I need to bring up to date my critique of Stansted vis-a-vis PRMs. Just recently arrived there , not having booked assistance because if the distance is not too wicked, I can normally cope despite my disability (see posts round about 3455)

Two factors intervened. As seem to be their desire, STN ignore gate 42 to 50 something on that pier, and dump you as far away from the terminal as possible. This was the case.
And I had torn a calf muscle just before and could scarcely advance. My ground speed was about the same as my stall speed.

I saw that there was a minibus lined up to take wheelchair and broken limb victims, and asked the driver if I could hitch a lift, although I had not booked.

This chap (employee of Omniserve) was full of wit, compassion and good humour, with a repartee which may have been lost on our overseas guests, because he said at one point "you must have crashed in mid air because there are more PAX injured who are disembarking than the number who boarded."

But he was terrific. Drove a weird route around the apron and it seemed like he would plonk us on the luggage conveyors, but they have a secret lift which opens just in front of passport control, and the sometimes rather hostile Border Control folk, see that if you emerge from this lift, you are probably not able to amble through their maze of tape to get to the desk, and give you a short cut.

It made a hell of a difference to me, and I am grateful to him and Omniserve. And BC

So three points emerge. I take back how useless STN is. They were wise enough to contract with what seems a good outfit.

But the service I got was down to Omniserve. Why do STN not use all the gates nearer the terminal? Can't be dodgy airbridges because they don't use them. The aprons appeared in good nick. Why, therefore?

And, a minor detail, but my Omniserve hero offered onward assistance to my train.

I had a huge wait for the train, and thought I might take a bite to eat. Is he allowed to wait for that, or do I call them for onward assistance? After eating? I am really unclear about this.

Another poster remarked that assistance is often total; carry off, wheelchair through to departure, by train, taxi, private pick up or whatever.

I can move small distinces by my own locomotion, but have immense difficulties in standing in a queue. I don't need a wheelchair lift on, nor lift off, although my fellow passengers hate the time I take to negotiate the stairs. Perhaps they learn patience that way.

They still get to arrivals before their baggage, so is there any harm?

wings folded

Strange post indeed is this the right forum for that!

I thought that a thread to do with Stansted where earlier I had been critical was the right place. And I gave the references.

Where should I have posted this in your infinite wisdom?

Blackpool? Manston?

Or are you just looking to stirr?

wings folded

Good customer service is only as good as the people who provide it. Evident in your experience.

Exactly so. My omniserve bloke was a gem

Even BC, not noted for "customer service" was exemplary this time round.

Reference why a/c are not parked closer to the terminal all the time. I'm not an airport or airline employee, I work in ATC, and we don't allocate stands only let the pilot know where they are parking.

Sometimes it's because the gates are domestic only and so international aircraft won't park there or vice versa. Also perhaps your flight was the 6th flight due into the apron in that rotation, but actually arrived first. The airline won't change stand at the last minute unless absolutely necessary, as the handling crews have to move to the new stand, so your stand is left as it was. Also, even though you may be first in, the aircraft might be the last one out and so again left alone.

These are just some of the reasons why your stand allocation may be illogical. During the night, there are so many aircraft towed around an airport, I think that they are in alphabetical order by the morning!

Anyway hope this helps.

Ryanair routes
 

Ryanair operate a large number of routes from Stansted during the summer months, some of which are seasonal. Some routes are more profitable, some less so. Some routes fit better into the long term vision the board has of the company, other routes not so much.

6 Ryanair routes from Stansted that operated over summer 2015 do not operate during summer 2016. In their place, Ryanair launched a few new routes instead. I imagine as an evolving company with a strong focus on profitability, Ryanair will terminate a few Stansted routes currently operating over summer 2016. Anyone care to suggest what they might be ? No prizes for guessing Oslo-Rygge, Oslo-Torp or Pescara...

Routes operated in summer 2016 but not summer 2017 - Kos, Oslo-Rygge, Parma
Routes operated in summer 2015 but not summer 2016 - Haugesund, Skellefteå, Clermont-Ferrand, Rodez, Strasbourg, Tampere
Routes operated in summer 2014 but not summer 2015 - Gothenburg-City (switched to Gothenburg-Landvetter), Malmö, Toulon
Routes operated in summer 2013 but not summer 2014 - Dole, Klagenfurt, Maastricht/Aachen
Routes operated in summer 2012 but not summer 2013 - Graz, Patras/Araxos, Rimini, Turku, Valladolid
Routes operated in summer 2011 but not summer 2012 - Agadir, Glasgow-Prestwick, Lübeck, Pau, Trapani
Routes operated in summer 2010 but not summer 2011 - Belfast-City, Brescia, Ciudad Real, Figari, Leipzig-Altenburg
Routes operated in summer 2009 but not summer 2010 - Angoulême, Basel/Mulhouse, Friedrichshafen, Granada, Montpellier, Newquay, Zweibrücken

I had no idea Haugesund has gone, I actually wanted to go there for hiking this year having not got round to it before. That route had been going for years, as has Toulon which I also didn't know had gone. Shows how big FR are now st STN that these things can go unnoticed.

Is there a particular reason why Pescara might go? I thought it was quite popular in the summer?

Ryanair had a row with Pescara at the start of the year. Back in March the head of Pescara airport went to Dublin to persuade Ryanair in Pescara's favour but to no avail.

I have a feeling it's something to do with Pescara being perceived as giving Alitalia an unusually good deal but I could well be wrong on this.

http://www.anna.aero/2016/02/04/ryan...ve-into-w1617/

Moldovan airline seem to have deferred the start date of their Stansted-Chisinau route from 27 June to 15 July. Wonder if their aircraft will appear on 15 July or there will be a further deferral...

EasyJet medical emergency
 

Anyone have any news on the medical emergency at Stansted on 13th June at approx 2230L involving an EasyJet aircraft? I heard it was a crew member, I hope they are ok?

Fly One
 

No idea whether any of this is true or not, but makes for an interesting read about FlyOne who are currently selling tickets for flights to/from Stansted for travel beginning 15 July 2016
New Airline in the Pocket of the Minister of Justice
http://anticoruptie.md/en/investigat...nfirmed-by-iss

In particular, the 2nd link seems to say that the director of the Moldovan CAA indirectly owns part of Fly One. Again, I repeat that I have no evidence whether this is true or not besides the web link. Is there anyone reading this who is able to provide some better verification ?
Would the UK CAA, MAG or Stansted at this stage have likely done any due diligence checks on Fly One, just to make sure that things look reasonably ok ?

Edit - just seen that the Prime Minister of Moldova ordered the head of the Moldovan CAA to resign because of a suspicion of a conflict of interest
http://www.anticoruptie.md/en/news/h...er-pavel-filip

Wonder if FlyOne will actually make it to Stansted or not...

Alderney?
 

Today on the departures/arrivals board I'm seeing 'Alderney' with Aurigny. Have I missed something? New route or one off?

Looks like BA CityFlyer will be at STN again for Summer 2017 with flights from 27th May on the same routes as this year.

pamann, likely a mistake as it's listed as cancelled, and the flight number relates to a Southampton - Alderney flight scheduled for a similar time. Jolly odd though.

EU Referendum
 

What are people's thoughts on the impact on STN?

I think this is bad news, I can see FR in particular impacted by the double-whammy of lower leisure demand caused by the fall in the pound, and the inevitable restriction on migration from overseas.

A dropping pound means cheaper holidays for people living outside the UK so there is a great opportunity.

As for migrants being restricted, that won't stop it will just be better controlled.

Depends if the UK joins the European Economic Area or not.

Hmm. If Britain wants access to the European Market (like Norway) we have to accept the free movement of people in the EU area.

What Britain could always control was non-EU migration.

Cyprus flights with new airline starting
 

Cobalt Aero sa new Cyprus-based carrier, using the former Continental code CO.

