GLA and EDI too expensive for lo-co's?
 

AS a regular traveller I'm getting pretty fed-up with this! - Every corner of England and Wales is getting new budget airline service announced whilst BAA Scotland seems to be incapable of sorting things out here :

From the Glasgow eveningtimes Tuesday 29th October:

Glasgow's too expensive to land easyJet

EXCLUSIVE
By David Leask

Chief Reporter

BUDGET airline easyJet has put planned cheap flights from Glasgow to Madrid, Paris and Geneva on hold, claiming it is too expensive to fly from the Scots airport.

The firm today warned that Glasgow would have to wait for new direct routes after it announced a major new investment to offer similar services from the north-east of England.

An easyJet spokeswoman said BAA Scottish Airports, which owns Glasgow and its rival Edinburgh Airport, had failed to come up with as good a deal as that offered by Newcastle Airport, which is owned by local councils.

But Glasgow Airport’s acting managing director David Field, today insisted BAA had made a “very aggressive offer” to easyJet shortly before the airline announced plans to open a new base in Newcastle.

EasyJet, which operates more than 60 flights a week from Glasgow, has long talked about more flights from Scotland to cities at the heart of its European network.

Mr Field said BAA had offered substantial discounts to easyJet on its landing charges, the amount it asks airlines to pay for processing each passenger. He said the offer extended to all European routes.

He said: “We are not just sitting on our backsides. We are working very hard to get new routes.”

Mr Field also called on the Scottish Executive and its agencies to do more to help encourage direct flights.

He said: “There is a lot more the public sector could do, including providing funding to help airlines market new routes and train new staff. I would be surprised if that kind of deal was not on offer in Newcastle.”

SNP transport spokesman Kenny MacAskill MSP also said the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise could do more to attract direct flights, despite European rules that make it hard for governments to interfere.

He said: “Glasgow has already lost out to Cardiff because the Welsh Development Agency helped BMI Baby set up flights there.

“The Scottish Executive must take the lead in delivering the services our airports are capable of delivering.

“The development agencies in Wales and the north-east of England can help deliver services for Cardiff and Newcastle then it’s about time the Executive and its quangos did the same for our airports.”

An easyJet spokeswoman refused to reveal its details but said Newcastle airport’s offer was “brilliant”.

She said: “We had hoped to expand routes from Scotland. We lost that opportunity when Newcastle came up with the goods and Glasgow and Edinburgh did not.

Glasgow and Edinburgh are expensive airports.”

EasyJet has officially applied to the Civil Aviation Authority to fly to several European destinations from Glasgow and Edinburgh, including Madrid, Paris and Geneva.

The airline spokeswoman said the Glasgow routes were still on the cards but would not be introduced in the near future.

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive said: “The Executive is keen to support the development of new routes where they provide economic benefits.”

Newcastle Airport claimed it had been given strong support by Government agencies and a spokesman added: “Our local development company has been very helpful.”

Scottish Enterprise said it was working with the Executive to bring more international routes to Scotland.

Its spokesman said: “We operate within very tight European legislation in terms of what support we can and can’t provide.”

Its pretty obvious who the culprits are in all this. :mad:
The rules are straightforward but its BAA who always cry foul. Look around and see who owns the aiports who are getting the new services, Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford, Bournemouth, even Coventry. Not one BAA owned airport has had an LCA open a base there for years. Pull your finger out Scottish Airports plc, (BAA), just think of all those punters paying top dollar in your overpriced retailers, surely you can give easy et al a fair go? Scotland is crying out for these services, if they are not careful PIK will take their business.

Tbh I've never been a huge fan of PIK - bit far away from me (not the apts. fault of course!) and also some parts are a bit of a 70s timewarp:D However, as they seem to be the only airport in Scotland with management that realises the benefit of attracting low-cost carriers then I think I'll have to change my opinions!

I do wonder if an airline was swithering between GLA and PIK if the offer from BAA Scottish airports might be more attractive? - in order to stop the competition setting up their back yard. As it was the article is of course talking about easyJet - I guess they wouldn't have considered PIK.

Would this be the same BAA that own STN and LGW those well known low cost free airports.

The low costs are masters of playing one airport off against an other.

Easy will have to put all its new aircraft somewhere. May be BAA think if they hold out for a year or two they will be able to get a price more to their liking.

To the casual observer (me) there appear to be 2 or 3 Sleazy aircraft in GLA every night and a few at EDI nightstopping also. So as they are already operating out of these places, why the drama? If some of their services can hack it out of GLA/EDI why not the rest? We should be told!:p

BAA
 

Can't say I'm surprised

BAA is well known within the industry as meaning BUREAU AGAINST AVIATION
:mad: :mad: :mad:

New shop sir ? Certainly - new taxiway - don't be silly !

I see BAA (and some of the budget airlines) might get a bit of a grilling on this subject later this week:

www.sundayherald.com/29013

10/11/02

MSPs quiz cheap fliers on helping tourism

By Kenny Kemp

THE low-cost airlines will come under the spotlight this week as the Scottish parliament quizzes them on how to improve tourism links to and from Scotland.
'I want to find out what needs to be done to facilitate more direct flights into Scotland through low-fares routes or through direct connections with Norh America,' says ent erprise committee convener Alex Neil MSP.

'And, personally, I will want to hear about specific cases where opportunities have gone by the board. For example, I want to find out why Ryanair walked away from the Inverness to Stornoway route and see if there is anything we can do to prevent this happening again. And also why Easyjet walked away from a Glasgow deal.'

Neil is also keen to find out from airport operators BAA Scotland if their policies at Edinburgh and Glasgow are detrimental to encouraging direct flights into Scotland.

'This is the first time a Scottish parliamentary committee has looked at the airline industry in depth,' he says. 'There will be no preconceived ideas other than how to boost tourism in Scotland. There are two sides of the story and we want to see what we can do to help.'

The enterprise and lifelong learning committee will hear evidence from Michael Cawley, Ryanair's commercial director; Ian Reid, British Airways general manager Scotland; Mike Cooper of Easyjet; David Field of BAA Scottish Airports; and Bob Macleod and Tom Wilson, respectively business development directors of Highlands & Islands Airport and Prestwick International Airport.

BAA in Scotland are too busy running shopping centres with airplanes in the carpark. More money goes into extending the shops and carparks (and other revenue generating things) than it does on airside facilities. Hell, you cant even taxi the full length of the main runway on a parallel taxiway at Edinburgh.

It needs a Monopolies Commission review and the break up of the incestous BAA collection in Scotland

>It needs a Monopolies Commission review and the break up of the incestous BAA collection in Scotland>

I have been saying that for years but the GLA nodding
donkeys seem prepared to accept any patronising crumbs from
BAA's table. Even slaps in the face in terms of new routes won
by PIK don't seem to inflict any 'pain'. :( :( :(

Joe, who are these 'nodding donkeys' that you keep refering to?

The First Minister will announce cash for 'route development' from all of Scotland's airports tomorrow morning (Monday). You read it here first ;)

ajamieson,

Thank's for the advance info:D

I was reading a newspaper article this morning that mentioned an airline called "Scotjet" that apparently plan to offer flights from EDI to NYC and YYZ. It also mentioned 1 or 2 airlines will announce new euro routes from Scotland soon - any details on these two?

I received an email yesterday from somebody at a hotmail address mentioning ScotJet. ScotJet plan (apparently) to run A330s to NYC and YYZ with fares starting at £89 each way. The plan has been described by others as "embryonic". Without prejudice or comment, I invite you to draw your own conclusions. My colleague made a passing reference to it in some (but not all) editions this morning.

Hope this helps.

Yes, that was the article I read.

£6m of taxpayers money for 'route development' turns out to be £6m of subsidised landing fees. ( article in The Herald today - www.theherald.co.uk )

£1.2m for HIAL can just about be justified since HIAL is itself a government body, but the majority going to publicly quoted BAA's 3 Scottish airports with their ridiculously high landing fees to subsidise their retail outlet and car parking businesses is nothing short of scandalous:mad: .

What does BAA offer in return? No doubt improved ways to fleece punters as they hop on the 'front-door-to-departure-gate' conveyor belt. (and don't try to sell me any of that 'more people for Scottish tourism' ********* because the money will still disappear into BAA's coffers. Why not just reduce the landing fees to a reasonable level in the first place.:confused: )

Somebody prove me wrong.....please.

(edited for spelling - in anger!)

>>What does BAA offer in return? No doubt improved ways to fleece punters as they hop on the 'front-door-to-departure-gate'<<

Talking about gates..I have just returned STN-EDI and was
surprised to hear that FR pax have a 20 minute walk to the
gate because the airline refuse to pay BAA for the shuttle..
any truth in this.?

A group of businessmen are backing a new proposal for a new airport to be built near Falkirk, (Scottish Central Belt) according to Transport Secretary Alistair Darling. In a newspaper article today it stated that Darling is very keen for a firm decision to be reached as soon as possible so that they can 'remove uncertainties'. The boat however seems to be rocked, as MP's would rather see the money spent on new international routes from existing airports as opposed to building a brand new airfield!

The businessmen are backing a feasibility study into a Central Scotland airport. This is being carried out by academics at both Glasgow University and Edinburgh University; they don't report until the end of January. Earlier this month, ministers indicated the concept of a Central Scotland airport was a "non-starter". The route development (ie landing charge subsidy) announcement was unconnected, but it is still fair to say ministers are not taking the Central Scotland idea very seriously. The concept was compehrensively panned Chapter Six of the Dft/Scottish Executive consulation document anyway.

Anyone who seriously thinks that the 'Falkirk' airport is about to appear is a dreamer! They can't even put in a parallel taxiway at EDI for pitys sake. Now, in some ways, I concede, the idea has merit. If we were starting from scratch it might even be the best solution. Do we really need Four airports tho?
Bear in mind they haven't even finished building the M8 yet, or even STARTED the rail links to GLA & EDI. All that will be achieved by the 'central airport' enthusiasts is a slight delay to similar infrastructure projects.
The 'firm decision' referred to in the previous post will to be to dump the idea. Its either that or 'welcome to the twilight zone!'

Has anyone heard of MyTravelLite coming to GLA or EDI?

Given Mytravel's current problems, one must hope for
their future survival. :(

easyJet seem to have changed their mind rather quickly.....

From The Scotsman 25/11/02:

New EasyJet routes are set for takeoff

JAMES DOW


EASYJET is understood to be on the brink of unveiling new Scottish routes within the next three weeks, as it posts full-year profits in excess of £60 million tomorrow.

Details of the new routes are unclear, but European destinations are thought to be prime candidates. Last week BAA, which runs Scotland’s three main airports, said it expects to unveil two new flights to the continent by Christmas.

EasyJet expects to publish a new schedule of flights by the middle of December. The flights will start in March or April, as part of the carrier’s summer timetable.

A source close to the budget airline said yesterday: "The timetable has not yet been finalised, but it would be correct to assume there will be [new Scottish routes]."

The source added that EasyJet’s final results, due tomorrow, are likely to show profits of more than £60 million. The City is expecting a result in the same range, and EasyJet has previously signalled it expects to post profits in-line with market forecasts.

EasyJet’s full-year results will be the first since the company bought budget airline rival Go for £375 million earlier this year.

Chief executive Ray Webster will tell investors that the enlarged company is on course to finalise its integration of sales on the EasyJet and Go routes next month.

The two airlines’ websites and phone centres will be combined into a single operation. The Go brand is scheduled to disappear completely by the end of March 2003.

Webster will also tell shareholders that EasyJet will maintain its policy of paying no share dividend. The company has repeatedly said investors prefer that it reinvests its profits while it guns for high growth.

EasyJet operates flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen to London and Europe, and the airline’s coverage has been sharply increased through its acquisition of Go.

Jack McConnell, the First Minister, said last week he is pressing for new air services from Scotland to Germany, Italy, Sweden and Paris. McConnell said all of those destinations are key areas for Scottish business.

McConnell was commenting as he unveiled £6 million of funding to temporarily reduce landing charges on new routes. The cash will also help to cut turnaround times at airports in the north of Scotland, and is expected to tempt airlines to launch more new routes north of the Border.

Separately, the Transport and General Workers Union said it has suspended the first four days of its threatened strikes at major airports. The union said it is studying a "significantly improved" pay offer from BAA.



Only 3 weeks ago they were saying that GLA and EDI had missed out cause they were "expensive airports" and now we see an apparent change of mind - has the Scottish Executives cash really made a difference, or were easyJet just complaning to embarrass/scare BAA into giving them a better deal?

All good news and lets hope the scottish tax payer sees more home grown talent in the region. With Scotjet, Air Scotland and Scotairways expanding, its good news, but easy should employ more locals.

Expand please :confused: