Majorca is looking like it is going on Germany’s quarantine list after a surge in cases over the last week. People are still to Blasé about this virus. Meanwhile Southend has 2 flights going there today no doubt full of passengers that will feel safe and will soon forget about the virus.

Is it blase or is it just people are fed up with it all now? I’m following guidance on keeping clean and distanced but it is killing the economy and our aviation industry. If people don’t fly at all then we can kiss goodbye to many more companies and many more thousands of jobs.

I am fed up with it all and want a normal life but the worse case scenario is a wrecked economy, which we now have and we still end up with a virus that is out of control. I have to question if we were taking the virus to Spain and the Islands thanks to EasyJet and Ryanair and I will include Southend and now we will be taking it back as even Majorca has now far more cases than the U.K. per 100,000.

It is debatable how many of those who say they are prepared for quarantine will actually bother.

...and Luton has at least three. Exactly what axe are you trying to grind against SEN?

Not sure it is relevant from whence the you fly! Pays your money and takes your chance?

Become asymptomatic and pass it on unknowingly.

I have no problem with people flying anywhere, they know the risks, but then it must be isolation on return, to protect those that are vulnerable.

A recent spike in Bedford saw a big rise in new cases. All were age 59 or younger, most being under 30. The theory being investigated is that the older generations may well be taking the pandemic more seriously and far more rigorous with protecting themselves and minimising the risk.

The travel sector needs furlough to last through the winter.

I don't see that LTNMan is grinding any particular airport axes just speaking generally about idiots who don't adhere to the rules and regulations that are there to try to protect us all!

Yep as you say Luton is worse so the same points mentioned here is applicable there. Too many people are either in denial or they are past caring but we will all end up paying the price.

If only there was a seperate thread where this could be discussed, again.

[QUOTE=SEN Observer;10859125]I don't see that LTNMan is grinding any particular airport axes just speaking generally about idiots who don't adhere to the rules and regulations that are there to try to protect us all![/QUOTE
But, not about the idiots who make the rules.

Just when you think things can’t get much worse, go to the last line in this piece that’s just appeared in the Evening Standard.
EasyJet has confirmed plans to close its base at Stansted airport from September 1, the Standard can reveal.

The budget airline will also close its Southend and Newcastle bases, putting 670 jobs at risk.

It is understood the airline discussed the plans with unions today.

The airline has been battling to slash costs in the face of the coronavirus pandemic which has forced planes to remain.

The move will see outbound flights cut from Stansted and Newcastle, but in-bound flights continue. All flights in and out of Southend will end.

Be interesting to see what routes get picked up by other airlines (if at all). Ryanair have the monopoly now at SEN.

Devastating news and did not see this coming at all, especially as they seem to have been running a much more extensive based schedule from SEN than STN. But in the immediate term at least I can appreciate why they would want to suspend ops, most if not all SEN routes are or will be soon under quarantine as Croatia looks very dodgy and once school holidays are over you can imagine demand dropping off a cliff.

Unfortunately Easyjet announcing its pulling out from SEN completely is really not a surprise! I’m confused why people are saying that Ryanair or Wizz will pick up some slots. There was plenty of slots available before Easyjet pulled out. Wizz also went down from 3 routes to just 1 which is also serviced by Ryanair, I think it’s likely that Wizz will be next to leave SEN, especially if they can get into Gatwick or Stansted. Ryanair also currently does a lot of the same routes as Easyjet. Quarantine coming in from many countries probably won’t be lifted until next Spring at the earliest, I think unfortunately winter will be hell at SEN possibly ever whole days with no passenger flights

Ryanair have announced a 20% cut in capacity for September and October but haven’t said where.

I wouldn’t be so sure about a Wizz pullout, SEN is probably even a contender for a base given their new Gemma Collins summer sun approach. The airport is pretty vulnerable though, for the same reasons EZY has withdrawn it’s not hard to imagine FR doing the same.

I guess there will be more bad news in the next day or two with redundancy of many of the permanent workforce at SEN seemingly inevitable.

Sickening.

Wizz Holdings have so many airframes to absorb & as the only airline in expansionist mode in consequence will be heavily courted by all airports.

Gemma Collins or no perhaps could humbly suggest a STN base.

Just confirming what we already knwo
Complete closure of the base and Easyjet will not operate any routes to Southend.
https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/17/easy...UBbKlFdsgG-S4JgBGSs3PyfzP8-4OenmRpwf48p--yoLY

Why would they decide to open a base? Sibiu and Vilnius has good pax numbers, some of the busiest routes in SEN actually, yet they pulled them. Might be worth Ryanair trying to buy the airport off Stobart and having it as their main London hub

Ryanair are masters of making a success out of an airport other airlines won’t operate from. Southend’s future could well be rosey once these dark days are behind us.

Wizzair have already publicly stated that if they can get more slots at Gatwick, they will operate more flights to supplement the routes north of the Thames.

