ISLE OF MAN
 

It looks like I have the honour of starting a thread for postings of this neat little feild. Locally known as Ronaldsway and to the rest of the world as IOM/EGNS.

I understand that there is an extension planned for the main runways? This to be (naturally) on the seaward side to the eastern side.

What is planned or is it already approved? How would the extension improve access and what category of a/c could then be handled? Any dates?

Lastly, who was the instigator of this? Demand from carriers, regulators or self interest by the House of Keys? (name of the island's parliament)

I tend to visit IOM three times a year to see my mother who lives in Castletown (out towards Scarlett point) and I often see the house on approach/departure.

Many thanks.
__________________
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different."
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Don't get too excited. It is not a runway extension per se but (and I'm sure I'll be corrected if wrong) an exercise in compliance with ICAO (?) recommended runway end overrun areas. There is, or was the last time I was in the terminal, a large display of the proposed works that, as you rightly say, see civil engineering works at the 26 end. I believe that there might be a slight increase in the TODA but it is in the order of 150m. I'm sure the Ronalsdway ATC posters can give more information.

The airport itself is still undergoing ramp concrete renewal to facilitate around 14 stands - and the terminal itself is in for a revamp - so there's plenty of overtime for the DoT boys coming up.:ok:

IOM Airport 2004 press release here:
http://www.gov.im/airport/news/ViewN...l&menuid=11570
Construction will probably be 2010.
Still trying to understand reasons behind all this work - not aware of similar projects elsewhere, and wondering how Jersey which presumably is also affected will manage to comply...
(Not a dig at that other Island - just genuinely puzzled!)

I believe a similar thing is taking place at City of Derry airport in Northern Ireland?

Slightly different at London Derry, they have to extend their runway or the new Ryanair 737-800's can't get in and they would lose the service.

Thanks Haven't a clue for the link. I am bemused by these words:So ... for a project that is purely engineering and is being done for safety and to improve capacity ... you still need a 'marketing' company? :ugh:

I might be well wide of the mark here but, a press release stating exactly what the Airport Director says in the three paragraphs attributed to him, says it all. It is:

1. Safety
2. Regulations linked to safety
3. Capacity for more flights over long distances

What is so complicated about that. :rolleyes:

__________________
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different."
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

paxboy, I would hazard a guess that the dear old manx Government need a marketing company to explain coherently to the naturally trucculent pax that fly in and out of the island, the reasons behind the necessary extension work.

As it is, many people still think that this "extension" will bring in larger aircraft (I have heard the word Jumbo passed around! :ugh: ) Hopefully, by employing someone who can string a sentence together that the masses can understand, the masses will then be fully cogniscent of the aims and end result.

Sheesh, I should have been in marketing myself with that pile of bull***t:}

As for the apron improvements and increased stands, there is a school of thought that says its not being done the right way and there will be delays at peak times. One waits with baited breath............ :8

skiddy

Um don't you mean Fraggle Rock! :}

Sorry couldn't resist

Ronaldsway?
 

Anyone know where the name Ronaldsway came from?

Ronaldsway is the name of the area bounded by Castletown, Ballasalla and Derbyhaven where the airport now sits. Originally known as ''Ragnvalds-vagr'' - " Reginald’s bay " or, " Reginald’s ford," it has Norse origins and was probably derived from the name of some Viking chief.

Things haven't moved on much since:p

Capt. Horrendous

Yeah, the Vikings still run the airport - the just don't wear horned helmets anymore. :}

skiddy

Flew back from Gatwick yesterday afternoon (11/7). Landed right on time but held on Alpha taxiway for 20 minutes waiting for one of the 7 stands to clear. All filled with usual traffic except for the visiting Palmair B737 hogging one of them with no one around.

Delay no real big deal for me (other than the continuous struggle for space with adjacent pax in those narrow, narrow seats).

But I see the last Gatwick flight of the day due at 2040 landed at 2120. I hope BA Connect weren't charged with the cost of extending the opening hours when the reason for the delay clearly wasn't their fault!

According to the schedules there are 8 aircraft nightstopping on the 7 stands so I guess one will have to get towed away each evening.

But to get back to the original thread started by Paxboy. The runway work is not only safety driven, but the short extension is, if one can see through the quotes attributed to politicians in the local press, to add to the encouragement given to a LCC to start operations. One LCC (Easyjet as I recall) has indicated that runway length was a factor in not starting a London area service. (I would also have thought the small catchment area at one end of the route might also have been a factor...)

I was wrong with the timing. IoM Government budget book has this work starting 2007 through 2009 with "runway refurbishment and airfield equipment" in 2008 through 2011.

The development plan for the airport also has the construction of a new control tower (2007-2009), further apron extensions (2009/2010) and the extension of the departure lounge through the area now occupied by the much modified WW2 control tower (2010-2011).

Always assuming the Government has the cash to pay for it all, of course!

8 aircraft night stopping on 7 stands
 

A while back I wondered what would happen post Manx2 start up when 8 aircraft nightstopped on the 7 curently available stands. I see that (following the LGW 57L/57R etc principle) that the Eastern J41 shares a stand with the Manx2 LET-410 so there really is no problem then. Unless one airline ups the size of it's aircraft.....:cool: :cool:

Posting here rather than the BACON thread as it is a problem for the Island.

I have just returned from one visit to mother and needed to plan and book for the next. This will be in January, so I wanted to see about dates to get a reasonable price. Last year, BA ran only 3 or 4 rotations a week to LTN. Looking into January '07, a few minutes ago brings:
We do not operate direct service from Luton (London) to Isle of Man. However, We can offer you the following direct service(s): - Gatwick (London) to Isle of Man

So, it looks like another successful withdrawal of service then? :hmm: With Aer Arran moving in, it's almost like someone invited them to take up the route? No, surely no commercial airline would invite another to take over their patch and then state that there was not enough traffic on the route?

I can't be bothered to test the timetable to see when they drop LTN~IOM and I doubt that it yet states if it comes back in the Spring ...

It finishes at the end of October and the closure is permanent. It will not be reintroduced in the spring. The rotation is being transferred to LGW which will then have a 4 x daily service. This has been on the cards for months and was expected, especially since Aer Arran began operating the route.
For the winter, Aer Arran will operate a daily, afternoon departure on the IOM-LTN route.

The decrease of LTN services probably has to do with the growing attractiveness of services to LCY thanks to Euromanx and VLM. The August figures were (brackets: AUG05):

LCY 5829 (4953)
LGW 10.457 (10.778)
LTN 6691 (3432)
STN 0 (1852)

There has been an overall increase of approx. 2.000 pax on the LON market a year-to-year basis. It appears as if the capacity of the cheapish STN flights was mainly absorbed by LCY and LTN (while I would guess that the increase at LTN is mainly responsible why the LGW have taken a dive in an overall growing market). Looking at figures, it must be noted that LCY has grown despite the use of a smaller aircraft in 2006 compared to 2005 (IIRC, the number of flights has stayed the same: Three by 3W, one by VG).

Given that the market is growing, the cutback of capacity at LTN should seriously increase load factors and yields for the other companies.

As for your personal flight planning, 3W has sone reasonbly priced flights from LCY for as little as 34 GBP all incl.

Anybody know if they have had many replies to there advert for an ATCO? :8

Ltn-iom
 

BACon would have dropped the LTN for an LGW rotation this summer but could not secure LGW slots. As the only BA LTN route, handing agents were not geared up for e-tickets. And e-ticket rules!

Got back from MAN the other day, and we were waiting on Bravo for about 10mins for the departing aircraft to pass so we could get to our stand.

I was told some time ago that the current apron layout whilst continued maintenance takes place, will stay even after the stands have been modified and the new ones added.

Meaning that the apron will be permanently extended onto the old section of twy Bravo, so that the only entrance/exits to/from the apron are Bravo from the east (with access from Charlie) and Foxtrot/Echo from the west.. only a rumour though so don't quote me on it :}!!

If that does turn out true though...should we expect more taxiing delays and delayed arrival/departure slots? Methinks yes, but methinks too often! :)

Cheers all!
RR