That's not the kind of news we want to hear Jamie!!!! so Ryanair will be back to 2 routes next summer, unless they come up with something else.

Maybe Norwegian will step in, or Flybe.

I wonder if NCL will be included in the "many" new routes to be announced by Easyjet in the next few weeks?

EZY at NCL
 

"many new routes" I doubt NCL will see any of those, I think the 3 a/c base is a sign of EZY's commitment to NCL.

June Pax stats
Aberdeen -14%
Belfast City -18%
Belfast Int +0.2%
Birmingham +12%
Bristol -3%
Cardiff -25%
Dublin +14%
Exeter +7%
Isle of Man -46%
London Gatwick -3%
London Heathrow +21%

Amsterdam +0.8%
Brussels +27%
Dusseldorf +5%
Paris -7%

Richard...you had me totally confused for a minute until I realised you were quoting the JUNE statistics.

The AUGUST statistics are now available on the CAA website.

Incidentally, NCL - IOM traffic seems to have totally collapsed with the August figure of 98 pax down 84% on August 2010

And the August provisional stats:

Gatwick +6%
Heathrow -2%

Brussels +51%
Paris CDG -14%
Dusseldorf -6%
Dublin +12%
Amsterdam +5%
Stavanger +14%
Dubai -10%

Overall the airport was 3.5% down on Aug 2010, and YTD is down 0.6%

Dubai down 10% ? Thats a bit odd. Is that a trend ? Not what you want to see when thinking about getting an aircraft upgrade. GLA and MAN still showing increases.

The loss of the Onur flights wouldn't have helped August's pax figure

NCLDXB. Sixteen of the thirty-one flights were operated with low density A330's due engineering requirements on the high density aicraft which led to the reduction in numbers.

That would give an average load of 82.8%. Don't think there's gonna be an upgrade in a/c type anytime soon.

Graham K - what seat factor then does warrant an upgrade in aircraft type?

I'm not an airline person, but if I were, I wouldn't be thinking about more capacity until the existing one was full most of the time.

If you dont fill the existing aircraft on a regular basis, why would you put a bigger one on. The only thing I can think of is freight.

In the early 2000s, MAN was achieving well over 90% loads before they went to 777s May also depend on business class sales so it'd be good to know how full of fare-paying passenbers that class is.

Generally, for NCL, i'd imagine it's going to be a 2 class 77W that's earmarked (427/442 seats) and at present, it would only be around 60% full passenger wise and in addition, cargo capacity may be a consideration - EK's recent blurb on MAN indicates that that their cargo carrying ex-NCL and BHX is suffering at the hands of MAN.

EZY announcing new routes. None from NCL.
New Routes for summer 2012 | easyJet.com

Newcastle International Airport expands in £3.2m investment - Today's News - News - JournalLive

"airport" and "expansion" in the same sentence - good grief!

Also looks like the new hotel is open.

"In total the new build will provide an extra 5,242sq ft of terminal space, which will mean the current number of baggage screen lanes can be doubled to 10".

As long as someone tells them that it only works if they use them!

JET 2 have added a Thursday flight to Dalaman for summer 2012...NCL dep 0930...arr NCL 1935. This would appear to need a sixth aircraft.

Airport Expansion
 

Great news that the airport is expanding again. How about allocating some money to revamp the arrivals pier and replace those filthy floor tiles, give a lick of paint and lighten the lower pier area up?

Might be worthwhile for someone from the airport to stand and listen to the comments from arriving intnl passengers as they negotiate the rediculous maze prior to customs. First impressions are vital and Newcastle needs to take a critical look at passenger experience.

First impressions :-
Perhaps the largest number of moans in recent years, on this site at least, in respect of customer experience is undoubtedly been directed towards the hassle of getting through customs on arrival & the rather unpleasant experience of waiting in long lines on the stairs leading up to this area.
One hopes that those in authority have acceeded to the many complaints & addressed this issue, to which much blame has been placed on low staffing of customs officials.
Maybe I'm missing something but if you are to "double up" departure facilities & ignore those on arrival then in aggregate you achieve very little in overall customer experience on the basis that arrivals numbers equate to those of departures.
Now I haven't seen any plans though understand that this is a "3 level" bolt on type of expansion, so lets hope that this does address the "arrivals experience" in some positive way.
In noting how long it took to sort out the earlier & obvious revolving door problems at baggage claim, then I'm not holding my breath !

Fingers crossed for our next trip to Perth from NCL on 16th January 2012.

Has anyone heard any rumours or hints of new routes or other expansion for 2012?

Can't find the story linked - what does (did?) it say?

Click onto the link in Seljuk22's post and the quote is near the end of the interview.

Thanks - but when I click on the link it doesn't take me to the story but 'the hub' page with many news items which doesn't include "Five minutes with... Emirates Airline" (I can find "Five minutes with...Malaysian" and "Five minutes with...London Southend Airport"). Also, I search doesn't find it either.

SWB
I've just tried the link again and it now does what you say. However, the article didn't say any more than the poster put.

Basically all it said was all UK flights are doing well, they'll be more A380s to the UK in the future, and that Newcastle will be upgraded to a 777 when a suitable variant becomes available (i.e. 2 class 772ER or 77W).

Thomas Cook
 

I wonder if TCX will be basing 4 aircraft at NCL next summer. From what I have heard there has been a lot of slack in the schedules this summer and it looks like some flight series have finished earlier than planned.

Tommorrow ( Friday ) only one departure from 4 aircraft in the morning.

Normally most summer charter departures go through to mid/end of October with the returns early November when the winter services kick in.

It's quite common for the Greek flights to finish earlier than e.g. the Spanish ones so I wouldn't read too much into that. With 4 aircraft the programme was lighter per aircraft than it has been in the past but as long as they can get someone to fly for them next year again I would expect the 4 based units to return.

Re Emirates possible upgrade to a 777..Will it get off the 7,300ft runway, I know BHX does it but they have 8,600ft (to be 9,750ft by 2014).

Surely off the small NCL runway would have to operate with restricted weight, unless NCL are going to extend their runway a bit as well?:sad:

Nigel

The runway is a bit over 7,600ft. There's an earlier discussion about which 777 version would have to be used. Emirates have already flown the 777 in and out of Newcastle for the 75th anniversary celebrations.

I heard NCL will be extending the runway! At the Dinnington End permission has been granted to reroute the road to do so!

"I heard NCL will be extending the runway! At the Dinnington End permission has been granted to reroute the road to do so!"

I'd heard the extension was going to be an underpass under the road.

"I'd heard the extension was going to be an underpass under the road. "

Now that'll make for interesting arrivals/departures...:eek: ;)

I was only joking with that one.
What I'd really heard is that they were changing the runway into a 3000m moving walkway to save aircraft fuel.

Meanwhile, back in the real world...

from memory, it was suggested in the masterplan from a few years ago that if there was going to be an extension it would be at the Dinnington end.

Runway extension... about as likely as a scheduled service to NY, dream on boys.

B777 & EK
 

Nigel......Ironically Emirates I think operated their B777 movement from Birmingham earlier in the year due snow at Birmingham? Plus a Glasgow 777 ?

Dont think any of the diverted flights operated fully laden back direct

CentreFix25
At least someone has restored reality. Incidentally I think you have even over stated the probability, as reality is that there is NO CHANCE of any significant extension.
I believe the maths were done some time ago when things were looking a lot brighter (5M pax & increasing) and then even in projecting steady continued growth the maths simply did not add up. Massive costs & no one prepared to pay, least of all the airlines themselves! & then to cap it all the bubble burst !!!:{