Hey, Has anyone else noticed that the new Exeter airport logo is based on the paxs experience passing through ??? for the uninitiated the new logo show's a group of people in a queue - which is exactly what happens to you after you've checked in - standing in a queue to go through the security....
Check out the website for the new logo...

One wonder's if the management of the airport really thought about the design before commissioning it.

Nice One
 

Doubt that they thought or care although the logo is a suitable representation of management attitude = stuff 'em.

I am travelling again soon so will allow a couple of hours in order to identify suitable space.

Birdscarer
Think back 18 months or so when Exeter Airport was in process of being sold.At that time the cafe/restaurant was landside & adjacent to the channel leading to the search facility.Again,if you recall, once at the search facility passengers entered a wider area ,bordered by a rest room facility to the left for staff.Once through the search ,it was a left turn to the departure lounge.
I would submit that if it was not for the catering franchise & any return on overall turnover it contributed to EDAL then it would have been both practical & cheap to double the width of the entrance cone to the search facility & by repositioning the rest room within the search area , to also double the search facility.That would have taken a slice from the space for cafe/restaurant use but would seem otherwise to require little in the way of other than minor building works.
What happened of course was that the cafe went airside & nothing else changed, (Except the ownership of the Airport).
My last trip through Exeter was in March when I was required to return my Avis Car to the airport on a Saturday afternoon.
Avis were shut at 4-45pm as was every check in desk & the info desk.I could see no security staff & eventually found the key drop for Avis.Most of the main lighting was off.The departure terminal appeared deserted.I was later told that FlyBe cut backs in winter flights had led to reciprocity on the part of EDAL. Of course, that type of situation (if true) will always mean that the "summer season" will lead to inexperienced seasonal staff dealing with passengers landside as all the experienced staff, who have airside passes, are "down at the gate" boarding flights.Thus the security line will become congested in summer at peak periods , as EDAL accept any flights with no scheduling constraints in peak periods, & passengers such as "civil aviation" will get no help because he probably has more experience of Exeter than many of the seasonal staff.
Self perpetuating??? But in the meantime EDAL are ruining the greatest attraction that a regional airport with limited flights has, i.e.rapid transit through the airport.

In that case I would say it is worth the extra hours drive and go to Bristol! There you have a massive range of flights, better facilities, shorter queue times (since the search comb was extended last month)....every one is happy! VOTE WITH YOUR FEET IF YOU AREN'T HAPPY!

Birdscarer
My suggestion in regard to extended screening was actually a response to part of a previous post by you, namely
If you (as the customer) want the aviation market to be open to everybody with low cost fares then you need to tolerate the queues and hassle that go hand in hand with regional airports - sadly, you can't have it both ways.
I felt & still feel ,that a modicum of foresight could have avoided the current problems referred to during peak periods & affecting the security cone.
If, as the Airport owner, you will not schedule aircraft to match capacity flow rates within the terminal then you should at least attempt a (cheap) fix for the more obvious problems that you encourage. They would appear to be, at present, security flow rates, lack of check in desks & capacity of the departure baggage system. On the ramp parking spots remain an issue.
Why should passengers decamp to Bristol?? Geographically, it appears there is a catchment area for Exeter Airport which allows it to survive. Decamping would probably only succeed in exacerbating any existing BRS problems.
As for EXT-BRS in one hour by road, then that could well boost the speed cameras' revenue figures ! Fortunately, my current visitations to airports are almost exclusively elsewhere so I do not have to put that theory to the test.

Plenty of room
 

The security queue/terminal experience was as bad as ever on Monday.
Meanwhile, the adjoining cafe had about 5 customers.
However, the airport operator much prefers the rent from a tenant rather than using the space and paying for more staff to help passengers.
To add insult to injury, Flybe & co add about £30 'taxes and charges' to your ticket to pay for the airport 'service'.

My Tuesday morning flight to Dublin was a breeze, 5 mins max getting through security. I guess it all depends on the timings. There was a Air Malta flight and First Choice Flight to PMI departing before my DUB flight so the airport was fairly busy in departures. In my opinion still preferable to driving/getting the train to BRS for me.

