Astraeus - 2

[EC Does It]

Don't they already fly there?

[Beanbag]

Daysleeper, if you hover your cursor over the thread title in the thread listing you'll see the first few lines of the first post in a little tool-tip window. Would've shown you enough to save you reading this thread.

[flyingman-of-kent]

I read that BMI are leasing a couple of 757's or 767's from
Astraeus for new routes while waiting for their A300's

[m500dpp]

They are still advertising for CC - closing date 31/3!!!!!

[atmosphere]

from my "reliable sourse"

Astraeus will be Leasing 2 x 757-200 Aircraft to BMI, and by all accounts Astraeus will move into the wet/damp/dry leasing of Aircraft, and move away from the holiday charters. Flight deck jobs are safe for now, Cabin Crew will find out on Monday ish. Union has been advised and is dealing with both Cabin Crew and Ground staff employment.

The Cabin Crew I know in AEU aren't holding there breath!

[Out Of Trim]

Suggest you read the bmi thread - bmi to damp lease 2 x Astraeus B752s for 2 Years.

[Dan D'air]

Atmosphere,

Are you CC or FC? Well done for the post but I couldn't really make out what you meant, especially with the grammar!!

[exeng]

Dan D'air

Atmosphere's post was correct in that AEU are moving away from charter work and towards ACMI work. (ACMI = aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance)

This ACMI work will probably be some dry lease, some wet lease and some 'damp' lease.

The BMI work will involve damp lease operation (i.e. without Cabin Crew as these are provided by BMI).

AEU's requirement for Flight Deck Crew remains unchanged (for now) but it is possible that the requirement for Cabin Crew may diminish as more damp lease (i.e. BMI work) operations take place.


Regards
Exeng

[m500dpp]

wonder if BMI would take any AEU cc? might make sense, they currently dont operate any 757s according to Jethros - ready made trained staff!!!

Would seem to make sense - which probably means it wont happen!!!

(of course BMI are Heathrow vs LGW for AEU.......)

[Jalite]

So it looks like they want to get rid of over half of us (cabin crew that is!) oh joy. Now we know why they didn't want to get a bigger crewroom! Not a happy state of affairs at all

[Captain_Cargo]

Flystar Astraeus to buy 5 B737-700

Hi All

Not sure how true this rumour is true, but i have heard Astraeus have ordered 5 new B737-700 aircraft.

If anyone here from Astraeus can confirm this.

Best Regards



Captain Cargo

[JB007]

Hate to be picky...

There's no B737 in Boeing's model range. Maybe they should buy a 737 instead

Eh?

Do you mean Boeing never built a B737-700???

Eh?

[flyguy901]

don't be so childish and picky on the poor guy

[atmosphere]

If the Potential staffing model would see Cabin Crew reduced to circa 65 staff (from the current 125) and all roles to be based at LGW, with Ground Staff reduced to 51 staff (from the current 71) I can't see them ordering in 5 737-700's

[aztruck]

Why not?......

[Puritan]

Rumours rumours everywhere

With respect to the rumour about more B737-700 aircraft; one is always glad to see growth and employment opportunities, so it would certainly be good if Astraeus did introduce more aircraft,… but would these really be ‘more’, or are they just ‘replacements’?

I.e. At some point (later this year?) Astraeus’ new parent company(NTH) is reported as wanting to start operating flights to North America, via Keflavik, apparently filled with passengers from Scandinavia & Iceland… no doubt influenced by the ‘Open Skies’ agreement which commences at the end of March 2008. But therein these are likely, initially, to be ‘thin’ routes.

So maybe it’s the case that 5x B737-700s could be introduced as part of a phased retirement of the B757’s (a fleet which, I believe, Astraeus’ original Chairman once described as “Spectacularly unreliable!”). Nb. Astraeus presently has 5x B757… so the numbers do seem to fit.

And Astraeus already have 138 minutes ETOPS for their B737-700’s and therein a low cost operation across the Atlantic, via Keflavik, from / to the ‘smaller airports’ (e.g. Ryan Air style) in Scandinavia / North America might just be feasible?!

But, from where are they going to get the pilots (especially Captains)?

Astraeus do have a handful of pilots on the B757 who are already type-rated on the B737; so these could go through an OCC.
Those who are not 737 rated could be put through a B737 type-rating course (i.e. just as Astraeus did when they got the B757, when they took some off the B737 and type-rated them on to the B757). So there is a precedent / they’ve done if before!
And then there’s always the option for ‘Mixed Fleet Flying’, i.e. some pilots being allowed to fly the B737 & B757 on alternate days (so to speak).

Coupled with this, some may be aware that Astraeus recently ran an advertising campaign, on ‘Aviation Job Search’, specifically pointed at trying to recruit more B737 pilots (of all ranks)… or maybe this is just a toe-in-the-water exercise to determine the response, i.e. to see what’s out there?

This is a rumour network after all.

[aztruck]

Well Gojib has gone as far as Mexico city and trans Pacific etops Tokyo- Anchorage -Los Angeles this week so I think reliability is going rather well.
If you need 757 capability, there is only one choice...er...a 757. 737-700's come up a little short. BMI seem to like the idea.
Couple of 767 300 er's would be nice. If only we could find someone for them to play with.

[willy wombat]

So, are the 757s still spectacularly unreliable or have they got better (or worse)?

[amber 1]

"Spectacularly unreliable" seems a bit harsh. There are still plenty of them flying around.

[opsjockey]

er, i think Aztrucks post answers your question:

Quote// Well Gojib has gone as far as Mexico city and trans Pacific etops Tokyo- Anchorage -Los Angeles this week so I think reliability is going rather well.\\Unquote

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