As skyman say the lighting is an essential expenditure to maintain the airport for the time being. I think it had something to do with stop bars, could be wrong though.
The airshow traffic maybe a problem for ground handlers but it provides free coverage for the airport on the local news, which is worth its weight in gold for advertising. Also the controllers at MME are in control of the airspace around the airshow so it is sensible for the airshow aircraft to be based at MME. Saves problems with hand overs etc. On top of all this it is traffic no matter how annoying it is.
Unfortunatley skyman the quote you have used about the freight looks to be complete spin. It is this and other lies/mistruths and incompetence that exasperate me about the place more than any thing else. MME could and should be doing alot better and it is my belief that had even half competent people been in charge then we would have an airport that is capable of providing the customer with an attractive alternative to either LBA or NCL.
The problem with MME is the people in charge, they are quite simply incompetent. The place has potential (as an airport) but it need people with drive, passion, knowledge, respect, credibility and compassion to succeed. At the moment they have people who quite simply are incompetent, uncaring, disrespectful and quite simply inadequate for the job. I admire the people who work at MME under these, as they quite simply hold the place together while banging their heads off a brick wall.

Onion
 

Agree with what you've said and the utter frustration it causes to people who'd like to use the place more, but simply aren't given an opportunity to have any input as to where they might like to fly to. Annoying as it is, there seems to be nothing whatsoever you or I can do about the lack of any customer involvement though, because they just don't want to listen. I know, I've tried it.

Looks as if GSM are planning on staying at MME for W08 with a based a/c. If you go to the excess baggage section to book it gives you Flights from MME to Alicante,Palma,Faro,Malaga,Tenerife in NOV just now which isn't part of the S08 schedule its expected that GSM will release there MME schedule along with the rest of ABZ.

Skyman ans Onion,


"I would be very suprised indeed to see any expenditure directed to extending the footprint of the current facilities, but incredibly the press release actually talks up freight growth knowing that it's major 'aviation related' cargo operator TNT is witdrawing service."

Whilst it might be disappointing to lose the TNT flights my understanding is thay they plan to increase the size of their trucking operation and, therefore, the tonnage throughput. Do not confuse cargo tonnage and revenue with flown tonnage. Many of the reggional airports have healthy cargo tonnage with almost nil actually beinng flown. Even at the likes of MAN and GLA you will find flown tonnage is low in percentage terms. Just look up the road at total tonnage through the airport and what was flown, especially before EK started.

"The problem with MME is the people in charge, they are quite simply incompetent. The place has potential (as an airport) but it need people with drive, passion, knowledge, respect, credibility and compassion to succeed. At the moment they have people who quite simply are incompetent, uncaring, disrespectful and quite simply inadequate for the job."

Everyone is entitled to their opinon but such a statement would lead me to believe that you think that every senior manager employed at MME/DTV over the last 25+ years falls into this category as it is over this timescale that the airport has not progressed in line with the competition.

The airport has some very fundamental difficulties in relation to access, immediate catchment volumes, financial well being of the area etc. etc.

Anyone can propose new destinations and make reasonable arguments as to why they think a route will be a success but, unless they are prepared to risk their own money in proving themsleves right, they should keep their own counsel. Peel can only do so much in offering incentives for new routes or new operators before they have to draw the line so as not to damage their current customers.

Much better minds than mine have, over many years, failed to make the airport sustainably bouyant so, with the current financial problems within the UK I don't think it is about to change in the short term.

I believe that the difference now is that previous airport directors had a clear brief,from their employers the Local Councils, and that was to run as best a service as was possible for the people of Teesside, and to develop the Air travel business as best they could given the market constraints you mention, and the growth potential AT THAT TIME.
Now the world has moved on, the market is far more competitive than it ever has been, the competition from the rail operators for the London traffic is steadily increasing, and the general publics appetite for commuter flying is waning. Peel Holdings have then come along, speculated with a very low outlay( on their scale) and are now briefing the present and previous directors to maximise income from the site.
The latest round of thinking was industrial and business development, something that Peel have a bit of a track record at, by all means run the airport and try to get it to "wash its face", but have in mind long term plans for property development.Along comes the credit crunch, the dramatic fall in property values (it affects ALL property not just houses) and ironically the brief could change. Who knows the future may bring fresh approaches to the Airlines to increase business.
Its a long term waiting game, but I don't think that the competency or otherwise of the Directors and senior management is the only issue.
Just my thoughts though, its an interesting subject................

