Scot Airways - Why No Additional LCY routes ?

[virginblue]

With domestic services to and from LCY becoming more popular - we have seen VLM and Eastern jumping on the bangwaggon with 50seaters from LPL, MAN, NCL, IOM - I was wondering why Scot Airways as the pioneer of such services has not added services to and from LCY. They have a fast, reasonably comfortable, decently sized aircraft and as these flights are targeting the business clientele, the higher operating costs of the Dornier 328 should not cause too much headache. In short, they seem to be the ideal carrier to serve places like NCL, ABZ, JER, ORK, IOM, maybe even CWL or GCI. Why haven't they tested the waters - they have been shrinking rather than growing in the past few years.

[Outoftheblue22]

On the surface of it, LCY would seem to be pretty full particularly during the morning peak, so getting slots would probably be an issue.

[Richard Taylor]

I previously reported that City Star had slots to serve LCY from ABZ.

Haven't been any announcements of a route since, but presume they still hold slots.

Think it was supposed to be something like 3xM-F, DO328.

[nickmanl]

Something to do with a number or reasons, including slots.

However, I don't think Scot Airways makes any money at the moment and they are being bankrolled by their owner who lives near Dundee and likes to jump on the Dundee - LCY service to get down to London.

Why would they open new routes when they can't even make their current routes profitable with a limited fleet?

[virginblue]

What's the problem at Scot Airways then ? Is it that the Donier 328 is too expensive to operate ? Economy of scales - simply too small an operation ? Telling from the fares Scot charges, they should be doing okay - compared to the much lower average fares VLM Airlines charges.

As for the slots problem, VLM has been able to built up 15 daily flights to LPL and MAN over the past few years, so slots seem to be available if you try hard enough.

[nickmanl]

VirginBlue, I don't have any information to back up my claims about Scot Airways - I've read a bit on here and other forums about them struggling. Does anyone else know anything?

I personally believe they lost a bit of character and charm when they switched from Suckling to Scot. Didn't they owners wife use to make all the meals for the flights at home?

[jamesbrownontheroad]

I personally believe they lost a bit of character and charm when they switched from Suckling to Scot. Didn't they owners wife use to make all the meals for the flights at home?
Yep. My first flight as a passenger on a commercial flight was Cambridge - Amsterdam, probably early nineties. Night before the 7am departure she called us and asked us what we wanted for breakfast... Cambridge Airport was a dream - think the car was parked for us and we didn't stop walking from the departure 'lounge' right out to the Do228 which hopped across from Cambridge to AMS twice a day, and possibly also MAN.
The position of flight attendant was also limited by a certain height because of the somewhat cosy proportions of the 228.
But thiose days are long gone :sad:
*j*

[WHBM]

Scot have had a go at both Glasgow and Aberdeen in the past and pulled off due to low loads. Once bitten, twice shy.

There have been rumours about them doing Carlisle in the past, a market a bit like Dundee.

There's a longstanding rumour that Scot are financially breaking even but not generating speculative funds for expansion. Yes, Brian Souter, owner of Stagecoach buses, bankrolls them and is a regular commuter. Probably their greatest hope is that BA, who seem to be the weaker party on LCY-EDI, give up. Scot are one of my favourite carriers and I wish them to continue.

I once called their res centre (in Dundee I believe) as my secretary had booked me on the 7.00 flight in the evening instead of the morning. Absolutely no problem for them, quite the opposite from what you get from a major carrier. They have also reopened closed flights for me even though I was booked on the next departure. Proper service.

The "owners wife" is the formidable Merlyn Suckling, wife of founder Roy. She is their commercial director and is great to see in action when needed. She didn't actually cook the meals in their early days, but did organise it and I believe the cook used her kitchen at home. It was all featured in a BBC TV programme about 10 years ago called "Darling, let's start an airline". Scot do quite a lot of high-end ad-hoc charter work (their 30-seat Do328s are fast and have little competition), football teams, that sort of thing, and Merlyn tends to go along to see it all goes smoothly. They often seem to have a 328 standing at London City between such jobs nowadays.

[Blabbermouth]

I'm sure not long ago i seen something in one of the local paper saying that Scot-Airways had started to generate a profit after years of losing money. They did cut back on routes and a/c, but are now back up to 7/8 D328's. I think if i am correct that they do charters for most of the premiership teams. I know dundee have been after them to do a route elsewhere as well ?

[nickmanl]

...to the Do228 which hopped across from Cambridge to AMS twice a day, and possibly also MAN.


They used to operate from Luton to Amsterdam also up until 1996 and the start of easyJet's services.

[VHF FLYER]

Yep. My first flight as a passenger on a commercial flight was Cambridge - Amsterdam, probably early nineties. Night before the 7am departure she called us and asked us what we wanted for breakfast... Cambridge Airport was a dream - think the car was parked for us and we didn't stop walking from the departure 'lounge' right out to the Do228 which hopped across from Cambridge to AMS twice a day, and possibly also MAN.
The position of flight attendant was also limited by a certain height because of the somewhat cosy proportions of the 228.
But thiose days are long gone :sad:
*j*

Oh boy - you've just awakened a fond memory - Suckling Airways - did a number of Manchester -Cambridge flights in the 90s - absolutely superb - made a humble passenger feel like...well...a customer.
Long gone days - now we are just victims or even 'self loading freight':ugh: