Air Luxor and the Falkland Islands

[left one o clock]

Well here I am in the Falklands again, which is crap. The flight down here however was the best I've had. I turned up fully expecting the usual Tristar adventure, only to be presented with the sight of an Air Luxor Airbus. Flew 1st class too which was fab. 16 hours fully reclined with my own telly. Most un-Tristar like. Friendly, helpful cabin crew and complimentary papers!

My question is, how long are they likely to continue providing the airbridge and what are the details of the circumstances that led to them replacing the Timmy?

Supplementary question: Why are Luxor (a Portugese airline) so named? I thought Luxor was in Egypt.

:confused:

[Archimedes]

I can't believe I googled this, but I did:

According to their website:

As the objective was to provide a quality and highly personalised air transport service, the key word chosen to represent this was luxury, and thus Air Luxor was born.

(I believe the Portuguese for 'luxury' is 'luxo')

[BEagle]

Just the normal standard of travel you should expect on any long distance flight in the excellent world-leading A330! Presumably when the A330 MRTT enters service, the company operating the passenger versions will provide the same standards on the Malvinas run (if the UK still requires it) - or will it be back to carboard box snacks, the inevitable pasta and gristle 'Lamb Italian', plus Chicken Run or Pitch Black on portable tape players if the batteries aren't knackered before the 3 hour pre-ASI top of drop wake-up-for-a-10 minute-breakfast call?

Hopefully no idiot will call for the IFE systems to be removed as happened to the old Timmy!

But either are inifintely better than the wretched Gitmo Bay Class standards provided in the C-130 - and even in the windowless KC-767A!

[Mobile Muppet]

I can only imagine that the reason Air Luxor/BMI were given the contract was due to the fact the tristars were required for OP TELIC and are still busy enough to warrant the charter remaing in place.

Having spent sometime in Ascension i can say that the serviceability of the aircraft along with the cost means that it is an ideal replacement for the T* and most of the passangers seem to like the seating arrangment (although the first class seats cause no end of problems). The aircraft is very rarley full meaning most of the time you can spread out for your nightmare sixteen hour flight.

I also believe that the Air Luxor contract has been extended to October. No news on who will replace them (perhaps BMI again).

[A D ENUFF]

BEagle...........I am assuming you calling the Falkland Islands the Malvinas was a slip of the tongue. We fought hard (and i was one of them) to keep the islands British and thus retain the islands rightful name.

Had the greasy spicks whooped our arses then the islands would surely have been re-named. BUT THEY DIDN'T

I lost several friends in 82, two of them are laid to rest in San Carlos Cemetry on Blue Beach and its for those that i feel annoyed.

I have read your previous threads with interest and have respected your views but please dont insult the brave men who fought to to keep the FALKLAND ISLANDS British.

Rant over !! Please dont take this personally its not meant to offend.

On a lighter note. Having recently returned from the Falklands courtesy of Air Luxor, i had the privelage to go up front and talk to the crew. (killed 20 mins of the flight). When asked who they talk to mid South Atlantic for flight watch the answer was NOBODY. The Argentinians can be heard on frequency talking to other aircraft but refuse point blank to talk to them because of their destination.............................SORE LOSERS !!!!!

[BEagle]

Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.


Notwithstanding the undisputed bravery of those sent down to repossess the islands by Thatcher, the question of sovereignty is still disputed.

[Flip Flop Flyer]

But if the first sighting, and I presume naming, was by a British seaman then the offical name is The Falkland Islands or wot?

[M609]

On that note, the Yank's and canadians should call their countries "Vinland", after all that's what the man that first spotted it called it....... (Mr. Leif ;) )

...hang on.....what did the chaps that walked across the Beering sea call it in pre-historic time? :E

Just curious, how much does it cost the UK goverment each year to maintain sovereignty on that rock?

[BEagle]

The first sighting by a Bristish sailor would probably have required the place to be named "Where the f*ck is this place - and why on earth are we here?"

Well, 'Islas Malvinas' is more polite than the more grammatically correct form used by all those who've done time in Benny-land:

"Pieceofsheepcrapcoveredrockatthearseholeoftheworld"

Salud y pesetas - y mucho amor!

