IRELAND WEST AIRPORT KNOCK
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Good to see BRS continue for winter, especially handy for SW England access and Cheltenham / music festivals in the Spring.
Should also mean winter movements up slightly on 2011 with extra EMA and BHX frequency added.
Airport tweet:
Wonder if they will pass the 725,000 target, some capacity loss with WW gone and earlier end to Euro routes.
Should also mean winter movements up slightly on 2011 with extra EMA and BHX frequency added.
Airport tweet:
Passenger numbers up 8% for July making it busiest July in the history of the airport, record numbers travel on sun destinations also
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Route-Pax Carried-LF-Pax up/down on 2011
Gatwick - 8396 - 77% LF - down by 2 passengers
Luton - 7314 - 87% LF - up from 6228
Stansted - 9768 - 83% LF - down from 10262
Birmingham - 3423 - 81% LF - down from 4257 (WW drop)
Bristol - 3441 - 70% LF - down from 3485
East Midlands - 5669 - 55% LF - up from 4886 (from WW)
Edinburgh - 1208 - 55% LF - down from 1783
Leeds - 1186 - 54% LF - down from 2823 (FR drop)
Liverpool - 7355 - 62% LF - up from 6804 (from WW)
Manchester - 2850 - 58% LF - down from 3960 (WW drop)
A little concened about BE routes but the general trend between UK and ROI was most routes had a decline from July 2011 but that could be down to events in London.
London, Birmingham and Bristol are doing very well.
Gatwick - 8396 - 77% LF - down by 2 passengers
Luton - 7314 - 87% LF - up from 6228
Stansted - 9768 - 83% LF - down from 10262
Birmingham - 3423 - 81% LF - down from 4257 (WW drop)
Bristol - 3441 - 70% LF - down from 3485
East Midlands - 5669 - 55% LF - up from 4886 (from WW)
Edinburgh - 1208 - 55% LF - down from 1783
Leeds - 1186 - 54% LF - down from 2823 (FR drop)
Liverpool - 7355 - 62% LF - up from 6804 (from WW)
Manchester - 2850 - 58% LF - down from 3960 (WW drop)
A little concened about BE routes but the general trend between UK and ROI was most routes had a decline from July 2011 but that could be down to events in London.
London, Birmingham and Bristol are doing very well.
Last edited by PPRuNeUser0176; 14th Aug 2012 at 16:27.
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Not sure about EMA figure, I make it 68% LF based on 5x frequency in July, 22 days operating?
Flybe brand doesn't seemed to have gained much traction in the Irish market, could do with some local promotion/PR. But prices can be high so they could be doing ok on yield.
Flybe brand doesn't seemed to have gained much traction in the Irish market, could do with some local promotion/PR. But prices can be high so they could be doing ok on yield.
Join Date: Dec 2010
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Don't see the issue with the Edinburgh numbers. It was five weekly last summer, three weekly this summer. A 55% load factor for flybe should be sufficient and will be up on last summer, they don't need to pack planes the way Ryanair do.
The route struggles in the winter though, it may become a seasonal operation in future.
The route struggles in the winter though, it may become a seasonal operation in future.
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Flybe are probably happy with those numbers, if you notice from the above big increases on East Midlands and Liverpool which indicates people are shopping around for the lowest fares. Flybe are yield driven as opposed to load factor driven hence you may have noticed their half yearly results this month - average load factor of 62% across the network.
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HI all
See on noc arr/dep board on website that they are 30 flights today.
Is this the busiest day in the history of the airport?
What about next year europe flight what gone or comming new as the airport is doing well by all accounts maybe we might malaga or de mallorca
See on noc arr/dep board on website that they are 30 flights today.
Is this the busiest day in the history of the airport?
What about next year europe flight what gone or comming new as the airport is doing well by all accounts maybe we might malaga or de mallorca
Join Date: Dec 2010
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I flew out of Knock yesterday and it was the busiest I have ever seen it. At the time I was in the airport there were passengers waiting on flights to Girona, Edinburgh, Lourdes, Manchester and Gatwick with passengers for another Lourdes flight starting to move in as I was leaving, meaning that the departure lounge was jammed. The Lourdes flights all seemed to be delayed which wasn't helping things.
