EXETER
 

Good news for the far south west.

Half million in first 6 months of financial year

Exeter International Airport passenger figures for the first six months of this financial year (2005/06) show a 31% increase compared with the same period last year. The passengers passing through the airport from 1 April until 30 September totalled 524,266. The airport’s growth has been substantial in the past few years and the current passenger numbers compared to those of the first six months of 2003/04 reveal an increase of 121%.

Exeter is one of the fastest growing regional airports in the UK and the greater number of scheduled routes is the main reason for the increase in passengers. Flybe’s service to Edinburgh has seen a huge rise of 76% and is the busiest of all the scheduled routes on offer from the airport. Paris has been the second most popular of the scheduled services for the first half of this financial year but as the route started in March there are no comparisons to the previous year. The third most popular of the scheduled flights is to Alicante with an increase of 56%.

Of the domestic and UK route usage during the period, Edinburgh is followed by Newcastle in second place then Jersey and Glasgow. These services are considerably benefiting the inbound tourism industry in the region.

Charter services on behalf of tour operators have continued in popularity with Palma in top place for passenger numbers since April followed by Dalaman in Turkey, then Tenerife. Travellers to Crete were up by 44% and those to Faro up by 32% compared to the same period last year.

The airport also handled nearly 3,000 passengers that were not intending to land at Exeter International Airport. Exeter is the highest ranked airport in the UK for inbound diversions from other airports with Plymouth and Newquay-bound aircraft regularly using the airport. Flights for Cardiff, Bristol and Southampton also use Exeter International Airport as an alternative when they are unable to land at those Airports due to bad weather.

With the news this week that double daily flights to Manchester will be starting in February, Exeter International Airport should reach the landmark figure of one million passengers in financial year 2005/06.

OFT apparently takes 24 weeks to investigate and report on such matters and the report on EXT is due by end of March 2006!

Meanwhile, it's well done to flybe and EXT on the latest traffic figures.

Flybe have asked the proposed airport bidder to gracefully withdraw from the bid. May be an indication of their frustration in the deal being delayed until March 2006 at least, on present passenger figures EXT will need of a new terminal building sooner rather than later.

Westcountry airline Flybe has dealt a Bristol-based consortium's controversial plans to buy Exeter Airport another blow by calling for the group to "gracefully withdraw" its bid.

The low-cost airline - the biggest operator at the airport - believes it would be in the region's best economic and consumer interests if South West Airports Consortium (SWAC) pulled out.

The move continues a difficult week for SWAC and the airport's owner Devon Country Council, and comes just days after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) announced it was referring the issue to the Competition Commission.

The commission will address fears that SWAC - the council's preferred bidder and a major shareholder in Bristol Airport - will mean Exeter is treated as a secondary flight centre attracting less lucrative routes and offering a poorer all-round service than its neighbour.

Now Flybe's chief commercial officer Mike Rutter has said that it is time for a fresh start for both SWAC and the council. "We believe that it is against the consumer interests for airports of broadly similar catchment areas to be owned by the same body," he said.

"If they are owned by the same group, inevitably what will take place is a reduction in competition between the two areas. Therefore there will be an increase in costs and an increase in consumer prices and consumer choice of destinations.

"We believe that it should be a matter of Government policy, in the best interests of UK PLC economy, that they seek to have competing airports within adjacent catchment areas."

He said SWAC - a partnership between Macquarie Airports Group (MAG) and Ferrovial - was a "fine organisation" which has done many positive things in the region.

He said: "We have expressed our interests to SWAC over many months. In the interests of the South West economy and the best interests of everybody in the South West, they should gracefully withdraw.

"Devon County Council also have the complete ability to be able to now withdraw from the process and to reopen it to other players.

"In the best interests of the South West economy we believe they should seek to do that."

Mr Rutter said that a Competition Commission inquiry in 1995 into the proposed purchase of Belfast City Airport by Belfast International Airport, saw the body taking the view that competing airports should have different owners.

"We believe that is a fairly important precedent and one that is likely to be followed in this particular case," he said.

In referring the issue earlier this week, the OFT said the deal "raised concerns" about the loss of competition, which could "adversely effect" passenger choice.

MPs and business leaders had voiced concerns that economic growth, new flight routes and development could all be stunted as a result of the takeover - claims which SWAC denies.

The commission does not have to report back until March 27, almost a year after SWAC was first announced as the preferred bidder for the airport.

Following Flybe's comments, a SWAC spokesman said: "We are considering our next steps but do not wish to make any further comment at this stage."

A spokesman for Devon County Council said: "The county council notes the announcement by the OFT.

"Exeter International Airport is a terrific success story with the biggest rise in number of aircraft handled by a regional airport last year - up 45 per cent and passenger numbers up by nearly a third in the first half of 2005.

"The county council will continue to support the airport's success while pursuing the aim of securing the right kind of strategic investment in the company.

"We will take appropriate steps to ensure that aim is achieved."

Flybe axing LPL
 

Looks like LPL is being axed the day the double daily MAN services commence. I cannot book LPL-EXT flights past Feb 16th and the timetable has been amended. I would like to see a middle of the day service to the North West so I hope that MAN proves successful enough to make it three times daily. Would also like to see double daily services to GLA, NCL and LBA, all of these services seem to be performing well.

Double daily to DUB would also be a big help, as it would make a "short" trip much easier, at present, there's no easy way to get over later in the day, so that means extra time off work if it's a leisure trip, or a 2 day trip if it's business, which makes for serious expense additions.

Today's Exeter Excess & Error newspaper reports that the South West Airports Consortium/Macquarie have withdrawn their bid to purchase Exeter.

:ooh:

Bloombergs confirm the above post saying that the bid has been withdrawn because the regulatory review process was taking too long.

A Macquarie spokewoman was quoted, "There's been no decision against it, but the process just kept dragging on and it's a very small acquisition from our perspective."

I suspect that SWAC have bowed to the inevitable in that the proposed sale would probably have been blocked following the enquiry.

I think it is a great shame because I could see Macquarie/Ferrovial doing great things for EXT. Let’s hope that whoever does buy the airport is of a similarly proven stature.

Anyone know if Brest is coming back as a route next year? It never seemed overly popular so I'm guessing not....

no, the BES will not be returning in S06, but i guess it may return in S07 when the EMBs are in service as their seating capacity is less making it more viable than running a 73 out there with 30 pax on!
**anyone know which route flybe are planning to introduce with the new a/c at EXT??***

Will be good to see the based FCA 320 back for the winter to keep EXT ticking over nicely, its again the CWL summer a/c but FCA are using Skyservice nxt summer in CWL, could this be an indication of a year round base for FCA? Maybe to late for S06 but S07 may look promising to FCA, who knows????

Exeter Excess & Error newspaper reports that £4.2million is to be spent upgrading the infrastructure at Exeter shortly. The money is to be spent on extending the arrivals area, fuel storage and additional aircraft stands.

I'm told that the additional stands are to be built on the current grass parking area between the tower and the "D" hardstanding i.e.opposite the Exeter Flying Club.

The Exeter Flying Club aircraft will have to go northside as the disused 13/31 is to be used for biz-jet parking. Exeter is busy with biz-jets from October to December with the demand for sport shooting in SW England.

I've just read on another thread about Air Wales coming into EXT anyone shed some light? From what I was reading seems that they're likely to pull out of Plymouth.

I think Air Wales are pulling their Irish services from PLH. ORK is moving to EXT and DUB looks as though its being scrapped as you can't book it after January 2nd. However, they appear to be maintaining services to ABZ and NCL via CWL.

Class D airspace for EGTE
 

There are proposals for Class "D" airspace around Exeter.

See this link Devon Strut newsletter (near the bottom) for some details.

I'm surprised Air Wales have stayed in Plymouth as long as they have looking at the prices they charge, they aren't exactly cheap. I see the ORK services are £29 each way which is a Flybe kinda price. Wouldn't suprise me if they start ORK from EXT soon....

Devon guy, Air Wales are starting EXT-ORK in January... As detailed in earlier postings.
Would like to see flybe look at Germany. Bearing in mind Devon's & Cornwall's appeal in the German holiday market. Also AMS would be a winner and I feel attract more inbound pax than the CDG service has to date.

EXT-AMS would certainly be a winner with my Cornish in-laws! A wild guess would suggest that AMS slots would be the inhibiting factor if they don't start the route in the next 12 months.

Oops, realised after I posted that my ramble sounded ambiguous, I meant I don't think it will be too long before Flybe introduce an ORK service from EXT to push Air Wales out.

From Blackpool Today
Blackpool International Airport owners City Hopper are thought to be closing in on the sale of the South West's (far) largest regional airport.
Exeter Airport – which is home to fast growing no-frills airline Flybe – is at the centre of a £100m takeover bid.
Paul Whelan, executive chairman of City Hopper, said: "We are very close to a decision on the sale of Exeter Airport. We have been in discussion for several months are we are expecting an announcement very soon."

As rumoured earlier Flybe EXT-GLA officially now going twice daily (except Sat) from the 16th Feb, bookable online. Anyone know when the domestic services go on sale for summer 06 with Flybe?