It's not the Airport Director who has the power to do this, it is the fact
that Jersey is not a loco destination. When pax can flog off to Spain Eastern Europe and the Med. for peanuts why should they fly to the CI paying pricey fares, and with no weather guarantee?

Wonderful though the Islands are, they still live in the past, in the fares
hotel amenities and costs that are prepared to offer.

In my opinion either Jersey becomes very upmarket and targets the premium traveller,
it goes loco and increases the numbers, or it paddles around in the middle and watches
its tourist market dwindle away!

The Jersey Deputies need to get a grip of this, something they have failed
to do since the 1980s.

Durhan-Tees Valley
 

J-GUY

Has BMI Baby confirmed that they Durham-Tees flight are stoped all together?

Over the years it has always been summer only.

Since it is not on the winter timetable 06/07 it could well start again for summer 2007????

With Flybe,s EMB comming into service shortly, big changes will be happining with the company reguarding aircraft and routes.

Companies are constantly reviewing routes and aircraft so it is not only Jersey but alround the world routes are stopping after only short periods and changes in aircraft.

Looking at the bigger picture for 2007 even Jersey can look forward not backwards as some people think they are still in the dark ages (politications) you cannot turn the clocks back to the seventies.

New routes are in the pipeline and with some changes in direction things are going to happen.

Ww Jer-bhx
 

OltonPete

Word is that CWL, MAN, EMA and CWL are getting an extra aircraft each, two of which from MME and another two joining the fleet (presumabley G-TOYI/J although I'm not sure where they are coming from.) It would be good to see a bit of competition on the JER-BHX, giving us something other than Flybe :D But whether baby could take a good enough market share is somewhat doubtful.

On another note, after speaking to a couple of WW staff (who are good sources) does anyone know about baby acquiring some 734's? Seems as if they've looked at quite a few but are struggling to get a deal on them.

Press release
 

It is offical that BMI are pulling out of Durham-Tees Valley due to poor loads.

This would release aircraft to go to other bases as commented by jerboy.

Jersey has had a long connection with EGNV and after the summer the only regular flight would be by the colaborator.

Whould FLYbe or Atlantic Express look at keeping a connection with up north?

Does any one know if the Cardiff service by Tompson operated by aer arran may operate through this comming winter?

I don't see how their reason can be poor loads, there has to be more to it than that! The spanish flights were averaging around 80% full per flight. And with Baby about to start a new flight to
Amsterdam this winter plus the Geneva returning, I think that bmiBaby's reason is complete
and utter :mad:

BMI Baby - new aircraft
 

Jerboy

It was rumoured on the Birmingham thread that they were looking at
734's only because of the lack of decent 733's.

It was also rumoured on a BHX forum but of course it could all be from the
same source.

Baby Jersey - BHX was rumoured I think on this thread for summer 2006
and there was a "spare" aircraft at BHX until 10.00 each Monday through Friday, which I thought was odd in the busiest period of the year.

However it never happened and aircraft sat on the ground for 12 hours
each night/morning - very useful for tech cover.

Looking at the CAA website, bmibaby was operating at around an 80% average load factor and showing 30/40% growth in passenger numbers on the previous year from Durham Tees Valley. I don’t know how profitable the flight was but the figures seem promising, showing that there is definately a gap that could be filled.

As for bmibaby to Birmingham, is there not too much capacity already? Flybe. operate the route 2x daily and there are daily Thomsonfly services from Coventry. I don't know what sort of impact another operator would have?
Dropped for the winter according to Thomsonfly's website, should return next summer with a 737 I guess.

Yes, but Flybe are pretty expensive on this route; Bmibaby would certainly give them some much needed competition. A new operator would make the route more attractive (dare I say, considerably more attractive) and increase traffic on the route.

I also wonder if Aer Arann might be tempted to come in year-round; with Aer Lingus leaving for the Winter in a few weeks, surely RE could make a go of some routes from Jersey; even if it were just ORK, pax could connect there and on to various other destinations - Dublin, Belfast, Galway. It's taking delivery of a batch of '72s next year and looking for places to fly them ...

As for continental Europe, surely there's some potential there, besides CDG. As much as I welcome BE on this route, what a business destination like JER really needs is access to a major European hub; could a route to AMS be made to work, for example - a daily F50 service, connecting to/from KLM's worldwide network. If BE won't do it ...

Jersey Routes
 

With the loss of some more routes i would have at a guess any one looking at restarting will not do so until the start of summer 2007.

Not many compaies if any have spare capicity to just start something without have to reschedule a winter programme which starts in six weeks give or take a day.

On another note with all the problems Flybe has experienced this week and airtraffic delays due staffing levels at Swanick will the airport have to look at there opperating hours to help the airlines when the last aircraft are scheduled in with only ten minutes or so before close providing they are opperating to time.

The airport and the airlines in my oppinion should be working a lot closer to make things work and not have some of the barriers that crop up on a regular bassis.

The airport ,tourism,all bussineess need the airlines every one needs them the whole island needs to hang on to as much as possible.

Has anybody logged on to Coconut7 recently? Well the new website is up selling the ski charters but they are also offering a flight direct from Jersey to Dubai. Flight departs on 18th February with a 737-800. Really quite surprised with that news!

