CARDIFF - 3
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bmibaby will not base additional aircraft at Cardiff if the airline can make more money, or seize more opportunities from another base. At the moment, BHX is the focal point for bmibaby, as the airline has a lot of potential market to gain from the flybe-BA Connect merger, and sadly this means that other bases are having the brakes put on them. We can all see the reasons why WW ought to expand from Cardiff, there is very little direct competition on some core routes, serving one of the UK's most exciting cities. The sad thing is, under bmi management we are heavily under-resourced and under-funded, we don't have the same mass expansion power that bigger carriers like EZY or RYR have, thus if they can afford to keep CWL at it's present size they will.
I wouldn't be surprised to see flybe or Thomsonfly take advantage of this situation over the next year, as they serve very different markets that encompass the bmibaby route network. Flybe do well on point-to-point business routes (Scotland, Northern Ireland and France) whilst Thomsonfly's market are holiday spots (like the Costas, Portugal, Italy, Canaries) increasingly being flown at scheduled like frequencies. Combined, they could easily push bmibaby out of the market.
Whilst it's been about two years since I was last down at CWL, the base always had fantastic local crews, and the aviance staff were excellent as well. How is handling at CWL these days?
I wouldn't be surprised to see flybe or Thomsonfly take advantage of this situation over the next year, as they serve very different markets that encompass the bmibaby route network. Flybe do well on point-to-point business routes (Scotland, Northern Ireland and France) whilst Thomsonfly's market are holiday spots (like the Costas, Portugal, Italy, Canaries) increasingly being flown at scheduled like frequencies. Combined, they could easily push bmibaby out of the market.
Whilst it's been about two years since I was last down at CWL, the base always had fantastic local crews, and the aviance staff were excellent as well. How is handling at CWL these days?
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BMI Baby
Surely something is going to happen at Cardiff, as it was pointed out
a few posts earlier that the summer 2007 schedule just has too many holes?
There is a morning and evening slot available and these are unusual
periods to have aircraft down time. Is a new route (or two) to be
announced or reduce the base to two units by chopping a couple
of flights?
I know BHX has had down time in the past (usually midday) and it is
happening again this summer 2007 - there is a gap from 10.30-14.30
Monday Friday and another the days the Marseille does not operate.
Is there going to be another summer 2007 announcement of routes
for Cardiff & BHX?
OP
a few posts earlier that the summer 2007 schedule just has too many holes?
There is a morning and evening slot available and these are unusual
periods to have aircraft down time. Is a new route (or two) to be
announced or reduce the base to two units by chopping a couple
of flights?
I know BHX has had down time in the past (usually midday) and it is
happening again this summer 2007 - there is a gap from 10.30-14.30
Monday Friday and another the days the Marseille does not operate.
Is there going to be another summer 2007 announcement of routes
for Cardiff & BHX?
OP
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Off the point, ive noticed that BRS first Longhaul flight starts tomorrow to Sanford, with 222 pax booked up, via MAN. Im slightly mythed at why cardiff longhaul schedual doesnt start until May, after all CWl has always been where long haul flights have gone from over BRS, so if BRS can get pax now why shouldn have Cardiff been able too? Its absolutely ludacrus that an airport with a history of no or very little long haul schedueld services, gets to start there season this early, if TOM had done the same as FC or did it last year cardiff surely would have been able to fill up the plane wth loads similar to this. oh neh
Last edited by cwl747; 3rd Feb 2007 at 15:12.
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MyTravel usually start off the season. This year they are using their own a/c longer than they did last yr (about 2 months this yr i think) Starts end of March i believe. Even though the flight is a split with either BHX or MAN.
As far as Tom is concerned, i agree with you. However this yr it may be down to a/c charters or availability as some of the fleet is still in refurb till may.
As far as Tom is concerned, i agree with you. However this yr it may be down to a/c charters or availability as some of the fleet is still in refurb till may.
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I've been reading this forum for some time and after seeing mentions of route losses and struggles to get a Paris route, it made me wonder how far the airport can actually go to make sure that the south wales region actually has a proper 'international' airport. Although i'm not an aviation expert i know there are a variety of factors that determine whether an airport gets new routes or not and it would be interesting to hear views from you guys on what routes could be supported here if airlines were to give our airport a chance.
Scourge of Bad Airline Management!
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I've been bored today for once, and so spent a few minutes looking at the baby S07 CWL schedule. Well, first the good news, it definately needs three aircraft (eg, at 1115, one aircraft is en route BFS, one en route PRG, one returning from AGP) - I used a Monday for my thinkings...
