Deltahotel. Don’t forget to turn the oven off!

I have a relative, who has been re-allocated onto EZY flight, from now defunct Stobart Air. They have asked me if I can provide lift and collection to/from airport. I was well aware of the £2 for 10 mins drop off fee, and that it increased to £3 for 5 mins pre Covid, but on looking at website today, was very surprised to see it now £5 for 5 mins. I guess they have to get their lost money back some how,

I understand that Victor taxiway onto the Eastern apron is to be re-profiled to facilitate aircraft manoeuvring. I would imagine primarily in relation to B744F/B748F size aircraft onto stand 83.
As all expenditure on non-essential works is likely to be on hold at the moment, it would suggest that this is deemed a pressing requirement?
Have UPS confirmed if/when they are to introduce B748F equipment onto their EMA schedule, I have heard October suggested?

EasyJet just arrived from BFS on its inaugural flight. Am I right in thinking this is the first A320neo to operate a passenger service to/from EMA?

As a scheduled flight I believe it to be so, EMA did have a La compagnie A321neo charter Aug last year.

Reports airfield currently closed due to apparent undercarriage collapse of a training aircraft (articles claims it is a Rolls Royce training aircraft). No reported injuries.

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/new...closed-5655189

A Jet2 just landed so it must be resolved.

It was an undercarriage collapse of a Harvard on a training flight.

Still nothing bookable for Ryanair 2022 onwards anyone know what’s happening?

I have been keeping an eye on this one, all very strange and you would expect maybe they are negotiating hard with the airport on fees but as EMA is a MAG Airport this should be an issue ?

Hopefully moving the EMA units to BHX from 01.01.22 :-)

It may… but I doubt in anyones lifetime on here!

Given the leisure nature of Ryanair's business model from EMA it does seem very odd that they haven't released flights for 2022 yet, since bookings = cashflow and cashflow is something all airlines need through the lean winter months. Since they haven't so far jacked up their presence at BHX either I somehow doubt that there's a wholesale move of base to BHX on the cards though.

UPS are to upgrade the daily 763F Philadelphia route with a mix of 744/8f aircraft from second week of September onwards is the latest I’ve been told

Anyone head anything at all about the FR winter program from EMA? Jet2 now has winter 22/23 on sale, but FR still not bookable after 31Dec21 it seems. While they are announcing new routes from BHX.

Jet2 are a little different to Ryanair as they are flogging package tours and there enough people out there will to plan 2 years ahead, and part with a deposit to do so - it gives Jet2 much needed cashflow. I would suggest that Ryanair's market is rather different, with people booking short breaks and visiting second homes so early booking isn't quite such a factor.

All that said it is looking more and more likely that when Ryanair announces what's happening at EMA from January 2022 it will be either feast (major expansion) or famine (closing the base) and not somewhere in between. It looks very much as though there's some brinkmanship going on between MAG and Ryanair regarding EMA at the moment. No inside information, just me reading the tea leaves.

If you read FR’s Commercial Director’s comment on the announcement of the DUB-CWL route regarding the “necessary incentives” required due to Covid-19, you can imagine exactly what’s happening here?
Although it would have a major impact on passenger numbers at EMA should we have another “toys out of the pram” episode, perhaps the management feel it is time to say no?
In the longer term it may even open up opportunities to attract other airlines which may have been put off by FR’s dominance at the airport. The unused car parks would also release a fair bit of valuable land for further freight related development....!

Yes something going on with FR at EMA
But as a MAG airport it is weird as STN / MAN are big bases etc, so fees you wouldnt have thought would be an issue ?
They appear to like BHX at the moment and Milan just announced is also an EMA route for them.
Watch this space :-)

Balair

I agree. Maybe the airport/MAG have realised over the last 18 months or so that they don't need FR to turn a profit at EMA, or that it's not worth the trouble for the small profit they get?

I'm suprised this hasn't made local news yet, I wonder how many families have tried to book for next spring/summer to discover no flights available? Even if they released flights today, they must have already lost out on a lot of customers going to other airports or another airline.

As I said above, I'm not sure that Ryanair relies upon long-time forward bookings so much as say, TUI or Jet2 - or indeed Easyjet who now also have a growing package tour offer.

Cargo continues to grow at EMA with all the major integrators among the customer base and I would imagine there will have been something of a rethink as to the EMA business strategy at MAG Towers. Not walking away from passenger, but being more robust in their pricing policy rather than rolling over and dying at the merest scent of Ryanair making veiled threats.

I can't see Ryanair abandoning EMA, but scaling back their operation to perhaps, worst case, only flights by non-based aircraft could be a real possibility. Thing is BHX doesn't have a history of submitting to Ryanair's demands, but they appear to be benefiting from new routes commencing this autumn. Perhaps they have become more open, some may suggest desperate.

I am sure walking away from passenger ops has been discussed at MAG Towers, maybe the space is more profitable as Cargo ops ?