Agency
 

Looking at coconut7 i think it may be a front not an airline.:eek:

I may be wrong but you may find it is a travel agency or a group of agents and will sub in an aircraft as and when.

Looking at the date for Dubai i think this is half term and if the aircraft is a B737-800 i would think it may be opperated by Excel as they opperate the normal half term down to Paphos in Cyprus.

The sking flight by Airbus 321 i would think this to be Monarch as they have done ski trips from Jersey before with the A320.

Keep an eye on this and see what happens.

Any news on this new hangar/corporate facility that is rumoured to be awaiting planning permission for the south side?

BMI Baby Brummie Boeings
 

BMI baby has announced that it's to expand flights to BHX next Summer with two new 737s; with any luck, JER might see some of them; JER needs a decent (i.e. reasonably priced) BHX service.

Update
 

Legs up lucy

A group of piper owners are getting together and going to have some T hangars on the south west of the airfield when the construction site is finished all being well.

Reference the Boeing 737 800 flghts out of Jersey and you well know when they operate to Cyprus with a good loads as stated before they fuel stop at Beauvais near Paris. If the Dubai flight does happen i would have at a good guess a tech stop on route at a more appropreate on route field.

With reguard a larger hangar i do believe talks are going on at the moment.

One last bit the EMB 195 famil flight to Jersey which got as far as the ILS and then diverted to Exeter tech will be hopefully in on the 28th on Sept.

Bmi Baby/ Coconut7
 

Just a couple of things, have heard from reliable sources that jer was baby's most profitable route out of mme, and will probably operate as a w route from another base. With regards to coconut7, after looking at the boeing website and performance figures the 737-800 can only just make milan and berlin from dubai (based on 162 pax). Thus tech stop required both ways from jer. Assuming there is enough take up to warrant running the service. Also looks likely that there will be no links to brittany after october due to contractual issues on st. brieuc route.

GBALU53 thanks for info,nice to keep updated....

Always good to see development and encouragement for growth in aviation at jersey airport!

Jersey Airlines Back in the Air
 

With the Heron G-AORG back flying could the aircraft be used to operate some of the old Jersey routes.

With the possible demise of the St Brieuc connection could this be a route or even the Dinard ,Aurigny droped a number of years ago.:{

Maybe some of the other airfields the aircraft would be at home operating in and out like Granville or Caen to name one or two.

If only the CAA would give there 100 per cent support and the insurance companies giving there support some of these good old aircraft of British origin would possible be still operating on a commercial basis now but it is all commercial pressure that take the strain?

If only we all had a endless pot of the good old cash fund,

Paris Route and more (EMB195)
 

Any one heard what the outcome of the Flybe Paris service?

This route was going to be discussed today and an annoucement if Jersey was going to support Gurnsey to get the route up and running.

With the annoucement of Blueislands stopping the St Brieuc due to the French not allowing a small increase on fares making it not possible to operate so the Islands loose another link with the French.

The Paris route looks a stronger bet but needs a lot of local support to get it up and running.

The Islands have not had much success over a number of years trying to keep hold of european flights especially links with France.

With Flybe bringing in the EMB195 on the 28th at 1315 local time this aircraft could do a lot For Jersey if the local government helps to support new routes.

If and when Jersey receives the EMB195 as there Gatwick Jet service it could be a good aircraft to offer half term direct flight although at late departure times and early returns at alot less than then one at the moment as aircraft have to come from the U.k of some times in from France to opperate with dead legs on some of the sectors so the Island needs waking up and looking at the future and give as much support as possible.

Unfortunately, the Flybe Paris service is not now going ahead; disappointing, BUT there may be a silver lining, particularly if the authorities can get one of the AF regional partners to fly here and INTERLINE. The negotiations with the authorities fell down because BE was not willing to guarantee continuity beyond 2 years. See today's JEP for more details.

18 destinations have been mentioned as having possibilities; frankly surprised that DUB isn't one; yes, we already have EI flying to DUB, but only for Summer and there is certainly enough demand for the likes of Aer Arann to fly in, particularly given their domestic feed ex-DUB - Cork, Galway, Kerry, etc etc.

As for the different routes mentioned by the JEP, I think the chances of any but one or two actually being sustainable is low and this is what the authorities need to focus on: one or two continental European routes, to a major hub with feed across Europe and beyond, at a decent frequency would be far better than a one weekly service to 15 secondary destinations. Remember the business connection; business travel, not tourism, will sustain these routes, so interconnectivity and frequency will be what sustains these routes. AMS, CDG and possibly FRA or MUC are where efforts should be focused.

The article does give reason to be cautiously optimistic that Jersey will regain routes to Europe. The wish list seems rather inflated but I’m sure a number of those routes could work on a regular or seasonal basis.

With regards to Blue Islands; the loss of the airlink to St Brieuc is disappointing but not altogether surprising. The ferries make Bretagne and northern France so much more accessible that flights have a very limited appeal. However, if I remember correctly, Friday’s JEP suggested that Blue Islands was potentially interested in operating two new flights to France so is there possibly a bit of good news there? Certainly a flight to somewhere like Rennes or Nantes might work.