Runway extension
 

You all seem to be focusing the debate on longhaul pax flights, don't forget the majority of the airport's current longhaul flights are operated by UPS, DHL and Lufthansa, to be joined in the near future by AeroLogic.

I would imagine it is their ability to meet the future requirements identified by these companies which is the main reason why the airport's management are pressing for the planning application to be determined.

roverman - if there wasn't a "business case" to extend the runway do you really think MAG would waste their time and money on the application...?

Longhaul/shorthaul
 

I think its the business market that missing, without which longhaul wont work. Man & Bhx both have it, but there is next to nothing from EMA other than Eastern (ABZ) & bmi (BRU) no lounges to speak of either. Same with ski flights very little from EMA other than LoCo's and a few Austrian Arrows which is nothing when compared with BHX or MAN?

PIA/Emirates would work just as well and its got to be a lot easier putting a 777 down on a long runway into wind rather than a shortish one thats across it so there must be something else missing, DHL hub is without doubt a big plus, unless you live at Kings Newton............

Servisair operate a Lounge at EMA

There are quite a few ski routes, yes there arent as many as MAN and BHX but this is a lot smaller airport, it doesnt mean to say it doesnt have potential!

This winter we had
1x Weekly Innsbruck (Austrian)
1x Weekly Salzburg (Thomson)
1x Weekly Sofia (BH Air)
1x Weekly Chambery (Thomson)
1x Weekly Grenoble (Ryanair)
4x Weekly Milan (Ryanair)
15x Weekly Geneva (easyJet + bmibaby)

This winter we also have bmibaby expanding to Grenoble 2x Weekly and there is the possibility of them operating another ski destination as well. Yes there isnt a lot of flights, but the destinations are available

I use long haul out of EMA all the time - only thing is it's all freight!!

I'm not sure there is a demand for dedicated long haul, although I would say an Emirates style operation (using a transit hub) may well be sustainable.

On a trip last month (BHX/Perth) the Emirates driver commented about how many people thay pick up from my area (Coalville), so I get the impression that there's a lot of us East Midlander's travelling to BHX to catch a long haul flight. So it's probably a feasable proposition, although I don't actually see it happening, certainly not in the near future.

EMA - too close to BHX
 

Crusher1:

The oft heard arguement as to why BHX has been less successful than other European cities of similar size / importance in attracting longhaul business is that it is "too close to London".

I think the same could be said for the East Midlands cities (Nottingham, Derby and Leicester) with regard to their proximity to Birmingham, which, whether we like it or not is the "capital" of the Midlands, and has a much greater population, and with venues like the NEC, NIA and ICC attracts more inbound business travel than the three aforementioned east midlands cities is ever likely to.

Why therefore, should Emirates, Continental, or PIA dilute their midlands originating traffic by setting up a "rival" operation through EMA. I think this is also why, for example Lufthansa and KLM have failed to offer service from EMA.

It's not all gloom and doom though - how many UK airports can boast the cargo facilities, and spread of based operators that EMA does? Only last night EMA hosted three Antonov 124s and a Kallita 747 - like to see them accomodated at BHX!!! (fat chance).

EMA has a niche - loco passenger, and the UK's principal hub for all the world's chief integrators - save one, Fedex. Pretty good and something to be proud of if you ask me. (Don't ask the residents of Kegworth, Breedon or Wilson however - they'll probably disagree!!!).

ATNotts

I agree, why would Emirates or anyone else make their own competition. however it's not beyond the realms of possibility that someone else could operate long haul from EMA, although not likely.

KLM did run a F50 to AMS and I used it loads for connections elsewhere and it always seemed to do well pax wise, likewise the BM service to LHR, unfortunatly due to slot restrictions (I assume) we have lost both.

Certainly a dedicated service to, say. JFK, would not work, but maybe an airline like Qatar with onward connections would be viable.

Anyway we can all have pipe dreams.......mine is a direct service to Vilhelmina in Sweden, takes me ages to get there currently!!!!!!!!!!

Good airline for connections would be Jet Airways, no flights into BHX or MAN, only LHR, for example

Mumbai - East Midlands - New York - East Midlands - Mumbai = A332

or even Delta, they would be good for International flights to NYC from EMA on a B752

Never going to happen sadly, maybe from BHX. Much as I love my place of work (though for friendliness and ease of use, not a patch on how it was 10 years ago, but then it was a different type of flying), it is an airport best served for worldwide cargo flying, as well as low-cost and charter flying. The airport could sustain a service to a major European hub by the likes of AF, KL or LH, but if an airline like Qatar were to serve the Midlands, they'd fly to Birmingham, the UK's 2nd largest city and an airport with an infraestructure for international, full-service airlines.