With only three stands at the airport, the apron was under serious pressure with flights coming and going. Boarding for Edinburgh (which was from gate three to the remote stand across the apron) had to be stopped twice to allow the Girona flight to pull out from its stand and again to allow the Gatwick plane to replace it. Similarly, the Girona flight had to wait for the Manchester flight to depart before it could get to its stand and the Gatwick plane had to wait on the runway for the Girona one to move out before it could get its turn on the stand.
Long story short, the apron seriously needs extending, even as things are it is a tight enough squeeze getting planes on and off the stand nearest to the viewing lounge while the other two are occupied as they were yesterday - and that was with one of the stands occupied by a Dash-8, it would have been worse if there had been three jets on the stand at the same time.
Nonetheless, it was great to see the place so busy on a Tuesday. August will probably be a record breaking month for the airport, but it may be some time before this year's figures are broken again judging by reports of cuts to the European schedule.
With only three stands at the airport, the apron was under serious pressure with flights coming and going. Boarding for Edinburgh (which was from gate three to the remote stand across the apron) had to be stopped twice to allow the Girona flight to pull out from its stand and again to allow the Gatwick plane to replace it. Similarly, the Girona flight had to wait for the Manchester flight to depart before it could get to its stand and the Gatwick plane had to wait on the runway for the Girona one to move out before it could get its turn on the stand.
Long story short, the apron seriously needs extending, even as things are it is a tight enough squeeze getting planes on and off the stand nearest to the viewing lounge while the other two are occupied as they were yesterday - and that was with one of the stands occupied by a Dash-8, it would have been worse if there had been three jets on the stand at the same time.
Nonetheless, it was great to see the place so busy on a Tuesday. August will probably be a record breaking month for the airport, but it may be some time before this year's figures are broken again judging by reports of cuts to the European schedule.
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Cork was at Knock's level of traffic in the early 1990's and it's 4 passenger stands were inadequate to cope with demand. Aer Rianta then put in two extra stands which proved sufficient untill it exceeded the million mark in 1996. I'd say there's a very strong business case for at least 2 extra stands at Knock providing it can hold this years' traffic levels although that could be a big ask if the economy stagnates further.
Last edited by ryan2000; 29th Aug 2012 at 16:10.
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Cork was at Knock's level of traffic in the early 1990's and it's 4 passenger stands were inadequate to cope with demand. Aer Rianta then put in two extra stands which proved sufficient untill it exceeded the million mark in 1996. I'd say there's a very strong business case for at least 2 extra stands at Knock providing it can hold this years' traffic levels although that could be a big ask if the economy stagnates further.
Firstly planning. Objections delayed the first phase of the infrastructure master-plan, and by the time they were overruled by ABP the capital funding had been withdrawn.
The airport is now subject to a Local Area Plan. An area of raised ground (which is needed as infill for the apron extension) may be of issue. With the airport in the process of being designated SDZ, it may be cheaper to wait, though that isn't guaranteed either.
Secondly topography. The land required is currently occupied as staff parking and car-hire/services compound. The planned land-side redesign would first need to be completed to move them.
It will be a costly extension compared to other flatter sites as the land slopes and requires significant infill. Fuel farm may also have to be moved and they may hope to bundle other projects such as the proposed pier or looping taxiway.
Finally funding. Nothing provided for this in DOT capital budget this year and the budget is expected to be cut further. The airport has itself been in cost cutting mode during the downturn. However as you say there's a very good case for it now. Best hope is it can be included in a revised national capital budget fingers crossed.
Last edited by sawtooth; 29th Aug 2012 at 20:04.
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I don't see why NOC needs to expand as all it needs is for slots to be spread out for airlines and not all arriving at lunchtime particularly during the summer as the airport is open from about 7 to 6 and it could accommodate way more flights before being at capacity. Remember there will be no funding for expansion so if it was to happen NOC need to be in real profit which they are not or they will need to increase charges to cover expansion which I can't see sitting well with a certain carrier.
