Norwich-2

[Harry Wayfarers]

NWI sn't so important to me to go checking reviews, I'm a hotelier and some of the reviews of my place , but I have fond memories of living both in Watton and some years later Norwich, the fish & chip stall in Norwich market, the Colman's Mustard shop etc. etc. etc.

[Mike Flynn]

I have fond memories of the airport being run by the council and the excellent staff they had there in the 1990's.

I am not anti Norwich but think it's sad the managment don't want to make the place more user friendly.

I took this on the apron some years ago. The car used to belong to me and a friend flew the aircraft for Air UK which is now in the museum.

[Harry Wayfarers]

I worked for Air UK and of a quiet weekend shift, if we weren't in 'Red Roofs' , one of uswould nip off to AMS for 6 crates of Grolsch.

One Sunday I was coming back, we had to hold in our Shed 360 for the Red Arrows to do their thing, and as I came thru the terminal, in uniform, the Reds asked me how they could get back out on the tarmac, I told them to follow me and observing my 6 crates of Grolsch they willingly agreed

[no slots]

Mr SATA. Pilot for 36 years? Clearly you have forgotten your 'met' training. In the UK, it is rare to have fog with a wind above 5kts as it tends to disperse it so landing on 27 is rarely an issue. As with comparing the Far East with the UK! You know ( but to enhance your criticism you forget to mention) that the Far East is by far the fastest growing economy and aviation sector in the world and national governments are investing huge amounts of tax payers money into it. Most scheduled services in Europe are served by 'modern' aircraft now due to strict air pollution regs which is why a lot of the older aircraft have gone to less developed countries ( including many parts of the Far East). You know nothing about what is going on in Norwich except the bad press that you're so eager to share. So stay where you are and talk about something you might have some knowledge about because what is happening out there is of no concern to us over here. The airport is showing an increase in passenger numbers and flights year on year. Clearly these people have a choice and are exercising that choice by walking through the door.

[Planespeaking]

The car is Jersey registered and looks strangely similar to the one driven by Jim Bergerac in the 1980s TV series of the same name. I know because I lived in Guernsey in the 1980s and worked there for AirUK.

[Mike Flynn]

Originally Posted by no slots

You know nothing about what is going on in Norwich except the bad press that you're so eager to share. So stay where you are and talk about something you might have some knowledge about because what is happening out there is of no concern to us over here. The airport is showing an increase in passenger numbers and flights year on year. Clearly these people have a choice and are exercising that choice by walking through the door.

Clearly you work at Norwich and are out to defend the place.

I certainly do have contact with it via a couple of friends who have the misfortune to work as pilots for KLM. Most of the traffic growth has come from the closure of the helicopter base at North Denes.

Have you seen the sad file picture in the Eastern Daily Press a few days ago? Rust stains showing through the paint on the entrance canopy supports. How much of the 'development fee' goes on paint and maintenance of the passenger areas?

I suggest you spool back three years and read some Pprune comments to you from 2014.

GASAX
"As far as the 'growth of Norwich traffic' is concerned it would appear the East Anglian IQ continues to decline - or have the thieving airport management stopped ripping off passengers by charging them to get into the departure lounge with the 'Airport development fee'?

Without paying it of course you cannot get on a flight..................inspite of buying a ticket etc...

When exactly is the airport going to be 'developed'?"

This from Shaggysheepdriver

As for Norwich - the airport 'development' fee has according to their own site been used to pay for;
Quote:
Over the last four years the ADF has helped investment in the following projects at the airport:

- Increase in holiday destinations (both summer and winter) and retention of scheduled services
- Terminal building extension and refurbishment
- Flight information system
- Main apron upgrades for aircraft parking in front of the terminal
- State of the art radar equipment
- Fire training and emergency response facilities and equipment
So in other words the basic running of the facility

[canberra97]

Although it looks VERY similar to Jim Bergerac's car the actual registration for that particular vehicle was J 1610.

I worked for British Channel Island Ferries for 8 years and it was a regular vehicle on the Corbiere ferry.

[Mike Flynn]

J1656 one of three cars used in Bergerac and a genuine Jersey registered Triumph Roadster. I believe the vehicle you refer to was the main car and actually owned by someone on the mainland which had a UK registration number.

