BACX Retreats from Plymouth
 

BA's regional airline, Citiexpress, continues its relentless retrenchment from regional operations with the announcement of the abandonment of its routes from Plymouth and Newquay to LGW at the end of October this year.

Extremely bad news for the crews in Plymouth and the same goes for the people of the southwest where the nearest BA service is now at Bristol - its a long way from Penzance to Bristol!

It's also ironic, as Evans continues to dismantle the BRAL and Brymon networks in the vain search for profitability, that the birthplace of Brymon should now disappear after only 2 years of incompetent mangement having survived for the past 30 years.

Could always ask uncle MOL nicely* for Newquay-Gatwick, doesn't FR have some slots there? Alternatively Easy from Luton.

* (give free landing charges, concessions, subsidies, yadda yadda)

From such a remote area, shouldn't Public Service Obligation subsidies be considered?

Hello
Is this really true and confirmed as there are no press releases on the BA website confirming this
Luke

Try this from the Beeb:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3040243.stm

How about a management [old successful type]/reverse
take-over?

Has anything positive come out of the last two years?

Having done a lot of Brymon -8 stuff in and out of Ply, if it is true it's very sad indeed 'cause it's a good bunch of guys down there.:ugh:

What a shame. Sutton Holdings attempt to create an airline to maintain this link must have failed????
Would not relish the train journey to London, or the redeye early morning/late night NQY-STN either!!
:mad:

Judge 11, your final paragraph says it all about how something good built up over a generation can be ruined in just a few short years. Shameful behaviour from the managers of the world's favourite. What they have done to the spirit of Brymon and City Flyer etc.

All we need is FLY BE to do an Exeter/Plymouth - LGW....Newquay has Ryanair after all...

My thoughts are with everyone down in Plymouth and Newquay.

A great bunch of people to work with, and I wish them all the best. As with most of the closure's that have affected Plymouth over the last few years, again we see the staff finding this information via the local/national media, or as with one department, an internal leak!

It's been an absolute disgrace from day one of the involvement with BRAL/Manx, and ultimately BA's poor management, that have allowed this to happen.

Whilst we are all aware of the difficulties being experienced by airlines, all around the world, news of this degree should always be passed to the staff concerned first. Local news transmissions are totally unacceptable.

So, BACX management, Do you feel this is acceptable again? I really hope that someday this happens to you.

Whilst the Sutton Harbour Holdings deal has seemingly fallen through, I can only hope, that now there is a definate timetable for BA's withdrawal, SHH can arrange something to rescue these flights, and the jobs of my old colleagues.

Again, goodluck to all staff involved with this closure.

The day we rely on BA press releases as the primary source of information from BA is the day we're all sh*gged. Why would BA want to make this sort of thing more public than necessary?

Seems Air Wales have announced that they intend to start the route.

All over the local news at the moment

ITV late news tonight announced that Air Wales wish to take over the route subject to BA handing over the relevant Gatwick slots.

Flights to be x4 daily as before using 55 seat a/c (presumably ATR42?)

Ryanair's summer schedule has 3 daily rotations to/from Stansted so they will face stiff competition out of EGDG.

No surprise really - look back over BA history - BCal, Danair etc. A purchase made out of sheer exclusionary greed that really doesent fit within their core business, then make a 'prudent business decision' to reduce/close things down the line.

BAxxxxds

Bring back old Brymon!!

Used to provide an excellent focussed service, before BA

Fair play
 

Had BA not bought Danair / BCAL they both would have gone down the pan. Many of BA senior managers are or were BCAL staff and that explains some of the extreme decisions that have been made. Also the love hate relationship that BA enjoys with LGW.

Despite this I understand why many ex Brymon, BRAL and others will feel aggrieved by BA's pull out from these routes and stations. However, since these units were franchised / purchased much has changed in the market place and what was yesterdays flavour is not todays.

HZ123,

I agree with some of your points, and the downturn of the past couple of years has been 'extreme' - 9/11, SARS, War, etc.

However, let's be honest, BA could never have run aircraft like Dash 8s, ATR 72's etc. at a profit. The moment these operations came out of 'franchise managed' to 'head office managed' (regardless of actual ownership of the franchise) with associated lack of focus and increased cost structure, they were doomed.

And of course BA at the same time removed their own safety net for some routes. Old BA 737 routes which became unprofitable due to the downturn could easily have been transferred to the franchises and operated at a profit. Everyone wins....the passenger sees continuation of a service rather than it being chopped, the franchise gains, BA gains (still gets revenue and feed traffic, without the associated loss).

Oh, I forgot....the Unions! They'd never have let it happen.


:mad:

Yes, it's been a crappy week for all concerned.

We have been bent over the CitiExpress barrel and given a good dose of mishandling.

No special deals for us, unlike some previous bases to get closed.

They are not even guaranteeing courses that have already been assigned from the previous bid. It's all "Well, yes. In theory that should happen, probably..." and all that rubbish!

It's just a shame there's very little option in the wider industry.

Some people will have to retire, others be demoted with "pay protection" (get that carved on stone!) and all of us moved with the aircraft to Manchester.
And the pilots are relatively lucky. We still have jobs even if we can't find out way out of this horrible company. Worse for the groundstaff, caterers, engineers etc. etc. etc.

Everyone is sick of the neverending cutbacks, bad management, bad business plan and bad feeling with no real light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm told that most people on the jets have applications with everyone else too, and they're at the top of this teetering bonsai! Bristol got an unequivocal vote of confidence from David Evans in a local newpaper yesterday, so start looking for houses in Cheshire or Warwickshire, boys.

Poor old Brymon (and BRAL and Manx for that matter!)

Article from the Local Plymouth Newspaper
 

BID TO SAVE LONDON FLIGHTS

12:00 - 21 May 2003

Flight operator Air Wales has thrown Plymouth a lifeline by offering to run services between the city and London. The move comes after British Airways' announcement it was to withdraw from the route to the capital from October 25.

Air Wales, which already operates services out of Plymouth to Cork, Dublin and Jersey, has announced its intention to take over the route to London Gatwick.

But first the firm must secure the landing slots at Gatwick currently held by BA to safeguard the continuation of the route.

Air Wales' expression of interest came after BA said it was is in talks with other airlines to try and save the Plymouth to Gatwick shuttle service.

And yesterday a cross-party group of nine MPs were told by BA officials, in an emergency summit meeting in London, that the flights should be saved to stop the region becoming cut off.

End.

Leading on from the above

Does anyone know what the chances are of Air Wales securing the slots at Gatwick?

I am presuming this decision would lie with BA releasing them seeing they are the current owner of the four slots they utilise
for the PLH-NQY-LGW service?

That's unless of course BA have plans to use the slots for another route, who knows.

Best of luck to Air Wales securing the service.

Cheers 3 Off The Tee :rolleyes:

There is another thread on this site reporting that VLM are looking to start a EXT-LCY route. I understand that reports in a local Devon newspaper have suggested this.

It may be that Devon and Cornwall will suddenly find that, rather than having no flights to speak of to the capital, they will be spoilt for choice.

What must be avoided is an over capacity from the region, otherwise there will be a danger that none of the routes will prosper.

Good luck to these services. At least EXT, PLH and NQY won't have to compete with BRS on a London service. Unless the M4 and Brunel's original mainline become totally eggbound!