Jet2 winter 2016/17
 

Jet2 winter 2016/17 -
New routes -
Grenoble
Salzburg
Increased capacity -
Faro
Alicante
Canary Islands

Local news is reporting the airfield is to close for 7 consecutive weekends between Nov 5th and Dec 19th for runway and lighting refurb work.

Correct... The runway will close 20:00 each Saturday and reopen 20:00 on Monday evenings. Most if not all the airlines have now adapted their schedules accordingly.

That's going to be fun for the cargo operations at EMA which operate overnight !


cs

Cornish
By pass or DSA
BHX is also closed:\

Are Saturday and Sunday night that busy??

I thought Sat/Sun had been picked as it's quieter in the cargo front? Was supposed to be 2 months of daily night closures, but after meetings with cargo airlines, was moved to a weekend closure instead.

LAX is correct...all the scheduled airlines complained but EMA is a cargo airport and basically ignored the scheduled guys. Not sure why they even bothered asking their opinion! Typical MAG group arrogance

BHX Closed?
 

Mr Angry from Purley

Can you elaborate? Is this beyond the usual 3 weeks in November Monday night - Thursday/Friday morning?

I thought BHX has already agreed to take a limited amount of traffic?

Pete

Not really - the timings of the closures have been set with cargo in mind. Saturday night there is no cargo, Sunday night is the lowest volume for cargo, and it will be reopening Monday night at 20:00 in timefor the usual weekday cargo operations.

Last I was aware the DHL Sunday night sort would still take place at EMA, but the flights would use a mix of BHX and DSA and freight would be trucked to/from the hub - Mr. Angry may have greater clarity on that though.

Think you find between 8pm on a sat and 5 am in a Sunday there's still Dhl Ops ! Couple of 757, a 767 and an Airbus all depart during those hours. That big warehouse never really sits still for long....and it's getting longer with the extension to it

OK, you're right - I should have said "no significant cargo" (in comparison to other nights)

Runway lights
 

Does anyone know if the work on the runway lights will include installation of TDZ lighting for runway 09. It would seem a good opportunity to get this done with a view to upgrading that end to Cat 3. I believe the the actual ILS is already a Cat 3 capable system, although stand to be corrected on that.

Tween town - Don't know about 09 ILS CAT III capability but they may also need to install supplementary approach lights (red barrettes for inner 300m) which would be a significant added cost to the TDZ lights. Not sure the business case would add up if 27 can already be used for CAT III.

Presumably they have to resurface the runway because of traffic and weather elements over time causing increased surface deterioration and increased maintenance costs to keep the surface safe. Like any airport in this situation they would have discussed well in advance with both cargo and passenger operators to agree the best timings for possession of the runway to do the resurfacing work. I'm sure not everyone is happy but runway surfaces, just like roads, do need rehabilitation over certain time periods. If
not then they become unsafe and for aircraft operations this is not an acceptable situation.

Pete
You know more than I do about BHX!
Just the norm.
EMA is down to Cat1 during the wip.
Least I might get a good nights sleep

Not a lot of good if you want to fly on Sundays and Mondays then. I would suggest some freight flights might operate from/to Luton but the people in the know might be able to confirm or not.

Aviation Emporium Closes September 25th 2016.
 

I am sorry to report that the Aviation Emporium (nee Airtrans Ltd / Aviation Gift and Hobby Centre) where I have been known since 1995 ceased trading on Sunday September 25th 2016.

I would like to say Best Wishes to all staff there past and present. So I understand the principal reason for the end of this era is the shop's owner retiring. The shop was always located in the Departures area of the airport before Security and occupied (IIRC) three different retail units since I started going there.

Thank you for 21 years of Herpa Models and Gemini Jets interspersed with the odd Corgi Aviation Archive Avro Vulcan or two - and my recent BAC Jaguar GR1A conquest!

BD :)

Anyone kow the identity of the ECAir 737 parked up on Sunday? Couldnt get round to have a closer look? Any reason why she is there seams a long way from home....

Supplementary Approach Lighting, (TDZ+Barettes), on R/W 09 makes sense. If the ILS is CAT 3 capable, the ground lighting element is required to utilise its full potential.
Sorry to hear about about the aviation shop closing down too. I bought loads of stuff from 'AirTrans'. I event remember it's distant ancestor, 'Midpoint Gifts', from the 1960s. :ok:

jeez, slow news coming out of EMA. the airport is a dead duck with everyone else expanding and the airport static.

Due to lack of destinations and frequencies that suit i worked it out today its nearly 3 years since I have flown from there. Over 75 flights and counting :eek:

Sad really. Andy Cliffe has done absolutely nothing since taking over as MD. Freight expansion / increase handled etc is in line with expectations. Passengers? all off to BHX, MAN and LBA.

Im trying LCY this Friday due to timings and cost being substantially less that EMA (BHX and MAN for that matter too).

I have been speaking to ex-colleagues at UPS and there is still plans to expand slightly at EMA.

Interesting 5 years. Can see the passenger side dwindling more and more unless either MAG invest (and dont talk to me about the awful £12 Million departures fix if thats what it can be called). We are quite rightly losing out on expansion to Birmingham, and will continue to do so.

Bit harsh I think. Derby, Nottingham, Leicester is a decent catchment. It definitely has a place and serves a decent number of people, and I am someone who is critical of there being too many airports in the country.

What EMA desperately needs is a flight that feeds in to one of the European network hubs.

If you look at the EI frequencies on BHX-DUB it's extremely poor that EMA can't sustain a single daily EMA-DUB.

Similarly if you look at KLM's coverage of UK airports it's strange that EMA cannot attract KLM.

