Exeter-Luton New airline

[euroboy]

Reported in the local Luton newspaper a Frustrated rail commuter has lauched his own airline operating between Exeter-Luton. The new airline is called "Fly Now" and is being operated by a Cessna Caravan (dont ask me-I`m just cabin crew here) twin turbo prop carrying 9 paxs.
The fare is £239 return includes First Class rail fare between Luton and London.
The gentleman behind the airline says he does not see a problem filling the aircraft between Exeter and Luton but he is anxious to find new paxs who will fill the plane between Luton and Exeter whether business or tourists.
A spokeswoman at Luton Airport said we are talking to them about putting on a daily service, but we are still at negotiating stage.

Didn`t a service between Sheffield and London City start the same way as this?



[This message has been edited by euroboy (edited 11 May 2001).]

[Beanbag]

If he can only find passengers from Exeter to Luton but not back, presumably Exeter will depopulate pretty fast. Where are all these refugees from Exeter going? Does Ann Widdecombe have anything to say on the subject?

[EGTE]

Trial services were operated on Thursday May 3rd & 10th. The service is operated by Fly Victoria and Directflight using the Cessna F.406 Caravan II. The Exeter Express & Echo newspaper reported last week that regular services should commence in June.

The theory is that, by combining rail travel into central London from Luton Airport one can be in the City of London within 2 hours of departing Exeter. The usual train journey from Exeter to Paddington then tube to Moorgate takes at least 4 hours+.


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It's hard to soar with the Eagles when you work with Turkeys!

[Thrust-Bump]

Maybe they should get together with Euroceltic and make it worth their while. Right size aircraft (F27) for legs like this. Adjust the WAT-LTN timings and it all fits perfectly.

Maybe I should head off into Marketing !! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif

[Dorm32]

What about doing Luton - Liverpool, I used to use this route daily rather thean flying BA, Its now costing me a small fortune each day to get from the north to the south. Why does'nt the guy or anyone who reads this think about launching the route again, now that easyjey has pulled out. I flew daily on this route and the plane was at least 3/4 full on the morning and evening service. There is a market for it, easyjet just had to many flights per day thats why they said it was not working for them, they should had just cut it down to 2 per day.

[Natterjack]

Is Fly Now's code ENV? As a follow up to the original post, does anyone know what happened to the would-be airline which was intending to fly between PLY and London (LCY or STN) ?

With regard to the point made about a LPL-LTN service, perhaps GO should consider, now that they're expanding considerably, offering a twice-daily 733-operated service between LPL and STN. This would therefore allow LPL-LON commuters to reach the capital more quickly and cheaply, as opposed to flying from MAN or catching a train. Furthermore, the service would obviously allow customers' to connect at STN onwards into Europe.

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I spend most of my money on beer and women; the rest I just waste.



[This message has been edited by Natterjack (edited 11 May 2001).]

[Waltertight]

Directflight doing schedules in a twin caravan?? Would that be at 250' taking pictures of fishing boats along the way?

[speke2me]

The Liverpool-Luton service carried 230,000 passengers in the last 12 months before cessation. Most seemed to be business travellers - calling VLM or British European, surely there's a market for LPL-LCY? Or as others say Go! to STN would work and get up the nose of ezy which seems to be central to their marketing objective.

[Natterjack]

Speke2me:

What's your source with regard to Easy carrying 230,000 pax over 12 months on its LPL-LTN flights?

Does anyone know the following:

1. How many flights per day (weekday and weekend) did Easy operate from LPL-LTN?

2. What is Easy's seating configuration on its 733s?

Many thanks.

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I spend most of my money on beer and women; the rest I just waste.

[This message has been edited by Natterjack (edited 11 May 2001).]

[Vigilant]

Hi Guys

I don't think you will find that Directflight are operating this route! Its a Victoria Aviation setup.....

[OrsonCart]

http://www.fly-victoria.com/now!/default.htm

[Cyrano]

Natterjack:

Easyjet's 737s have 149 seats. Not sure how many flights they used to operate to LPL, but if you check the press release archive on their website you may find the info there.

[beaglepup]

Sorry peeps, but 'Stressed' BUT poor old EGGP to anywhere has gone for a ball of chalk
EZY "seem" to be doing OK at the moment, but BA, BM, et al have folded "toot sweet" so watch this space....

[EGTE]

Vigilant,

Yes, it's Fly Victoria.
Yes, it's Directflight's Cessna 406 G-FLYN!

[OLNEY 1 BRAVO]

Natterjack

easyJet used to fly LPL-LTN three times each day, although on occasions there were only two rotations at the weekend.

[callsign Metman]

I happen to know that a large, UK based weather forecasting company will be relocating, along with 1300(ish) staff, to Exeter by 2003.
Pax for the Cessna perhaps???

CM

[A Very Civil Pilot]

Look like they'll be able to get reliable met. ;)

[EGTE]

The Exeter to Luton service starts on Monday 11th June. It also routes from Luton to Manchester before returning to Luton and then Exeter.

