Southend-3
Join Date: Aug 2014
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For the second time in two days, it is bookable. It re-starts 1st November. I can’t promise it will definitely operate and I can’t promise restrictions won’t be reintroduced at either or both ends by that time. But it’s there, Wizz will take your money for a flight from Southend at this moment in time. It costs no more and no less than the flights on sale from Gatwick and Luton.
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Essex
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So the chances are the airport will be mothballed - commercial flights - during the winter so trained staff will be made redundant and costs reduced as much as possible. Then what? Even if demand returns beyond expectations in the summer of 2022, and that is a very big if, how can the airport be in any sort of position to take advantage without a based airline or any staff if one miraculously appeared?
I cannot see how Esken can continue on the basis that one day all will be rosy again. It may be, but it will be years down the line.
I cannot see how Esken can continue on the basis that one day all will be rosy again. It may be, but it will be years down the line.
I suspect a very small core number of staff will be retained - just enough to be able to train other employees
10 years ago, I think it was a case of signing up Easyjet, and then hiring employees to make this operationally possible
Any airline wanting to open multiple routes at Southend will want about 6 months between announcing routes and a first flight. SEN will know during negotiations with an airline if it seems likely or not. That gives at least 6 months to hire people and get them trained up
If an airline wants to open a base at SEN in the next couple of years... there will plenty of issues to resolve but the lack of baggage handlers on site is unlikely to be a major problem
10 years ago, I think it was a case of signing up Easyjet, and then hiring employees to make this operationally possible
Any airline wanting to open multiple routes at Southend will want about 6 months between announcing routes and a first flight. SEN will know during negotiations with an airline if it seems likely or not. That gives at least 6 months to hire people and get them trained up
If an airline wants to open a base at SEN in the next couple of years... there will plenty of issues to resolve but the lack of baggage handlers on site is unlikely to be a major problem
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Join Date: Jul 2002
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https://ukaviation.news/ryanair-turns-back-on-southend/
Interesting sentence
Sounds like SEN was making no or little money out of Ryanair. Did Ryanair demand a further discount that was turned down?
Interesting sentence
Eskin Group, which owns the airport, said that Ryanair was closing its base as a result of the coronavirus pandemic but despite losing over 50 flights as a result, the financial impact would be negligible due to the large cost of servicing the Ryanair base.
Join Date: Nov 2001
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No flights, minimal cash flow, no real estate that is owned and Carlyle Venture Capital with a share of what exactly? Until the London airports are capacity strained, Southend may then have a future, but will the cash last. Maybe there is a genie in a bottle somewhere?
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Blackpool went back to core values to stem loses by booting out Jet2 and then knocking down its modern terminal and not so modern fire station together with many staff losing their jobs. Drastic action but it saved the airport so what will happen to Wizz and its 3 flights a week?
Time to mothball the terminal for at least a couple of years or go further with the Council buying back the airport. Think it can’t happen? See what Blackpool Council did, as the Council leader could have been talking about Southend regarding competing with other larger airports.
Time to mothball the terminal for at least a couple of years or go further with the Council buying back the airport. Think it can’t happen? See what Blackpool Council did, as the Council leader could have been talking about Southend regarding competing with other larger airports.
Last edited by LTNman; 12th Aug 2021 at 06:10.
Join Date: Aug 2014
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People on here seem to be making out like SEN is the only airport with massive challenges, particularly visitors from Bedfordshire. Well, here’s the thing. Gatwick has a massive mothballed terminal and even the one it’s still got open is far below normal traffic. It’s got a host of airlines that want out. City has something of an existential crisis as it’s core business market probably won’t return to anywhere near the same extent and there’s been a mass exodus of residents. Luton is leveraged to the hilt with a shiny expensive new light rail that it probably doesn’t need.
Southend on the other hand with its potential to get in the GA in the meantime and a modest terminal that can be used flexibly or part time as needed really doesn’t look in too bad a position.
Southend on the other hand with its potential to get in the GA in the meantime and a modest terminal that can be used flexibly or part time as needed really doesn’t look in too bad a position.
What's the level of debt at SEN? It's a rum business plan which relies on the success of your competitors, and based on that plan almost by definition SEN will be last to recover. I'd be surprised if GA can save the day (are there enough ATM movements to allow cargo flights still to operate?). Many other areas that could have contributed to the bottom line seems to have been activitively discouraged, and Esken seem to be keen, as one contributor puts it, to 'sell the family silver' to protect SEN.
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As AirportPlanner1 states all airports have massive challenges but Southend's challenge is that come November and despite covid the other London airports will still handle at peak times more scheduled flights in 20 minutes than Southend will handle in a week.
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Last edited by LTNman; 13th Aug 2021 at 21:39.
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https://airwaysmag.com/airports/london-southend-airport/
https://simpleflying.com/ryanair-close-london-southend-base/
https://simpleflying.com/ryanair-close-london-southend-base/
In 2021, Ryanair only plans to operate 278,775 seats from the airport, after which it will shut down operations. Currently, Wizz Air only has 9,720 seats scheduled for 2021. However, the absence of both easyJet and Ryanair could also make room for Wizz Air to substantially grow its operations at Southend.
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Walking away whilst launching 11 new UK routes can't be good. If they had an issue being a base then they could have done like EZY at STN and keep some routes from other bases. With zero competition and still go means the deals were just better somewhere else.
Join Date: Apr 2016
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Sorry, I just cannot accept what you say. SEN was a minor opportunity for FR and EZY to add pax and revenue at a time before Covid19. A time when continuous growth in demand seemed inevitable. Now they are retracting to the long established and ignoring SEN’s attractions because they no longer have an issue working out where they can base aircraft and fit 3 rotations a day with 90% load factor (or whatever their load factor targets are now).
As Esken have indicated. Better not to have commercial flights this winter than maybe a daily arrival from a AGP based aircraft. Hard to argue with that.
As Esken have indicated. Better not to have commercial flights this winter than maybe a daily arrival from a AGP based aircraft. Hard to argue with that.
Join Date: Apr 2016
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The Secretary of State has overturned the local authority decision to deny the airport permission to build a 132 bed hotel.
I look forward to construction getting underway soon?
I look forward to construction getting underway soon?
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Glyn Jones, CEO of Southend Airport, said: “We are pleased with the planning inspectorate’s decision and will now review our options going forward.”
Last edited by LTNman; 2nd Sep 2021 at 13:06.