SOUTHEND - 4
There is an obvious fundamental difference between a route being officially announced and promoted and it just appearing as bookable on the airline's website.
As far as I know there has been no acknowledgement that "EI have called it a day on their SEN operation" and that is the very reason that so much confusion surrounds the past two days' developments.
I'm afraid expecting the SEN website/management to make an early statement on the subject is a forlorn hope if past experience is anything to go by.
As far as I know there has been no acknowledgement that "EI have called it a day on their SEN operation" and that is the very reason that so much confusion surrounds the past two days' developments.
I'm afraid expecting the SEN website/management to make an early statement on the subject is a forlorn hope if past experience is anything to go by.
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I'm afraid expecting the SEN website
I have my own "cottage" business, I'm in a fortunate position whereas I bought some software, for a mega outlay of less than 20 quid, some years ago whereas I can do my own websites and as soon as something may change in my business I can update my websites with a click of the fingers.
Alas standard, perhaps mega, industries don't do their own websites, they outsource it and it might take mails, or emails, and then some raised voices too, to get the website updated accordingly.
A fantastic quote ... "Rome wasn't built in a day" ... "Yes, but Maggie Thatcher wasn't the foreman on that job"
Just give SEN Airport, or whoever, time ...
It's being suggested on the Air Humberside forum that Stobart Air/Aer Lingus Regional will continue to operate the evening DUB-SEN-DUB and that through bookings over DUB to US destination will continue to be available via both the Flybe and Stobart Air services.
Edit: This also confirmed now by another source.
So I want to do a day trip to DUB from SEN this winter. How do I book this return flight? Can I book the return journey on the Flybe website (I doubt it as it's a Aer Lingus Regional service) or do I need to book two separate flights with two airlines?
Edit: This also confirmed now by another source.
So I want to do a day trip to DUB from SEN this winter. How do I book this return flight? Can I book the return journey on the Flybe website (I doubt it as it's a Aer Lingus Regional service) or do I need to book two separate flights with two airlines?
Last edited by Expressflight; 13th Jun 2014 at 16:36.
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The Evening Echo (Southend's local) have a press release quoted on their website from Flybe stating that a new service SEN-DUB will commenced once a day from October 26th. It goes onto mention that Aer Lingus are reducing their flights from 16 a week in summerr , to 5 a week in winter. Pick the bones from that one!
Both airlines will offer connections to and from the USA.
Both airlines will offer connections to and from the USA.
Last edited by tophat27dt; 13th Jun 2014 at 16:32. Reason: additional news
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So therefore in winter 14/15 there are 12 weekly DUB flights (7 BE + 5 EIR). Also this promising comment from Paul Simmons: “We are of course pleased to add this destination to our services from London Southend and will be monitoring its success closely with an eye towards possible expansion.”
Last edited by tws123; 13th Jun 2014 at 19:39.
And what else would you expect him to say??
I think most UK regional airports in the UK have a bucket load of quotes from BE spokesmen about "possible expansion"...
I think most UK regional airports in the UK have a bucket load of quotes from BE spokesmen about "possible expansion"...
the DUB situation does seem curious - could it be that BE/Stobart/EIR will end up operating co-operatively (code-shares etc) and the public announcement has just been badly handled (or does it just appear that way under the Pprune microscope?)
Could just be a way of shuffling around the metal operating the flights and in the end there will be no negative impact, but BE move in mysterious ways...
Could just be a way of shuffling around the metal operating the flights and in the end there will be no negative impact, but BE move in mysterious ways...
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What's going on here could make a lot of sense. If Flybe can add DUB to the marketing campaign for Stobart air operation , the range of destinations increases. At the same time the EI branded operation does flights to transatlantic feed. All bases covered. I'd question the level of point to point business men and though I don't have clarity on that, I think if is conceivable that the business demand is originating in SEN towards DUB. The airline did operate the route with early flights ex SEN and then ex DUB. They have access to a rich data set on the issue.
While relations between EI and BE have been fraught in the past what with the should Flybe Ireland proposal and EI elbowing in on BE's prime BHD LGW route, the concept of BE and EI codeshare is good business sense. Over Dublin BE could feed pax from no less than 5 destinations.
We can also draw an educated guess that Stobart Air Aer Lingus operation will not go head to head on BE's routes that operate to Dublin ie rule out an EI branded dub SOU route.
Be interesting if the Donegal PSO was awarded to Stobart Air on the next tendering process ...
While relations between EI and BE have been fraught in the past what with the should Flybe Ireland proposal and EI elbowing in on BE's prime BHD LGW route, the concept of BE and EI codeshare is good business sense. Over Dublin BE could feed pax from no less than 5 destinations.
We can also draw an educated guess that Stobart Air Aer Lingus operation will not go head to head on BE's routes that operate to Dublin ie rule out an EI branded dub SOU route.
Be interesting if the Donegal PSO was awarded to Stobart Air on the next tendering process ...
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Stobart Air results
The recently released Stobart Air results make for gloomy reading. Despite pax numbers up to 1m per annum EBITDA profit is just £71,000 for the year. If they had to pay for the recent terminal extension (which cost £14m) and nothing else it would take 197 years to payback at this rate! Then there is the original cost of the airport development which is reported to be in excess of £100m. The success of the airport will be in attracting airlines that are not on a similar sweetheart deal to Easyjet. But then again, who would come in and pay full price when Easyjet are there doing it for free? Interesting times ahead.
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Jolly good to see from the latest stats that - with the increase to 3 flights daily 5 days a week - Southend came within a whisker of overtaking Stansted for Amsterdam passengers during May 2014. Indeed - Stansteds passengers for this route actually fell last month from the corresponding month last year. Shame SEN is now back to 2 flights a day - but certainly appears to suggest just how wrong people can be when saying that SEN cannot attract passengers from the airport near Bishops Stortford.
Last edited by EssexMan61; 16th Jun 2014 at 15:00.
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Share price
I also noticed that Stobart Group share price has nose-dived over the past few weeks (down to 130p from 150p - a drop of 13% in a very short time period). As the other divisions within the Group seem to be performing I wonder if the Stobart Air results are to blame in this lack of investor confidence?
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Asdf1234
Why are you comparing Stobart Ait (Aer Arann) to SEN terminal debit. Stobart air wont be paying it down, the airport chargers will pay it down. Personally 71,000 is good as they lost 1 or 1.5 million the year before.
Hope i have not taken your post up wrong.
Why are you comparing Stobart Ait (Aer Arann) to SEN terminal debit. Stobart air wont be paying it down, the airport chargers will pay it down. Personally 71,000 is good as they lost 1 or 1.5 million the year before.
Hope i have not taken your post up wrong.
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Stobart results
The fact that a profit was recorded at all is something. My experience of trying to encourage new operators and routes to a new facility means that heavy sweeteners have to be offered in the early years.
Stobart must have realised this and are in it for the long term, or now have a value added asset to sell on. Time will tell.
Stobart must have realised this and are in it for the long term, or now have a value added asset to sell on. Time will tell.