Southend have a great guy working there on route development. Bernard Lavelle got LCY going when nobody wanted to fly there. It might take a bit but he knows what he’s doing.

Unfortunately Mr Lavelle is long gone 👋

Of course and have 50+ departures between 6am & 9am!

Ok. The new guy? set it up and you delivered the knockout blow.

Sad as this thing is to me is after years of talking about 2.5 million pax pa, 2020 looked set to deliver. Incredible really from an airport that was breathing its raspy last breaths just over a decade ago. (Please ignore Mr Warwick Brady’s 20 million pax pa) Let’s just say he’s a very silly boy and leave it there.

But it let it be said. SEN is a modern facility that does not require a huge capital expenditure from a prospective owner. If, please God, a solution is found to this damn pandemic then maybe Stobart will find a buyer or partner that will take the airport into a brave new world and a sustainable future.

One thing I am convinced about SEN is no longer a crumbling terminal with a potholed runway. No one is going to take a wrecking ball to this airport any time soon.

Replace Stansted with near on 150 destinations? 😂

As feared, Ryanair have also massively cut back on routes and frequencies from 31/8 almost across the board. There isn’t much left operating in September. Although to be fair there are also some pretty drastic cuts at STN too.

With Ryanair targeting some of EasyJet’s SEN routes it reminds me of their arrival on the Luton Copenhagen service. They muscled in, Easyjet gave up the route and Ryanair cut capacity overnight taking most of the business back to Stansted. I think at one stage it was Luton’s busiest route.

Did Ryanair play its part in Easyjet pulling out?

Again can some on here get into the real world of 2020. Travel has changed dramatically especially air travel, so let us try and discuss things rationally.
Regarding the easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz situation, it seems to me that easy are going to concentrate on Gatwick and Luton as are Wizz if they can get Gatwick slots with Ryanair concentrating on Stansted with a smaller operation at Gatwick and Luton. Jet2 concentrating at Stansted and as for Southend maybe the odd Ryanair service but I would not bank on it. Sorry but that is the REAL world in 2020.

Seems a good summery, which I doubt many can argue with. Southend success was based on other airports having capacity issues, which even Stobart played on. Those issues have been removed.

Headline from less than a year ago. How the world has changed.

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/180...year-ambition/

So the process of culling staff has begun at SEN.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.e...-airports/amp/

Whistling in the dark.....?


"Stobart Aviation Services provides check-in and baggage handling services to easyJet at both London Southend and London Stansted. As a result of the decision to close these bases, the company will enter a consultation process with the teams affected as part of a wider cost management programme within the aviation division. Warwick Brady, chief executive of Stobart Group, said: "We are disappointed that easyJet has taken the decision to close its airport bases serving the North and East of London. However, we expect that this decision will create significant opportunity for other airlines looking to take on established, popular and profitable routes. Though the 2020 summer and winter periods will continue to be challenging, we expect passenger demand for short haul leisure flying to increase through 2021, and we are in active dialogue with airlines regarding their interest in capitalising on these well-established, profitable routes." "

That is the crux of the problem which means that SEN is likely to fare worse than other LON airports during the recovery period. There will be so many other options available once the market starts to show increased activity, whenever that may be and it's a brave man who predicts a timescale for that. Warwick Brady's optimism that airlines will want to "capitalise on on these well-established (EZY) profitable routes" is a bold assumption when consolidation is likely to figure strongly in the plans of his target airlines. Ryanair could increase frequencies at SEN for Summer 2021(?) to soak up the previous easyJet market for which SEN is its natural departure airport or maybe not. The fact is that on one can say with any degree of confidence, in this unprecedented situation, what will happen and when. Stobart don't even have the capability now of taking on routes themselves as part of a SEN recovery. Hard times ahead I'm afraid.

With the known Stobart modus of seeking & utilizing public money possible truth is they are just hanging on for the Chancellor`s Autumn Statement hoping too for the Main Chance of at least one of their airport sites being named as a Freeport site...

Stobart really will have a tough couple of years ahead, if they’re lucky they might get someone else to fly to AMS as it was one of the busiest routes, otherwise over time I’d expect Ryanair may take any of the other routes if worthwhile rather than let a competitor in

Sadly, SEN is ideally situated to cater for the large and relatively affluent catchment area of South Essex and East London and offers a better alternative to long and unpredictable journeys around various Motorways to get to LTN, STN or LGW. Primarily a holiday airport, business or domestic routes have never been a great success, we can only hope that when the situation returns to something like pre Covid times demand will return and with it the airlines.

It is hard to see the way forward in the short term. Maybe SEN should promote the airport as the Farnborough of East London and the City?

LTNman, if we could attract anything like the business movements Farnborough or Biggin Hill achieve, all might not be lost. We have, after all, a rather splendid Stobart Jet Centre

When did he leave? His LinkedIn-profile still says that he is working at SEN.