What's happening at BACX Manchester?

[757operator]

There's a lot of muttering on the Manchester staff car park bus about BACX - what's going on? Is there a plan to reduce to EMBs only, perhaps?

[BluffOldSeaDog]

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=169461
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=164988
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=128468

and the classic

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=146553

[757operator]

Thank you BluffOldSeaDog, but much of these links are to do with BALPA, and BA pilots vs BACX pilots. Much though I sympathise with pilots whose happy hardworking lives are suddenly shafted, in this case I'm simply trying to work out the likely commercial plans of BACX.

[FlyboyUK]

Don't think the BACX management have commercial plan!:*

[Maximuss]

:(
Unfortunately, since BA took us over, the commercial plan has been all too clear. It consists of three parts.

1. Whenever there is competition on a route - give in. If necessary ground the aircraft (while continuing to pay the leases; or, the preferred option, continue to pay the leases and let the competition operate our aircraft for free)

2. After implementing option #1, cut costs by closing bases.

3. Unilaterally change thescheduling agreements by demoting senior pilots where relocation and refleeting is required because of options #1 and #2. If this should lower morale, then victimise a pilot or cabin crew to divert attention.

Finally, after all three options have been implemented, communicate by newsletter how poor the commercial performance has been, and float (again) the idea of Company windup /sale.

After several years of this, it may percolate through our management's grey matter that actually there are not many more bases / aircraft types to close or ground. It beats me what the five day plan will be then.

:rolleyes:

[4468]

757operator

It's just the normal cycle of events:

A couple of years ago British Airways Regional flew B737s out of MAN.

They were replaced by RJ100s operated by BACX.

These RJs are now being replaced by A320s operated by GB.

What goes around, comes around.

[Alycidon]

Are we related?

No.9

[4468]

Indeed we are my deltic cousin.

You 'whippersnappers' always seemed a little too clean for my liking.

If only I had a certificate, I'd take you for a quick run down Stoke Bank!:cool:

Ah, the summer of 1938. I remember it as if it were yesterday!

How is retirement anyway?

You're not at ecml anymore are you? In fact, I think I can just see you!!

[ragamuffin]

Quote by max:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Whenever there is competition on a route - give in. If necessary ground the aircraft (while continuing to pay the leases; or, the preferred option, continue to pay the leases and let the competition operate our aircraft for free)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


tell that to Scotairways. They had free reign on EDI-LCY till BACX stepped in. BACX seem to be fighting hard.

(Although, Scotair are doin ok with the now increased pax travelling on this route!)

[2 Greens 1 Red!]

Maximuss dear chap,

You forgot to mention that it's perfectly OK to get any number of types on your licence (cost of course at the behest of the company) inside of 3 months. Of course, you have to have moved base! But those of us who haven't been taking the company for all its worth during this period have to pay a bond should they wish to leave, even though their fleet was taken from them!

Talk about having you by the short & curlies!

I think it went something like "You'd better sign this bond or p**s off!"

What do you guys think or is it just me? :*

[aeulad]

4468

BA are replacing their RJ's with GB A320s?? I don't think so!

GB are opening new markets not currently served by BA. BACX never flew to the likes of Tenerife and Paphos, and I will eat my shorts if GB ever take over the likes of Paris and Rome from BACX.

Regards

Mike

[4468]

aeulad

"BACX never flew to the likes of Tenerife and Paphos"

Anybody from the sharp end ever chat to you about fuel endurance???

Or the BAe146-RJ100 ?

There are plenty of supposedly 'charter' destinations currently (presumably) contributing handsomely to the finances of BACX.

Wonder if BACX can keep THOSE destinations when the contracts are renewed?

As for the scheduled routes: You may be right in as much as this. The customers will have a free choice, between an Embraer 145 with BACX, or the B737/A320s operated by the competition!

I would suggest things don't look too good for BACX at MAN!

