TUI selling Coventry - Hope all is OK

[Cruise Alt]

Does anyone know what the background to TUI selling up at COV? I am local and was looking at Thomsonfly as a possible job. Are they still looking like a good place to aim?

[jmc757]

I don;t think there's anything to worry about. TUI never planned to own the airport for very long - well they didn't plan to own it at all. They were put in a place where they needed to buy it to ensure they could get their flights started on time.

According to the press release its business as usual and Thomsonfly are comitted to Coventry (one wonders if there is a clause in the sale contract?)...

[Arbottle]

I don;t think there's anything to worry about. TUI never planned to own the airport for very long - well they didn't plan to own it at all. They were put in a place where they needed to buy it to ensure they could get their flights started on time.
According to the press release its business as usual and Thomsonfly are comitted to Coventry (one wonders if there is a clause in the sale contract?)...

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=16555082%26method=full%26siteid=50003%26headline =airlines%2d%2dwaiting%2din%2dwings%2d%2dat%2dairport-name_page.html

[big_al69]

There is nothing to worry about. It is business as usual at the Airport. T-Fly have a long term commitment to operate from CVT, If anything the Airport will really start to take off (pardon the pun!)

[bmibaby.com]

I've been quite surprised when looking at Coventry, that TUI hasn't made more of an effort to make it an airport that HLX concentrates on for British ops, like they've done in MAN & NCL. I know that HLX operated a 4x weekly Cologne flight in the early months of TUI pax ops from CVT, but was unsurprisingly withdrawn due to unpopularity, although I would say that's mostly due to a businessman-unfriendly schedule, as well as limited advertising. As far as I can tell, there is currently limited ramp space for TOM to base more aircraft, so why not encourage other TUI airlines to fly in, not only to enlarge the group's flying from the airport, but also to discourage other low-cost airlines from arriving.

[Epsilon minus]

JMC757 wrote According to the press release its business as usual and Thomsonfly are comitted to Coventry (one wonders if there is a clause in the sale contract?)...
The real long term plan focuses on Doncaster International with a hub and spoke network operation with BAL. CVT got the LCC part going but the long term view was always based on the enormous potential of the South Yorkshire base. This is what I was told by thomson officials.

[crumbs chief]

Doncaster as a hub... Thomson officials...

What complete and utter rubbish.

What would be the benefit of running a hub and spoke operation for low cost scheduled and charter flights? Is this a hub and spoke using buses to Doncaster and onward flights?

Yet more dreamy hopes and delusions of grandeur from spotter supporters of a little airport with a long runway, a cat I ILS on one end, NDB on t'other and no controlled airspace.

[World of Tweed]

Now... now...Crumbs Chief,

They are moving to a 'Mixed-Model' operation with both the LoCo seat only pax and traditional "bucket and spaders" on the same aircraft whether that be 757 or a 737 across most the bases.

Performance for the 757 at CVT can be interesting and the catchment area is limited when the charter side of the company is well established at both BHX and EMA only a short drive away. It makes sense therefore to exploit the 'other' new airport and capitalise on being the other side of the pennines.

[52 North]

Performance for the 757 at CVT can be interesting

I always thought the 757 was a better performer than the 735 out of CVT? With about 6000ft of TORA I reckon a 757 may even make the Canaries from CVT. Ground handling is a different matter, the lack of parallel tway and single 757 stand makes things a little awkward but nothing that cannot be addressed by the new owners.

[TightSlot]

I sat up on the jumpseat on a 757 ferry into CVT - the only time I saw the guys break a sweat was in turning the a/c round on the runway after landing :E

[Arbottle]

I always thought the 757 was a better performer than the 735 out of CVT? With about 6000ft of TORA I reckon a 757 may even make the Canaries from CVT. Ground handling is a different matter, the lack of parallel tway and single 757 stand makes things a little awkward but nothing that cannot be addressed by the new owners.

If you look at the plan on www.warwickdc.gov.uk you can see the plans for the new terminal (Currently in the public enquiry due to non-determination) include a larger standing area.

I did read somewhere that the airport had notified WDC that they were going to be building taxiways (Using their permitted development rights.)

[Buster the Bear]

Plenty of Real Estate possibilities within the boundaries of Coventry airport to warrant financial investment. Retail parks, cinemas, low cost housing etc etc. In other words, the potential of Coventry's non airport activities has yet to be maximised?

[jabird]

Arbottle,

Technically, the public inquiry is due to the earlier refusal of the original application, not non determination per se. WDC did make a determination in favour of the larger terminal application last September.

Buster,

A cinema on the CVT site - LOL, the nimbys would complain about the Dolby surround system interrupting their sleep!

New owners have said that they will initially concentrate solely on the existing terminal application. Quite a lot of this land is already being turned into car parking, some of it to be multistorey. But if you look into the history of the companies concerned, I would expect at least an airport hotel within five years of the permanent terminal opening.

[crumbs chief]

How about the following scenario: apply for planning permission for a bigger, noisier and more instrusive airport; sell the airport to a property development company; redo the planning permission for a large number of people-friendly houses; appease the original anti-airport objectors by providing much needed additional housing, including affordable housing; close airport and make profit. Will Thomsonfly ever make any money out of flying scruffy,half empty 737s out of Coventry anyway?

[52 North]

How about the following scenario: apply for planning permission for a bigger, noisier and more instrusive airport; sell the airport to a property development company; redo the planning permission for a large number of people-friendly houses; appease the original anti-airport objectors by providing much needed additional housing, including affordable housing; close airport and make profit. Will Thomsonfly ever make any money out of flying scruffy,half empty 737s out of Coventry anyway?

Coventry City Council own the freehold and they support and require passenger services within the lease.

Airport shifted nearly 800K pax last year through temporary terminal, the market is there.

Most pax would stand for 2 hours of they got the flight cheaper so no problem with the 735's.

With Birmingham's proposed second runway causing all sorts of environmental concerns, why not just develop Coventry (or as RYR would probably call it "Birmingham South") for some of the proposed pax flight increases - a ready made runway and infrastructure just 12 miles down the road.

Luton's masterplan states no Exec by 2030, there's another possible avenue as CVT is just 45 minutes up the M1 (and just 30 minutes by heli to centre of London).

Great road connections = more freight services.

The future is bright at CVT :ok:

[cvt person]

I always thought the 757 was a better performer than the 735 out of CVT? With about 6000ft of TORA I reckon a 757 may even make the Canaries from CVT. Ground handling is a different matter, the lack of parallel tway and single 757 stand makes things a little awkward but nothing that cannot be addressed by the new owners.
Believe the apron is currently being extended to provide a second 757 stand