BUT:
This is NOT a good low cost schedule. It has holes everywhere, which is precisely not what the low cost airline needs, and usually does all it can to avoid.
My guess is:
Aircraft 1 does AGP-ALC-BFS (out at 0600, home at 2145)
Aircraft 2 does EDI-PRG-EDI (home at a VERY early 1910!)
Aircraft 3 does BFS-GLA-AMS (out at 1020 - late - and back at 2205, with some looooong turns in there at CWL)
Either
1. baby have some planned maintenance - odd for the summer season; or
2. they have some ideas coming up to fill the gaps and make better use of the aircraft; or
3. they are going to be using an aircraft as a hot standby for, say, BHX; or
4. their scheduling team have had a brain fart; or
5. based on OltonPete's BHX study, they can't schedule anyway; or
5. they have lost the plot!
It doesn't really work that way. The airport is not a charity case, but a supplier to the airline industry, in the same way that a fuel company is. It is up to the airlines to find routes. Being honest, almost any route can be filled by any airline, if the fare is right - the trick is, can the revenue be lifted high enough to make it worthwhile. I call this the "Field of Dreams" school of airline management, Xtypeman will understand that!!
TA
BUT:
This is NOT a good low cost schedule. It has holes everywhere, which is precisely not what the low cost airline needs, and usually does all it can to avoid.
My guess is:
Aircraft 1 does AGP-ALC-BFS (out at 0600, home at 2145)
Aircraft 2 does EDI-PRG-EDI (home at a VERY early 1910!)
Aircraft 3 does BFS-GLA-AMS (out at 1020 - late - and back at 2205, with some looooong turns in there at CWL)
Either
1. baby have some planned maintenance - odd for the summer season; or
2. they have some ideas coming up to fill the gaps and make better use of the aircraft; or
3. they are going to be using an aircraft as a hot standby for, say, BHX; or
4. their scheduling team have had a brain fart; or
5. based on OltonPete's BHX study, they can't schedule anyway; or
5. they have lost the plot!
what routes could be supported here if airlines were to give our airport a chance
TA
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At the moment, handling at CWL for WW is very good and i think they are the best airline to work with as the crews are so friendly.
But time will tell as dispatchers will soon be based outside and there is to be a restructured aviance. All staff to turnaround a/c (meeting/boarding) will be organised front of house, and therefore the dispatchers have no control on staff that will turnaround their a/c and a lot of trust will be needed. This will either be an excellent choice and more professional or it will be a disaster with a lot of passenger service delays. We will just have to wait and see.
Apparently if WW will have only 2 a/c based at Cardiff then there will not be a need for a Baby representative to be based at CWL. The representative has not been informed of one aircraft being removed at CWL or him being based at another airport.
As somone sugested that the downtime maybe used as a standby for BHX. This could be possible as there were times last summer where CWL a/c went tech and they then sent a/c down from other stations within 3 hours. Is this because those stations had downtime or is it because they cancelled flights from those other stations?
But time will tell as dispatchers will soon be based outside and there is to be a restructured aviance. All staff to turnaround a/c (meeting/boarding) will be organised front of house, and therefore the dispatchers have no control on staff that will turnaround their a/c and a lot of trust will be needed. This will either be an excellent choice and more professional or it will be a disaster with a lot of passenger service delays. We will just have to wait and see.
Apparently if WW will have only 2 a/c based at Cardiff then there will not be a need for a Baby representative to be based at CWL. The representative has not been informed of one aircraft being removed at CWL or him being based at another airport.
As somone sugested that the downtime maybe used as a standby for BHX. This could be possible as there were times last summer where CWL a/c went tech and they then sent a/c down from other stations within 3 hours. Is this because those stations had downtime or is it because they cancelled flights from those other stations?
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WW schedule
Twinaisle has shown that the schedule bears no sense. The Loco policy is maximum aircraft utilisation and for Loco this is between 0700 and 2300. Most Loco do not operate night flights beacuse it burns crew avaliability. Do we see a crew numbers issue at CWL. Also if you look at some of the times are baby on self destruct BFS could be a buisness day GLA once a day when 6G where doing it twice a day loads where very high. There is something going on with baby we will all have to wait and see.