[The Little Prince]

:( I would suggest you're right, in fact I would suggest things don't look good for BACX anywhere.................unless you're a BA secondee!;)

[jafo33]

Was told at an interview with them recently that MAN will become their Dash8 'hub and spoke' base. Also that the 146's are being retired. That the Embraers will not be operating out of MAN, as the closest base I was offered for a jet was BHX!

So I guess they are moving all the aircraft around. Does that mean then that the Dash will do the longer jet routes from MAN or are they dropping them completely?

[GOLF-INDIA BRAVO]

That would be nice Not a flight to Rome by Dash 8
Seriously I think that would kill them completly from Manchester if they removed the EMB145`s as well
Perhaps that would open a lot of doors for BMI and Jet2

G-I-B

[FlyboyUK]

The Embraers aren't leaving MAN (well not in the latest business plan but who knows what the next one will bring!)

I suggest there may be some confusion between ERJ145's and RJ100's. The RJ100's are going, the Embraers are staying and the 146's are being retired.

[skiddyiom]

Master plan for MAN from April 2006 - 8 Dash 8's (despite the fact that they are due to start being handed back in May) and 9 EMB 145's.

Rj's will be based 8 @ BHX, 4 @ LCY 1 @ INV & 1 @ IOM.

So MAN will be losing out and I do believe there are going to be several redundancies. What a surprise.

Skiddy

[AE3007]

Redundancies are definately afoot in BACX engineering at MAN.

1 STN ENG
3 Avionics
6 Airframe/Engine
4 Unlicensed Mechs
1 other

Lets hope thats the end of it.:uhoh:

[terrier21]

in fact I would suggest things don't look good for BACX anywhere.................unless you're a BA secondee!

I beg to differ 'The Little Prince'

I know Bristol is not very well known for being a BACX base but it is and has been for years. They now have 5 (ok I know this is not massive compared to the likes of MAN or BHX) based EMB 145's and have just recently appointed a new Station Officer a position which has for a long while been held by a gentleman based at BHX.

Surely commiting a new Person to be based at BRS would show that they are a) indeed making a fair few quid and b) not sitting back but looking at increasing their size in the future?!

Cheers T21

[HZ123]

Surely BACX at MAN cannot compete with only Dash 8 and Emb145's. Seems to me you are being tasked with the impossible.

[757operator]

I agree, with only 9 jets that's just 9 breakfast time European departures with only 50 seats on each - hardly the stuff of our "flag carrier" from Britain's 2nd city.

[Ian Farquharson]

Birmingham is and always be the UK's 2nd city, so no problem with BA at Birmingham, I believe Manchester is the UK's 9th city !


1 London 7,172,091
2 Birmingham 970,892
3 Glasgow 629,501
4 Liverpool 469,017
5 Leeds 443,247
6 Sheffield 439,866
7 Edinburgh 430,082
8 Bristol 420,556
9 Manchester 394,269
10 Leicester 330,574
11 Coventry 303,475
12 Kingston upon Hull 301,416
13 Bradford 293,717
14 Cardiff 292,150
15 Belfast 277,391
16 Stoke-on-Trent 259,252
17 Wolverhampton 251,462

[AE3007]

Did he mean 2nd city reference busiest airport....?

[jamesbrownontheroad]

6 Sheffield 439,866

Despite the dinkiest little terminal and great location, the commercial days of SZD are over ... :{

*j*

[no, no, no]

how many more times are we going to see people pull out populations of the UK cities. This has been discussed plenty of time before, and I thought everyone had appreciated that the size of a city centre is nothing when compared to the catchment - for example Nottingham is far larger than Leicester, but because more people live in districts surrounding the city fersus in the centre itself, it appears lower than Leics which has the opposite!!!

At the end of the day airports don't serve cities, it serves catchments, and whereas MAN can appeal to the North, Midlands and Yorkshire etc, BHX is like a rat trapped between London and Manchester.

Off topic I kow, so sorry, but it is just frustrating when people prints lists of no use to anyone!!!