NEWCASTLE - 5

[Maude Charlee]

Mathers,

ATC never issue wind speed and direction in an attempt to put pilots off. They do it in borderline weather conditions like yesterday to ensure that the pilot has a clear and continuous picture of what is happening on the ground. As Welly has suggested, the situation changes constantly, and just because the weather may have been one thing 10 minutes or more previously when the airlfield weather was checked on the ATIS system, doesn't mean that it won't have changed by the time the aircraft is on final approach.

[transwede]

I believe many of the diversions NCL received were from MAN and DSA, where numerous problems had forced closure of airfields. Did see a few Thomsonfly a/c divert into NCL. So far in all the high winds which have been hitting the region lately, NCL has not suffered in terms of a/c diverting elsewhere.

I see work has begun on 2 new a/c parking stands, adjacent to stand 18. Anyone know how big they will be and if a/c such as 737-800 and 757 will be able to use them?

Does anyone have an idea of what a/c XL Airways will station at NCL for the coming summer season? I see from their website that they will operate a fairly hefty programme this year, compared with last. I thought Finnair would return but last rumour was 2 of their own 737-800 a/c. And next winter, should XL operate the current FJE schedule, would a full loaded 738 do a NCL-SSH?

[crewboi83]

transwede
i know other airline use the B738 to the likes of LXR, SSH, and HRG
But im sure XLA reduce the capacity on the B738 routes it used to do to Egpyt. Would be nice to make NCL a year round B757 base before they get rid of the rest of the 757s

[Jamesair]

JET 2 have increased frequency on the CORK route for summer 2007, adding a Saturday flight, making 5 weekly.

[Ops Guy]

Transwede: I see work has begun on 2 new a/c parking stands, adjacent to stand 18. Anyone know how big they will be and if a/c such as 737-800 and 757 will be able to use them?


I understand the two new stands will be only B737-800 size. They are due to be operational in April (hopefully). Stands 19 - 23 will all be re-numbered realigned and the taxiway lights will also be realigned. The Jumbo stand will be moved to where stand 23 area is! Hope this helps. :)

[postcard]

New stands operational mid May...

[nclairportfan]

SXF

Am surprised Jet2 haven't yet announced SXF following EZY's departure. In terms of numbers it did well (don't know about yield) and whilst it may not be suited to a daily flight it would be good 4/5 times per week.

CPH

Also, CPH would be a good move for any operator who uses smaller aircraft. BMI could have even had a W rotation with their LBA service! The numbers were good and as BMI codeshare with SAS this would have allowed connections at CPH.

BE

Still no news on BE and like others I think it will take a while for the 4 aircraft to arrive, especially with their current range of destinations. I just wish in the meantime they would sort the EXT service out with better early morning timings as currently a lot of people going to that area need to be there for meetings etc by 10am and have to take the EZY morning flight to BRS then car or train down to the EXT area.
Well, if and when BE do come with the 4 aircraft there is potential for a number of routes:
NCL - ABZ
NCL - NWI
NCL - FRA
NCL - TLS
NCL - BHX
NCL - CWL
NCL - EGC
NCL - CPH

In addition to the current EXT, BHD, JER, LIG and SOU. Oh well, wishful thinking!

EK

Does anyone have any news on how sales are going on the EK flight? The introductory fares are good, we just have to hope that they can continue to offer good value to and through DXB to keep attracting the pax. Hope all goes well and this route is a success!

[Wellington Bomber]

nclairportfan


You list potential for routes with BE, what I do find strange is that 3 of the routes are already well served by EASTERN. why do you want to duplicate routes rather than offer new ones. Or have you any grievance with Eastern I wonder.

If you are a NCL fan, then why not support an airline that is already supporting the airport

[mathers_wales_uk]

nclairportfan


You list potential for routes with BE, what I do find strange is that 3 of the routes are already well served by EASTERN. why do you want to duplicate routes rather than offer new ones. Or have you any grievance with Eastern I wonder.