As to routes out of CWL you either use the scientific approach CAA origin and dest data or you use the Ryanair version if you have two lots of population with either water or grater than 500 miles apart and you sell at the best price you will get passengers to travel. This does open up all kinds of potential route oportunitys. Put all the routes now operated out of cwl on a map and see where the holes are thats where routes can do best. The first that come to mind are Germany and Scandinavia home to Lufthansa and SAS both major owners of Bmi!!!!! Eastern Europe, North Africa. However the sunspots already served are according to info i have seen at maximum and need more services to supply the demand. Do not build your hopes up that Flybe will come in as the night in shinning arm. All cwl is getting is a dash 8 400 best you can hope is Uk domestic and Northen France you wont see a Flybe jet for a long long time.
As to routes out of CWL you either use the scientific approach CAA origin and dest data or you use the Ryanair version if you have two lots of population with either water or grater than 500 miles apart and you sell at the best price you will get passengers to travel. This does open up all kinds of potential route oportunitys. Put all the routes now operated out of cwl on a map and see where the holes are thats where routes can do best. The first that come to mind are Germany and Scandinavia home to Lufthansa and SAS both major owners of Bmi!!!!! Eastern Europe, North Africa. However the sunspots already served are according to info i have seen at maximum and need more services to supply the demand. Do not build your hopes up that Flybe will come in as the night in shinning arm. All cwl is getting is a dash 8 400 best you can hope is Uk domestic and Northen France you wont see a Flybe jet for a long long time.
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At the moment CWL is not having any type of a/c from Flybe. The A/C is operating from BFS this has come from Flybe itself. This may change if the deal between BaCon and Flybe. With competition from EasyJet they may shift their BRS operation to CWL instead. Or they may not at all, we'll just have to wait and see.
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At the moment CWL is not having any type of a/c from Flybe
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In regards to TOM, are the lowcost wing changing their name to TUIfly.com as it is in Europe or are they retaining Thomsonfly? Wouldn't this help to distinguish between the low-cost and the charter operations of the airline?
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TOM will become TUIFly in a couple of years. The TUIFly brand wll become Europe wide
Keeping TOM wouldn't distingush between LoCo and Charter as that is already TOM. Bringing BY for charter would do that (well, I can dream
)
Keeping TOM wouldn't distingush between LoCo and Charter as that is already TOM. Bringing BY for charter would do that (well, I can dream
)
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Road Improvements
Taken from todays Echo. Anybody know what the implications of not trunking sections of the A48 etc will have on this scheme?
AMs pledge to build M4 airport link
Feb 7 2007
Phillip Nifield, South Wales Echo
The Welsh Assembly Government today announced plans to press ahead with plans to improve road links from the M4 to Cardiff International Airport.
Their announcement comes in the wake of the decision to site the £14bn defence training complex at nearby St Athan.
The scheme would improve Five Mile Lane - the A4426 - to cater for the projected growth at the airport, improve road safety along the link and support development in the south of the Vale of Glamorgan.
There were proposals to trunk the A48 from Culverhouse Cross to Sycamore Cross, and parts of three roads leading to the airport.
But following public pressure from villagers a public inquiry ruled that the roads should not be trunked and that has been accepted by the WAG.
Transport Minister Andrew Davies said: 'Following the announcement that St Athan is the preferred location for the £14bn Defence Training Academy, I am delighted to bring forward a scheme to improve road access from the M4 to Cardiff International Airport.
'We are aiming to start this work at the earliest possible opportunity, subject to completion of the planning process.'
The costs of the work has not be finalised.
Nothing on the WAG website yet, although that's never all that quick of the mark.
MB
AMs pledge to build M4 airport link
Feb 7 2007
Phillip Nifield, South Wales Echo
The Welsh Assembly Government today announced plans to press ahead with plans to improve road links from the M4 to Cardiff International Airport.
Their announcement comes in the wake of the decision to site the £14bn defence training complex at nearby St Athan.
The scheme would improve Five Mile Lane - the A4426 - to cater for the projected growth at the airport, improve road safety along the link and support development in the south of the Vale of Glamorgan.
There were proposals to trunk the A48 from Culverhouse Cross to Sycamore Cross, and parts of three roads leading to the airport.
But following public pressure from villagers a public inquiry ruled that the roads should not be trunked and that has been accepted by the WAG.
Transport Minister Andrew Davies said: 'Following the announcement that St Athan is the preferred location for the £14bn Defence Training Academy, I am delighted to bring forward a scheme to improve road access from the M4 to Cardiff International Airport.
'We are aiming to start this work at the earliest possible opportunity, subject to completion of the planning process.'
The costs of the work has not be finalised.
Nothing on the WAG website yet, although that's never all that quick of the mark.
