Replacement For EuroCeltic
 

A NEW airline carrier is waiting in the wings to commence daily flights between Waterford and London Luton beginning on January 27 - the day after the current carrier, Euroceltic, withdraws its service. Final negotiations are underway between the, as yet, unnamed airline, the Board of the South East Regional airport and the Department of Transport. According to informed sources practically everything is now in place to guarantee a Waterford / UK service and secure the thirty jobs at the airport.

The airport faced its latest crisis in early December when Noel Hanley announced that he would be withdrawing the Euroceltic service because of a 1m loss brought about by low passenger numbers.

The airline had hoped to attract 40,000 passengers in 2002 in order to break even on its operations but by the end of the year only 31,000 passengers had been achieved.

Hovering on the brink of closure, the Airport Board sought the assistance of the Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan and it is understood that financial support might be forthcoming if the air service was supported by people from Waterford and the wider South East.

In the meantime, all the stops were pulled out to identify a new carrier and that work is now virtually completed.

While the future of the cross channel air service is now guaranteed, there is however, no such guarantee for the air sea rescue service currently operating from the Airport and fears are growing that the entire operation may be moved to Cork.

If Waterford is to lose the service, which at present is not econ, it has been claimed that lives could be lost along the Waterford coastline where hundreds of fishermen earn their living. Neil Whittle of the Dunmore East Fishermen's Co- Op said this week that it can come down to a matter of just seconds to either save or lose a life at sea and therefore it was imperative that the rescue service was maintained in Waterford and extended to a 24- hour operation.

All The Best

Doug MacDonald
[email protected]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LutonNewsletter (WebSite Updates)
www.lutonmovements.co.uk
(Contributions : Reports & Photos always wanted)

Hello
Is there any chance that this new operator will take on the LPL route as well as the LTN?
Luke

I wonder if NEWAIR have some involvement in this "new venture" :eek:

Or even Aer Arran as they are an established operator and known brand in Ireland?

My money is on Aer Arran actually........I'll see what I can find out from my inside sources :rolleyes:

Aer Arann?
 

I'd go for Aer Arann too seeing as how they had to drop their DUB/NCL plans due to Ryanair annoucing the same route a day later than Aer Arann.......they'll be looking for a use for the aircraft I suppose?

I thought they packed up following their second F27 accident in a short space of time and CAA threatened withdrawal of AOC, or maybe even did withdraw it?

Euroceltic are about to give it all up as a bad job. They have no management structure, no idea of how to run an airline and very soon, no aircraft or crew. Shame really, the idea behind ECY was a good one but without good people leading, it was bound to fail.

Better things are just around the corner for good crews and ground staff......rest assured.

Good luck to all involved.

www.busterthebear.flyer.co.uk/btb.jpg

RTE News reporting that Euroceltic will continue Waterford-Luton route after all by reducing winter schedule to a Mon/Wed/Fri service reverting to daily service from 29 March. However this is subject to Waterford airport rescinding its closure notice and withdrawing any increases to landing and handling charges.

All seems a bit strange if you ask me.

powerjet1 that won't happen. It WILL close, it's only a matter of time.....

RTE
 

January 14, 2003

(17:21) One of the country's regional airports which has been threatened with closure may get a last-minute reprieve.

The South East regional airport based in Waterford was due to close later this month following an announcement late last year that the only carrier using the airport regularly was going to cease services.

But the airline, Euroceltic, announced this afternoon that it intends to continue the Waterford to London Luton service.

Chairman Noel Hanley stated that by reducing the winter frequency to a Monday, Wednesday and Friday service until 29 March, it will be able to maintain the route.

The airline would then revert to a daily operation as from 30 March.

Euroceltic Airways' decision to continue depends on Waterford Airport Authority's earlier decision to close the airport on 26 January being rescinded, and the intended increases in landing and handling charges to the airline being withdrawn.

I hear that the Waterford Airport Board has told the local media that it intends to continue talks with this new operator and other agencies.

18/01 - Euroceltic plans to continue Waterford service

After announcing it would suspend service on the London Luton to Waterford route effective 26Jan03, Euroceltic now plans to continue operating however with a reduced frequency of 3 flights a week (Mon/Wed/Fri) for the remaining winter months. On 29Mar03 the airline plans to resume daily service.

In a separate story the airline's owner confirmed that he is in talks about merging with or taking over the Danish charter airline Newair which operates a fleet of Fokker 50s from its base in Billund.

Its as simple as this,

Old Noel thinks he is in the same league as MOL/Ryanair.

Although Waterford were going to increase charges the end result would only be afew euros to ECY due to all the discounts it gets - Noel though that it was a good time to get everything for free and what a better way than to announce the airlines departure.

Very interesting that he announced he was going to stay the day after the Aer Arann announcement. With most of the reservations staff now gone he only has to find a way to get all the cabin crew to leave.

Looks like ECY will be told to Go-away he he!!
I also heard that it's not all lovie dovie with Newair - Not like it used to be anyway. Aer Arann better be ready to take back the Sligo/Donegal PSO very soon

Does anyone know the rules about retaining a UK AOC with no active aircraft and being totally dependent on foreign wet leases? Euromanx seem to have this sort of set up too. Is there some time limit or can the CAA keep renewing approvals?

This is no doubt complicated a bit by ECY's withdrawal from Luton too, ending any commercial association with the CAA's territory. Without Luton, they would become an Irish-owned UK AOC holder operating domestic services within Ireland with Danish aircraft leased from an Danish AOC holder owned by another Irish person..

Irish TV News has just announced that Euroceltic Airways have ceased all operations.

I passed thro' DUB today and one of the Newair Fk50s appears to be impounded there!

Allegedly theyve gone bust, tits up, the end:confused:

PSO Routes
 

Anybody any ideas if Aer Arann Express are going to get the DUB/SXL and DUB/CFN routes back - and do they want them?