:D

From tiny acorns....maybe it will be successful maybe it won’t. This is a more leftfield route I never saw coming, but it’s a vibrant place I’d personally love to visit

Not sure given the equipment they plan to use that there will be any room for freight. The track record for passengers from the West of Africa is luggage luggage and more luggage. I very much doubt on a full flight if you would be abke to load all the passengers luggage never mind take any freight. I would have thought a better airframe would be a 787 or A330

You'd need to be pretty poorly educated to have never heard of Senegal. So that either says a lot about the population of Britain or just a lot about the people you associate with.

AirportPlanner1 makes the good point that a route from Stansted to Dakar wasn't something that many people expected - myself included. Outside the usual LCC / beach brigade, Stansted also has scheduled route with Air India to Amritsar+Mumbai, ElAl to TelAviv, Emirates to Dubai, SAS to Copenhagen+Oslo, and Ural to Moscow

Any thoughts as to who or what else may turn up in the next 12 months ? As a starter, I'm wondering if Croatia Airlines might sell their Heathrow slots to raise cash and move to Stansted

It’s a matter of time before Tunis Air turn up IMO.

Stansted has service with Croatia Airlines possibly 10+ years ago IIRC.

And of course Jet Blue. Watch this space.

I don’t think Croatia would because as soon as they move from LHR they lose that competitive advantage and would be at the mercy of Ryanair, Wizz etc taking them on.

The sensible one would be Biman given the Bangladeshi community is centred on STN’s catchment in east London and there is no obvious need to be at LHR, however I suspect perceived national pride would prevent any such move

Airline Update
 

Anadolujet will move both SAW AND ESB flights back to LGW in W20/21.

The AI BOM flights will only operate for the rest of this winter season, but I don’t know if they will return again next winter.

The Turkish Airlines W20/21 schedule just seems to be an exact replicate of the current winter schedule, except for the fact SAW and ESB are showing as Anadolujet. I suspect this isn't the final schedule and may be updated with STN at a later stage.

Air India still to confirm Mumbai for summer.

Airport Update
 

Satellite 1:
A new double airbridge is being added. This will be operational from July. Some works have commenced on Alpha stands to be able to reconfigure the stands to allow for room on A13 for the new airbridge.
Satellite 3:
The whole satellites gates will be remodelled to match the trial at Gate 43 (In place for about 4 months) This features a slightly changed queuing system designed for Ryanair’s ‘Priority’ and ‘Non-Priority’ boarding process, it also feature perched seating along the queue. No completion or start date for this.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....b606bd791.jpeg
Also new Fixed Electrical Ground Powers Units and Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System with be added to all adjoining stands.

Track-Transit-System TTS:
A re-life project is being looked at to add service life or to replace certain parts of the system, which is nearing 30 years old.

NEW ROUTE

HiSky - Chișinău to London Stansted. Flights start 10 April 2020

KIV 0930-1040 STN (Tue, Fri & Sun)
STN 1130-1610 KIV (Tue, Fri & Sun)

Thanks to @LuxuryTravelled for the info

Cobrex Trans are the airline operating the flights

Tickets are on sale: https://hisky.md/en/

Advertising blurb says Blue Air now what is it really because YR- CBK is a shed used on numerous mysterious charters or subs !

[QUOTE=daz211;10693296]NEW ROUTE

HiSky - Chișinău to London Stansted. Flights start 10 April 2020

KIV 0930-1040 STN (Tue, Fri & Sun)
STN 1130-1610 KIV (Tue, Fri & Sun)

Thanks to @LuxuryTravelled for the info

I will be very interested to see how this and other obscure routes that are being introduced perform, once the Home Secretary visa restrictions commence at the start of 2021. Not to sure there is too much holiday traffic on the route, I am sure that there will not be enough skilled workers going backwards and forwards to keep the route sustainable.

[QUOTE=spacedog;10693388]I’d be surprised if this even takes to the skies. If it does I’d give it a matter of months before it’s gone.

HiSky website says:

What consitutes a "mysterious" charter??

Not sure there is room for another KIV service Air Moldova have built up the route over the years.Todays IB figs 202.
Some other IB figs for those interested.
AI166 248
EK65 359
SK519 168
EK67 359
Regards.

Thanks for using my tweet. You can use the tweet's URL or say which account its from though 😜

Emiartes
 

Looking at those IB figures for EK, surely not long until they add a third daily flight or go to A380?
Good figures for AI also, does it carry much freight?

Forgot one AI133 228.
Regards.