If you are a NCL fan, then why not support an airline that is already supporting the airport

But the NCL - CWL route is popular by eastern but it's a first class service and too expensive for lot of the passengers to travel, and theres no sign of adding more flights to newcastle after removing the Cardiff - Brussels twice daily from CWL

:ok:

[nclairportfan]

I have no grievance with Eastern, I have used them and think they are wonderful. There service has also been excellent and I am partial to a glass of champagne! However, just to explain why I mentioned those routes:

BE are well known for targetting T3's routes. T3 has it's place in serving thinner, business orientated routes but, for example when they took over the CWL route pax numbers decreased because of their fares. I don't believe that CWL, ABZ and BHX should be used so thinly and I think it will take someone like BE to shake up the market slightly. Look at SOU, we have both T3 and BE and pax numbers have soared.

BE also mentioned in a news article some time ago that ABZ and BHX were options if aircraft are based at NCL and with them starting some flights out of CWL this would add an extra argument for them to start NCL-CWL or vice versa.

In addition, T3 can probably not sustain some routes in the very long term. Businesses are getting more and more tight about their travel budgets, and in some cases are making their staff take the cheapest option - even if that means the train or car. Gone are the days when many businesses will pay £300 return to BHX when you can get first class train tickets to Birmingham for under £100 if you book a few days in advance.

[Wellington Bomber]

Ncl airport fan

If BE did a once a day service to NCl from Cardiff the businessman/woman would still have to stay overnight in a hotel and the company would have to pay for meal costs and maybe subsidence for being away from home, Your savings are gone from the cheap air fare.

Plus business men/women book at late notice for business trips and the airfares for booking BE or T3 are very similar the day before, why saturate a route and kill it. There are plenty of routes BE could start from NCL. CPH for example Germany and France, where Eastern do not operate to and they would have no competition. Why start another battle with another airline, they are already in battle with EZY at Bristol and Baby at BHX

[HH6702]

Expect to see so route annoucments in the next few days
:) :) :)

[crewboi83]

From what airline?

[Northern Hero]

Eastern pulling the LCY route, :uhoh:

[Northern Hero]

There still seems to be no word on Menzies Aviation? Was it just a rumour?

You quite sure it's Menzies, transwede ? I'm not ! ;)

[mmeteesside]

Eastern pulling the LCY route, :uhoh:

Last flights are this Friday, 26th January according to Eastern's booking engine

[NCL1]

anyone else heard the rumours about a new charter based at ncl? i hope its fca, doubt it but hope so! we need something to brighten the place up!

[heslop2006]

Well if it is a UK charter then from the top of my head the only ones not based currently at NCL are FCA or Astraeus

[mmeteesside]

I can't see it being FCA, remember they already have a base at NCL, just TCX do all the flying for them, so I guess if FCA were to base an aircraft at NCL, then TCX would only have 1 based rather than 2!

[heslop2006]

It could be Monarch in that case.

[airhumberside]

Why have Eastern not been able to make LCY work - is it their flight times. The first departure seemed a bit late in the morning for business passengers (I guess due to slot availability at LCY)

[transwede]

I very much doubt that a new charter unit from an airline not yet at NCL is likely. All of the charter flying is already undertaken by based units currently at NCL. For example, most of the Thomas Cook's group of flying is undertaken by TCX, same for Thomson and TOM, Airtours/Aspro by MYT and smaller companies such as Olympic, Freedom and Kosmar is operated by XL Airways and Flyjet. Besides the odd flight charter out to a foreign carrier, there is no other charter holiday company with a big enough programme to sustain a based unit. However, as always I could be wrong. Both Monarch and First Choice used to have a base at NCL, FCA closed theres and went into co-operation with TCX and Monarchs only lasted a season?!

FlyBe

There are many potential destinations that BE may well introduce when they get a/c at NCL (if?). I do think that some routes could well be duplicated with the likes of T3. I would think, that along with flights to leisure detsinations in France, ABZ is a high possibility, as is BHX and possibly some EU business centres. Low fares offered stimulates more people to travel, hence the success of many loco airlines from regional airports.

Shame about T3 ceasing services to LCY. Maybe VLM will get a hold of the route and make a go of it?

