemes used by the likes of Gatwick were often economically prohibitive to aircraft with less than about 150 seats
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: In the Pond
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Not forgetting that Eastern already flies from Rodez-Marcillac, Paris Orly up to 3 times per day (PSO route?)
The airport's had a number of Ryanair routes in recent years, so can certainly cope with a Saab 2000...
Bergerac's "tin shed" terminal manages to cope with Ryanair size loads year round and Béziers (Flybe served from Southampton a few years back for one season?) manages to cope with two Ryanair flights at the same time on some days.
Aveyron is not well served from the UK, a very understated region of France to visit, but well worth it.
MH
The airport's had a number of Ryanair routes in recent years, so can certainly cope with a Saab 2000...
Bergerac's "tin shed" terminal manages to cope with Ryanair size loads year round and Béziers (Flybe served from Southampton a few years back for one season?) manages to cope with two Ryanair flights at the same time on some days.
Aveyron is not well served from the UK, a very understated region of France to visit, but well worth it.
MH
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Provides a very nice connection with Eastern's LBA flights at SOU, though their website is currently not allowing a through booking (though a leading travel website is).
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Outbound pax can remain on board the aircraft whilst it's stops at SOU.
The return into the UK pax will need to disembark aircraft at SOU to clear Immigration.
Join Date: Sep 2007
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I'd say you're making a pretty big jump there.
It's just a peak season twice a week leisure route from the south of England to a little served (though sounds very nice) region of France. It looks easy for Eastern to operate as it would appear to be an extension of their existing LBA-SOU flights. Yes, SOU has a station served by London trains and for some that will be convenient, but I very much doubt anyone will try to market it as a specific London flight.
It's just a peak season twice a week leisure route from the south of England to a little served (though sounds very nice) region of France. It looks easy for Eastern to operate as it would appear to be an extension of their existing LBA-SOU flights. Yes, SOU has a station served by London trains and for some that will be convenient, but I very much doubt anyone will try to market it as a specific London flight.
According to Google Translate, the article linked above at #1388 says:
Flights to Southampton open the door to London and the South Coast of England and start on June 2nd.
Join Date: Sep 2016
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ABZ and Humberside
The rumours are true......all engineering in ABZ has gone, now at HUY. Many redundancies, engineers mainly. Staff at HUY have suffered the same fate, its been a bit messy to say the least.
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Whilst the downturn in the Oil & Gas industry has had an impact on Eastern's operations, a big factor has been not having the right people in the right place, i.e crew, engineers and ground staff. This has often led to the whole operation going completely t*ts-up in the past, causing frequent inconvenience to passengers who then simply find alternative methods of travel.
The Aberdeen hangar and engineering support up there was essential! To 'fix' the operation they need MORE people in the right places, not less! There was a big exodus of crew last year and yet there seemed to be almost no recruitment going on to replace those leaving, or any moves to try and retain those thinking of leaving. It's so frustrating to see them making a total mess of it all! The senior managements' attitude of "if you don't like it, f*** off" has to change, but sadly it won't, so people will do exactly that.
The Aberdeen hangar and engineering support up there was essential! To 'fix' the operation they need MORE people in the right places, not less! There was a big exodus of crew last year and yet there seemed to be almost no recruitment going on to replace those leaving, or any moves to try and retain those thinking of leaving. It's so frustrating to see them making a total mess of it all! The senior managements' attitude of "if you don't like it, f*** off" has to change, but sadly it won't, so people will do exactly that.
Join Date: Oct 2004
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That statement you made about 'if you don't like it.......'. That's was not just an attitude but was actually said to people.
Along with 'we can get pilots from anywhere'.
Apart from the DFO, who is a very good guy. Just incredibly poor leadership and management from generally everyone in a management position there.
Along with 'we can get pilots from anywhere'.
Apart from the DFO, who is a very good guy. Just incredibly poor leadership and management from generally everyone in a management position there.