Parsnip May be it's just me but I can't imagine any economic model which would forecast a growth in air traffic, whilst allowing for significant falls in property values as in the current situation with pressure on inflation & the general attitude of greater care over spending. If the current situation worsens significantly and a recession develops, DTV will like many other business be under greater pressure from ALL directions.
Groundhand I never did! in fact the point I was making was that you don't actually need an airport at all to run a large depot handling cargo tonnage producing significant revenue.

Any ideas who's behind the Maastricht charters over the last week or so? Loganair the other day (overnight trip) then Scot Airways (day return) today :confused:

Flyglobespan Winter 08/09
 

Flyglobespan have announced their routes from Durham Tees Valley this
winter - Alicante, Malaga and Tenerife South. Hopefully that's only
half the programme, but if not, it looks like W-patterns rather than a
based aircraft as has been rumoured. All once weekly except Malaga
which is twice weekly.

It wouldnt surprise me if that was it :ugh:

But didnt lanzarote do well last year??

Well mmeteesside has managed to work out that it can't be W-patterns, and they can't be shared flights either, so it must only be half the programme?

GSM
 

Ad in tonights Evening Chronicle says all Winter flights released.

Announcement on the DTVA website reads like it is the full programme, with no mention of more to come.

Suppose this still leaves room for more if these sell well ("due to exceptional demand we have added...", etc)

Well you know what they say, 'you can con some people some of the time.....but you can't con all of the poeple all of the time'. Clearly the marketing dept. at DTV which has an extremely strong record of distorting facts to paint a better picture has on this occasion either taken the view 'silence is golden' or possibly more likely simply lost the ability to deliver even more cr:mad:p!

This year's small schedule could be due to the fact that GSM are supposidly planning to sell off there other two 736's. Then will be making an order to the ILFC for ither 4 738's or 73G's or a mix. They wouldn't be delivered till next year. This may be the reason why MME has a small schedule this year plus GSM are leasing a 738 to Oman Air for S08 & W08 so they might not have an a/c to base at MME.

The based 737 hardly moved last winter with most flights being doubled up from Scotland.

Sunshine flights cut as fuel costs take off
 

Quotes from todays Evening Gazette, but isn't this old news?

SUN-SPOT air carrier Thomson is to cut flights from Durham Tees Valley Airport, as rocketing fuel prices and the credit crunch continue to take their toll on the industry....

...Amid fears that other airlines will follow suit, Durham Tees Valley confirmed Thomson was reducing the number of weekly flights running from Teesside from 14 to six. The airline operates flights to Alicante, Tenerife, Majorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Reus.

Despite the news Durham Tees Valley chiefs said they were pressing ahead with expansion plans, which include boosting annual passenger numbers from 750,000 to 3m by 2015.

Hugh Lang, former director at the airport and currently group airports director for Peel Airports, said Thomson’s decision not to operate single aircraft bases at UK airports affected London Stansted, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Liverpool John Lennon as well as Durham Tees Valley.

He added: “We still believe core demand for flights to summer hot spots remains strong. Passengers are moving from the traditional charter holidays and turning to flights with low cost airlines.”

But Mr Lang said it was unlikely passenger fares would spiral to levels witnessed ten years ago, even though “the cost of air travel is likely to increase in the short term if fuel prices remain high.”

Winter
 

The times on the GSM website seem to suggest a based aircraft?

Looks like it might be a quiet winter though- anyone heard anything about Ryanair to Gerona? At the moment no flights bookable from MME but Newquay, Blackpool, Doncaster and Newcastle all have flights loaded into the booking engine??

Wizzair no flights after September???

Hope marketing are working hard to make sure they keep them?

Indeed it would seem Gerona either isn't loaded yet or is dropped, I know Newcastle's is cut from 4 to 3 a week so the likelyhood is that ours has been dropped (for the winter?)
Alicante is still running 3 a week (Tue Thu Sat) and Dublin continues at 5 a week (still Mon Tue Thu Fri Sun)

Are we expecting to have an increase of services from Eastern? Was just checking out flights and they appear to have Stavanger, Stornoway and Wick in addition to Aberdeen from Teesside in the booking form.

I cant comment on the other places, but Stornoway has been on the Eastern booking enging for a good year or two. Im sure the other destinations have been available for a while via ABZ.