Reference Palma Base, it looks like Manchester gets an 0800 departure effective 28th April 2017, increasing up to 6 x weekly as we move through May, with Birmingham also getting 1 x weekly departure from the end of May. Presumably the aircraft will then operate a 2nd daily rotation sometime around 1500 local ?

PMI aircraft
 

Correct... usually a 2nd rotation to MAN or sometimes to LBA. Still two gaps in the schedule on a Thursday and Saturday afternoon.

PMI Based aircraft

Mondays
EXS954 = PMI 08:00 – MAN 09:50 / EXS953 = MAN 10:35 – PMI 14:20
EXS786 = PMI 15:20 – MAN 17:05 / EXS785 = MAN 17:55 – PMI 21:40
Tuesday
EXS1276 = PMI 08:00 – BHX 09:35 / EXS1275 = BHX 10:50 – PMI 14:20
EXS228 = PMI 15:20 – LBA 17:05 / EXS227 = LBA 17:55 – PMI 21:40
Wednesdays
EXS954 = PMI 08:00 – MAN 09:50 / EXS953 = MAN 10:35 – PMI 14:20
EXS786 = PMI 15:20 – MAN 17:05 / EXS785 = MAN 17:55 – PMI 21:40
Thursdays
EXS954 = PMI 08:00 – MAN 09:50 / EXS953 = MAN 10:35 – PMI 14:20
Fridays
EXS954 = PMI 08:00 – MAN 09:50 / EXS953 = MAN 10:35 – PMI 14:20
EXS786 = PMI 15:20 – MAN 17:05 / EXS785 = MAN 17:55 – PMI 21:40
Saturdays
EXS954 = PMI 08:00 – MAN 09:50 / EXS953 = MAN 10:35 – PMI 14:20
Sunday
EXS954 = PMI 08:00 – MAN 09:50 / EXS953 = MAN 10:35 – PMI 14:20
EXS228 = PMI 15:20 – LBA 17:05 / EXS227 = LBA 17:55 – PMI 21:40

Never knew Jet2 had summer bases in Spain, until I read the above. Sounds similar to what easyJet are doing in Palma, having a few aircraft based there for the summer season.

I struggle to see the benefit if the Palma based aircraft is flying to existing bases, which could operate from the UK bases to Majorca.

Sounds like a perfect opportunity for Jet2 to operate to other UK regional airports where they have no base. Maybe like Humberside, Southampton, Cardiff, Exeter and Norwich, operating 1-2 flights a week.

The benefits are you can employ people on cheap seasonal contracts and also free up UK based aircraft either to operate more flights, or you could use it to downsize UK bases. Watch closely, youll see his happen at another airline in the coming 2/3 years.

FAO/PMI/ALC/AGP/BCN bases would allow a significant reduction in UK based units or even bases. The lives of crews ruined, the pockets of the board lined with gold. But never cheaper prices for the consumer.

If J2hols wanted marginal locations they could buy seats on already operating flights. It'll be easier to fill 20/30 seats than an entire craft.

It probably gives them better flexibility to their schedules and allows them to fly higher frequencies to/from PMI.

PMI, as well as ALC where they also base an aircraft over the summer, are probably the two most popular destinations for Jet2.

It makes much more sense to allocate an aircraft to each of those airports to provide additional frequencies to several of their UK bases, rather than say in MAN or LBA where they'll inevitably spend more time flying much thinner routes out of those airports.

Another positive for basing aircraft in ALC and PMI, is if an aircraft goes tech downroute, a replacement is a lot closer than it would be having to come from a UK base to say the canaries or Portugal.

Not when the based aircraft are flying all day it doesn't. It's flying all day from 08:00 to 21:40 LT so I can't see it being used as some kind of hot spare like the ALC one is.

Probably be more than one!

Is it easier to get the slots and gates at MAN at 1030 than at say 0700-0800?

MAN next summer will have 6xb752 operating, 1xa330 and between 10 and 12 B738 at any one stage including 2x standby 800's. There will no longer be any 300's based after April in MAN.

anothertyke. I usually only visit Manchester two or three times a year and it has always been much quieter from about 10a.m. as the based fleets have departed. So parking stands for inbounds are certainly more numerous, if not plentiful.

I wonder if any 300's will leave the fleet this winter, I've heard it was going to be 5 but one that was supposed to leave last winter (LS) didn't so it could be 6?

Jethros site is usually the best site for info like that but has no news at present

Mooncrest--- yes I was thinking that about the only way of increasing peak capacity at LBA in the summer without spades in the ground would be to operate from the other end. Obviously the mix and capacity is a bit different at Manchester but from what you say the same might be true.

6 or 7 733's will leave the fleet during the winter season is the plan for now.

Will that not depend on how many new B738's arrive by the end of the winter season, especially with Birmingham supposed to be having an all new fleet of 4 x B738's operating?

based on faro ? next summer?

Basing aircraft at Palma is about getting slots on the Spanish island. To increase capacity the 330 will be going every day. Palma can not handle any more in bounds in the morning once the first wave from Northern Europe starts to arrive. No slots are available.

Agreed, the problem is a combination of a lack of slots at both Palma and Manchester. By basing an aircraft in PMI you avoid the peak times at both ends.