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Location: Northern Ireland
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I think the success of RE at SEN hinges on the branding and marketing . Stobart needs to make sure this is right from the word go. EI is not the brand for London to Europe, it's been tried but the key issue is brand awareness in those no. Ireland and UK destinations.
Brands like BA BE even Bmi all good ideas, if possible of course but let's think long term would BA be suitable for non BA destinations like Carlisle or another non London airport that Stobart could buy.
Moreover, BA may like to pursue a franchise operation in the future there are few regional operators left and BA might at some point in time go after this eve though it has given up on same in the UK before ....
Brands like BA BE even Bmi all good ideas, if possible of course but let's think long term would BA be suitable for non BA destinations like Carlisle or another non London airport that Stobart could buy.
Moreover, BA may like to pursue a franchise operation in the future there are few regional operators left and BA might at some point in time go after this eve though it has given up on same in the UK before ....
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Incidentally, you mention the (very relevant) example of BA and Sun-Air. Are we entirely sure that BA (!) would not contemplate signing a franchise deal to feed secondary European points into London on a purely point-to-point basis, if Stobart/RE are waving chequebooks around?
I'm surprised that nobody noticed that ch-aviation.com reported early yesterday that the SEN-FMO would operate under the Aer Lingus Regional brand, although they didn't quote any source for that statement.
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Brands like BA BE even Bmi all good ideas, if possible of course but let's think long term would BA be suitable for non BA destinations like Carlisle or another non London airport that Stobart could buy.
Moreover, BA may like to pursue a franchise operation in the future there are few regional operators left and BA might at some point in time go after this eve though it has given up on same in the UK before ....
Moreover, BA may like to pursue a franchise operation in the future there are few regional operators left and BA might at some point in time go after this eve though it has given up on same in the UK before ....
As for thin domestic and near-abroad routes, perhaps the only interst for BA would be to feed the longhaul network at LHR. That's not possible at present and won't be unless and until it expands.
Under those circumstances, would imagine that BA would have an arrangement with one or more of the smaller carriers (code share, through ticketing, etc.), as it does not have small enough aircraft and an A319 once/day won't cut it (frequency required).
Perhaps BE could be a candidate for this as BA is already a part-owner of it, but it's very far in the future if at all!
BD regional on the other hand might very well be a candidate for SEN operations, as they currently have no operations in the southeast and small aircraft suitable for thin routes to/from SEN. Let's face it, they're not going back to LHR any time soon!
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: In the sticks
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Found this on the airports website. Was the info provided just to fill a rather empty arrivals board 
Flight No EZYTOW Origin TOWED FROM/TO HANGAR Scheduled 04:00 ARRIVED 21:30
So who's hangar does easyjet use at Southend?
Flight No EZYTOW Origin TOWED FROM/TO HANGAR Scheduled 04:00 ARRIVED 21:30
So who's hangar does easyjet use at Southend?
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Essex
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I think a few EZY aircraft will be having a new paint job in one of the hangars, not sure who with though. Not really sure why they bother putting it on the arrivals/departures board!?
Join Date: Mar 2003
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While all the theories about who could franchise RE are entertaining, you need to have in mind that usually well established brands are rather reluctant to franchise. So it is not so much the question to whom RE is paying a fee, but who would be willing to allow RE to use its brand. Because the use of a well established, there are considerable risks to damage the own brand if it is franchised to an outfit like RE that was/is in financial trouble and not really well established at SEN.
Last edited by virginblue; 14th Mar 2014 at 16:27. Reason: EDIT: Should read of course "not really well established" instead of "really well established"...
Join Date: Nov 1999
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I know we've been through pretty much every possible candidate (I thought of CityJet as one candidate a week or two ago!), and when we get the answer, it will presumably (hopefully) all make sense... but with no evidence whatsover, I find myself wondering about the feasibility of easyJet entering into a franchise...
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Essex
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Now - in my humble opinion - and having used them all - Southend is by FAR the most pleasant to use of all the London airports. I suspect that many of the negative posters on here have never even used Southend!!!. Indeed - if they had - they would surely only have good things to say (unless - admittedly - they had arrived after 2300hrs. to be faced with the lack of service to London Liverpool Street provided by Abellio Greater Anglia!!).
BUT - I do hope that this business of the new airline / franchise blah blah blah.... is finally put to bed very soon. It really is starting to get boring. Without giving anything away - can any of the more aviation professional types on here at least give us an informed timescale as to when we will hear something concrete about all this? No names - just a date??
Any offers??
BUT - I do hope that this business of the new airline / franchise blah blah blah.... is finally put to bed very soon. It really is starting to get boring. Without giving anything away - can any of the more aviation professional types on here at least give us an informed timescale as to when we will hear something concrete about all this? No names - just a date??
Any offers??
FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour
It's interesting that SEN was chosen as the London arrival airport for FIFA's brightly-painted MD-83 earlier this week. It departed early this morning to Glasgow to continue its World Tour.
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Now - in my humble opinion - and having used them all - Southend is by FAR the most pleasant to use of all the London airports. I suspect that many of the negative posters on here have never even used Southend!!!.
That's because Southend is a small airport but all small airports want to become big airports and that is in part where the trouble begins.
Like all airport owners Southend is unlikely to turn passengers and airlines away. First off that nice little long term car park that is only a few steps from the terminal will be moved to the other side of the airport. The same will happen to the car hire. Some of the aircraft stands will become remote so in all three cases buses will have to be used to move passengers.
Traffic will queue to get to the drop off zone and the terminal will start to creek at busy times. There will be a lack of seating, passengers will start to join long queues to get airside and join another long queue to get through immigration when they get home. Even if they make it through immigration a lack of baggage belts will be another issue.
Supporters of Southend will start to admit there is a problem but will still want more and more routes even if the passenger experience goes down hill.
Think it could never happen? Think again and have a look at these two photos of Luton as both Luton and Southend have limited space to expand. http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...ml#post8365217 and now this one http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airpo...ml#post8338271
Exciting times lay ahead for Southend as how can the airport not become successful but at some point the pain will begin and the passenger experience will not be quite as good as it is today.
For the the true supporters here remember these times and remember what Southend was like in the past. If you are all still around in 20 years time you will be pinching yourself and marveling at what has happened so now look at my two links.
Last edited by LTNman; 16th Mar 2014 at 05:40.
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Essex
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LTNman -
You speak good sense - but I honestly do not see that over-expansion will ever become an issue for Southend. What with Nestuda Way, the railway line, the retail park (bet they regret that now!!), and - obviously - the runway limitations - there will simply not be scope for Southend to develop beyond the already stated Stobart aims. And I think those aims will be in touch with the feelings of the majority of the local Rochford / Southend population.
With reference to Expressflight's post re the FIFA plane - there is a photo of this - VERY - colourful - plane on the Southend Airport Facebook page.
You speak good sense - but I honestly do not see that over-expansion will ever become an issue for Southend. What with Nestuda Way, the railway line, the retail park (bet they regret that now!!), and - obviously - the runway limitations - there will simply not be scope for Southend to develop beyond the already stated Stobart aims. And I think those aims will be in touch with the feelings of the majority of the local Rochford / Southend population.
With reference to Expressflight's post re the FIFA plane - there is a photo of this - VERY - colourful - plane on the Southend Airport Facebook page.
Last edited by EssexMan61; 17th Mar 2014 at 18:26.