s there any work going on on the 707, having past by a few times in the last few months it seemed to be rooted to the spot. Hopefully I am wrong.

They were doing some tests about three weeks ago and belted it up the runway a few times

Anybody know if the Skyvan G-PIGY which was parked up at TG yesterday is a permanent fixture?

G-PIGY is now also owned by Invicta Aviation, So I guess it will visit TG quite often now.

al
 

Once again I thank you for your continued support and hope we can be of service in 2008.

With regards

cargo
 

from uk-airport-news-info website...


Freight up 168 percent at Kent Airport
25.11.07

Kent International Airport (Manson) handled 4173 tonnes of freight in October - a new record for the airport since Infratil's acquisition in 2005. This represents an increase of 164% on the prior year and 232% on the September total.

The growth was driven primarily by the introduction of daily MK Airlines services, along with consistent traffic from other regular customers and the arrival of a new customer at the airport: Rock-it Cargo.

Rock-it specialise in the shipping of band and stage equipment for global concert tours. A spokesman for the airport said that this is an area of the business with good future potential given the flexible facilities, lack of congestion and the airport's highly committed team.

Rock-it used the airport for two 747 charters during October and more movements are planned for later in the year.

The above is a direct quote from the Infratil website - presumably a press release.

Direct flights could start to Brussels from Kent after Eurostar slashed axed services from Ashford International station to the Belgian capital.

If it happens let's hope it's going to be a big step up from the Piper Navajo and a big step down from the £200 + return that Flywatch are offering out of Southend next year.

Manston Brussels
 

Of all the routes in the World this seems the most ludicrous to me. OK so Ashford is restricting services via Eurostar, but you can still jump on a train from Ebbsfleet or a ferry from Dover or Eurotunnel from Folkestone. Are there really so many people let down by Eurostar in the Ashford area to warrant even considering this as a serious plan (Lydd just maybe but even then!!!!)? You will still be able to take the Eurostar from Ashford to Lille and change to the TGV services to Belgium/France and Germany, so just what the advantage of traveling from Ashford to Manston to catch a flight to Brussels would be (there wouldn't be more than a couple of flights a day) I am not sure. In fact by the time you have driven to Manston and arrived an hour early for a flight you may just as well have taken the Eurostar to Lille and changed trains? If this is Infratils level of marketing strategy then God help them!

I don't know if this criticism will be acceptable; my mild comments on Kent Escapes were zapped yesterday. I have heard that heavy canvassing for a Brussels service is being carried out in Sandwich. It will be very much a business service, so it might run on the back of Pfizer, but in general I share your views.

Regardless of destination, would not any passenger service from Manston be a bit of a bonus at the moment? And who knows, it could be the catalyst to spur on others.

any service
 

No I disagree. The last thing the airport can have is another service that fails a few months later. The reluctance of operators now is partly based on the history of previous ventures, to have another half baked scheme start and fail would be more damaging than no service at all.

But would it? Unlike the previous owner I get the impression that Infratil is not the sort of Company that would consider such an operation unless it had a fair degree of success. As I said, if it's seen to be working well regardless of destination it might be a spur for others.

Trees for Thanet
 

A local environmental group is set to embark on a new tree-planting project thanks to sponsorship from Kent International Airport and Oasis Hong Kong Airlines.

Details are on KIA web site.

Excellent PR for Airport , worth a look.

Nice piece re the trees. Oasis do seem to have a fondness for Manston.

Correction to my earlier post, I said: Infratil is not the sort of Company that would consider such an operation unless it had a fair degree of success.

I meant: unless it was guaranteed a fair degree of success.

There, makes a bit more sense.

Brussels who cares?
 

Well I do hope your right, the airport cannot afford any more failures. It was more the fact that the route would have been very very low down my list of options that surprised me. I would have looked at Dublin, Edinburgh and Malaga initially, but never Paris or Brussels! Yes any routes would be a plus, we just don't want short term pluses. As I have said in previous posts even Krakow is more logical to me than Brussels.

I do think Infratil care about who operates (financially care). If they oversee one failure after another their revenue stream has no future. They need a sustainable partner. The damage by failures stifles the interest by more serious operators which ultimately will harm them financially.

Why not? Many other services rely on business support

Anybody know the reason why the place seems to be overdosing on MK 747s? One's been over in freight for quite a few days now and the other's parked up alongside the passenger terminal. Normally they don't hang around for long and does seem to indicate that they are using Manston more and more as a base rather than their hub at Ostend where they are constantly bleating that they don't see any MK movements for days on end.

One of them went tech: that's all. The produce flights are daily "until March", then it becomes uncertain. The airport expects them all to revert to Ostend next summer. What's of more interest is the MK/BGA development.

Some new big fork-lifts were delivered this week, and the rumour is that the extension to E apron will start in January. Hidden big spending continues all around the airport on equipment and installations. Something's in the wind.

BA Cargo?

I think Eastern Airways with there J41 would be great on that route. But I think T3 prices are a bit much.


Yeah theres news that MK will do flights for BA Cargo to somwhere in America from MSE and PIK:ok:

James