EI-BUD

No airline will take Blackpool on. BB have tried to get airlines, and none would come.

It's the perceived catchment area, I have been one of the most optimistic of posters on the Blackpool thread.

The airport will revert to being a GA airport and any thoughts of Easy or Monarch are just dreams. It won't happen.

BB have lost money every year - I reckon Jet2 had to good a deal, then had they not have - They would have left.

The ADF made little difference - it was spent on the airport one way or another, but did not generate enough income.

Blackpool had three major problems - They are backed by the sea, so no catchment behind them. Reaching out - They have to share the catchment with MAN and Liverpool - This is probably why BB could not persuade other airlines to come to Blackpool at even good terms.

Looking back and the talk of BB just wanting land to build houses on - IMO is rubbish. IMO they have done their best to get airlines into Blackpool, Balkan Airlines did not work, neither did that airline to so called Paris.

Jet2 tries Cities like Amsterdam and Prague - Did not work.

I forget the name of the domestic airline that tried to link Blackpool with other UK towns/cities. Did not work.

The only think Blackpool had, was outgoing to sunshine routes - other than that - nothing.

Nobody's fault - In the end lack of inbound traffic and Manchester and Liverpool competing for the same PAX, put all but Jet2 off.

BB knew this and no way would they carry only losing money every year, with no end in sight.

Blackpool as a commercial airport is finished, it's can make a profit as a GA and helicopters.

If I am wrong good - I doubt that very much.

Very sad story.
Is that it now, has the last passenger service already happened?
Ed

Last Jet2 one has :)

Thanks MKY661,
But some others still operating at the moment?
If so, what looks likely to be the last inbound and outbounds?
Ed

Yes it is: In effect from the 10th October, Blackpool ceases to be a 'commercial passenger airport' That is my opinion and is likely true.

Citywing have suspended flights from BLK, pending what happens to them as their plan for an alternative airport within 10 miles - did not come off.

With luck - Blackpool will return to profit as a GA/helicopter airport. nothing else.

There is also an economic downturn looming, watch for more closures.

Sorry to be pessimistic, but commercial flights from Blackpool, IMO are not going to happen.

BBC News - Osborne warns eurozone slowdown will impact UK economy

Next will be to reduce the runway length and width available when maintenance is due on the runway as Cessna 172's don't need 6000ft runways.

Not sure they will do this, not sure they can. Even as a GA airport, larger jets do land for reasons other than passengers.

Yes, I deleted my original post on Blackpool 2, thus deleting the entire thread. Not by accident this time either.

That whole era is over. Very sad to say.

Good luck to all the remaining companies at Ray Quigley Memorial Airport, EGNH.

[quote]In effect from the 10th October, Blackpool ceases to be a 'commercial passenger airport' That is my opinion and is likely true.

Citywing have suspended flights from BLK{/quote]


Hello, not quite - both the CItywing and Stobart flights continue up to Wed 15th October.

Good for you. What about everyone else who contributed. Stuff them?:ugh:

Silverhawk, I guess because you had nothing more to say on the subject, no one else should eh?

Brilliant.

Spot on. Nothing to stop either of you starting your own thread.

Do they charge you rent for each thread or something? Selfish beyond words.

If the facilities are calibrated to its real market, in other words to meet the known demands from the aviation industry for facilities at Blackpool, it is nonsense to say that the airfield is finished. GA and helicopters are just as commercial as charter jets and scheduled flights.

As many have said, there is no real demand for jet passenger flights at BPL; the competition from LBA, MAN, LPL is far too strong and always has been. Equally it has been shown that no real demand exists for scheduled services with small aircraft.

So the future would lie in GA and maintenance, IF the owners, local government and suchlike really want a thriving business there and will support its development to the hilt.

What length of runway is needed for that is a matter for study; but it is a certainty that the RFFS and ATC services will need drastic pruning. Shortening the licensed runway, but retaining the full tarmac length with minimal maintenance for use as long stopways and RESA can allow larger empty aircraft to position for maintenance. It does not need a precision approach for this purpose.

What the management could do is set out to be the best GA and 3rd party maintenance facility in the North of England. They need to encourage operators, FBOs, FTOs, completions, heavy maintenance, storage and care, parcels, whatever. All these are businesses that do not flourish on an airport whose primary role is scheduled and charter passenger flights. Given facilities that meet their very different needs, they will come.

But investment is needed, and it's a risk. Will it happen? Let's see.

Limited demand maybe but don't forget the Load Factor on Jet2 flights during the summer months has always been 90+%.

Some Load Factors for August:
Faro .. 96.5%
Alicante .. 97.3%
Palma .. 94.4%
Malaga .. 97.9%
Murcia .. 96.2%
Ibiza .. 95.7%
Tenerife .. 92.2%
Mahon .. 97.4%

Thousands of commercial helicopter movements per year, 365 days per year, could certainly benefit from precision approach capabilities.

How about turning it into a freight terminal ?

And well it might have been. But to pay for the minimum facilities to enable those flights to operate needed many, many more flights to pay for them than actually operated, and not just in the summer months.

It has often been said that the minimum passenger movements needed to make a profit with providing those facilities is 1m 1-way movements, and it's probably true.

Once an airport admits that it cannot achieve that, and refocuses on aviation businesses that need a runway and infrastructure but not all the stuff that goes with tour operator charters, a good management can run any licensed airfield profitably.

It's not a matter of "turning it into a freight terminal", for example, it's a matter of encouraging forwarders to set up shop, which in turn leads to freighter operations, as well as GA, helicopter work specialists, maintenance....you know the rest.

That's just words - Yes GA is commercial. but my point was crystal clear.

GA/Helicopters are the future IMO, also no point in digging up the runway, best left in case of charter flights if needed - or future freight flights. Not sure the main runway can be touched, I am sure I have read it can't.

There was a demand for flights from BLK - Read TSR2's post below, typical of summer - even October, my flight to Faro was full. It was a niche airport - did lose money though. Lack of routes both inwards and outward was the problem IMO, was BLK promoted in Europe?

Quote:

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Hello, not quite - both the CItywing and Stobart flights
continue up to Wed 15th October.

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Yes that's right, Then Citywing are suspending flights for 4 weeks, then what?