Website
 

Has the website been re-done recently? Hope Exeter Corporate Aviation's attention to detail doesn't reflect that of their website entry...

After the very (not) impressive phase one of the Masterplan- the new signage and website............
Phase two is now up and running- The Burger Bar in car park one!!!!!!
Come on BB surely you can do better than that!!!?????
:confused::ugh:

If exeter has the burger van, does that mean blk gets the ice cream van????? All very quiet up here?

Still no sign of the Master Plan being published, but it can't be long now - the website wording has changed.

I'm looking forward to it being my pool-side reading - perhaps;)

A few things on the security stuff.

CA - We have 2 Search Channels, Not 1!

1 of the reasons it gets busy is due to smokers who cannot go for 2-3 hrs without a fag, so leave it until the a/c starts boarding to go therw security, the find themselfs in a queue, and even get angry and shout at staff when they get offloaded!!!

2nd is that, dispite all of the signs, tv screens, god knows how much news coverage a while back and being asked 100 times b4 they get to security, ppl still seem to have lquids in the hand baggage!! This slows down security ALOT, if everyone while waiting in the queue prepared themselfs, emptied their pockets, jackets off etc. it would make things so much faster, and stop asking questions while they are having their bag searched like "I didn't realise Water was a lquid" !!!! These ppl should be told they are too stupid to fly and should be offloaded.

Also, the managment and their 'stuff the pax' attitude, you can included the staff in that (that is 'stuff the staff' by the managment, not the staff dont care about pax) Despite the managment not caring and flybe swanning round like they own the place (mostly flybe customer service staff that work in the terminal) I think the staff at ext do an execelnt job!

I'll get off my soap box know.

God :ugh:

EGTEGOD-with reference to your quote "and flybe swanning round like they own the place (mostly flybe customer service staff that work in the terminal) I think the staff at ext do an execelnt job!"
I do agree that the staff do do an excellent job but that includes the Flybe staff who "swan around"!!! Just think where you would be now, without them????
P.S. yes i know i said do do!!!!!!! hehehe:D

Security is still a major issue when the early morning wave of flights depart Exeter. As a regular commuter it is incredibly frustrating that Exeter Airport appear to pretend it is not!

Many comments are very valid on this thread but, trying to be constructive on the topic, wouldn't the whole security process at Exeter be improved if there was an area where, say, up to 3 people can prepare their trays with belts, jackets, laptops etc immediately before they reach the scanners? This happens at 99% of other airports I travel through who handle far greater passenger numbers and this seems a logical and simple improvement that Exeter could make.

Exeter Airport would then also benefit from additional revenues as pax are airside spending money rather than getting frustrated queuing and considering the choice of Bristol next time.

A little more urgency by the security staff at the scanners would also help.

Great regional airport but still falling a little short of the mark.

Ah !!
So now GOD blames the very passengers that provide staff at EXT with a living for the security problems suffered.
Yes, there are 2 search channels but not always both open at the commencement of peak flows.Moreover, if you look back at my previous posts I think the situation in terms of provision of additional facilities could have been addressed cost effectively last summer.
I discern that your particular "rock & hard place " is somewhere between the passenger & the management of EDAL with some input into security.
Well, for what its worth, my view is that EDAL always have accepted flight timings on the basis submitted, regardless of their inability to match them with the airport capacity in its various areas. Having then got the throughput , there are times when it cannot be handled because one or more of the constraining parameters involved is exceeded.
If it is the security at the morning peak then you do need a"pre search" facility which will have tables with trays available for the passengers to get to grips with "water being a liquid" etc, then slide the trays down some lazy rollers until you get to the start of the "search cone" proper.Oh yes, you do need staff at those tables to help. Result, line speeded up immensely because flow into the cone is "smoothed " & ready to be screened.
So why don't you get that?? Because I suspect that EDAL realise that having got the flights into a peak period, then undertaking the above needs staffing for very short periods & you cant use overtime or part timers at that time in the morning so the only way is full timers & the cost goes stratospheric & the staff are not required for 75% of their shift !!
Now, is the root problem the fault of the passenger, however idiotic they may appear to you??
Just as a parallel, I can offer you T3 at LHR , where the passenger has to get to the central area & find the correct terminal, find their airline, check in & change levels to a shopping area that houses the security cone.I'll spare you the walk after security through a modern (confusing) shopping area to the end of Pier 7 or similar. (About the same as walking to the runway from the pax terminal at EXT).Add to this the passenger mix from all over the globe.
HAL (The BAA), much reviled ,have allowed the entrance to the search cone
to be cordoned off for about 50 -75 yards,& have allowed the area to be flooded with OCS staff which assist with the "pre search requirements".Its not perfect, but at least they try, & when added to the scheduling comittees efforts to match flights with capacity, helps somewhat.
Your passenger mix at EXT is pretty good, language problems minimal & with facilities & staff as above, there would probably be no problem.
So GOD, I think it is incumbent upon you, given your status, to turn your ire back on to the Management !!

Try working here!:ugh:

Already do pal!!!
And really enjoy it. Obviously you dont, so time for a change maybe???:confused:

"Try working here!"

Have done ,thanks GOD

Quite often had queues at security (especially with transits)-clue there??
But no problems with OTP. If pax knew what was required ,they generally co-operated & EDAL check in & gate staff hunted down the few would be "escapees".
Perhaps a T3/LHR stint would introduce some perspective into your views.

Masterplan
 

Masterplan now available to read online
Master Plan – Exeter International Airport

is there any data to show demand between EXT and London? I'm surprised this route is still not taken up

With ASW doing Plymouth to LGW it isn't a viable route. Apparently it's been looked at.

EXT management promised a route to London last Spring, and then again this year but still waiting. I do not think a route is viable unless it was similar to that operated by ASW (IE Plymouth-Exeter-London) but I very much doubt this will materialise.

With the current focus on the environment, and the potential rise in APD, I have come to the conclusion that despite promises from those in suits sitting in the EXT boardroom this route will not appear as a destination (at least not while you can still use the train!)

I remember reading an article with a quote from FlyBe saying they wouldn't operate a service to London from Exeter because they feel the train is good enough, it would go against their 'green image'.

Possible emergency at ext
 

Heard from a friend poss emergency at ext 2nite anybody have any more info?

BEE953J diverted in en-route Gatwick to Jersey with a "flap problem".
Expected a faster than normal landing.
Made it in safely. :ok:
Expect the Excess and Error's lead story tomorrow to include a piece about the school at the end of the runway etc etc.

A planning application has been submitted to East Devon Council for a 180m starter extension to runway 26.

Wow its quiet on this thread, I swear I have just seen a tumbleweed go across the screen.

So TCX have said they will also offer Funchal S11 - does this mean an additional weekly flight to Funchal on a TCX aircraft or are they sharing with the Monday Thomsonfly service?

Also any more news on whethe they too will base an aircraft in Exeter. It was suggested a couple of years ago and they certainly seem to be increasing their presence at the airport with new routes this year.

Its a shame we have not had many foreign aircraft in this year, only really KM TS and LBT - miss the days where Spanair would come in with Air Europa among others.

How come IceJet are operating frequent shuttles between MXP and Exeter? I guess this is a private charter but anyone know who for? Also a Hello MD90 (?) was in yesterday again off to MXP, any idea why??

Thomas Cook are just taking seats on TOM's existing Funchal service

well thats pants......just as I thought we may see another TCX in! Any more news on when the FCA aircraft are going to painted in the TOM livery? I know its far from the top of the priority list considering cost.

If TOM got rid of the A320s would EXT remain a base?

The Icejet Dornier 328Jet services operate to and from Milan on Mondays and Fridays. It is an Agusta Westland corporate service which used to operate from Farnborough. Exeter, however, is closer to Yeovil!

I'm sure a TOM B737-800 could do everything the current A320 does

Notice Exeters thread is as quiet as their sister airport is in Blackpool, so much for BB being saviours, it's got quieter still up here:ugh::{:{:{

a good experience at exeter and viking airline to Portugul first time for both on time both out and return