BOURNEMOUTH - 3

[pottwiddler]

Martin

It's not a 'Bournemouth' management issue at local level, marketing is done from elsewhere, (Manchester!). I'm sure the Bournemouth management would love a busy airport.

[9287Excellent]

In reply to Martins post regarding European tourists, I think the management already is in talks and doing deals with at least some German tourist companies as I recall seeing several Air Berlin aircraft at the terminal at various points over the summer, I know one of them was going to Hamburg, not sure if they all went there or if it was just that one particular flight, but I think most of these flights were just one way, by that I mean on Monday, for example, the aircraft would appear on the Airport live flight information as arriving, but no return flight, then the following Monday, an aircraft would position into BOH and operate the return flight back to Germany, so whilst some tours may be going to SOU or Exeter, I think some are coming to Bournemouth.
As I say, I don't know if the above was the case for all the Air Berlin flights this summer, but the one I saw and later looked up, was definitely going to Hamburg and only operated as a return trip (aircraft positioned in empty).

[lwaw1uk]

The airberlin flights brought in Paxs for cruise ships in Southampton.

[Siggyboy]

My insider knowledge of people who work there say MAG have very little interest in marketing BOH...not saying thats true...but sad if it is...

[shaftr1]

Siggyboy, the same happened at HUY, MAN not interested in marketing the place, the flights gradually died out, now Eastern have bought the place look at the new flights that have been announced. MAN only care about one airport and thats MAN

[Groundloop]

As MAG spent millions on the new terminal to now claim that they are not interested in marketing BOH is simply ridiculous!

[FRatSTN]

Siggyboy, the same happened at HUY, MAN not interested in marketing the place, the flights gradually died out, now Eastern have bought the place look at the new flights that have been announced. MAN only care about one airport and thats MAN

Not entirely true is it! They have done a good job at East Midlands Airport and the fact they've made it a considerable UK base for Ryanair (which isn't easy to do) as well as having the four leisure airlines Jet2, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson on a decent level doesn't happen by itself. Even Flybe use it now, the only major airline to not use it is EasyJet and they have done in the past and only moved because they thought other bases were more profitable, not because anything MAG did pushed them away.

Also why are MAG the favourite to buy Stansted if they only care about Manchester? They are pushing very hard to buy Stansted, which has now slipped only very slightly below Manchester in size and they intend to bring growth to Stansted (something BAA has made no effort to do by just using it as a subsidiser for Heathrow growth). They will bring huge economic boosts to Essex by managaing the place a lot better than it is now and delivering passenger growth once again. Again, how do they plan to achieve that if they only had an eye for Manchester.

Going back to Bournemouth, they have only recently invested in a brand new terminal for gods sak! How you can say they only care about Manchester is clearly not the case. A development like that is a lot more than any other airport of that size would get even with very strong marketing. I think MAG have done an exceptional job at all of their airports. Humberside was always their weakest airport but investing there, they would not have got as much out of it as they would do in the other three they currently have.

[Readability 5]

A development like that is a lot more than any other airport of that size would get

Precisely. The development at Bournemouth was a pet project of the previous Chief Executive, and after his departure the new boss admitted that it was wrong to spend over £40m on an airport with limited prospects for growth, whilst here at EMA the terminal desperately needed replacing with something fit for the 21st century, where the queue for security doesn't mingle with the queue for check-in, and passengers don't have to walk to arrivals in the pouring rain because of the lack of even a covered walkway to the terminal. MAG have starved EMA of investment since 2001, and the impression that we staff get is that they do indeed care only about ' enhancing shareholder value', the current favourite buzzphrase coming from Olympic House.

R5

[pug]

Wouldn't be surprised to see BOH offloaded (if they can get the right price) to make way for STN if they bid for it.

[shaftr1]

The terminal at BOH was something instigated by Ryanairs demands, don't get me wrong it's good for BOH and much needed but if MAN were honest they would say it was a mistake to spend the money. I agree with Pug, I can see BOH being off loaded. As for EMA, not sure but I think they still have their own marketing, where as BOH and HUY were shipped to Manchester.

[FRatSTN]

There's no reason why MAG would want to offload East Midlands and since they are already going through with bidding for Stansted, I think Bournemouth may be for keeps. They sold Humberside to raise further funds for the Stansted bid and since they are already well into that, I'm not sure whether off-loading Bournemouth is worth it, neither the right choice economically in the long run.

I think it's important for MAG to own airports in a range of sizes and markets so they can see how different types of airport react to the economic and environmental impacts. It also allows for them to make many more successful investments in the future in a wide range of circumstances on any scale. For example if they bought Prestwick (which I doubt they will), they have their experience from Bournemouth to have an idea of whay nedds to be done and how it should be managed effectively to be successful, just like they have their experience from Manchester in order to run Stansted properly. Furtherore, having a strong portfolio of airport can build on relations with airlines, as you may be working with them in more than one place, for MAG that's Ryanair, where they have a major base at all the MAG airports in question!

[pug]

They didnt sell HUY to raise funds for STN. They sold it because it didnt fit in well with their overall strategy. I dont think they were rushing to sell it, more that they were approached by T3 with an offer.

Were it not for the £45million investment at BOH then Im sure it would be the same story there. They dont need experience in operating small airports if they had no intention of operating them.

It is surely no coincidence that in the first two months under mew ownership, HUY have already secured new flights for next summer..

[shaftr1]

Pug, hence my comment MAG did not market HUY.

[mrshubigbus]

So Bournemouth are about to loose Ryanair for 5 months leaving just a handful of flights? And is there still ongoing talk about possibly shutting the whole terminal operation down on some days during the winter due to a general lack of flights?
Well, whatever the case, between the Manchester Airport Group and "Ruinair" the place has slowly turned into a "ghost town" during the winter with "hundreds of thousands" of catchment area passengers forced to fly from elsewhere.
MAG, RYR, between you, I salute you for your complete failure to make BOH work. Not forgetting the very enticing drop off and pick up fees and £45 million airfield upgrade fees. Cobham and other northside operators must be proud of you giving them Cat 3 capability!
Thank goodness for those night time mail / newspaper flights!
Will BOH ever reach a million passengers ever again??? Personally I don't think so but only time will tell

[MARKEYD]

November flights

Mon
Dublin Aer Lingus ATR72

Tue
Tenerife Thomson 738
Jersey Blue Islands J31

Wed
Paphos Thomson 738

Thu
Sharm Thomson 738
Jersey Blue Islands J31
Dublin Aer Lingus ATR72

Fri
Tenerife Thomson 738
Dublin Aer Lingus ATR72

Sat
Jersey Blue Islands J31

Sun
Arrecife Thomson 738
Dublin Aer Lingus ATR72

One off charters during November are New York using Monarch on Sun 18 and Barbados on Fri 23 using Thomson . Wait till Dec when nothing operates on a Wed at all through until March !

[Siggyboy]

BOH November

That is part sad and part pathetic...No more comment needed!

[Siggyboy]

The locals view!

Fears Ryanair may quit Bournemouth Airport until March (From Bournemouth Echo)

[mrshubigbus]

And Quote:-

MD Paul Knight told the Daily Echo that Manchester Airports Group had “tremendous negotiating capability with both low cost and full service charter operations”. The M.A.G commercial team are working very hard in this very difficult economic climate to deliver growth at Bournemouth, using all the benefits of our new facilities and low cost base to encourage new and increased operations. We are confident that the commercial team's efforts will deliver the growth requested by our passengers, local businesses and, in fact, the whole of the Bournemouth Airport team.

Well this statement clearly shows they haven't got a clue!

It looks like Ryanair / MAGs negotiating skills are going to cost Bournemouth Airport around 200,000 potential passengers during this coming five month period! You can't tell me that there aren't places that folk would like to fly to over this period! 45 million well spent once again not forgetting that £2.50 a car for just driving down the airport approach road!
This isn't just a current issue but one that has been on-going for years with no sign of any long term carriers coming in any time soon other than Ryanair who've got the place well and truly sown up! Mr O'Leary is clearly one clever man!

[Groundloop]

MD Paul Knight told the Daily Echo that Manchester Airports Group had “tremendous negotiating capability with both low cost and full service charter operations”. The M.A.G commercial team are working very hard in this very difficult economic climate to deliver growth at Bournemouth, using all the benefits of our new facilities and low cost base to encourage new and increased operations. We are confident that the commercial team's efforts will deliver the growth requested by our passengers, local businesses and, in fact, the whole of the Bournemouth Airport team.

Well this statement clearly shows they haven't got a clue!

No, it doesn't. It shows that he is giving a local newspaper reporter with no knowledge of the aviation industry something to get them to go away and write something "positive" to print. He is not actually expected to say something like "We're doomed!" , is he?

[mrshubigbus]

I think you'll find that having been around in Bournemouth for over 100 years, long before the airport even existed, that the Bournemouth Daily Echo Team certainly know alot more about the airport than Manchester Airport Group - don't you think? The Echo reporters will know all about the general lack of progress at the airport going back to the days of Dan Air in the 1970s when it was a thriving "local" providing many flights to the Channel Islands and the Dan Air Link City service that connected the airport with the rest of the UK.
The passenger numbers have fallen by nearly half over the past four years yet in their eagerness to attract more business they come up with stupid schemes to charge for drop off and pick up which is suicidal and have jumped into bed permanently with Mr O'Leary so it seems. No other airline in their right mind is going to try and break this beautiful bond between them are they? Maybe the boss of MAG and RYR have had a lovers tiff?
One way or another, if this happy relationship isn't broken up then I don't see any real progress by any other potential carriers do you?