Cambridge Airport expansion
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bishop's Stortford
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The new summer flights from Cambridge to Dole (Burgundy region) are promoted as flights to a 'London' airport in France with adverts for 'London Cambridge' there.
Heavily susidised or underwrittenI suspect by the regional authority.
Heavily susidised or underwrittenI suspect by the regional authority.
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: London Whipsnade Wildlife Park
Posts: 5,038
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Elsewhere, Darwin Airline is to also launch flights from the UK by providing a series of scheduled charter flights for tour operator, Inghams. The UK company is launching its first ever winter ski and summer programme from Cambridge Airport, with new weekly flights to Geneva commencing from December 2013, while weekly flights to Milan and Geneva will appear in Inghams’ Lakes & Mountains programme for summer 2014. All these services will be operated at weekends and will be flown by Darwin Airline using a 50-seat Saab 2000 turboprop: it is unclear if this aircraft will position into the UK, or will be based at Cambridge and offer additional flights on weekdays.
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: London Whipsnade Wildlife Park
Posts: 5,038
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@M-JCS
I don't think anyone has noticed they exist, which is a real pity. I had a day trip to AMS on the first day, and it was really quite lightly loaded. Most of the people that I've told how wonderful it was to be able to fly from Cambridge itself had no idea there were actually flights from there.
I don't think anyone has noticed they exist, which is a real pity. I had a day trip to AMS on the first day, and it was really quite lightly loaded. Most of the people that I've told how wonderful it was to be able to fly from Cambridge itself had no idea there were actually flights from there.
I have to agree with 01475: I was also on the first flight for a day trip to AMS. Neighbours of ours did not have a clue that there were ANY services from Cambridge. I hope that some marketing has been directed at the businesses in the immediate area as well as the colleges: I suspect that the best chance that the services have is with a less price-sensitive market - our promotional fares were good whereas the normal fares are more business-end - those of a more sensitive budget will inevitably go to STN. Getting to the airport in less than ten minutes from our front door was nice!
Living close to the extended runway centre line (but some distance from the threshold), I have to say that we haven't really noticed the Saab 2000s since Monday, though at the load that it carried on the first morning the aircraft would be quite high before getting to us. Certainly nothing to disturb our neighbours. Mind you, the airport (and the railway line!) was there before our abode was built!
Perhaps if Darwin Airlines did a couple of low-level laps over the city accompanied by a second aircraft taking publicity photos, people might look up and take notice?
PBW
Living close to the extended runway centre line (but some distance from the threshold), I have to say that we haven't really noticed the Saab 2000s since Monday, though at the load that it carried on the first morning the aircraft would be quite high before getting to us. Certainly nothing to disturb our neighbours. Mind you, the airport (and the railway line!) was there before our abode was built!
Perhaps if Darwin Airlines did a couple of low-level laps over the city accompanied by a second aircraft taking publicity photos, people might look up and take notice?
PBW
Last edited by papabravowhiskey; 4th Sep 2013 at 07:42.
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Antrim
Posts: 1,601
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In fairness I've heard quite a few people talking about it such as whilst waiting in the barbers and sat having a coffee, however a lot of people refer to it as priced for the business market. I don't know how much marketing there's been but the launch was covered on ITV Anglia news and heart fm, I'm fairly certain the local papers covered it too. At around £170 return it is a steep ask with STN 40mins down the M11 and LTN about an hour, AMS and particularly CDG are very much covered by eurostar, a train to next door to the Eurostar terminal can take 45 mins from Cambridge. However, there's many people locally to whom the price is a drop in the ocean, if you look at it from the point of view that baggage and catering is free and for local people it could mean a lift round the corner as opposed to parking charges, taxi or train to STN then its not as expensive. Parking is free there at the moment.
Last edited by mart901; 4th Sep 2013 at 08:18.
Convenience
Cambridge Airport can trade on its size (or rather, lack thereof - car to security to gate in how short a time?) and proximity for the local/business market. When you compare door-to-door times for the Darwin flights, they stand up very well against other means. And since seeing details of the tie-up with Etihad, my wife is now busy looking at long-haul possibilities.
(added later) There are some SERIOUSLY good deals interlining via CDG or AMS ...
PBW
(added later) There are some SERIOUSLY good deals interlining via CDG or AMS ...
PBW
Last edited by papabravowhiskey; 4th Sep 2013 at 09:29.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Oslo, Norway
Age: 63
Posts: 500
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Darwin tried and tested this morning from Schiphol. The flight over went like a breeze, and talking about the Saab 2000 - it was an old acquaintance from Crossair that I flew with from BLQ to ZRH in 2000. At Cambridge I had the quickest border crossing ever entering UK soil - only getting the rental car at ExecuJet took a bit time.
http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airpo...ml#post8100117
OK, so I'm a little vain pointing to one of my own posts....
OK, so I'm a little vain pointing to one of my own posts....
