SOUTHEND 5
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Luxembourg
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I am sure Stobarts will fix the problems on the ground when it becomes important to do so. I doubt if it will, in the meantime, affect current operations, nor in the attraction of new airlines.
The more important concern for now is what flights will SEN be left with next year.
The more important concern for now is what flights will SEN be left with next year.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Essex
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I know we're not allowed to get excited about diversions to SEN any more, but four BA Cityjet E-jets arriving within an hour or so this afternoon is probably worth noting.... services from Venice, Ibiza, Nice and Mahon all missed the LCY curfew and made the ramp look nice and crowded.
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Outer London
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Venice and Nice were not to do with the Spanish strikes, but regardless the fact remains that BACF have gone to SEN pretty much every Saturday this summer, more than one on some weeks. If you fly with them on a Sat on the sunshine routes there is basically a 20-25% chance you won't be landing where you intended to.
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Essex
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BA Diversions
I see that BACF are bussing pax to SEN for 3 flights to Amsterdam, Nice and Frankfurt. Presumably cheaper than positioning the three aircraft back to LCY.
Last edited by tws123; 26th Jul 2015 at 15:38.
I love how the BA website for those flights offers "limited complimentary transport from LCY to SEN" and goes on to suggest pax may like to take themselves to SEN in order to check in there at the usual time.
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Essex
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It has now been reported today that there will be a replacement destination once Berlin has ended according to the airport.
Jon Horne - "We look forward to announcing what exciting destination will be replacing Berlin in the hopefully near future."
Jon Horne - "We look forward to announcing what exciting destination will be replacing Berlin in the hopefully near future."
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Between the flower pots
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Seeing that Southend isn't exactly flush with routes and with the number of routes dropped over the last 3 years growing one could speculate that easyjet and other airlines are having a hard time making their Southend operations work. I don't know what the answer is but it is worrying to say the least.
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Outer London
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On the basis of not too dissimilar block times, the success of and apparent focus on sunshine routes, and SEN being the only London airport without a link there, I would have a guess at Nice.
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Essex
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Glad to see senior management at Southend not abiding by the rules of wearing High Viz Jackets whilst airside !. Wonder if they had their passes confiscated.
setting an example to other staff ? def not !
New Heathrow runway 'good for Southend' (From Echo)
setting an example to other staff ? def not !
New Heathrow runway 'good for Southend' (From Echo)
With reference to the loss of routes being a result of easyJet having a hard time making SEN work I think that's too simplistic a conclusion. It was said often enough to probably be true that the KRK route was diluting traffic too much on LGW-KRK and was dropped for that reason. BFS was dropped probably because the frequency/timings were unattractive compared to the much more flexible offerings at STN or LTN. SXF didn't offer very business-friendly timings, which were changed more than once, and the leisure traffic was probably not quite sufficient to warrant its retention.
On the other hand examples of successes have been VCE where this summer it has operated at the same frequency as LTN-VCE and seems equally successful and AMS where a 3 x daily service (at times of the year when fleet capacity allows it) has been extremely successful as at that frequency it can compete with STN and LTN more effectively.
I think SEN's strength will always be leisure oriented and perhaps growth will be seen on the sun and winter ski routes next year and it is encouraging that a replacement for SXF is in the offing.
On the other hand examples of successes have been VCE where this summer it has operated at the same frequency as LTN-VCE and seems equally successful and AMS where a 3 x daily service (at times of the year when fleet capacity allows it) has been extremely successful as at that frequency it can compete with STN and LTN more effectively.
I think SEN's strength will always be leisure oriented and perhaps growth will be seen on the sun and winter ski routes next year and it is encouraging that a replacement for SXF is in the offing.
Join Date: Sep 2012
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The only other city destinations I would have a guess at replacing SXF would be NCE or PRG, although both those currently go from STN. Admittedly that certainly hasn't stopped EZY in the past but it seems for now (I hope) they are levelling out at STN.
Interestingly BCN is down to just 2x weekly this winter (I'm sure a couple of years back it was daily even in winter). To think that BCN used to go at least twice/thrice daily from STN alongside LTN and LGW for a number of years. In retrospect, possibly not their wisest decision to move it in the first place??
My gut feeling is that it will be another bucket & spade route. MJV possibly, or could somewhere like MLA or CFU be do-able in summer?
Interestingly BCN is down to just 2x weekly this winter (I'm sure a couple of years back it was daily even in winter). To think that BCN used to go at least twice/thrice daily from STN alongside LTN and LGW for a number of years. In retrospect, possibly not their wisest decision to move it in the first place??
My gut feeling is that it will be another bucket & spade route. MJV possibly, or could somewhere like MLA or CFU be do-able in summer?
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Essex
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I think Prague has been discussed. Don't know how this affects the possibility of another based aircraft next year. I assume that since a route has been lost then replaced doesn't change the capacity required (?).
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Westcliff-on-Sea
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On my way to the shops in the airport retail park this morning I took my usual diversionary route to the area where the business jets can be seen. Sitting on the apron was a large low loader bearing the name Steve Lumley Planing Ltd with a largish piece of machinery on board. Outside the old terminal were two Steve Lumley cars and just arriving was a truck with a grabber arm and bucket. I just wonder, taxiway work?