The series featured the number plate J1610 but I understand that was never issued to a Jersey based car.


Now enough of this history lets go back to the future.

I am tempted to pay £20 for a couple of litres of blue paint to cover the rust on the steel supports over the entrance canopy at 'Norwich International'.

Perhaps No Slots will match my generosity?

The owners of Norwich Airport are not exactly poor.

Regional and City Airports is part of Rigby Group plc, the parent company for a portfolio of family-owned and highly successful businesses operating across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Rigby Group plc has evolved across the last 40 years into a £1.6Bn British success story with six divisions and 7,500 employees.

Rigby Group comprises six key divisions: Aviation (British International Helicopters and Capital Air Ambulance), Technology (SCC – Europe’s largest independent IT services business), Airports (Regional & City Airports, Norwich Airport, Exeter Airport and Coventry Airport), Hotels (the Eden Hotel Collection), Real Estate (Rigby & Rigby super prime property development, Rigby Group Real Estate and Imperial Park, Coventry) and Finance (Rigby Private Equity, Rigby Investments and Rigby Capital).

source https://www.norwichairport.co.uk/rigby-group/

Can I suggest you climb down from your ivory tower No Slots and look at the reality of the airport development fee being the rip off every else recognises.

With all that money behind them why is Norwich singled out for a "development fee " when other airports in the Rigby portfolio such as Bournemouth, Exeter and Coventry are not?

Looking forward to your reply

[Mike Flynn]

Norwich to Durham Tees Service Axed

This from Loganair.

Unfortunately, the Norwich – Durham route wasn’t performing in line with expectations with no signs of improving so we’ve taken the decision to withdraw the service from January 7th”

https://www.loganair.co.uk/loganair-...=december+2017

[Expressflight]

Originally Posted by Jay Sata

J1656 one of three cars used in Bergerac and a genuine Jersey registered Triumph Roadster. I believe the vehicle you refer to was the main car and actually owned by someone on the mainland which had a UK registration number.

Sorry to go off topic but what was your car J1656 doing on the apron at NWI in your photograph? Just curious.

[Mike Flynn]

No problem and always happy to reply.

I sold the car to a friend in Jersey when I emigrated to Australia in the 1980's.

He owned the Lucas agency for the Channel Islands and the production team spotted the car when sourcing parts at his dealership for the main car which had broken down.

They then added it to the props.

Three cars were used in the series.

I moved back to the UK and Norfolk in the 90's and he wanted to dispose of the car which was a pig to drive. I loaned it to a friend who was an Air UK captain and he flew the aircraft in the picture which was taken in 1997 at Norwich.

J1656 is now UK registered with a Swansea number.

The aircraft is now in the museum at Norwich.

At least we have a bit more discussion on a small airport thread.

[Expressflight]

Thanks J S

[SWBKCB]

With all that money behind them why is Norwich singled out for a "development fee " when other airports in the Rigby portfolio such as Bournemouth, Exeter and Coventry are not?

The tax was in place before Rigby got involved.

[Mike Flynn]

They could lower or drop it.Or at least spend some money on the place.

More bad news for Norwich / Amsterdam passengers today.

1 KL1502/KL1506 NORWICH- AMSTERDAM AND KL1505 AMSTERDAM- NORWICH 22nd DEC 2017 CANCELLED

Can someone please explain why Norwich has never encouraged a competitor to KLM on the Amsterdam route?

[SWBKCB]

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/poss...er-conditions/

Not just Norwich.

Can someone please explain why Norwich has never encouraged a competitor to KLM on the Amsterdam route?

How do you know they haven't? Who would you suggest?

[NickBarnes]

Flybe did it briefly before the £10 fee even came in. It failed. I paid around £30 one way to AMS back in 2006, earlier KLM flight that day was near full, My Flybe flight 26 pax, need I say anymore.

[Dontgothere]

What about to a different hub? It’d mean both KL and AMS would have to be competitive.

Naturally, I’d be arguing for EI regional through DUB, but that is only good for connections going west. Also for my own selfish needs, it’d be handy to fly into NWI rather than STN or SEN when flying home to see the folks.