HI Oli

I see your point - but Jet already have that operation set up in BRU - they do all their India - Europe - North America routes hubbing through BRU at the same time, and are interlined with BD for UK regional flights including EMA.

I totally agree with other posters that EMA does need an AMS flight with a KL code or a CDG with an AF code to provide fully connecting worldwide services.

Will be interesting to see if the arrival of Donington Park on the International GP calendar, and the year-round conference facilities that the Park have plans to build will affect EMA's success at attracting AFKL.

EMA Runway Extension.
 

On the local news tonight there was a piece on the runway extension and NW Leics Council are dropping there oposition to the runway extension:D. Looks as thou the airport have got all the Right boxes ticked. So Hopefully we should have a yes by the summer. the only stumbling block might be Mr David Taylor MP Who was also on the programme saying if they did get the go ahead he would call for a public enquiry Does he Not Relise how many people work at the airport!!!.

Following on from all the comments above i was lead to believe it was a certain cargo carrier who wanted the extra length so they could operate from EMA Fully Loaded/Fueled to there west coast of america Hub.

As Balair Put the Runway extension is for the cargo side of the airport. Cannot See Any Airline Operating Pax Flights Longhaul for the time being, Other than the usual charters that are already there.

But As Ive Said before i would sooner have the concrete laid and done and yes maybe it might Not be used for a couple of years but its there ready and waiting for anyone who does Need to use it.

Ukia B767
 

Just out of idle interest - what happened to the ex UKIA B767?

Ukia B767
Just out of idle interest - what happened to the ex UKIA B767?


Still sat there at the moment just in front of the staff car park. Must of been there a good 8 months now, prob more!

Must be a "interesting" smell on there now!! ;)

Yak
 

Still parked up in the same place at EMA, markings painted out is all that appears to have changed.

Bored

ukia 767 there was talk about it off to filton a few months back.

Runway Extension
 

NJTCF

Just to clarify the current situation; it is Leicestershire County Council which is saying there is no reason why the extension should not be approved, the final decision to be taken "in the summer" rests with NWLDC.
Although it is generally accepted the runway extension would have very little impact on the overall noise levels generated by the airport, NWLDC (and David Taylor) have continually tried to use this application to get the government to "designate" the airport and impose restrictions on night flying.
As far as the actual construction of the extension, should it be approved; indications are that it would be at least a couple of years before the work commenced.

Freight direct to the US West Coast
 

I am struggling to work out which of the integrators would want to operate direct to the West Coast. The business model generally calls for transatlantic business to hub on the east coast, and transpacific on the west coast. That is how UPS and DHL seem to work it. I might be wrong but I don't think that even TNT go further than New York from Liege, Fedex goe to Memphis, again in the eastern half of the US, and UPS' main hub is Louisville, Kentucky.

I think if I were MAG, I wouldn't waste the money on the runway, as for most carriers requirements it is long enough already - some upgarde of the facilities to attract full service passenger carriers to Europe might pay more dividends in the medium term.

On a separate note, I heard some eejit on BBC East Midlands News suggesting that the extra 170m will enable flights to New York to "take off". I can't imagine where they think all these Lufthansa MD11s and UPS 767s go to if it's not the USA!

Runway Extension + UKIA.
 

Thanks Balair + ATNotts

ATNotts. I Understood it was UPS Was the carrier that wanted the extra runway so they could operate into there Hub outside Los Angeles. This was wanted along time ago, So things might have changed with there plans Now.

ATNotts You Say MAG should not waste there money on EMA, EMA is the only airport in the group that has been making a profit. Wether this will continue in the current climate i do not know. Surely if MAG Did sell EMA if they Succeed in there Bid for LGW This Could be a good selling point. MAG Will have to raise funds and i only think in there group that EMA is the only airport they could sell. If they are Not able to raise funds on the markets. They have already failed in selling Humberside last year. And they are Not Going to Sell MAN.

UKIA Going No where No one wants to pay the parking charges!!!:(

Do the runway extension plans include upgrading the 09 approach lighting to CAT III standard?

At what point can EMA/MAG impound the UKIA for non payment of fees? The a/c must still have a good value, even with the engineering works needed to get it flying again!

I remember seeing a light twin with a notice on the window about it being impounded for non payment and becoming the airfields property in X days. That was an Nottingham though.

koral blue
 

koral blue are to operate to sharm el sheikh from wednesday 1st july to the end of october using a319s arrive at ema 1105 depart at 1155 these flights are being operated by kiss flights :ok:

NJTCF

I absolutely did not say that MAG shouldn't waste money on EMA - on the contrary, improving the passenger terminal, and parking facilities to international standards would be money well spent - that check-in extension looks like a discarded B @ Q without the racking - and why are their no ulti-storey car parking facilities?

