There certainly seems a strong sense of doom and gloom around here and its justified to an extent, but we have to look at the wider picture - the economy isn't in a great way and if you look back through history, airlines jumping ship from STN has happened before and each time the cycle has reversed and things in the next peak have been better than the previous.
For example, quite a few airlines left around 95/96, mainly for LGW/LCY - such as Aeroflot, Cubana, Aviaco, Tarom, Air Engiadina.

Then a few different airlines turned up around 98, and 99/2000/2001 were quite vibrant....then there was a mass exodus post 9/11 with the complete loss of Star Alliance (don't forget there were numerous daily LH/SK flights at that time), Continental and others....2002 was pretty much just FR, GO and Buzz.

Fast forward to 2005/6/7 and you would turn up for your of a morning to see multiple Air Berlins, Eos, Maxjet, Germanwings, Transavia, Sky Europe, CSA, Malev, Norwegian, Globespan, El Al and others all out there. Few of those remain at STN now. But thats not to say some won't return in future. Lost routes also create opportunities for others.

It is also the case that each round of long-haul operations has been stronger than the last - first a short-lived AA operation, then a more successful CO effort that was killed by 9/11, then the all premium airlines which got killed by AA's second coming (but in fairness would probably have run out of cash eventually anyway given the economy - though they did last 2.5 yrs) and now Air Asia which seems certain to move to LGW but have been operating for some time now with excellent loads and supposedly good premium demand. Maybe long haul will be the driver of STN's next bubble - possibly FR's long-rumoured venture?

Things look good at LTN at the moment (I fly from there also) - but avid supporters should bare in mind that things could go wrong very quickly and shouldn't be keen to willy-wave.....EZY could have another spat and remove aircraft/routes, there is nothing to stop some airlines moving airports, and if a poor economy continues there is always the possibility that one or more airlines could fail.

Tommy C2005

I think the main gripe with STN right now is do the managment really have an incentive to get new routes/airlines in.
In the previous years definately yes but now not so sure!
Its just stagnating until something happens with the sale.Its easy to say its the recession and it probably is but airports around the UK with drive, ambition and imagination are still on the up.
To be honest STN seems to be going the same way as BHX where they get more excited these days over shops opening than new routes.

Lets wait for transatlantic Ryan to come to the rescue:E

Air Asia confirm STN to LGW move, on website. Route ends Oct 23.

From website:

Tuesday July 12, 2011
AirAsia X to move to Gatwick
By B.K. SIDHU
[email protected]

Second-ranked UK airport larger and has more links than present one

PETALING JAYA: AirAsia X (AAX), which flies six times weekly to London by way of Stansted airport, will move its base to Gatwick, which is Britain's second largest airport from late-October this year.

Sources said the announcement is likely to be made today from London and the move is for commercial reasons. The major consideration for the move is said to be Gatwick's offer of “irresistible rates” to AAX for landing and parking at the airport.

Another advantage of Gatwick is that it has a larger number of transiting passengers and connecting flights, compared with Stanstead.

Apart from Gatwick, Machester airport had also been courting AAX for some time now, the sources said.

Stansted is the third busiest airport in Britain and has been AAX's first point of entry into Europe since 2008.

Another plus for AAX moving to Gatwick is that it is closer to the city, making travel into London easier for passengers.

Gatwick is also home to British Airways, easyJet, Emirates, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson and Virgin. A total of 90 carriers operate from that airport and according to its website, it is the “best connected point to point airport in Europe'' handling 32 million passengers a year flying to more than 200 destinations.

Stansted has 12 airlines flying from the airport and last year handled 18.8 million passengers.

Stansted-corsica
 

Just heard a radio advert promoting a flight from Stansted-corsica.

Didn't catch who's running this......i was probably still half :zzz:

any ideas/information??? :ok:

sooner the better !
 

The Competition Commission is to tell UK airport operator BAA that it must sell Stansted airport and one of its Scottish airports next week, the Sunday Times reported. The newspaper said BAA is expected to be given 18 months to complete the disposals when the Commission's final report is published on July 19.