MB
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They are going to run it from J34 but the problem is that they have mentioned the railway bridge there leading towards hensol, which suggests that it will be a single carriage way. Even so, if it is a decent road with a national speed limit direct to the airport then it will cut the journey probably by 10 minutes.
The main problem is how will they overcome the A48 crossing to the 5 Mile lane. The only thing i can suggest is that there will be a roundabout there.
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I can see that they are moving along nicely with the new £2M baggage reclaime extension. They have put the first floor slabs in now, i'll try and get some pics of the development. Anyone spotted airbridge 10, half is blue and other half is white.
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Scottish rugby airlifts start tomorrow with Globespan making a visit to fly the Welsh rugby team up to EDI (Weather Permitting) Hearing the rumours thats floating about they maybe here next year. KLM Cancelled flights for tomorrow. 8th Feb KL1058 KL1059/KL1060 KL1065/KL1066 Due to bad weather. Could see more cancellations to come with this snow.
Fly Safe
The main problem is how will they overcome the A48 crossing to the 5 Mile lane. The only thing i can suggest is that there will be a roundabout there.
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I can see that they are moving along nicely with the new £2M baggage reclaime extension. They have put the first floor slabs in now, i'll try and get some pics of the development. Anyone spotted airbridge 10, half is blue and other half is white.
*********************************************************
Scottish rugby airlifts start tomorrow with Globespan making a visit to fly the Welsh rugby team up to EDI (Weather Permitting) Hearing the rumours thats floating about they maybe here next year. KLM Cancelled flights for tomorrow. 8th Feb KL1058 KL1059/KL1060 KL1065/KL1066 Due to bad weather. Could see more cancellations to come with this snow.
Fly Safe
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On the junction from J34, I am sure that I heard RM say a new Dual Carrigway from J34, in the BBc news (Wales) when St Athans news was announce to be open by the time St Athans is partially open 2009. I have however seen the earlier post that says its too be single lane carrigeway. With the link too IC Wales. I think this is everything that CWL needs, finally a direct link too CWL from the motorway, another one up on BRS. I am sure they could build a new railway bridge to span a dual carrigeway, and good old Network Rail will probably close the tracks for a while, if it is single or dual carrigeway.
Smile!!!
Smile!!!
Last edited by Evileyes; 8th Feb 2007 at 09:45. Reason: Advertising
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When have the WAG or before that the councils ever done anything properly. If a link from the M4 to the airport is every built I will eat (my soon to be redundant) BA hat.
The plan for a link and a park and ride is a very good one. But it just won't happen. It never does. The St Athan development will be forgotten by next month and the locals will block everything and anything. There is not the will for the fight. The environmental folk will descend on Cardiff Bay and no one will want their "green credentials" tested.
They will do a little bit of cosmetic surgery on 5 mile lane. They will spruce up the A48 (not enough to anoy the good folk of St Nicholas) and not do anything about Culverhouse Cross. But the whole thing will be trumpeted as the greatest development South Wales has ever seen and the problems will remain the same.
If it doesn't happen this time (and it won't) it never will and CWL will slip further behind the rest. Sorry to be so negative. I just have no faith in Rhodri and his chums doing the right thing.
The plan for a link and a park and ride is a very good one. But it just won't happen. It never does. The St Athan development will be forgotten by next month and the locals will block everything and anything. There is not the will for the fight. The environmental folk will descend on Cardiff Bay and no one will want their "green credentials" tested.
They will do a little bit of cosmetic surgery on 5 mile lane. They will spruce up the A48 (not enough to anoy the good folk of St Nicholas) and not do anything about Culverhouse Cross. But the whole thing will be trumpeted as the greatest development South Wales has ever seen and the problems will remain the same.
If it doesn't happen this time (and it won't) it never will and CWL will slip further behind the rest. Sorry to be so negative. I just have no faith in Rhodri and his chums doing the right thing.
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Road Improvements
The development of the MOD academy in St Athan is an investment of somwhere near £16 billion. Remeber Metrix / St Athan are preferred bidder, nothing set in stone yet.
If surface transport improvements of £100 plus million are a deal maker / breaker then I'm sure that even WAG aren't thick enough to let that slip by, especially with Assembly elections around the corner - I'd bet my banannas that all the main parties will be making manifesto pledges on this.
MB
If surface transport improvements of £100 plus million are a deal maker / breaker then I'm sure that even WAG aren't thick enough to let that slip by, especially with Assembly elections around the corner - I'd bet my banannas that all the main parties will be making manifesto pledges on this.
MB