It 'aint cheap either. Return from EXT to LTN & LTN to MAN is £239.00 & from EXT to MAN is £349.00

[LTN man]

See http://www.fly-victoria.com/linkair/default.htm for details.

[This message has been edited by LTN man (edited 09 June 2001).]

[machone]

Maybe that Directflight & Victoria are nearly the same????

[Wheels Welded]

Victoria Aviation?

Weren't they based out of Plymouth operating KingAirs before going bust last year?

I apologise if that is incorrect info, but there can't be too many companies operating under a similar name?!

[OrsonCart]

Who won the race staged for the media from Exeter this morning? Was it those who left for London by train, or those who left via the new air route?

A very professional crew this morning on ENV10.

[cossack]

Spoke to Endeavour 27 this afternoon inbound MAN. Nice to have another new service.
Expensive though isn't it? Don't know how many pax it will get on a regular basis. Best of luck to them!

[BozoUK]

As far as I know, Fly Victoria havn't flown King air's, but have a look at http://fly.to/airport.plymouth for more info on them. It has been known in various guises.

As for Fly Victoria and Direct flight being the same, they are seperate - Direct Flight are based at Exeter (among other airports) and operate a number of contract services such as the MAFF (soon to be ex-MAFF) Watchdog a/c - 406s at Exeter (228s at Newcastle I believe).

Fly Victoria (owned by Steven Oliver), in conjunction with ILS Air of Cambridge, and Anglo American Airmotive of Bournemouth operate charter services using their 406 and PA31. They do not have their own AOC, but use Direct Flights.

Fly Victoria has now joined with a new company based at Ilfracombe, N Devon called Link Air to launch the new scheduled service Exeter-Luton and Luton-Manchester using the 406. Again they are using Direct Flight's AOC. The cost is £239 return including Train from Luton to City of London.

First flight today had 3 pax outbound from EXT (unsure if paying pax) for first round trip - none outbound for second. Publicised targets are load of 60% after first 6 months ie. 6 pax per trip.

Phew...is that clear? <g>

I work for another charter operator in the South West - one of the first in the UK with the JAR AOC, so can't really comment too much on their operations - all of the above comes from their website or from their very heavily supported press releases.

[EGTE]

Bozo

When do Celtic West start their Alderney & Rennes schedules from EXT then? The CAA granted the licence applications ages ago.

[BozoUK]

Don't have firm dates - soon hopefully. It's a fine balance between running the service too soon, and losing money, but you need the service running to prove to potential customers that you are reliable.

Also, while businesses etc. say they need extra transport links...how many are actually prepared to provide some support?

However, there is a lot of interest in ad-hoc charters, due to the no VAT for foreign flights - about £120 per person if 7 pax flying EXT-GCI.

[This message has been edited by BozoUK (edited 12 June 2001).]

[dwlpl]

Natterjack

Official publicly available figures for the 16 months, Oct 1999 to Jan 2001, regarding the easyJet LPL-LTN route:

Oct 1999 to Dec 1999 = 49071
2001 Annual Total = 196841
Jan 2001 Total = 18320
Feb/March figures not yet available
TOTAL for 16 MONTHS = 264232

Frequency as follows:
Winter 1999 = 20 flights per week
Summer 2000 = 19 flights per week
Winter 2000 = 21 flights per week

EasyJet 737 configuration = 149 seats

Equates to average 70% (approx) load factor

[This message has been edited by dwlpl (edited 12 June 2001).]

[This message has been edited by dwlpl (edited 12 June 2001).]

[jetfueldrinker]

2 bits:-

Bit 1)

Regarding the LTN-EXT route, so far I have seen the aircraft but no pax. Maybe it is too soon to tell, but this route was hardly started with the blaze of publicity that easyJet began life with. Perhaps they need another Stelios to drum up business.

Bit 2)

It is a shame that the decision was made to pull the plug on the LTN-LPL service operated by EZY as it was quick and convenient, not to mention only 1/2 the price cahrged by Sir Richard's train set. We only used it twice and it was so good that we hoped it would stay for a bit longer. Now if we need to go north it is the good old car with all the trappings that the M1/M6 can throw at us.
reading through the thread, someone mentioned a load factor in the order of 70% for thr LTN-LPL route. That sounds quite good to a techy such as myself. Surely enough to more than break even? Perhaps we ought to get a petition going for Stelois to start operating it again!

[OrsonCart]

According to the local radio, sales for the Luton-Manchester are very good.

[jetfueldrinker]

OrsonCart, who is operating the LTN-MAN route? it may be feasible for us to use it, but when we go up north we go to the Wirral. Any help on this matter would be appreciated.

Yours in Pprune juice

JFD

[UhrCleared-Takeoff]

Fly Victoria is operating LTN-MAN-LTN

EuroCeltic is rumoured to be starting a LTN-LPL shortly.

[derbyram]

jetfueldrinker...a 70% loadfactor is good, so long each passenger is paying enough!