There will be a new ski flight to Chambery next winter for Thomson on a Saturday (info from their Winter 2007/08 ski brochure)

Mme - Tfs
 

Airhumberside that would be a great addition to the winter schedule at MME-do you know times/aircraft/frequency yet? I presume this would be a TOM aircraft positioning in from NCL or MAN?

Also, hopefully looking for some winter sun and as ever would prefer to use MME-does anyone know if GSM are planning to go beyond Tues 27rd of March with the TFS? Personally I would definately see this working through summer and especially beyond that date as it is just as the schools break up for Easter hols so seems a bit odd if they don't!! If no GSM can anyone confirm of the TOM flight is operated by TOM itself to TFS or subchartered?

That is great news, we need a regular ski flight...... I see DSA have also got a new flight to CMF so I'm presuming it's gonna be a W from them on a 733 or 738.

The GSM TFS should continue through the summer on Tuesday afternoons as there are currently 3 gaps in the schedule, 2 mornings and 1 afternoon, with 2 flights to re-arrange so they should go in the morning slots. This leaves the afternoon slot open for the TFS to go into (if it went in the one of the morning slots, it wouldn't get back in time for the afternoon flights, as they are at the moment).

Anyone know when any kind of work will start to do with the expansion plans? I'd guess they'll start the terminal towards the end of the summer and do the majority of the work over the winter.

mmeteesside

The Chambery flights arive at 1200 and depart at 1300 and is not operated by ThomsonFly - a lot of Chambery flights for Thomson are subcontracted out to airlines like Flybe

However thats not to say it won't end up being TOM as the brochure doesn't list DSA-Chambery so can't be 100% accurate as things stand

XL to SFB?
 

Ok boys and girls, latest rumour is that following bad experiences with the same route at NCL, XL Airways are considering MME-SFB for summer 2008 with one of the Boeing 747-400s that are due to replace the current -300s.

The source is an XL employee, and I knew about this earlier today but was stopped from broadcasting it due to the length of time until the start, but it's since been brought up on the NCL thread and is spreading like wildfire (understandably).

I do think it will happen, but I think it is more likely to be with a Boeing 767-300ER, like the Airtours flight was. XL Airways are taking over the Alphajet Larnaca route for summer 2007, so I suppose in some way or another that will increase the likelihood that this is true.

Regards.

Not to put a downer on it, But putting the SFB rumour into perspetive, MME doesn't have a large catchtment area unlike NCL, Also NCL has a larger friendship with other airlines which may spark XLA to try again.

If it does go ahead then good luck to it. But I don't really see how MME who hasn't had an SFB service for a few years can compete to NCL who at one point had 4 Weekly serivces.

I honestly can't see an XLA 747 SFB service due to the infrastruture at MME. It does not have the size to cope with such a service and any related issues ie delays

Well like I say, I think it will end up being a Boeing 767 service, especially since MyTravel or Airtours as they were then pulled their 767 service to SFB (which actually went via Glasgow Prestwick iirc) because of lack of pax, so I can't see XL filling a 744, no matter how much time has passed since MYT served the route.

I think we can handle a 744 though, although it would probably have to park 'nose out' because our tugs can't handle a jumbo (I think it was the same situation with Onur Air in the summer with their Airbus A300-600R's), but I'm sure I once did see a 747 of Air Atlanta years ago parked in the traditional 'nose in' way.

The Onur's only came as 'one-off' visits for a few weeks whilst an A321 was fixed. Therefore they wouldn't have had a towbar for it. The B763's they do have a towbar for as I believe they park nose-in, and it may be the same for the B743 when that used to come. Also DTVA could handle the B744 once or twice a week (depending how they route it) and any associated delays as the airport is open 24hrs a day during the summer season (end of March - end of October).

mmeteesside

MME needs to update its facilities before handling large a/c such as the 747-400.

If the route starts in summer 2008 as the rumour suggests, then by then the facilities will have been upgraded.

And I thought XLA weren't going to be using any 744s this summer :rolleyes:

Well Jethros is showing XL as not having 744s due anymore, so maybe that plan went out of the window?

Ok to put you all straight MME is more than capable of handling a 744 on a weekly basis. They are currently handling military flights with A330, 747, 767, DC10 on a weekly some times more than weekly basis so a 744 is not going to cause a problem.
Heslop2006 MME catchment area is bigger than NCL so to argue that one is just silly. If it is advertised right by travel agents etc it would sell if it was at MME.

Is that with the military entering the terminal or a tarmac transfer on to a bus straight back to Catrick???:rolleyes:

I was told by a travel agent years ago that they got a bigger bonus for selling flights from Newcastle than Teesside. (Durham TV)

Ops Guy they do pass through the terminal, the only tarmac transfers I know of is the para troopers that go on exercise from MME in Hercs.
Lancelot I too hae heard that rumour but cannot confirm it. What I do know is that if you enter a travel agent in Darlington and ask for a holiday to Palma they will often put NCL as the first prefrence. I have actually been offered NCL, LBA and MAN in that order before i brought it to the attention of the agent that MME was far closer and far more convienent. So yes travel agents for some reason do favour NCL and others over MME.

The three times that we've been at MME the army personell were routed through the terminal not direct to the a/c.

Probably canx - as I found out to my cost last week, the period between Christmas and New Year are officially non-working days for the EU Commision and so might well have been public holidays in Belgium as well...
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Out of MME, Eastern have only been flying the last 2 ABZ and the afternoon BRU flights over the festive period. A lot of their routes (probably all of them) have had less flights than they would normally. All back to normal from tomorrow I believe.


Continued on: http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=260239