[A D ENUFF]

BEagle. I would be very interested to know if you've ever ventured to the Falkland Islands. By the sound of your very informative reply its a possibility............ but then again if one reads on and takes note of the rest of the drivel you've written, perhaps not.

The Falkland Islands are beautiful. The wildlife is second to none and the scenery in places is absolutely breathtaking. There are even beaches there that will match those of the Carribean (minus the palm trees of course). Yes it can be very cold but if you've ever been there around Christmas time then you'll be barbecueing outside with the rest of them.

To call the Islanders Bennys just shows how ignorant and ill informed you really are. They are as grateful to us now as they were in 82. Some of them in the settlements lead an isolated and harsh existence at times but are always welcome to see you, greet you with a friendly smile and would give you the shirt off their back if you were to ask for it.............so lets get our sensible head back on shall we and stop slagging off people that we could do well to learn from.

As i said before i have always respected your views and have tried my best NOT to turn this into a slanging match.

But i'm sorry old boy...........this time you have wound me up !!!

PS For those of you about to side with BEagle and say how crap it is down there, i wonder how many of you are base rats and have never ventured past the perimeter fence.

[BEagle]

It was indeed my misfortune to visit that place on many an occasion.

And yes, I have certainly been outside the wire when the opportunity arose - and most of the locals were indeed very friendly. But the Caribbennyan is not really in the same league as the Caribbean, in my opinion. More like the middle of Wales on a wet Tuesday in February but without the charm.

Still don't know why Argentina would want the place though.

[allan907]

Beags

Respect your posts hugely. However, I suspect your use of the term 'Malvinas' was a smart arse comment in a jocular vein. The point about fighting for it and losing a lot of guys is well made.

Back down gracefully mate!

[BEagle]

Actually it stems from a previous existence. To avoid confusion between FI (Flight Instructor) and those islands a few thousand miles from the UK, the office used the term 'Malvinas'.....

Which comes, I understand, from the French name for the place and what you call the islands is not particularly relevant to their actual sovereignty.

Not a bad little pub in Stanley called the Hotel Malvina House. Good enough for them, it seems.....http://www.argentinatravelnet.com/cgi-bin/links/links2.pl?A-3191

My historical quote was cut and pasted from another site. The sovereignty is purely fact - and an issue that should be settled by negotiation. As for people who write such things as "Had the greasy spicks whooped our arses", sorry that doesn't merit a direct response.

[ZH875]

Beags says Notwithstanding the undisputed bravery of those sent down to repossess the islands by Thatcher, the question of sovereignty is still disputed.

Only by the losing side. British and still ruled by HM the Queen.

[BEagle]

Undoubtedly the place is still under British rule. But the fact that such rule is disputed is a matter of fact - rightly or wrongly though that might be. And most of us do think that it should stay British.

[left one o clock]

Hmmm. I started this post, and wrote it on a PC in Area 51 (for those of you who haven't been to the FI for a while, that's the internet facility next to the cinema and opposite the NAFFI). It was an idle question regarding Air Luxors name. I'm genuinely sorry to have seen it descend into a bit of a rant about sovereignty etc.
I've been here MANY times since about '83 and while I think there were (and are) many political aspects of the militarys role down here that I'm not happy with, I think Beag's comments were uncharactaristically disingenuous (guarantee that's spelt wrong). Calling the enemy rude names isn't necessary but I'm surprised that Beags doesn't understand what engenders it. People who lose mates in conflicts are entitled to a little slack.
As to the FI's name, to some people it's EXTREMELY important. I'm not one of them, but like a previous poster I think, on this occasion, it would be nice to see Beags back down gracefully.

A little nonsense is relished by the wisest men. (Willy Wonka)

[17 years, manandboy]

A message to BEagle

Please don’t back down from this thread, I feel I have learnt so much from you, with all your informative posts and witty responses. If only I could meet you for a pint some time, and find out all the answers to all of life’s questions….. But then I don’t suppose you go out much do you?


:8

[BEagle]

Often.

But I don't drink and drive.

And the answer is 42........

Hijo de p***!

[West Coast]

Nothing wrong with calling them the Malvinas. That's what I learned them as in school eons ago, yet I still recognize the UK as the legal governing authority.