The short-sharp is always preferable, in my view. Better to have BIG disruption to LESS people for a shorter time. Generally, the Brits do it the other way around and so manage in pi$$ off more people. I suspect that it is better for the contractor to do it over an extended period of time as they can charge more money.

Provisional November 2006 statistics from the CAA show:
Nov 2006 compared to Nov 2005, ATM’s down 6.1%, but on a rolling year up 5.9%. Terminal passengers during November 2006 down 2.4% compared to Nov 2005, but up 3.9% on a rolling year. 9.4 million passengers passed through the tinminal (rolling year).

Break down Nov 2006 compared to Nov 2005: Glasgow -7.9%, Edinburgh +3.2%, Inverness +1.6%, Isle of Man -4.4%, Aberdeen -2%, Paris CDG +19%, Nice -13%, Nimes -14%, Berlin -10%, Bremen +18%, Dortmund +6%, Gibraltar +37%, Athens +3%, Knock +26%, Dublin -11%, Kerry +9%, Waterford -3%, Bergamo -13%, Rome -12%, Turin -43%, Amsterdam -17%, Faro +2%, Alicante +20, Barcelona 1%, Gerona +8%, Madrid -2%, Mahon -8%, Malaga -15%, Murcia -12%, Palma +4%, Reus -11%, Lanzarote +15%, Fuerteventura -43%, Las Palmas -6%, Tenerife +23%, Basle -2%, Geneva -25%, Budapest -4%, Karakow 15%, Poznan 39%, Warcaw 14%, Sharm ES 12%.

Good news about Varig-Log, let us hope it is a success. I would imagine that Aviance as the handling company will have the responsibility of making sure that the aircraft is parked correctly on the cargo apron.
Just a quick note about the road works – I think you will find that the new roundabout near the two hotels is to be realigned. Road improvements have to be done sometimes, people have complained about the poor road network around the airport for years, now they moan that it is going to take them a few minutes longer to get to and from the terminal – typical of the British nation!
I witnessed a coach from Bristol on Sunday morning bringing passengers from that airport to Luton to connect for an easyJet flight – now that’s something to complain about!
Regarding Brussels – I think it could work providing that the timings are correct and the prices competitive. I believe no loc cost operator from the UK flies to Brussels National at this time as I think easyJet would not fly to Charleroi but I may be wrong – it won’t be the first time!

compton3bravo

Easyjet were in negotiations first with Brussels National BRU (recently officially renamed to "Brussels Airport" simply). Those negotiations fell through.

Then (somewhat surprisingly) Easyjet engaged in serious negotiations with Charleroi Brussels South CRL. They seemed to be going somewhere, or maybe it was just a tactic, but eitherway at the last minute Easyjet nonetheless struck a deal with BRU :E

Your assertion that "no loc cost operator from the UK flies to Brussels National at this time" is essentially true. However BMI often offer fares of 1 EUR to London Heathrow LHR!!! And fairly competitve fares to East Midlands, Leeds and Edinburgh if you book early enough....

Brussels & EZY
 

I wonder with the positive figures EZY seem to have to Paris via CAA stats above, they feel there is money to be made from Brussels also - at least until Eurostar arrives in London (proper).

easy have 4 rotations to Paris this winter from Luton, versus just 3 last winter - so that will have driven the increase. Although, based on the numbers the load factor seems to be around 58%, which doesn't seem too great.

Those November pax numbers are interesting, with many of the more established easy destinations showing decline. However, some of the newer routes seem to be doing well, notably Istanbul (84% loads) and Lisbon (86% loads). Looking at the summer timetable I see easy have added a second daily flight to Lisbon.

Other changes in Summer 07 versus last year are Dortmund up to 3x daily (from 2x), Bratislava dropped, Amsterdam down to 4x daily (from 5x), and the new overnight to Ibiza. So net-net I make it 144 daily easy flights for Summer 07 versus 142 for Summer 06 operating with the same number of 17 based aircraft.

What's to complain about?
JSW.

jetsetwilly

A 2-21/2 hour drive from Bristol to Luton along the M4-M25-M1 and then having to check in and go through security etc. before even getting anywhere near an aircraft especially if your are going for a short break or business trip.

Indeed. They could have just said "The flight's cancelled. Have a nice day." :rolleyes:

I'm sure this has been said. If you were on a short break EZY might have offered refund/vouchers. Thet may have judged that to be a bridge too far. But they did try to get everyone to where they wanted to go. Safely.

Somewhere down the line BRS fouled up. I guess EZY have picked up significant cost because they decided not to operate. They may try to reclaim some of this from BRS - that's a matter for the courts.

Bottom line. I'd rather be on a bus for 2 hours or not go than be in hosptial or worse because an aeroplane got broken on a marginal/unsafe runway.

It's better to be down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here

You're obviously quoting Ryanair

Couldn’t agree more. Through my own experiences I am sure easyJet would have given the option of travelling to Luton or a refund. I shudder to think of the consequences if an aircraft had slewed off the runway at Bristol due to the runway conditions.

I understand that the local Dry Cleaner was kept rather busy prior to the decision to suspend flights last weekend!

I was just wondering how the topic went from 'Airport Roundabout' to 'complaining about easyJet' in one post?:confused:
JSW.

Jetsetwilly
Great nickname, in fact - I think it would be a great name for an airline. Has the fun and naughtiness associated with Virgin Atlantic when they set up.
Might be an urban myth, but I think Sir RB want to call Economy 'RiffRaff Class' to go along with 'Upper Class'.
Just think of all the marketing fun and one liners you could have with "Jetsetwilly"
:ok:

And as is the current custom for naming your aircraft.....Jetsetwilly (the airline) would go for:-

Weewillywinky
Willy Wonka
Fat Willy
Willy Nilly

So is chaos predicted when Percy Way closes?

The only name and nose art to consider for a jet airliner is quite simply.......


Buster the Bear

It’s going to be hell on earth as the local residents and airport users all battle to get to and from the M1 and A505 in the morning and evening rush hour. Of course this is going to coincide with the launch of the new Silverjet service to New York. Now with the launch only a couple of weeks away it is touch and go whether their terminal is going to be actually finished.

Oh my goodness, I have just visited Luton for the first time in a while, you arrive at the roundabout opposite the tinminal, you look left and.....the horizon is ORANGE.

Tacky, cheap and nasty, unlike the silver of their very close neighbours. Anyway, for my next visit to Luton I have bought an essential item!

http://www.heavyglare.com/WESC/Anima...Brown-Bear.jpg

The last LTN-IOM has operated:{.

A-jet's demise has meant the cessation of Larnaca and Paphos:{ . But Monarch will pick up Larnaca in summer:ok:

FlyBe's Jersey won't restart in May:{ .

Aer Arran's based unit has gone, together with Lorient and Newquay:{ .

Next week Wizz start Bucharest:ok: .

The week after Silverjet start the first ever scheduled trans-Atlantic flights to EWR :ok: .

The summer will see TOM doing Dubrovnik, Prague and Jersey as well as the old favourites.

EasyJet will be adding Ibiza and probably Brussels.

Monarch will be starting Ibiza and Almeria as well as Larnaca, and increasing Palma rotations from one to nine a week.

Does this amount to good news or bad? It's certainly sad to see Isle of Man end after so long, but really good to see Silverjet - hope they enjoy massive success and follow EWR with Dubai, and other long-haul destinations. In terms of passenger numbers - will the ten million be reached in 2007?

What new destinations will Wizz add - rumour has it that there are a couple more planned?

By this time it's getting late for announcements of new services for summer - unless XL re-start the A-jet services?

End of IOM LTN
 

I would put my bets on manx2 on operating Luton. I realise that STN has not been the success that they had hoped, such a pity.

Manx2 are watching for opportunities that appear from all operators operating from IOM. The passenger numbers between IOM and LTN were good and it amazes me that Aer Arann have closed the route given that they were flying it on their own. Despite not have a crew base at LTN, why they would not have opted to fly a w pattern via the IOM from Dublin or on one of the many flights to LTN from WAT or GWY! It was only once daily anyway ?