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Sounds like this whole saga is getting to you:{

I heard they've sold over 100,000 tickets......

What's yr point www?

Having a Terminal up and running is not essential to the launch of the operation. If the worst comes to the worst, they can go onto Operation "Coach Ops". Its been done before, its a pain in the a**e, but it does work.

The car parking can be sorted too, without too much problem.

Won't impress the SLF, but at least they get their flights on time (or nearly!)


Oggie

In the short term who owns CVT isnt going to solve the problems of getting this operation running on time and safely. In the medium long term then maybe more resources and better management may make a difference in some areas.

In the short term the runway isnt as long as had been hoped, even the temporary the terminal facilities are not complete and the infrastructure (car parks etc) is not in place. The planning authority are sticking to the rules and will do so no matter who owns the lease.

There will be days when performance will be fine from here but there will be days when they will need to tech stop too. There will be days when they will divert for want of CAT II/III. Surely not a good way to run a low cost operation.

For the foreseeable future at least this jet commercial operation will be operating through uncontrolled airspace in IMC and worse still VMC weather 7 days a week. On the extended centreline of or in the vicinity of CVT are Wellesbourne, Snitterfield, Bidford and Long Marston (does anyone still operate here?) and Husbands Bosworth. I'm not sure which would be more worrying, the mode A aircraft not talking to anyone or the plastic gliders not painting at all. For me its a game of odds. On a one off flight, fine. But when the weather is marginal VMC or when its Sunday afternoon and its glorious if you do it often enough then you will get airproxes. Lets hope its only airproxes.

Let's see. Hot days like last summer, the aircraft full in August will have to tech stop after take off from CVT to Malaga! Delay incurred, inbound, a delay say in Malaga, passengers checked in for rotation number 2 at CVT. 131 passengers delayed 4 hours on the ground waiting, where do they get their hot food for delay? The loos will overspill. Then the next rotation passengers start arriving to check in, but there's no car parking, the terminal is full, can't get a drink or money out to buy food. I see awful problems on a day like this, and let's face it. Days like that do happen. And Britannia as good as they are when all is running well, are notorious to be awful at recovering situations when they go wrong. I see problems ahead...

Personally I would like COV to become a good low cost base as its in my commutable area and all pilots like to have 'options'.

1) 100,000 tickets is peanuts, nothing, drop in the ocean.

2) No car park, no terminal, no coffee shop and we are 6 weeks away from launch.

3) The runway and no Cat3 is going to create tech stops and diversions and thats going to make the programe fall apart.

4) Does it make business sense for TUI to own both the airport and the main operator there? One can only male a profit at the exact loss of the other...


I'm wishing my friends with them well and hope it prospers. It sure as heck isn't going to worry my employer so another 737 operator up the road is good news for me.

But its hardly the slick serious proposition I envisaged upon first hearing that Britannia were starting up a low cost arm. I had in mind 4 737's into EMA, killing off BMI Baby and ditto at MAN. Maybe a big push at BHX who don't even have a LCA!

But not this.

Cheers

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