CARDIFF - 2

[blue up]

We have enough for 1x757 and 1x737 so presumably we have enough for 2x737 unless anyone bails to go flying elsewhere. Unlikely to see any expansion into an increasingly unused base.

[cym]

TOM Cax

I would not be at all surprised to see TOM go to 3 x 738's for S15.

They have already increased cax for W13/14 by 17% yoy by adding addition rotations on ALC and TFS - in fact the CWL sun programme is bigger than the BRS programme for the forthcoming winter

I am surprised at loosing a 752 for S14 but none of us know of lease end dates etc and because of covering tech I can see some sense in concentrating on 738's so that coverage is easier.

Summer wise CWL is a good seller with in my experience good margins, that plus the fact that competition out of BRS is much tougher ( and the fact that they have lost long haul from S14) it wouldn't surprise me at all to see TOM focus expansion at CWL - even if its an additional aircraft based part week.

[blue up]

Fuel cost. The 757 is a fuel hog by comparison to the 738. The 75 fleet will continue to dwindle and the airframes get converted to freighters. Cardiff is unlikely to ever host a 75 again, unlike Bristol where the runway length suits the 75.

Crewing a 3rd airframe at Cardiff might be a problem. Where will the extra 10 pilots come from?

[Phileas Fogg]

Where will the extra 10 pilots come from?

They'll be British

[cym]

TOM have run 3 frames from CWL before without flight deck crewing issues. I'm told its a popular base to work from

[AirGuru]

According to the CAA Stats for August, CWL has had one of the best months it has had for a long time, recording a 14.4% increase in passengers from a 7.2% increase in movements.

Crucial to note, Vueling seem to have had a massively good month at CWL, with extremely high numbers ! Maybe more to come in the coming weeks with maybe the update of their currently 'provisional' seeming Summer 2014 schedule

[bycrewlgw]

Did the Vienna flights operate this year? If so which airline operated the route? Ta!

[AirGuru]

No the Prima Reisen charters were instead operated within the existing scheduled DUS flights. It appears that passengers travelled VIE-DUS-CWL-DUS-VIE hence the reason for around a 85% load factor on the DUS route in August. However, there are more flights coming up soon, so whether these will he chartered or operated in a similar manner i do not know.

[blue up]

TOM have run 3 frames from CWL before without flight deck crewing issues. I'm told its a popular base to work from

You'd need to cover the cost of re-basing 10 pilots and then adding some CC. Not a popular base to move to but popular for those already here.

(By here I mean Cardiff, not the Maldives where I am enjoying a longhaul trip)

[mathers_wales_uk]

Looking at the Thomson Airways website and this is the current schedule.

Monday
DLM - 07:00
LPA - 08:00
BOJ - 18:30
IBZ - 18:45


Tuesday
REU - 06:00
PMI - 06:00
MLA - 10:40 (Op by KM)
AYT - 11:40 (Op on W Pattern by ?)

EFL - 13:05
HER - 13:30
ALC - 14:35 (New for Summer 2014, W Pattern from elsewhere)
PMI - 22:40 (Peak Season Only)


Wednesday
PMI - 07:20 (New for Summer 2014)
IBZ - 07:25
PFO - 14:35
RHO - 14:45


Thursday
AGP - 07:00
FAO - 07:25
DLM - 14:45
BJV - 14:55
PMI - 15:45 (Op by AEA)


Friday
ZTH - 06:00
CFU - 07:50
MAH - 15:25
TFS - 16:55
PMI - 22:40


Saturday
PMI - 06:00
IBZ - 06:00
SSH - 13:15
ALC - 13:35
KGS - 20:55


Sunday
AGP - 07:15
ACE - 07:30
LCA - 15:20
NBE - 17:30 (Changes from DLM


This does mean that only two aircraft are required at Cardiff.

[heading 125]

Any Thomson longhaul ie Florida, Cancun seeing that Bristol's runway is not suitable for aircraft bigger than B757

[Phileas Fogg]

Bristol's runway is not suitable for aircraft bigger than B757

Really?

G-OOAN (cn 26256/484) Lining up on runway 09 - departing to Sanford International.

[fly_guy_021]

At the moment, TOM seem to be concentrating their longhaul product on main hub bases ie. lgw, man etc what with the introduction of the 787. Who knows, may get it back in CWL but as with BRS, the seats were so heavily discounted to actually 'fill them' it's not worth their while.

As for CWL being difficult to fill what with pilot positions etc, year upon year TOM offer seasonal transfers along with relocation packages-Never have any touble getting flight deck....quite a popular base

[macdo]

Drivel alert!
767 and BRS, the perfect match.

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources...BK%2005-12.pdf

[heading 125]

Phileas you are not very well informed about Bristol and B767 operations are you.

Suggest you read the above AAIB report .

[Phileas Fogg]

Heading 125,

With Typhoon Usagi and wind speeds of 110mph bearing down on me, with port and airport traffic disrupted accordingly and with the annual surfing competition here only days away and with reservations at my resort all over the place go figure what the chances are of me reading an AAIB report of an incident at a landing strip on top of a hill somewhere near to Weston-Super-Mare that, relatively speaking, I couldn't care diddly squat about?

[Severn]

RE: 767 at BRS

Heading 125, Macdo.....
YOU are not very well informed about Bristol and B767 operations are you.
Suggest YOU read the above AAIB report.

Please then explain where it says anything about 767 operations being unsuitable out of BRS. In the report a number of safety recommendations were made but none whatsoever saying 767 operations out of BRS were unsafe and should be stopped.

You have also picked on a accident that happened in 2010, not explaining that if the runway was "unsuitable for a 767" why Thomson has chosen to continue weekly flights to Florida (direct) and Cancun (outbound via MAN) during the summers of 2011, 2012 and 2013??!

Honestly.....

[macdo]

You do seem quite keen on making snide comments about things you don't care diddly squat about, though, don't you.

Climate sounds appropriate ,LOL

James, not being at all snide, but go and have a chat with a 767 driver about operating into BRS, especially 09. It is do-able, but marginal. Perhaps a question on the technical thread will prove informative. All the best.

[MerchantVenturer]

Following recent posts in this thread I've raised the BRS/B767 issue again in the BRS thread if anyone is minded to comment on it.

[heading 125]

This report is freely avaiable on the internet.
Page 56 of the report I quote says

"Historical data was available to the operator, which indicated that the rate of hard landings involving Boeing767 aircraft landing on Runway 09 at Bristol was unusually high". And

"This accident might have been avoided if the unusually high rate of hard landings by Boeing 767 aircraft on Runway 09 had triggered safety action to reduce the rate or stop operations of the type onto that runway."

So B767 suitable at Bristol ?

Whereas it has been proved that any aircraft can operate from Cardiff. Even the A380