SEN - Maastricht/Aachen... a viable route?
 

Had a quick look at the provisional stats for September and it reveals just how badly the Maastricht route is doing... woeful. I expect someone will do a more detailed analysis of all the stats (particularly the airline) but 498 pax in a month at 6x weekly is anything but good.

I'm not sure the numbers are correct for the Stobart routes - they are about half what I would expect. But either way MAA looks bad

The Flybe adverts on LBC this evening mention all the other five routes but not MST so perhaps it is being dropped.

SEN/AMS
 

15,142 pax exelent numbers, could an extra couple of flights a week be viable? or would that harm STANSTEDs figures ?

Out of the 6 routes MST was a bit rushed due the switch from CGN. Wonder where they'll try next?

Tenerife tech stop
 

I heard that the Saturday departure to Tenerife couldn't depart with full fuel so had to tech stop on the South Coast before onwards to Tenerife. I didn't think Saturday was that hot so why couldn't the aircraft get out on the available TORA?

asdf1234
 

Ever thought that on route weather may prevent the direct trip i.e. headwinds ...just a thought !

ERICIDAY
 

I could guess all day about the reasons but wanted to know if someone has the facts?

I think ericlday probably has it spot on?

Not good for the route if that is a regular problem. Hindered Southampton Spanish/Portugese charters over the past years.

Ther was a fire at an industrial estate near the end of the runway, firebrigade put 200mtr exclution zone around area due to gas bottls/lpg/oxycetaline bottles stored in the unit that was on fire. Tenerife flight couldld not take off into the wind,so done a splash and dash to bournmouth

mikkie4 is correct so it was something that could happen at any airport.

Sadly there are some people who wish SEN bad luck and live in hope of closure. Whilst I myself am disappointed with the Easyjet cuts, and fear for the continuation of a couple of the Stobart Air routes, I am confident that given time, the passenger growth will improve. It needs some good smart marketing people to go out and sell the airport but I am not convinced that is happening.

The locals love it. Everyone I know goes to the Southend destination list first before booking a holiday

...... just need some more destinations then......

Mikkie4
 

Thanks Mikkie4 for the factual information.

SEN enroute tech stops.
 

A 100kt jetstream from the southwest lay (exactly) along the TFS and FAO routes last week. Inclement wx was also present at these destinations. Hence the TFS stopped in Bournemouth on Saturday and the FAO stopped in Stansted on Friday to take on more fuel.

The fire did indeed preclude the use of RWY 06 for departures on Saturday morning until approximately 0800z. The FAO on Friday was too heavy for either RWY.

A "perfect storm" of weather situations at departure, enroute and destination meant the aircraft could lift the necessary fuel and payload from SEN. Thankfully quite rare when compared to the total number of EZY SEN departures.

SEN en route tech stops
 

These are the relevant METARS for the two flights in question: -
EGMC 10 0550Z 20006KT FEW040 10/09 Q1009 SEN-FAO, A319
EGMC 11 0550Z 18005KT CAVOK 12/10 Q1010. SEN-TFS, A320

The problems at SEN appear to arise when the tailwind component on 06 is strong enough to negate the performance advantages of using 06 but the corresponding headwind on 24 is not sufficient to overcome the obstacle clearance penalties of 24.

I don’t have access to the quality of data that would facilitate a proper analysis but the A320 Aircraft Characteristics Planning manual (and I know the limitations of this source) suggest to me that last Saturdays TFS could have departed a SEN length runway up to the MTOW of the aircraft (G-EZTD 73500kg) if 06 had been available. Are there any significant obstacles that would reduce RTOW on 06 ? Is this figure valid ?

The equivalent manual for the A319 unfortunately only shows data for a higher powered A319 than the EZY aircraft. But is clear enough to me that the relatively low power of the EZY A319 is one of the reasons why they are encountering problems. A higher powered and higher MTOW A319 (such as the Germania aircraft) surely would have operated SEN-FAO direct. Likewise, I suggest, an EZY A320 .

These strong upper southerly and south westerly winds in my experience are a not uncommon feature of the routes to Spain and the Canaries, especially in autumn and winter, a function of the jetstream position. They will not go away. I am thinking increasingly that the A320 is a better aircraft than the EZY A319 for the longer SEN routes. Now the routes are maturing and if the commercial case is sufficiently robust perhaps this is the way forward.

BK100 you obviously have a good handle on events, any comments ? Or from anyone else with access to better data than me ?

Runway extension
 

Is there scope to increase the TORA/TODA? Are the current stated distances lower than they could be to save the airport a few quid on RFF etc... Seems to me that the limited runway length might be a reason why the airport is failing to attract other carriers.

asdf1234,
I think the issue is runway width, 37m and not possible to widen it, which (I think in turn) limits the actual lengths that te CAA will licence ?

I think Tagron has summed up the situation accurately as things stand. There was a proposal to certificate a 15 degree slew on the 24 climb path (a la SOU) and I think that the fact this was no proceeded with suggests the current restrictions on 24 are not a significant problem to easyJet. I believe that there are no obstacles within the 06 climb path which materially affect Second Sector Climb performance for the A319.

It is not possible to offer greater TODAs than the current 1799m due to the runway width, as smallpilot rightly says. CAP 168 stipulates than the declared TODA for a 37m width runway cannot be greater than 1800m. Strip width considerations preclude the widening of the runway as a solution.

The A320 is a very good performer from the SEN runways and the A320neo would be even more so. If easyJet remain committed to SEN perhaps we shall see those at SEN once they become available.