BHX/LGW/MAN all places where EK have customer services, makes sense!

Nigel

I think you'll find STN also has A380 capability & capacity. (It's still waiting to see the real thing though!)

Re: Monarch

Monarch are basing 1 A320 (EDIT: See correction notice below) and 1 B734 arriving end of this month

Re: A380/B787

With Thomson working a B787 out of EMA from next summer it makes sense that they would bring one in at some point on a test run.

In regards to the A380 this is something I too have heard rumour of around the ramp but nothing official from management though bringing it in shouldn't be a problem - as has been mentioned the airport has had the AN-225 in, regularly has AN-124s in and less often has B747s in. Neither the A380 or B787 will fit into the Central so I imagine that both of these if/when they come in would end up on the Eastern Cargo given the easy Airside road access to the Central apron and the terminal compared to sending them down the West. Though taxiing might be interesting as the AN-124 and B747s seem fairly close to the Central Apron safety lines as it is and the A380 is wider than both of these - maybe it'll have to backtrack the runway on either arrival or for takeoff though it would be nice if it was designated for A380 diverts allowing them to 'keep it in the group' if aircraft need to divert from MAN.

****CORRECTION: Monarch will be basing an A320 and a B734, not the 321 I previously said above.****

Airlines, not airports decide where an aircraft is going to divert if need be. Emirates will normally select another EK station to divert to. In the case of the MAN EK A380, this would normally be; BHX, LGW or LHR or another EK station en-route.

And Emirates use EMA as a divert - 3-4 months ago they had an A340 divert in and just a couple of weeks ago they diverted in an A330. By not being designated as A380 divert they miss out on this traffic.

Monarch
 

Burnie5204

Interesting information re the A321 - where have they sourced this from or is it a case that they are putting in another leased aircraft at a different base instead of EMA or have they cut some flights elsewhere to make way for EMA?

Both BHX's new routes in July were listed to be operated by the leased aircraft but the first flights were changed to Monarch aircraft, is there any plan to do this at EMA, if for nothing else for PR purposes?

Pete

OltonPete

Not a clue but I know that when they arrive it'll be PR/Photos all round so I expect they will be MON liveried a/c. Incidentally it's just 2 a/c for winter season, more arriving in Summer when they kick off the show properly opening their full range of routes

A380
 

Less to do with the runway length but more to do with width.

The availability of the airfield for the A380 also takes into account taxiways that also can handle (as you said) as well as stands available and any special procedures required (eg follow me / blocking of airside roads etc as at Manchester). A risk assessment must be done and CAA must approve the procedures.

Nothing to stop EMA doing that of course.

Suzeman

Apologies everyone my memory failed me slightly.

Monarch are bringing in an A320 and a B734 NOT a 321 like I previously stated.



EDIT: ALL CHAAANGE!!!! The daily schedule is out and there are some changes...


Monarch arrivals TODAY (30th Aug) as follows.

MON748P - STA[30]1300, Estd[30]1535 - A319 LY-VEU coming from MAD (Unliveried)
MON425P - STA[31]0105 - A320 coming from BHX (Liveried)

Small Planet/Air Italy from Saturday

A320 G-MRJK flies in tonight for the first flight tomorrow.

Aye, scheduled at 01:05 but I'm not at work at the moment so I don't have access to the flight info screens to get an updated ETA though I shall be on the ramp tomorrow morning for the 07:30 departures

Has there been any more news on the a380 and 787 test of the facilities ?

spitfirealex

I am still struggling to understand why a "test visit" would be required by either type.

As far as I can recall there was no such visit required before EK flew their one and only service (so far) using an A380 into BHX, and I can't believe the size of the 787 would require a test visit either.

With fuel costing what it does today, why would any business want to waste it doing a live test on something that could in all probability done on a good old computer.

Rumour has it that the A380s (note the S... I hear from my contacts there will be more than one) will actually be operating from EMA for a short time, not just popping in for a visit.

787 - Nobody seems to have the foggiest idea whats happening with that. Wheras they were saying the TOM 787 will be based but now no-one knows if its basing or flying in like the current B763 (even though it'll be doing more flights per week)

The only reason I could see an A380 operating out of ema is to do with rolls-royce as the airport doesn't have the terminal to deal with passenger flights of this size

nigel osborne Can you tell me exactly where you find these please? I've had what I think to be a very good search but to no avail!

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Tom

MAN had no A380 test flight prior to start of daily service two years ago, Airbus and Emirates were both satisfied that MAn had everything in place, which it did.

Any test flight into EMA or STN will most likely be connected with BA, to prove sufficient UK diversion airfields in readiness for their A380 deliveries. Or could be a further publicity push by Airbus keen to emphasise how the aircraft can operate into many smaller non-hub airports. Sales of the big bird have dried up somewhat.

The visits are tied around something to do with BA, whether its engine maintenance from Rolls Royce or to test as a diversion point, as it is a central airport to the Country.

Ground movement charts for the A380 are on the UK AIP entries for LHR, BHX and MAN. However, as far as I'm aware that's just for ease of access to the data for visiting aircrew and airline flight operations departments for airfields where (a) the taxi routes available to the A380 is restricted and (b) the A380 is likely to operate regularly. The lack of such a chart does not necessarily indicate the A380 can't visit an airfield... The AN225 has operated into EMA and could do again, it is larger than an A380, and yet there is no openly published AN225 taxiiing chart for EMA.

AFAIK, if a visiting aircraft is of a size that it cannot be accommodated within the airfield layout as far as things like wingtip clearances and encroachment into safety strips is concerned, then a written set of procedures has to be prepared and put to the CAA for approval. These peocedures are likely to include things like limiting the aircraft to certain taxi routes, or closing adjacent areas whilst the aircraft is manouevring. Once that's approved, the aircraft can visit in accordance with the approved procedures. The approval need not be in the public domain. EMA did it for the AN225 but whether they've done it for the A380 I've no idea.

Don't they use PIK for diversions that GLA or MAN can't handle?

@ SpitfireAlex

What are you on about the terminal? The terminal has nothing to do with it. Not having stands directly connected to the terminal or airbridges is not a bar to operating.

The airport wouldnt be able to get it on the central apron but there is abolutely nothing stopping it going on the East apron where there are stands it would easially fit on and its not that far from the terminal (unlike DHL West Apron)



Though I hear there are plans afoot for multi-million pound redevelopments for the terminal anyway.

Where did you find information on a terminal redevelopment?

EastMids

Found them! Thanks again.

Tom

This thread is beginning to drift, i'll eat my hat if a A380 lands at EMA. LHR diversion due snow yeah maybe but to be honest who cares :\

Flybe to operate weekly Chambery flight Dec-Mar on a Q400

I visited the aeropark yesterday mainly to look around the museum but to also look across at the airport, the airport looked very quiet and looked very weird without bmi baby aircraft there ! It could do with some airlines replacing the routes that haven't already been replaced ! P.s the aeropark is a great place to visit a nice variety of aircraft and also featured some new items they'd gained from bmi baby !

Monarch havent moved all of their planned aircraft in yet. They're still using wet lease at the moment from Air Italy and another foreign airline (i'm not sure who the 'red nose' is leased from). A third aircraft should be coming in to operate winter schedule and then more again for summer '13. They havent yet set up the base yet but are beginning to operate some of the routes to start the revenue rolling in.

Flybe havent moved in yet with their two Dash 8s that will be based (in addition to the 2 that have started operating GLA-EMA-GLA and EDI-EMA-EDI sectors and the pre-existing BHD-EMA-BHD) in order to operate EMA-CDG-EMA and EMA-AMS-EMA.

Which aircraft are Flybe using on the Jersey route?

Monarch/flybe
 

Burnie5204

Has something changed?

The Monarch base this winter is one Monarch branded aircraft with the two leased going back and flybe is just one Q400. Is it just the way you have posted as it could read the Monarch base will be three this winter with the Monarch branded aircraft arriving?

The Monarch base is two for summer 2013 and flybe hopefully will go to two with Amsterdam double daily.

VC10man

Jersey is a Q400 operated by from MAN/SOU aircraft through JER.

Pete

Would be very interesting to discover more of any grand plans for the terminal at EMA. Please enlighten..

Grand Plans?
 

What sort of grand plans are you thinking about? Perhaps turning the shed at the end of the building that passes for a check-in hall into a B&Q?:O

When an airport has for it's customer base a string of carriers who pay next to nothing to use it (Ryanair etc) it's difficult to see where the money would come from, or even the incentive to improve the facilities.

I think that MAG probably has better things to do with their money in the current difficult economic circumstances.

Quite, but I'd be interested to hear of what Burnie knows!

Any sign of anyone taking on EMA-NQY ?


cs

Hardly grand plans, but I have heard of a plan to create some extra space in the departure lounge by relocating some of the shops and restaurants upstairs, in an extension to the first floor. Although the word is that management were informed by the structural engineers that the existing ground floor would need to be strengthened first. There have been a number of surveyors on the roof of the departure lounge in recent weeks taking measurements, so perhaps the project will go ahead, like everything else I'll believe it when I see it.

R5

@OltonPete

The winter schedule is 4 routes, the current 2 aircraft are running 4 routes and are only on ground for overnight stops and turnarounds. Flicking through their bookings website it shows that they will run ALC on Tues+Sat, PMI will stop, FAO will run Thur+Sun, AGP on Mon+Fri+Sun and ACE on Mon+Thurs. Alternatively you could lay it out as:
Mon - AGP, ACE
Tues - ALC
Weds - Nil
Thurs - FAO, ACE
Fri - AGP
Sat - ALC
Sun - FAO, AGP

So they would need minimum of 2 airframes as the ACE is c.4 1/2 hours each way. You wouldn't be able to fit that AND an AGP/FAO into the mix on 1 day for 1 airframe and we are expecting them to replace the wet leases shortly with the first full based airframe arriving prior to the others leaving as the ACE kicks off a few days before the other 4 routes cease their current daily operations.

This then picks up to 7 routes from S13 including TFS and IBZ as well as the 4 winter routes + PMI again with an increase in flight intensity for the routes (they aren't running daily PMI, ALC, AGP & FAO for fun...) , almost certainly going to be a minimum 3 airframe operation.


Flybe wise they announced 2 Dash 8s based from October, I've not seen or heard any change to that.




@Sunday8pm

Nothing in depth, just that MAG were going to be pumping a load of money into the terminal

Burnie5204

OltonPete is the expert on this, but I cannot see that the winter schedule, which appears to be 13 departures per week is ever going to keep two aircraft busy - though I grant you that things might be a tad tight on Monday and Thursday.

I haven't looked at the timings but, if on the aforementioned days the AGP and FAO depart EMA at ca. 07:00, they'll be back in around 15:00, in time to take out ACE at ca. 16:00, which would be back in the middle of the following morning. Not great for the PAX, but it would negate the requirement for an additional airframe on any day of the week.

Burnie5204,
Winter will see just the one based aircraft as OltonPete has said. Lanzarote can be operated after Faro and it is indeed not uncommon to see this sort of schedule . Tenerife will not operate in the summer and 2 aircraft can easily operate the schedule - with one even been on the ground from around 9pm until the next days flights!

You're right the TFS isn't S13 but W12 start on Tuesdays and Fridays meaning the weekly schedule for W12 is:
Mon - AGP, ACE
Tues - ALC, TFS
Weds - Nil
Thurs - FAO, ACE
Fri - AGP, TFS
Sat - ALC
Sun - FAO, AGP

And somewhere in the comms chain something has broken down because the ramp crews I've been speaking to are expecting more than 1 airframe over winter...

Burnie, the ramp crews will be disappointed then cos it's one airframe for Winter