Why should taxpayer have to pay for this as NOC is a commercial airport so it should be funding its own expansion, if this was adopted for DUB, ORK and SNN then airport charges would be much lower now as they would not need to pay for the expansion....Just my thoughts.
Finally funding. Nothing provided for this in DOT capital budget this year and the budget is expected to be cut further. The airport has itself been in cost cutting mode during the downturn. However as you say there's a very good case for it now. Best hope is it can be included in a revised national capital budget fingers crossed.
Last edited by Jamie2k9; 29th Aug 2012 at 21:49.
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I don't see why NOC needs to expand as all it needs is for slots to be spread out for airlines
Why should taxpayer have to pay for this as NOC is a commercial airport so it should be funding its own expansion
If NOC is growing and fulfilling it's role as (now the only) direct gateway into the region then there is some justification in support to maintain a major regional transport asset that would otherwise struggle to self fund large capital works. Irish regionals don't have the critical mass, group backing or ancillary business income to fully self fund major infrastructure projects as far as I can see.
Previous government set aside funding for capital projects as part of the NDP, a small fraction of the billions put into road and rail infrastructure. DOT still have a (much reduced) budget for part matched funding of capital projects to maintain "safety and security" projects. Last year funding was provided to overlay and upgrade CFN runway and extend turn-pad at KIR, WAT and GWY had similar grants the year before.
The argument as to wether or not DAA airports self fund can be argued both ways, if they pay a dividend to the state great, if they run up debts and don't then the state makes a potential loss. Shannon had it's own taxpayer funded development agency, and will have debts written down by the parent group shortly. So it's all apples and oranges.
Last edited by sawtooth; 29th Aug 2012 at 23:11.
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True but I don't see NOC getting a penny for capital investment unless its necessary to comply with regulations etc because its just not there so if expansion is required then airlines/passengers will have to foot the bill.
With NOC cost cutting and all these extra passengers they must be making some sort of profit as they would have collected a lot more €10's than this time last year.
With NOC cost cutting and all these extra passengers they must be making some sort of profit as they would have collected a lot more €10's than this time last year.
Last edited by Jamie2k9; 30th Aug 2012 at 01:13.
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I don't think they quite managed to break even last year though Jamie, so the extra €10s are probably just balancing the books and reducing the need for government support. Ultimately there is just not near enough cash in the pot to support every potential transport project so each one has to make its case and hope for the best. I feel/fear that if Knock is not developed while the current government are in charge, it probably never will be - but if the money isn't there then it simply can't be done.
iwak - there were 46 on my flight for a 59% load. On my inbound a week earlier the number was about 40. I also dropped someone else off for the same flight on Sunday and there were about 40 on that one too. Those loads would tie in with the figures mentioned a few posts back.
I did notice on Sunday that the inbound Leeds flight (which uses the Edinburgh based aircraft) was particularly busy with a load in the mid 50s (around 70% LF) but I'm guessing this was a one off or the fares have been cut as the route is ending (for now at least) this weekend.
iwak - there were 46 on my flight for a 59% load. On my inbound a week earlier the number was about 40. I also dropped someone else off for the same flight on Sunday and there were about 40 on that one too. Those loads would tie in with the figures mentioned a few posts back.
I did notice on Sunday that the inbound Leeds flight (which uses the Edinburgh based aircraft) was particularly busy with a load in the mid 50s (around 70% LF) but I'm guessing this was a one off or the fares have been cut as the route is ending (for now at least) this weekend.
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Good news story at Knock, although not unexpected.
IWAK: We are delighted to say that August was the busiest month in the airports history with almost 90,000 passengers using the airport. Indeed this summer has been the busiest summer ever at the airport and we would like to say a big thank you to all our customers and friends for continuing to support your local airport -we very much appreciate your support and we are proud to be able to provide connections to over 28 International destinations for the people of the West and North West of Ireland