There are better uses for any money that MAG has to spend on EMA than an extra few metres of runway that will take years to pay for themselves. You only have to look at Cardiff for an example of some extra concrete that really hasn't produced anything in the way of long-haul traffic (Don't mention the BA maintenance facility - empty 777s and & 747s don't need 3000 metres of runway).

EMA needs a serious makeover!
 

The check in area isn't as good as a B&Q without racks, at least in a B&Q you can get a bargain. How on earth can EMA compete with other regional airports when the check-in/ground-side facilities are so primitive? With regard to multi - storey car parks, EMA should've had them decades ago - but nobody bothered! With the Donington Park fiasco just beginning to unravel, I doubt that any sort of facelift for EMA will find sufficient funding in the near future.

Regarding spending money to do additional work at the Airport you are all forgetting one major factor,North West Leicestershire District Council.Any planning application that goes before them containing EMA is given an automatic NO They are being led by the nose by protestors,who seem to get them to block everything.An application for a Fire Station on Airport land at a peppercorn rent was thrown out,why i can never understand, the fire station was to cover surrounding villages as well as the airport.One of the main protestors is a man with who seems to feature in most of the local planning applications,he loves to be seen on TV,on a recent article on the proposal for an ECO town on the other side of Leicestershire guess who was fronting the mob,yes same person,so with him and a pathetic so called Labour MP,what chance any development.

odogo2

That's a rather churlish comment....!
I think I've spelt it correctly - you could always check the definition to see...?

Nice one Balair but i think childish is more suitable

Atlas 74F
 

I noticed an Atlas 74F in this morning as I passed the airport. Does anyone know why it's here and when its expected to depart ?

Complete guess, but could it be the F1 teams coming back from Bahrain and getting ready for Spain in a week or so? (See here).

Helicraig

Ah could well be in that case. Presumably there should another 1 or 2 movements if three flights went out ?

Atlas 744F's
 

Two due at EMA today

BHX5DME

Thomson FLights
 

Anyone be able to give me the low-down on the available Thomson Flights departing EMA on Weds/Thurs of 1st/2nd July.....?


Muchos Gracias...


:ok:

Wednesday 1st July sees Thomson operate flights to the following destinations:
Sharm El Sheikh, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Menorca, Mexico and Paphos

Thursday 2nd July flights are to the following destinations;
Faro, Heraklion, Lanzarote, Malaga, Palma and Dalaman

Thomson Flights ? all the assurances and service you?ve come to expect from Thomson - Timetable
The above is a link to the Timetable section of the Thomson website. All the information you need should be on here

Hope this helps somewhat :ok:
Sam

Cheers Sam1993

Because guess where I got flights booked too on the 1st July....lol :}

Just drawing up some back up plans....

Much appreciated.


regards:ok:

Donegal
 

a local travel company are running several charter flights to Donegal with departures starting sat 4/7 until 22/8 arriving at ema 1440 and departing back at 1510 flights will be operated by vlm

Where does the Lufthansa bus (I think) come from I keep seeing on a wide base leg over Nottingham every day approx 18.00hrs ?

LH8281 Wilmington, usually arrives in between 1800 - 1900

How many Airbus' do you know of that have three engines...:ok:

Regards, RP

oops, MD11.. time to get eyes tested..:8

Ryanair winter 2009/10
 

The East Mids flights seem to all be released excluding any new routes.

I am not too familar with their operation last winter but it appears there
are changes/reductions.

Work for four aircraft everyday and five on Wednesdays, Saturdays
and Sundays but with gaps.

Rome - four weekly
Girona - three weekly with a GRO based aircraft
Murcia - three weekly
Alicante - three weekly with an ALC based aircraft
Malaga - Three weekly

Berlin is daily
Bergamo - four weekly with a BGY based aircraft

CCS - two weekly
PRG - four weekly
TFS - three weekly
FAO - two weekly
DNR - three weekly
LIG - three weekly
INV - Three weekly
Knock - four weekly
DUB - double daily
BHD - double daily
BUD - two weekly
RIX - three weekly
WRO - Four weekly
KRK - three weekly

Might be one or two errors in the above and I only checked one
week in November.

No PMI, IBZ, GRQ, EGC, FNI, NTE, BVA, REU, BTS, PSA, PGF, VLC.

I know some of these have long gone or never operated in the winter
but as I say I don't know the East Mids operation that well.

Is this up or down or about the same as last winter? BHX seems less
but again I have not totalled the flights.

Pete