EAST MIDLANDS - 6

[Mr Angry from Purley]

BHX/LGW/MAN all places where EK have customer services, makes sense!

[commit aviation]

Nigel

I think you'll find STN also has A380 capability & capacity. (It's still waiting to see the real thing though!)

[Burnie5204]

Re: Monarch

Monarch are basing 1 A320 (EDIT: See correction notice below) and 1 B734 arriving end of this month

Re: A380/B787

With Thomson working a B787 out of EMA from next summer it makes sense that they would bring one in at some point on a test run.

In regards to the A380 this is something I too have heard rumour of around the ramp but nothing official from management though bringing it in shouldn't be a problem - as has been mentioned the airport has had the AN-225 in, regularly has AN-124s in and less often has B747s in. Neither the A380 or B787 will fit into the Central so I imagine that both of these if/when they come in would end up on the Eastern Cargo given the easy Airside road access to the Central apron and the terminal compared to sending them down the West. Though taxiing might be interesting as the AN-124 and B747s seem fairly close to the Central Apron safety lines as it is and the A380 is wider than both of these - maybe it'll have to backtrack the runway on either arrival or for takeoff though it would be nice if it was designated for A380 diverts allowing them to 'keep it in the group' if aircraft need to divert from MAN.

****CORRECTION: Monarch will be basing an A320 and a B734, not the 321 I previously said above.****

[Invicta DC4]

Airlines, not airports decide where an aircraft is going to divert if need be. Emirates will normally select another EK station to divert to. In the case of the MAN EK A380, this would normally be; BHX, LGW or LHR or another EK station en-route.

[Burnie5204]

And Emirates use EMA as a divert - 3-4 months ago they had an A340 divert in and just a couple of weeks ago they diverted in an A330. By not being designated as A380 divert they miss out on this traffic.

[OltonPete]

Monarch

Burnie5204

Interesting information re the A321 - where have they sourced this from or is it a case that they are putting in another leased aircraft at a different base instead of EMA or have they cut some flights elsewhere to make way for EMA?

Both BHX's new routes in July were listed to be operated by the leased aircraft but the first flights were changed to Monarch aircraft, is there any plan to do this at EMA, if for nothing else for PR purposes?

Pete

[Burnie5204]

OltonPete

Not a clue but I know that when they arrive it'll be PR/Photos all round so I expect they will be MON liveried a/c. Incidentally it's just 2 a/c for winter season, more arriving in Summer when they kick off the show properly opening their full range of routes

[Suzeman]

A380

I however see no reason why EMA with its longish runway can't get approval quickly for the type too ?

Less to do with the runway length but more to do with width.

The availability of the airfield for the A380 also takes into account taxiways that also can handle (as you said) as well as stands available and any special procedures required (eg follow me / blocking of airside roads etc as at Manchester). A risk assessment must be done and CAA must approve the procedures.

Nothing to stop EMA doing that of course.

Suzeman

[Burnie5204]

Apologies everyone my memory failed me slightly.

Monarch are bringing in an A320 and a B734 NOT a 321 like I previously stated.



EDIT: ALL CHAAANGE!!!! The daily schedule is out and there are some changes...


Monarch arrivals TODAY (30th Aug) as follows.

MON748P - STA[30]1300, Estd[30]1535 - A319 LY-VEU coming from MAD (Unliveried)
MON425P - STA[31]0105 - A320 coming from BHX (Liveried)

[OliWW]

Small Planet/Air Italy from Saturday

[Mr @ Spotty M]

A320 G-MRJK flies in tonight for the first flight tomorrow.

[Burnie5204]

Aye, scheduled at 01:05 but I'm not at work at the moment so I don't have access to the flight info screens to get an updated ETA though I shall be on the ramp tomorrow morning for the 07:30 departures

[spitfirealex]

Has there been any more news on the a380 and 787 test of the facilities ?

[ATNotts]

spitfirealex

I am still struggling to understand why a "test visit" would be required by either type.

As far as I can recall there was no such visit required before EK flew their one and only service (so far) using an A380 into BHX, and I can't believe the size of the 787 would require a test visit either.

With fuel costing what it does today, why would any business want to waste it doing a live test on something that could in all probability done on a good old computer.

[Burnie5204]

Rumour has it that the A380s (note the S... I hear from my contacts there will be more than one) will actually be operating from EMA for a short time, not just popping in for a visit.

787 - Nobody seems to have the foggiest idea whats happening with that. Wheras they were saying the TOM 787 will be based but now no-one knows if its basing or flying in like the current B763 (even though it'll be doing more flights per week)

[spitfirealex]

The only reason I could see an A380 operating out of ema is to do with rolls-royce as the airport doesn't have the terminal to deal with passenger flights of this size

[future_pilot17]

nigel osborne

Not aware the A380 has CAA approval to land at EMA. NATS show approved CAA A380 taxiing charts for LHR,LGW,MAN and recently added BHX.Can't find one for EMA.

Can you tell me exactly where you find these please? I've had what I think to be a very good search but to no avail!

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Tom

[roverman]

MAN had no A380 test flight prior to start of daily service two years ago, Airbus and Emirates were both satisfied that MAn had everything in place, which it did.

Any test flight into EMA or STN will most likely be connected with BA, to prove sufficient UK diversion airfields in readiness for their A380 deliveries. Or could be a further publicity push by Airbus keen to emphasise how the aircraft can operate into many smaller non-hub airports. Sales of the big bird have dried up somewhat.

[OliWW]

The visits are tied around something to do with BA, whether its engine maintenance from Rolls Royce or to test as a diversion point, as it is a central airport to the Country.

[EastMids]

Can you tell me exactly where you find these please? I've had what I think to be a very good search but to no avail!

Ground movement charts for the A380 are on the UK AIP entries for LHR, BHX and MAN. However, as far as I'm aware that's just for ease of access to the data for visiting aircrew and airline flight operations departments for airfields where (a) the taxi routes available to the A380 is restricted and (b) the A380 is likely to operate regularly. The lack of such a chart does not necessarily indicate the A380 can't visit an airfield... The AN225 has operated into EMA and could do again, it is larger than an A380, and yet there is no openly published AN225 taxiiing chart for EMA.

AFAIK, if a visiting aircraft is of a size that it cannot be accommodated within the airfield layout as far as things like wingtip clearances and encroachment into safety strips is concerned, then a written set of procedures has to be prepared and put to the CAA for approval. These peocedures are likely to include things like limiting the aircraft to certain taxi routes, or closing adjacent areas whilst the aircraft is manouevring. Once that's approved, the aircraft can visit in accordance with the approved procedures. The approval need not be in the public domain. EMA did it for the AN225 but whether they've done it for the A380 I've no idea.