[ara01jbb]

J S ... I refer you back to post #23 on this thread. Almost no-one flies NWI-AMS O&D. As NickBarnes reminds us, FlyBe tried and failed. KLM's route exists to feed KLM's worldwide network at Schiphol. The handful of passengers who are flying to Amsterdam are happy to pay roundtrip fares that start at £120 for a weekend return.

Norwich might be served by another airline to another hub (logically AF to CDG) but I suspect NWI management know on which side of the bread their butter lies. For a city with a population of >200,000 (and a realistic airport catchment area population of >750,000) still managing to sustain three daily flights to a global hub is not bad going. NWI-AMS has more passengers per annum than Cityhopper's equivalent routes to BHD, HUY, MME... even CWL.

(Incidentally, I'm guessing from everything that you have written so far that you are able non-rev as far as Schiphol and are upset you have to pay so much to hop across the Channel to visit Norwich.)

Merry Christmas all.

[canberra97]

Yes I think your assumption may be correct and he has been moaning about the airport ever since, what was once a very quiet thread it has recently been well and truly really ignited by someone from the other side of world concerned about a bit of paint here and there and the downfall of Norwich airport.

[Mike Flynn]

There is a big difference between stating facts and moaning Canberra. I see you are in Southampton however I still have a house in west Norfolk.

I also had an airstrip next to a house I owned near Acle for many years and my use of the NWI goes back decades.

When in the UK I still call in to collect arriving friends.

I think that qualifies me to comment.

I see firsthand what a shabby run down airport Norwich has become since privatisation.

Where does the £2.5 million extracted every year from passengers go?

Certainly not in making it a more pleasant and comfortable facility.

In my opinion the owners see the place as a property investment not a transport facility in much the same way as the train operating companies extract as much money as they can from the travelling public.

The Eastern Daily Press has run the following story today.

Flights from Norwich to Durham Tees Valley have been axed – less than three months after they were reintroduced.

Scottish airline Loganair said the route, which had an onwards connection to Aberdeen, had performed below expectations and had shown no signs of improving.

The last flight will be on January 7 and passengers who have already made bookings between Durham and Norwich will be able to get a full refund, said Loganair.

Kay Ryan, Loganair commercial director, said: “Unfortunately the Norwich – Durham route wasn’t performing in line with expectations with no signs of improving, so we’ve taken the decision to withdraw the service from January 7.

“Regardless, as the airport’s lead operator, connectivity from Norwich remains a key priority for us.”

A spokesman added the firm’s sister-company BMI Regional would continue to run a service to Aberdeen.

Loganair brought the six-days-a-week flight, which offered an onward connection to Aberdeen, back on October 15 with the aim of serving the energy industry – which has hubs in East Anglia and Scotland.

At the time of the announcement in August Loganair’s managing director Jonathan Hinkles hailed the route as an “important milestone” for the airline.

A spokesman for Norwich Airport said: “As Loganair were unable to provide warning of their decision to cancel the Durham flights we are not in a position to speculate about their reasoning for doing so.

“As ever, however, our first thoughts are for any passengers who may have relied on the service, because we know how important services linking Norwich to other parts of the country are to local businesses and the regional economy.

“This decision is very much at odds with the big picture at Norwich Airport. Even if the Loganair cancellations were taken into account passenger numbers continue to rise year-on-year, with an additional 15,000 travellers passing through the facility in 2017 and several initiatives to introduce new routes in 2018 already well under way.”

Loganair still offers flights to Edinburgh, Manchester and Jersey from Norwich, where it employs 25 staff including pilots, cabin crew and engineers.

Norwich Airport revealed its 30-year masterplan in July which sets out a vision to increase passenger numbers to more than one million by 2045 and forge international links.

Passenger numbers may be rising but they have a long way to go to reach 773,000 which was the figure for 2007. Once the development fee was introduced the numbers dropped.

Scheduled traffic has declined over the years and movements have only increased for gas platform helicopters. Part of the reason for this was the poaching of the North Denes heliport traffic at Great Yarmouth which has now closed.



The offshore helicopter traffic is propping up the movements via Aberdeen and Schipol.

The suggestion that they will ever reach a million is pie in the sky.