Summer flight plan according to
Cobalt Outlines Scheduled Operations in 16Q3 :: Routesonline
is this:


eff 07JUL16 Larnaca – Athens 2 daily
eff 07JUL16 Larnaca – London Stansted 6 weekly (Day x3)
eff 07JUL16 Larnaca – Manchester 2 weekly (Day 47)
eff 08JUL16 Larnaca – Chania 2 weekly (Day 57, switching to Day 35 from Aug 2016)
eff 08JUL16 Larnaca – Irakleion 2 weekly (Day 25; Day 26 from HER)
eff 08JUL16 Larnaca – Thessaloniki 4 weekly (Day x247)
eff 09JUL16 Larnaca – Dublin 2 weekly (Day 36)

Ryanair have said no more investment in the UK for the next 2 years so that also means Stansted I guess as well. Wonder if that will mean no more new routes or based aircraft here?

Cobalt prices aren't half bad for new start up, website well designed, I hope they do well

Cobalt
 

the original article has gone but the taster is still on line

Cobalt director indicted in Switzerland, in connection to money laundering | A1.AM

As the UK has probably reached/reaching saturation point with flights, I'd take the Ryanair words with a pinch of salt.

That was my first reaction - the low cost airlines have collectively flooded the market and available infrastructure (incl airspace) with so much capacity they need a face saving excuse to put the brakes on.

There were rumours/warnings circulating about Cobalt from Cypriot sources a few weeks back - but I didn't bother mentioning anything on here as it would have been deemed another "anti-Stansted" conspiracy post.

MAG advising me that TOM to introduce Montego Bay from STN in 2017...

Fly One, a Moldovan airline were due to launch flights from their base in Chisinau to Stansted, in competition with existing flights with Air Moldova. Originally planned to go on sale on 27 June, then deferred to 15 July. Looking at their website, I can't see any date in the next month for which flights are on sale.

Earlier in the summer, the head of the Moldovan CAA was fired by the country's president owing to concerns of a conflict of interest in his roles as head of the Moldova CAA and his indirect ownership of a large number of shares in FlyOne. Questions are now being raised around the role of the Minster of Justice as well. Perhaps not the first choice of airline for Stansted ?

http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airpo...ml#post9411047

Update 07 July 2016 - London no longer appears on the list of destinations on the FlyOne website. Seems that FlyOne have either cancelled or significantly postponed any plans they may have had involving Stansted or any other London airport.

Passenger caught with GUN-SHAPED iPhone case
 

Alert at Stansted airport passenger gun shaped phone case | UK | News | Daily Express


:ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

Inaugural Cobalt CO/FCB service from Larnaca a few minutes from touchdown:ok:.....but admittedly 3 hours late...

When I was a lad it was cigarette lighters shaped like hand grenades that people were surprised they couldn't bring back from their holidays...

correct, it replaces one Orlando rotation

You couldn't make it up!
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...i-tech-cameras

Well fortunately summer sunsets aren't till around 20:30 / 21:00 when there's quite a heavy break in the arriving traffic anyway!... In all seriousness though I have heard it to cause one or two problems previously.

Maybe, just maybe a set of sun blinds are called for. Or is this too simple.

Another goodly one for STN..... 2,188,990 pax for June = +6.3% gives a rolling 12 month total for 23,459,816..:ok:...ATM`s & Cargo also increased in June..

Ryanair is to cut Stansted frequencies this Winter now following the Brexit vote though no routes will close completely.

On further investigation it seems to be mainly mid-week days during November and again during January/early February that are affected.

Bit disappointing but makes some sort of sense I suppose as the absolute lows of the low season. Plus Ryanair are already well ahead of their growth target agreements with MAG.

They cut frequencies every winter so it has nothing to do with Brexit

That's not the case LTNman unless you are simply comparing winter seasons to summer seasons, in which case of course you will have less traffic.

In fact, quite often Ryanair introduce new routes and frequencies for the winter and carry them through to the following summer.

But more to the point, they've cut frequencies as of today for the upcoming winter season on several routes but as I say, only for certain dates during November and January.

So what you are saying then is that they have cut frequencies for this winter compared to last winter?

I seem to remember large swathes of Ryanair aircraft parked up last winter when Brexit wasn't a factor.