UPS@EMA

The stark truth, as we all know, is that EMAG have far greater priorities than EMA, and it is very apparent.
On completion of the departures hall I believe they made a statement to the effect that, apart from some work to "enhance the arrivals experience" (or should that read endurance?) there would be no further expansion of the terminal "for a while".
As you say, other airports appear to be far more aggressive in their approach to gaining (and keeping) new airlines/routes, whilst EMAG seem to be quite happy with the status quo at EMA. Although even with freight they should not be too complacent as the likes of BHX and DSA will take every opportunity to gain whatever share of that sector they can. It will be interesting to see what effect the TNT/FedEx merger and Amazon's developments have on future freight operations at EMA.

As for poor old Andy Cliffe, I am sure he is a very pleasant person, but let's face it he is just a nominal figure-head to be rolled-out for press photographs and recite the corporate "everything is going splendidly" soundbites. I doubt very much that he is the sort of individual, or in fact he is in a position to drive the airport forward?

Oh by the way if it is new routes you are interested in you might want to take a look at the appropriate section of the airport's website. Apparently Jet2 are to launch a new route to Pula starting 24th May 2015...! - Says it all really doesn't it?

Balair

EI was never going to work once a day - the timings were hopeless for connections to the transatlantic services, and it was not going to win a head to head with FR for the point to point traffic. Had EI come in twice daily at times that worked for outbound and inbound from / to the USA, the outcome might have been a bit different. As it happened, what was once floated as a twice daily EI op got split with DSA, and the end result is both services withered.

To an extent, yes. BHX worked out it had capacity for EMA-type business (low-cost and holidays), especially in the off-peak and shoulders. It has gained carriers that at one time might have been expected to go EMA's way, primarily because it could offer deals (discounts etc) that were difficult to match. It could do this because it had a stronger portfolio of established carriers and the newcomers were not, for the most part, treading on existing toes. EMA is in a more difficult position because of the fickleness of its carrier base and their aversion to competition, and the risk they might throw their toys out of the pram and up sticks if their position on routes from EMA was challenged by a newcomer.

EMA made its bed when it originally welcomed the low-cost carriers with open arms, in the process destroying what full-service market there was. It should have fought harder to protect the established carriers / markets on key business routes, while easing the way for new routes to leisure and eastern destinations. Once you destroy connectivity at major hubs such as AMS, the regular business passengers head down the road and most haven't come back.

The end result is that EMA is somewhat at the mercy of its incumbent low-cost carriers and their willingness to expand - or not. A big concern right now must be whether there will be any leakage of Jet2 business to the newly established BHX operation - it has been suggested that some of Jet2's EMA market came up the M42 from the West Midlands, and part of it might choose not to do so in future. If some of that traffic does go, I suspect there could be contraction at EMA after next summer. This winter is going to be challenging anyway with EI gone, Eurowings being summer only and neaerly two months of five-days a week operations.

BHX doesn't really want frequent big freight. It doesn't have the space for it daytime, and it doesn't want the community impact of an intensive overnight operation. But yes, it will be interesting to see if FexEd / TNT consolidate at BHX or EMA, and I suspect both BHX and DSA will continue to chip away at the edges of the ad-hoc market. There is a huge Amazon fulfillment centre opening in Coalville this autumn and EMA could be positioned to capture some of that market should Amazon expand its European air operations, but of course the firm also has a large operation not far from DSA too.

FR to open x3 weekly BUD service in March.

Out of here or Hungary?

Both id say ;)

Ryanair adding Reus 2 weekly Monday & Friday begins 27th March 2017

Trinity Logistics firmed up a long term deal for Etihad Cargo to fly a weekly Columbo, Sri Lanka - Columbus, Ohio - East Midlands route with both 777F and 744F aircraft.

Source from Freightweek.

Additional service to boost the freight operation at EMA

Excellent news!

If some could look beyond "bums on seats" and passenger numbers they'd realise this is the business segment where EMA can challenge and thrive.

Apologies for the spotterish question: Are there any good spots at EMA for viewing? I am heading down the M1 next Friday and wouldn't mind popping in, but I understand that the Aeropark is closed on Fridays :(
TIA

This isn't really the spotter's thread but you might want to try out Diseworth Road nr. Castle Donnington. But if it's anytime between around 9:30 - 11:30am I wouldn't waste your time as you'll barely see anything worth seeing.

Thanks for the info, FRatSTN. I'll stick Diseworth Road in the satnav.
Much appreciated:ok:

DE74 2PR will get you close to The Nags Head, at the end of Diseworth Lane.

Diseworth Lane does not lead to Diseworth, though, so beware. Someone stuck a runway across it circa 1969. Sadly, I'm old enough to remember when it did lead to Diseworth!

"The Airport Trail" will take you from the top of Diseworth Lane, by the crash gate, along the northern perimeter fence if you fancy a stroll.

Is that the one that heads to the fire training ground?
If so a nice afternoon stroll and dog walk ( if you have one that is )

Ian

September Stats
 

CAA figures recently published for September 16

Flights this month 5569, 0.8% increase on Sept 15

Pax this month 538675, 6.6% increase on Sept 15

Rolling 12 month pax 4,660,455 , 4.8% inc over the previous year

What's the latest on based aircraft? How many for FR, Jet2, MT and TOM etc

For S17, EMA will have;

FR - 9x 738s
LS - 4x 738s + 3x 733s
TOM - 3x 738s
MT - 2x A321s
T3 - 1x J41

BE, FR, LS, BM, GR and the odd charter also fly in with aircraft based elsewhere.

Thanks for that..

Ryanair new route to Naples x3 weekly begins 2nd May 2017