Any ideas when they will announce fleet/routes/recruitment for the new Excel airways ireland/ dublin base?

Excel Airways is on its own - no longer part of AVION
 

Anyone else seen this?

'
Disposal of 100% in XL Leisure Group for USD 450 million
· Disposal of 51% in Avion Aircraft Trading for USD 51 million
· 49% in Avion Aircraft Trading retained by Avion Group
· Purchase price used for continued growth and repayment of loans
Avion Group (Avion or the ‘Company’) announces that it has reached agreement for the disposal of the entire issued share capital of XL Leisure Group for USD 450 million. XL Leisure Group was recently formed from the Charter & Leisure division within Avion and consists of Excel Airways Group in the UK, Star Airlines in France and Star Europe in Germany. The disposal is being made to a buy-out team, led by Phillip Wyatt, Chief Executive Officer of XL Leisure Group and is conditional on CAA approval in the UK.

The profit on the disposal before tax is estimated to be USD 107 million and is calculated according to the book value of the assets of XL Leisure Group as at 31 July 2006. The proceeds of USD 450 million is payable on completion of the puchase. '

Ive just seen this too, very quiet and very surprising. Two news stories Here and Here

And from Avion themselves.

Yes, very quiet. I wonder how this might affect those of us who were recently interviewed for positions?

Anyone in Excel heard anything?

Excel operating Travelcity to SFB
 

I gather Excel will be operating 767`s in 2007 into SFB on behalf of Travelcity.

Does anyone know if econ seats on the 767 have individual TV`s and what the seat pitch is?

cheers


:p

Excel now the parent of Travel City will be operating Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 767's for TCD, next summer. Currently the 767 do not have seat backs in any cabin. Whether they will be re-fitted for 2007 remains to be seen as yet.

Excel airways order 2x 330-200 with options for 3 more!
 

Excel airways has ordered 2 x A330 for delivery Nov/Dec 2008. With the remaining 3 options hopefully being taken by spring 2009.

These aircraft will replace the current 767-300ER in there fleet, & help them expand & grow there longhaul network.

"Excel airways has ordered 2 x A330 for delivery Nov/Dec 2008. With the remaining 3 options hopefully being taken by spring 2009"

Very interesting, where did you get this info??

jumbo girls

Interesting...Airbus dont know anything about that one, perhaps they are to be leased.

CIT Aerospace will lease the aircraft to Excel.

XL to fly for GB in BA colours
 

rumour has it in XL that next year they will have an A/C on a wet lease flying for GB in BA colours, anyone any more info?
seems like the GB F/Os are going to lose their commands as well as their parking!

It's not a rumour. Should be a new build a/c currently on order by Excel, leased to GB Apr 07 - Oct 07

jethro
UK and Ireland Airline Fleet Listings
http://www.jethros.i12.com

Is there any end to XL's expansion, over the past few months I have seen XL 737, 757, 767, 747, 146 and even a 320 which seemed to also have Air Malta colours on the side. I would love to know how their back room staff, recruitment, maintenance, training ......... to name a few can keep up.

Bloody Hell!!
(and I'm not having a go at any individual airline or pilots!!)
I thought it was GB co-pilots that were taking BA commands! Where oh where are we all going to end up after this industry finishes its nosedive to oblivion?
The sooner Gordon Brown taxes flying out of existence, the better. I'm going to invest my redundancy pot(??) in horse s**t and turn my front lawn into a 25' square organic farm to save the planet.

Last i heard GB have recruited so many low hour or non jet guys they struggling to fill their LHS and have been discussing DEC's, rang up to enquire but was fobbed off!! Prob why they having to wet lease the excel, mind you if it's just for the summer it gets round the over capacity in the winter! Shame about the parking, i was always jealous of that little perk - welcome to the staff bus chaps :\

the penguin.....

you're kinda half right - although the post was a little sensationalist.

GB were offered an extension on the lease for A320 TTOA for a period of 6+ years when they only wanted the a/c on lease for a further 6 months approx.
Hence they haven't renewed the lease and the a/c goes back to the lessor shortly.

This leaves the airline with a shortfall in a/c numbers for a period next year, until roughly the time that the next new A321 TTIF arrives from the factory.

In the meantime a lease has been organised to cover this shortfall, i believe with Excel, using their pilots but GB cabin crew. Bit like what Astraeus are doing with Flybe at the moment with the B737's.

I'm sure someone out there knows more of the nitty gritty details but this what i'm told the situation is.

As for the parking/Beehive situation, the consultation period surrounding the move is ongoing with nothing signed or resolved yet.

Commands won't be affected long term as the lease is purely short term and total a/c numbers at GB remain unaffected.
And - R3Hard - there's definately NO problems filling left hand seats as there are PLENTY of SFO's and FO's on the seniority with the required type hours and jet hours. Command couses are on going with at least another 3 planned for early next year.

BPM

737-800, to be based at Manchester operating for GB on their normal route structure (although quite what that is from MAN given the frequent changes, I don't know). It is indeed related to the return of 'OA to the leasing company next spring.

Its LGW based - May to October.:)

They may have signed for a wet lease but under the terms of the franchise its illegal. Only BA/Franchise pilots can fly BA flight numbers. So if its only doing charter work with GBL flight numbers its OK but it can't fly any of the BA schedules.

GB and BA CCs already working to get this stopped, watch this space.

Saw the memo from KH.... interesting stuff.

I believe the company has signed a 'letter of intent' for Jubilee but unless you have seen something else with you own eyes then i guess we have to take their word for it.
A letter of intent is in no way a solid formal binding contract. It does however allow the company to register its interest.

God knows if this is true or not, but i've seen nothing to the contrary and don't believe anyone else has either. Perhaps we'll never know.

As for commands... you suggest the CAA is happy with GB's 'adjusting the requirements' (i'm not sure if they have...) and is turning a blind eye to increasing ASR's.

That's a very serious allegation.

Can you help me out by putting some numbers to that ie. By how much the command requirements have changed? The number of ASR's? (there was a huge increase in ASR's when BA introduced flight monitoring as everybody was covering their backs. Same at GB. If you look at the subject and content of the ASR's then you'll find it hard to back up the allegation of 'slipping standards')

As for the wet lease, seymour fanny maybe right. But it would be a huge oversight by the company not to realise this???
How do they get around the day to day subbing out of flights? Is it therefore a time limited thing?

If seymour fanny is right then there was an illegal flight today as Excel carried out a GB flight under a BA flight number to ALC.
Call the cops.

BPM

Potato man
 

XL flying on a BA flight number may well not be part of the contract with BA but I don't think that it is "illegal".

XL are not braking any laws, however GB might be braking the contract with BA but if so thats GB's problem not XL's

Is anybody breaking any rules?

BPM

There is a whole lot of difference in wet leasing an aircraft for the summer (6 months) and the occassional sub charter for day to day operational disruptions.

One is catered for in the agreement, the other isn't, hence thats why its illegal.
Call the cops

Understood re bases - it has obviously changed since I last heard something!

Something which is illegal breaks a law. There is no law against GB doing this. If it breaks an agreement that GB have with British Airways, that does not make it illegal - it makes it a breach of an agreement and BA could act as it saw fit with whatever terms are included in that agreement to deal with breaches of it by either party.

If GB's franchise agreement is like the others, they will be able to lease-in capacity to operate under BA flight numbers for an indefinite period provided that:

1/ It conducts a full operational audit of the intended lessor of the aircraft (which it would need to do under JAR-Ops anyway) and maintains oversight of the safe operation to its own standards during the period of the lease;

2/ BA is content that the branding and product spec on the leased aircraft does not compromise the usual service offered to customers versus BA norm;

3/ BA gives its permission to the lease.

In reality, are BA really going to be that bothered about this that they will try to stop it?

If you are unhappy about this, I think it is also worthwhile considering another point. GB is apparently leasing this 737-800 because it doesn't want to extend the lease on G-TTOA. It needs the aircraft for Summer 2007 but thereafter doesn't have any use for it, so it is a six-month expedient. If previous posts are to be believed, the leasing company has said that they will extend but only for six years.

I appreciate that a six-month wet-lease is not helpful to pilot progression prospects, but stopping it could have other consequences. Stuffing your employer up with 5.5 years of lease rentals of (probably around) $300,000 per month for an aircraft that it doesn't need or want will not do much for your job prospects either. Surely there are also benefits to getting 'OA out of the fleet in terms of a more stable lifestyle anyway?

