What is your honest view of prospects for 2007?

Personally I think 2007 will definately end with more than the 5 baesed FR aircraft announced - I think we will see 7 by November.

BA will be back in the end of the summer with something in addition to TFS.

It would be SO SO good to get KLM back in on the AMS route with 4 day.

AeroAsia still mention Islamabad to EMA on their website. Also wil be interested to see if UKIA take to the air.

Any EZY predictions?

Any WW predictions?

Lets hope for continued year on year growth on top of a great 06.

For 2007 I think we'll see;

- Ryanair continue to expand by adding more routes from both based aircraft, as well as linking up their other bases with EMA. We'll probably see the bulk of new routes being to France, Spain, Italy and Eastern Europe.

- EasyJet continuing to base three aircraft. They must be renewing their contract with the airport, as the airline is set to continue with their base here during S07 season. Perhaps the airport might be able to get a fourth aircraft or better utilisation out of the existing three to squeeze in more routes, but it seems if it aint broke dont fix it!

- A longhaul scheduled operator arrive at EMA.

Sounds promising Lite. Thanks.

I don't want to unappreciative of the routes we currently have, but I would like FR to expand into destinations such as: Stockholm, Riga, Tampere, Olso, Kaunas etc

I don't know what to say regarding EZY, they seem to be sticking with 3 a/c. I don't see why EZY don't attempt any expansion because, yes I know the system that they are running at the moment is fine, with good load/profitable routes but why not expanding into different markets, and if they don't work for them cut them.

But still after saying that, EMA have got a major issue as regards to space for a/c to park. I think the rumoured extension of the forties into the carpark (south) should come sooner rather than later. But if that is going to happen, do you think that EMA could build the pier in such a way that they would be able to carry the pier south as and when the extension comes, because personally I can't see them laying concrete anywhere else (near the terminal anyway). Although EMA has the advantage that many airports haven't got is that they can use cargo stands if they become desperate.

Thanks
SAM-EMA

As mentioned previously, it could well be that these flights could be branded as GB Airways rather than BA, especially with the loss of BA Connect.

FC

SAM-I believe that the layout of the pier will allow southwards expansion also, but it would mean closing one of the roadways to the apron extension

Ryanair might well expand to some of the destinations that you've mentioned, in fact out of them Stockholm using Skavsta Airport is already a base, so there might be potential of that route to be launched in the close future. Nobody could have guessed really where the new Ryanair routes that have already been announced for 2007 would have been, so it's really anybody's guess, my predictions were based on Ryanair's existing expansion programme from the airport, and where I'd already factored in potential growth markets.

easyJet have three aircraft due to be delivered in 2007 that have not yet been assigned to base, but are planned to go where there is a strong case for expansion. Given Ryanair's expansion at EMA, as well as other low-cost airlines just up the road at BHX, there doesn't appear to be a strong need for them to base aircraft here, other than to gain market share.

As Fried_Chicken picked up on, I think it will be GB Airways flying any new routes in the future from EMA. It has been GB Airways who have been dealing with the airport and there have been many rumours over the future of the company, which may include either a purchase or a complete breakaway from British Airways. I know GB have a strong parent in the Bland Group and have already operated flights in the past with their own brand. Perhaps they will operate like Monarch Scheduled in the future with flights throughout the Med basin, just operating a codeshare with BA.

I agree with many of the opinions expressed as what the future holds for EMA, and think that a lot of proposed passenger growth for 2007 will come from our largest expanding low-cost airline Ryanair with future routes, as well as our continually growing charter airline First Choice Airways with the possibility of the basing of a 767 by the end of the year.

As for the bmibaby predictions that have been asked, I think it will all depend how confident the folks over at tiny town feel about competing with Ryanair. bmibaby have had a niche market over the last few years, following on from British Midland, by flying from airports like EMA to the major airports such as CDG, and I can think of plenty of other big city airports which baby could serve well from EMA - some of these have already been announced from BHX. Also, it's a shame that bmi hasn't been able to influence their Star partners in launching flights to EMA, such as offering a link to a major European hub which is what the airport really needs. A thrice-daily Lufthansa flight to FRA for example would be useful, but slots in FRA are scarce. I don't think we'll see KLM back as they appear to be consolidating under their new AF ownership.

For those that are interested, there ia an Airbus Beluga parked down on the DHL Apron....... Has been in about an hour or so 12.pm 4th Jan 2007 will pop a pic on tonight for you :hmm:

Is it here for Rolls ROyce engines from Derby to the Airbus factory in France?

Just out of interest....What aircraft/company is normally used by Rolls Royce to deliver aeroengines to Boeing and Airbus?

hey egnxema today they used aswell Antonov124 belonging to Volga-Dnepr

Is the Beluga still there? When does it leave?

Thanks SAM-EMA

Beluga is a diversion due x-winds at Chester - it can't be used regularly into EMA due to the specialist loading gear it needs (the only previous time a Beluga did visit EMA the knock-down loading frame arrived by road a few days before the a/c arrived).

Rolls Royce use a/c to Toulouse usually only when engines are required quickly, otherwise they go by surface transport. The larger engines require an AN-124 (usually VDA, ADB or POT), but they've also used the re-engined VDA IL-76 and the ADB AN-22. Smaller engines and ancilliary gear has gone out on AN-12s on occasion.

Rolls-Royce engines don't usually go to Boeing by air from EMA.
Andy

Thanks Andy for the info.

Wow - Derby to Seatle is a hell of a long trip via road/sea container! :eek:

I said that that Rolls Royce engines don't usually go by air from EMA

Andy

Arh right! Sorry - should have read it more closely.

Where do they go from then? And how come?

Going back some time, all RB-211 engies for the TriStar (RR was the only engine supplier for the L1011) used to go to Palmdale, California on Saturn/Trans-International L100 Hercules - during that program, there was hardly a week passed when one of their Hercules didn't visit EMA. For engines destined for Seattle, I believe that in the days when the only RR/Boeing program was the RB211-powered 747 they used to go on Cargolux from Prestwick because (a) there were no airfrieght services from EMA to Seattle [but there was from Prestwick] and the limited number of engines didn't justify a dedicated service and (b) at the time the EMA runway wasn't long enough to allow direct operations to the US west coast. Since then Boeing's use of RR engines increased (particularly for the 757 and now the 777), and I don't know how they go to Seattle - there has been very occasional AN-124s to Seattle, but no where near as regularly as to Toulouse.
Andy

FWIW, IIRC when the Beluga came to EMA previously (and they brought the loading dock in advance), it brought in a Trent engine that was still in its cowling - I think it was one that "let go" during the A330 test program and it was needed back in Derby intact with cowl. I believe that the only airplane the bigger Trents will go into fully cowled is a Beluga (or maybe it was at a time when the AN-124s were grounded after the nose door came off one in flight testing?).

This links to a pic of the only previous Beluga visit to EMA - the loading frame can be seen in the foreground:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0163218/L
Andy

Picture as Promised of the Beluga Landing at EGNX today......... as to the departure question, it when I left it was slated as a 5.00 pm departure, but was not expected to make that and didn't...

http://mysite.orange.co.uk/il2skins/...X_smallest.jpg

Thats right when I left Toad Hall at 5.30pm and came round the back of the Airport it was still sitting near to DHL

I notice that WW has cancelled a few GLA flights yesterday and today. Plus this mornings GLA/EMA was combined with EDI/EMA.

Is it just due to mid-January loads, or what?:confused: