DERRY/LONDONDERRY
 

News reports yesterday in Donegal were suggesting that Ryanair were pulling out of the Derry-Stansted service at the end of the year.

Anyone know anything?

Ryanair has confirmed it is to axe its morning flight from City of Derry Airport to London from October.

The airline will operate only one evening flight a day from Derry to Stansted.

Ryanair says it has been left with no option because the runway in Derry is not big enough to accommodate its new planes

It says if the problem is not resolved by the spring, it will terminate all services.

Ryanair says Derry City Council, which owns the airport, has been aware of the situation for more than two and half years.

I just wonder how others operate from Belfast City with a similar R/W.

Don't know what Ryanair are playing at. Runway at BHD is shorter than at Derry, yet can operate A320/321.

Last time I was up that way an A320 was climbing out on its way to somewhere sunny, so a lot heavier than a Stansted bound 738.

Can anyone shed any light? Is the 738 poorer in T/O performance than say a 732 or a 734? Surely it must have similar performance to an A320??

Maybe O'Leary is hoping to introduce new, longer, routes TO Derry. A lot of French, Germans and so on, like to holiday in Donegal. Is this runway extension business to facilitate that?

Or could it be that the airport management just want a BIGGER runway and MOL is doing his best to help.

Or how about now that the Bloody Sunday enquiry is complete there aren't quite so many barristers and such wishing to travel to EGAE hence it only justifies a once a day service...just a thought ...

Poor Derry, they are also going to loose the rail link to Belfast.

But at least the aircraft won't have to hold on final for the train to pass

I think the issue is that Ryanair went for de-rated engines on the 737-800s which give them benefits in terms of lower maintenance costs. The drawback is that they need longer runways and hence Ryanair have been going round beating airports up to extend their runways, in some cases they have - I think Lubeck is one example. In Derry's case it's not so easy as they are owned by Derry City Council and require funding from both the UK and Irish governments to carry out such work, not to mention the effect on local residents.

You couldn't fill one of MOL's new 737's and depart from /city due to performance,he's now selling seats in the toilets so it puts it over its max TO mass,roofracks on oder!!!!
Who was MOL looking to extend the runway! as I'm sure he wouldnt pay anymore monies if it was changed just for him and I hardly think they are paying enough to the airport to justify it.


Its going to be a hard winter,better battin down the hatches:uhoh:

Rgds K.I.L.

Maybe FR should keep the -300's for the likes of LDY, AOC, LRH etc etc :ugh:

The same 737-300s that have recently been advertised in Flight International for lease from the winter season...?!

EGNR the very same -300's. :E

Using the 733s would only put off the day. FR are committed to 738s so short of buying another LCC it's an unlikely scenario.

The neighbours are objecting to LDY's extension.

Just on the subject of LDY, anyone else heard the rumour of a maintenance base for narrowbodies opening.

Well no neighbours of airports wish to see expansion but it is a necessary evil.....:rolleyes:

LDY had it's busiest day ever last week, with an Islandflug 757 and (I think) a 737-300 from Excel Airways going to Lourdes along with the usual scheduled stuff. I'm no expert, but surely if a 757 with 250 people on board, plus luggage, plus enough fuel to get to the south of France can use the runway, then surely a 737-800 can too to get to Stansted, even with under-performing engines? It seems like MOL is trying to black-mail the Council, though if reports in last weeks Derry Journal are to believed then they're at least partially getting the money to extend the runway. (supposedly £12 million of the £20 million asked for. Link: www.derryjournal.com/story/3939 ).

Just a thought, but isn't nearly all of the traffic on the Ryanair Hanh-Kerry flight German tourists? If that route can work why not one to the northwest when Donega's a good two-hour drive at least from the Belfast airports.

As an aside, apparently the Aer Arann routes to MAN and BHX are doing a bit better than projected.

CUTHERE, you would have thought if a 757 could do it a 737-800 could do it, but the 757 has excellent STOL cababilities for an aircraft of its size, thats why it can land at places like Southampton etc.

Put RB211s on a 738 and I'm sure it could make it out too. 752 = one of the more overpowered airframes out there...

If the runway is too short, what is the point in keeping the evening flight ? The explanation given by MOL is the usual nonsense. Obviously there is an agenda behind the announcement.

The reason behind closing the LDY-STN route is simple. They won't have the -300's or the -200's to use. Read between the lines.........

:rolleyes: