DURHAM TEES VALLEY AIRPORT - 4

[DTVAirport]

The B733 is bigger, the B736 is the next generation version of the B735, if that helps.

G-CDKD is still tech and it's been decided that it needs a new engine, which is on-route to MME as we speak.

On a completely different note, we're now upto page 22, is it not time for a fresh thread?

[mmegh]

eastern a pulling the BRU route from MME as from 16 sep, good to see the marketing people are on the ball

[DTVAirport]

It was bound to happen, there's no doubt the demand is there, it's just no sod wants to pay Easterns high fares, perhaps if Eastern gave their routes time to 'settle-in', they would grow to suitable levels, and since Eastern have about 5 JS41s just sat around doing nothing, there's no reason they couldn't do this.

[skyman771]

DTVAirport

since Eastern have about 5 JS41s just sat around doing nothing, there's no reason they couldn't do this.

I presume that you were simply 'venting your angst' when making a ridiculous statement such as this. Eastern have pulled the service on eccomic grounds, presumably the pax no.'s at their 'business class' fare levels after removal of subsidies simply don't stand up. To suggest that they should keep running the service at a loss in hope of higher loads whilst incurring further incremental expenditure on cabin crew amongst other non aircraft related overheads is balmy. The loads to date say it all & when compared with the fares & service 'up the road' then they simply are not able to compete.

[DTVAirport]

I guess I was venting my angst and I guess that's kinda what I think too.

[DTVAirport]

As has been said before on this thread, Eastern are keen to add new routes from MME, let's hope that is still the case after both BRS and BRU failing.

[perusal]

What's the latest regarding the recent ATC closures. I am happy to see that there haven't been any such NOTAMs released of late.

Does this mean it's all sorted?

[DTVAirport]

I don't think it's all sorted, but it's a little bit more under control I think.

[DTVAirport]

There is an article on Durham Tees Valley in the current issue of Airports of the World, makes for interesting reading, the main points of it are how we've had a challenging year - with another one to follow due to a likely BD/TOM pull-out, and GSM only basing one a/c for the winter.

Also, the article states that we have a bigger catchment area in both a one hour and two hour drives, I thought it was just one of them we were bigger in, according to the article, our 2hr catchment is almost double NCLs.

But what I find most interesting of all is, it states the following (referring to Peel taking a stake in the airport):
"The group acquired a 75% majority stake, MME guaranteeing to invest at least £20 million in new facilities over the following five years."
Now to me that sounds like the airport itself will invest the first £20m, with the remaining £36m coming from Peel?

[SWBKCB]

Catchment area was covered (at length) at the start of this thread - to summarise, the 2 hour catchment might be larger but those at the peripheries of this catchment area will have LBA or NCL on their doorstep (like me!) - until MME can offer something the others don't have why would they want to make the longer drive?

Also, since my comment on the subject in January the road signs on the A1 still haven't been fixed - could use a small part of the £20m on that!

[Bartrams]

Cargo ex.MME

:Well we may be doing poorly in terms of PAX, but we continue to perform on the cargo front. We handled 57 tonnes in, June I think, compared to NCLs zilch (and I'm not talking about mail, I'm talking about pure cargo):

Just looking back at some threads..when we were at the height of the 'we are better than you' debate

The above quote was made...I fear that is probably not correct ,now that Emirates have started.Guess its only a matter of time before NCL carries more cargo as well as passengers ?
Am I right in saying we only serve LAP,AMS,ABZ and Dublin on the schedule front now????

[DTVAirport]

It wasn't a 'we are better than you' debate, it was simply showing people that MME isn't a total write-off and that we do have our strengths.

But you are right in saying that we are no longer bigger with cargo now that Emirates has started, I believe the first flight went out 100% full with 10T of cargo.

Not sure what you mean regarding the "Am I right in saying we only serve LAP,AMS,ABZ and Dublin on the schedule front now????" comment?

[groundhand]

DTV and Bartrams

I'm not really interested in the debate of 'my Dad is bigger than your Dad' but it should be recognised that DTV has not been anywhere NCL in air cargo terms for too many years to remember. Granted, not a lot (until the EK launch) actually left NCL on an aircraft but I think if you look at the HMR&C figures you will see that NCL far exceeds DTV on air cargo volumes and values.

One short drive around the DTV cargo facilities and the NCL cargo facilities should leave no-one in doubt of where the volumes lie.

Much as I like DTV (apart from the folly of the name) and having worked at both airports in the past (currently I work at neither) I believe that DTV will struggle to keep up with like on like growth until there is a vast improvement in the road access from the A1 and A19. Until that is resolved it will be an uphill fight to gain passengers from the peripheral catchment areas who have the choice of more than one airport.

Whatever the debate, I do hope that current routes can be sustained and future routes developed at DTV.

GH

[Luke0705]

Flew Into Newcastle Saturday a week Ago, This is In No Attempt to put newcastle airport Down, More of how People Look at MME, When Standing In the Huge Customs Que,

"We Wouldnt get this In Teeside", "I think next time we will try Teeside"

From Many People So MME Dosent realy Have a bad reputation, its just its Limited Destinations.

[10 DME ARC]

Sorry could not resist;
"We Wouldnt get this In Teeside", "I think next time we will try Teeside"

What enough passengers to make a queue??

Sorry

[DTVAirport]

Originally Posted by Luke0705

"I think next time we will try Teesside"

Assuming it's a charter flight they're referring to - they say that now but what happens when they go into one of the many north east travel agencies or tour operators who will offer them NCL as the first option?

Thanks to the above, 1/3 of NCLs charter custom comes from our catchment zone, and unless people specifically ask for MME or in some cases threaten to take their custom elsewhere if they're not offered MME, Newcastle will always dominate. It's about time we made an effort to claim this 1/3 back.

[paarmo]

Customs Queues?

Customs queues are not the problem at DTV it is security. The last time I was there it took 2 hours to clear security at 5am in the morning. It got so bad the supervisor actually sent some of her staff for a meal break with 200 people still in the queue. I think this may be one of the reasons people are quitting DTV. Fred Karno would recognise this place immediately.

[SWBKCB]

"made an effort to claim this 1/3 back."

I think that this is the problem - hasn't it been shown over the years that even if they could all be persuaded back, this 1/3 isn't enough for the travel companies to make a profit out of DTVA?

[SWBKCB]

I see that Peel are using the DTVA website to object to the proposed Congestion Charge in Manchester (!!). Presumaby because it'll impact on the Trafford Centre - I know it's their ball and they can play with it how they want, but what is the relevance to the North East and DTVA?!?

[Bartrams]

DTV schedules

DTV said.....Not sure what you mean regarding the ......."Am I right in saying we only serve LAP,AMS,ABZ and Dublin on the schedule front now????" comment


Not sure what you mean by comment??
It looks like we only now serve London Heathrow(LAP),Aberdeen(ABZ),Dublin (DUB)and Amsterdam (AMS)...really not much advancement in the last 30 years?? Where do we go from here?

Do we also need to worry about the aggressive marketing that will almost certainly follow from LBA with the recent announcement of a new CEO?

I feel the squeeze is really on from our neighbours to the north and MAN,Doncaster and now Leeds??