Northern Hero All the talk was about Menzies, who else could it be? Aviance, Flight Support? That wink tells me you're in the know!;)

[skyman771]

Listening to a local radio an advert from a certain 'NCL scheduled carrier' this morning it is clear that the 'gloves are off' and that they at least are not going to stand by and let EK have it all their own way as regards eastbound longhaul. Competition is always good but attacking a new route with a DXB for £329 & other long haul destinations at remarkably low prices certainly puts the pressure on.:hmm:

[jongeman]

skyman771

Which airline? Does this mean that BA are about to start offering free NCL-LHR transfers? They did this years ago from MAN, in so far as connections from other domestic points were charged, but MAN departures were complimentary. Business is business I know, but this was pretty unsavory behaviour.

[gms1991]

Etihad or Qatar?

[johnwalton]

BA, KL and AF have all reduced their fares

[gms1991]

BA, KL and AF have all reduced their fares

Why would anybody in their right minds travel between NCL and DXB through three of the worlds busiest airports to save a couple of quid?

Emirates are one of the best airlines in the world offering excellent service and great IFE. Yes, BA, KL and AF are also extremely respected airlines, but surely they cannot presume that anybody will transfer through LHR, AMS or CDG. They can't drop there prices low enough for the inconvenience!

Anyway, can't the three carriers fill their planes up anyway? London, Paris and Amsterdam are three HUGE cities, why has Newcastle come to their attention?

[OltonPete]

gms1991

The answer is simple, MONEY!

Mrs OP quite fancied Dubai around her 40th with our two youngsters
and as my local (BHX) has two daily flights direct you would think
that there would be few problems.

Big problem! A certain European airline operating via a busy European
hub with several flights a day from BHX were £500 cheaper not
a couple of quid.

Now we are not a poor family but I certainly cannot afford to give
away £500.

Mind you I don't think EK need my £££'s at the moment with over
29000 pax in December 2006!

Mr OP did not like the idea of changing aircraft and we have
changed our plans completely.

Good luck to NCL - great service to get.

OP

[nclairportfan]

LCY Sure is bad news about T3 stopping LCY though with the pax numbers being as low as they have been it isn't a complete surprise and they have been reducing frequency for a little while now. VLM may be able to make it work, better fare structure and they also offer connections at LCY to destinations such as Rotterdam and Antwerp - who knows?

Wellington Bomber I work for a large organisation and we frequently use flights out of NCL. Airlines like BE, BA, KL, AF recognise that in order to continue to attract organisations like the one I work they need to offer discounts to encourage my employer to use them (normally in the way of special rates and lounge access even if flying on a cheaper ticket etc). T3 as far as I am aware have not negotiated any such deals and are losing out. I would doubt BE would announce CWL on a once daily basis, the pax numbers stacked up when 6G were doing the route 3 x daily. If BE did announce it I can certainly see it being twice daily initially, at key times to attract the business and leisure pax.

As a business person I recognise that occasionally I need to fly at the last minute but actually meetings are generally planned several weeks in advance and the more senior you are, the more planning goes into your diary commitments. Consequently, I know where I will be for the next month and although it will no doubt be subject to minor changes here and there, my flights, train tickets etc are booked up until mid February at the moment.

I have to justify my spend on travel these days, as do most managers, and if my team came to me and said they wanted either me or them to fly T3 to BHX for £327 return, I'd tell them to get the train for £150 or hire a car!

I have no axe to grind against T3, like I say they're a great little airline but ABZ, CWL and BHX are prime for someone like BE to come in and take over without much fuss. I'm sure T3 will survive, as they have done for some time and find other marginal, business orientated routes to run.

[aeulad]

Cimber to operate CPH in their own right?

Regards

Mike

[go-egnt]

What happened to this press statement that was going to happen today?

Is almost 12.30 now, don they usually release them early in the morning?

[transwede]

XL Airways NCL-ZTH Summer 07

Does anyone have an idea of where this flight does a W pattern into? It leaves NCL at 0500 and doesn't return until 2310?!

Good news about Cimber and NCL-CPH!

[paul atkins]

hey there is a xl arriving around 1pm from zante and departing at 1440pm to zante down here at ema could this be that flight cheers paul



Continued on: http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?p=3081406#post3081406