Until recently i was v keen on GB especially as i had heard that they were looking for DEC's. Turns out that they're not but having had a few beers this weekend with my current and a couple of ex GB contacts i have been advised that i am far better off seeing my impending pension date with my current employer. Shame as it wasn't that long ago that my contacts were singing their praises and i was looking for my final 5 years to be in short haul.
I'm sorry BPM but my contacts have been with GB for much much longer than your 7 or 8 months and there are concerns about the numbers of FO's suitable for command if significant further expansion were announced. Not that it will bother me now anyway!

R3Hard

are you suggesting that in my "7 or 8 months" i'm not savvy enough to understand the seniority system or command criteria?

Unless you know of 'significant expansion' that we don't then there are definately enough suitable people to fill commands for the projected expansion of the airline in line with the a/c orders.

And by the way, i've been in this game for 16 years now.

Cheers

BPM

Xl @ Ema
 

Does anyone know what is happening with excel at EMA. I thought that XL intend to end their operations from there. I know that they have been using a MD-83 over the summer season and now are using a Viking aircraft. I was just wondering if anyone has any info.

Thanks
SAM-EMA

Hi sam, XL will continue to sell flights and package holidays from EMA as it has apparently been a very successful base for the past two years they have been doing so, but as in past years the airline will not base their own aircraft here. In 2005 it was Air Scandic, the in 2006 it was UKJet (somehow Greek registered but Swedish owned) who used the old Scandic MD-83 aircraft just a new splash of paint. Next summer the bulk of flying is expected to be done by one week-long based bmi charter A320 as well as another A320 based for some of the week, then Air Malta for one or two further flights.

BPM, 16 years eh, i assume you are including your years as cabin crew in that? I would have thought that after 16 years you would be a captain yourself!! Next time my TRE(E) ticket is up for renewal i'll be in touch for advice as my 38 years on the trident, 1-11, 737, 747,75/67, 777 can't count for much. I will also have to ignore the advice and opinions from my very good friends who are your trainers on how GB is set for future captains. No more from me - goodbye.

R3Hard.

sorry if i sounded too flippant in my last reply - didn't mean to.

Did you really 'out' me???

no hard feelings on my part

BPM

BPM. No worries, none on my part either. Maybe i just misinterpreted the written word.
I didn't out anyone so am a little intrigued why Mr Hawk got involved, i just included your initials so maybe he was upset with that.
Trouble with being part time these days is that you can end up with too much time on your hands! Never thought that i would say that.

Safe Flying.

Thanks for the info bmibaby

Cheers SAM-EMA

The bmi A320 based in EMA has gone - it isn't there next year. The aircraft has been contracted to MyTravel based in LBA for next year. Excel EMA flying (what there is of it) will be flown by Air Malta, but it's a much reduced programme compared to the combined bmi and Viking programmes of S06.

is there any more info released on XL adding 744's to their fleet for next year, I believe there was rumoured two ex ANA birds supposed to be arriving although there has been nothing more for a few months.
or is it because they are rumoured to be getting 2 x A330-200's ( 767 replacement )and these can be used in conjunction with but not to replace the existing 743's.

Lgw-hrg
 

Any kind soul know what aircraft type LGW-HRG will be operated by June 2007? - The old 743's were used quite a bit over the past years.

Appears to have been reduced from 3 flights each Friday to just the one this year?

Cheers!

Cheers chip butty.

It's odd as Libra have an 09.30 departure, going places have an 11:45 departure, XL.com has a 13:30 departure all supposidly with XL.

I called XL and was told one flight on the friday dep at 11.30 then called later and got told one flight, the 13:30 so who knows what/which I'll end up on as I am probably going to book via going places :ugh:

XL Orders A330s
 

Excel Airways have placed an order for 2 A330-200 aircraft, with options on a further 3. They will be leased from CIT Aerospace. When I found this I was very surprised because I was expecting XL to order Boeing 787s. It will be a good mix: B737-800s, B737-900s and A330-200s. The B737s will repace the B757s, the A330s will replace the B767s and then there are the B747s.

SAM-EMA
:)

XL 757s
 

The 2 757s GVKNB/C have been air tested at Man and are going to the states to be parked up untill they are converted in to SF200 Freighter Versions, and not to Fly Globespan.:D :D :D

Excel A330's
 

In this months "Airliner Magazine" (what a spotter eh??!!) it talks about XL leasing 2 x A330's from some leasing firm of who's name i can't remember.

Does anyone know anymore about their whereabouts or plans?

Not that i'm airbus rated and looking around, you understand ;-)

BPM

beauport potato man

Reported months ago, and although leased may come direct from Airbus