BAA need to get out of STN and fast :ugh:.

gazpodel

Titan Airways is running a weekly charter Stansted to Calvi, Corsica operating for UK tour operator Corsican Places:

Welcome to Titan Airways, the UK's most prestigious charter airline specialising in VIP and corporate travel

If my memory is correct, these Calvi flights used to be operated by a European Air Charter B737-200 with Calvi being one of the first destinations for an inclusive tour flight from the UK using the Douglas DC-3!

Another route being operated by Titan is Lourdes.
The last summer charter series destination in mainland France from the UK
Equiptment used by Titan seems to vary across their whole fleet.
767 was being used as well as a 146 last week, tomorrow has 757 +737.
The Lourdes route is one of the oldest from the UK certainly going back to the days of the DC3
Viscounts were certainly well used all through the 50's 60's 70's and even into the early 80's. I think that most airlines / aircraft including 747's have operated charter flights on the UK Lourdes routes.
A certain other carrier is now offering a scheduled service, no doubt with a huge subsidy from the French.
I have no doubt the charters will survive, given the tenacity of the guys running the programme.

Air Asia X Leaving STN, the reasons
 

Traffic decline at Stansted main reason for AirAsia X move to Gatwick

13.07.11

The decision by AirAsia X to switch its flights from Stansted to Gatwick from October was made as it had suffered a 10% decline in passengers connecting from low-cost airlines at Stansted to its flights, Travel Weekly reports. The airline blamed a combination of air passenger duty (APD), the high oil price and falling UK consumer spending for the decline in traffic.

AirAsia X announced yesterday that it will close its Stansted operation and launch from Gatwick on October 24, flying five times a week to Kuala Lumpur – moving to six flights a week from mid-December.

Airline chief executive Azran Osman-Rani told Travel Weekly: ‘The high air tax negated the strategic advantage of Stansted. Gatwick has a bigger catchment area and it’s a better market for higher-fare flights. In a period of high costs you have to get higher yield [passengers]. You are seeing some of the budget airlines shifting aircraft to Gatwick [for the same reason].’

He said the decision to move was not easy, adding: ‘Stansted has been a fantastic partner.’ But he insisted there was nothing Stansted could have done to change his mind. ‘It would not change the economics if the airport was free,’ he said.

Do they through ticket? If not, er how would they know this?

they do what any competent business does - market research.

They've got their passengers captive for 10-12 hours or so, not difficult to get them to fill in a questionnaire.

Very true, Stansted seems an odd place to connect though, there's no Flight Connections option and you have to clear security and recheck all baggage as well make sure your connection is on time. Gatwick will have the same problems as you can only use Flight Connections with checked baggage so unless they're interlining with the locos with through checking of luggage, it's no more attractive than being in Essex. Perhaps the fall in connecting traffic is down to their being easier ways to connect to long haul than AirAsiaX and the market coming to realise this with the knock on effect on repeat traffic?

Air Asia X move
 

Gatwick offers more and a better chance of higher yields.
It also makes Manchester more likely sometime in the future...

How.

Gatwick - Stansted then somehow lead to Manchester?

Before they arrived at STN, MAN was in the hunt to court them.
Once more route rights are granted, as they will once ecomonies recover, a second UK hub will be up for grabs. Any central or northern england passengers will find MAN more attactive than going further south to LGW.

So BAA loses its final Competition Commission ruling(19th July).
Sales process to start in three months.
You just know that BAA will go for a judicial review again and another two years will pass in the hope they can get a better return for the shareholders.
If thats the case it looks like another two years of stagnation for STN.
Wonder what MOL will say?

(Shrug) They've already appealed the Competition Commission's ruling to the Supreme Court and lost; I doubt that an application for judicial review is likely to be any more successful. Still, if BAA wants to continue enriching m' learned friends....

Looks like servisair have missed the boat.An announcement is imminent regarding ezy moving back to swissport.:O

Are easyJet not handled by Menzies? :confused: