News of the EAC(L) 747's

[acrmacgrath]

does anyone have any info on the 747 beoing that eac(L) have bought or leasing. re the config?, crew etc?

many thanks

[The Guvnor]

I suspect that they have bought themselves a bit of a pig in a poke, as we say here. It will be recalled that BA deactivated the overwing exits, which means that the maximum number of passengers that can be carried is significantly less than those on 'whole' aircraft.

This means that the cost per seat being quoted by them is likely to be a fair bit more than that of competing aircraft - especially ones like Corsair's B747-300 which apparently has an eye-popping (and DVT inducing) 580 seats!

[raitfaiter]

I suspect that sticking to tristars might be better for you guv, the overwing exits are restored in a matter of a couple of days.....even when HAECO have supposedly lost the parts. Even with the overwing exits not in use, the maintenance pales in comparison to keeping a rusty old trijet up to the JAA standards.......... :D

[chipstick]

I'm sure Stoddard will make money on his latest venture. One is to be a VIP ship where capacity constraints don't matter. He does after all put his money where his mouth is. :p

[The Guvnor]

Chipstick - OK, so he'll charter that to Minardi and swap money between companies as usual ... but if he thinks he can make a commercial success of the VIP config he needs to talk to Air Atlanta who did one (marketed with great fanfare by Air Partners as a Concorde replacement[!!]) - they flew the grand total of ... zero flights with the thing and it was quietly returned to its normal config.

Air Atlanta also operated with somewhat more success an SP, which was much favoured (and much trashed) by various rock bands.

[spud]

Well Guv, he made a commercial success out of a VIP config' BAC 1-11.
Maybe when your first Tristar turns it's first fan commercially you can snipe but until then Mr S' is well ahead of you in the credibility stakes.
Merry Christmas

[Andy P]

Gatwick Trolly-FYI the config of the EAC B747's is 16J424Y-TTL440 seats.

Guv - ref Air Atlanta flying zero flights with their B747 VIP a/c, I'm afraid you are incorrect because the broking company I worked for at the time chartered the aircraft for a five day trip to BGI obo of a wealthy Irish businessman. I also know of at least three other flights that this aircraft operated while in VIP config.
It maybe that Air Partner did not fix any flights on this aircraft, as they did try to tell the market that the aircraft was exclusive to them. However, Air Atlanta, had other ideas......

Come the summer all will be revealed, but things look healthy for the B747 classic market.

[ 20 December 2001: Message edited by: Thor's Twins ]

[ 20 December 2001: Message edited by: Thor's Twins ]</p>

[Enter after the Virgin]

<a href="http://www.airpartner.com/res10/22.htm" target="_blank">B747-VIP</a>

[gulf-crew]

Just Had interview for them at Manc. Money is not very good 1.50 per hour flight pay and 2% commission (say no more)

1 a/c is to be used for Hadj flights starting Jan out of africa most crew ex Air Atlanta Manc base who were layed of after the season.

1 other a/c to be used as vip for Minardi team with charter to KL and Aussie soon.

They have only one experienced cabin crew member in the company and the CC manager has no idea about the 747 at all. Cant expect much of a vip 747 unless they get someone in with experience of handling vip flights.

Will wait and see.
<img src="eek.gif" border="0"> <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

[The Big Easy]

Gulf-Crew

So its the Hadj then ? ?

[speed check]

60 flight engineers so far interveiwed .Nearly all ex BA.guys and virgin. Results awaited but money tight (£1-50 Hour)and base is manchester.
First A/C up and flying in jan man-orlando +
charters <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[RegionalFlyer]

Whilst the flight pay is low at just £1.50 an hour, do take into account the likely length of trips. EAAC operated the 73's in Sciliy during the summer, with crews downroute for up to a month at a time. You'd think that you would be away even more on the 74's. Expect the F1 crews to be away for entire Grand Prix Season!

[sky9]

It won't be "flight pay" it will be allowances in leu of food and more than likely taxable. Try feeding yourself for £21.60 a day.

[RegionalFlyer]

I believe it's tax free. Unless that's the figure after tax.

[411A]

As you can see guys, the "big bucks" have disappeared from the airline business....execpt for the owners and managing partners. Except of course in the USA where we have the likes of UAL paying big time for flight crew salaries....and in the debit column by $10 million/day..... Surprise, surprise.

[evolante]

Stop Press.......

Apparently there was an 'emergency' board meeting at EAL on Friday 21 Dec, the topic being what to do with four of the five B747's as there is deemed to be insufficient work for the a/c

Anyone at EAL care to comment?

[OPS GIMP]

THATS FUNNY AN EMERGENCY MEETING WITHOUT THE CHEIF EXECUTIVE... UNHEARD OF!
4 x 747s !!!??? BY THE AMOUNT OF CREW TALKED ABOUT BEING EMPLOYED EAL MIGHT BE A BIT BUSY OVER THE FUTURE MONTHS ....
:)

[The Guvnor]

A few mistakes here ... a new 747-400 goes for an eye-popping US$250m (see Boeing's website); and the BAC1-11s have all been retired from EAC. Anyone spot any other errors? <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

[quote]F1 boss buys BA jumbos on the cheap
DOMINIC O’CONNELL

PAUL STODDART, owner of the Minardi Formula One racing team, has bought five Boeing 747s from British Airways.

While the price of the deal has not been disclosed, it is understood Stoddart paid a total of just $5m (£3.5m) for the aircraft, which were retired by BA as part of plans to cut capacity.

One of the aircraft will be used to fly Minardi personnel — as well as journalists and sponsors — around the grand prix circuit. One is to be broken up for spares. The other three will be used for charter work. They will be operated by European Aviation, Minardi’s sister company, which runs a fleet of charter aircraft.

The price paid by Stoddart has raised eyebrows in the airline community. Although the aircraft are between 22 and 24 years old, they are regarded as well-maintained, and have been among the mainstays of BA’s long-haul fleet. The sticker price for a brand new 747 is about $150m.

European Aviation could not be reached for comment on the use of the aircraft, but aviation industry sources said that one would be based in Manchester working for Club Travel 2000, the cheap-flights specialist.

Two others will be used for ad-hoc charter work, including troop and cargo flights for the Ministry of Defence.

Stoddart made his start in aviation in Britain in 1993 with a similar deal when he bought BA’s fleet of BAC 1-11 aircraft — many of which are still flying for his company. <hr></blockquote>

[Noddy Staltern]

EAL have in fact bought a sixth ex-BA 747. One will be broken for spares, and 5 will be flying.

[OPS GIMP]

Just for info Guv
3 x 1-11s still in operation, in fact one is just on finals at Bournemouth now.
:)

[The Guvnor]

Ops Gimp - thanks for that correction. Apologies then for getting that wrong ... thought that all the BACs had been grounded and crews laid off (per the various threads on the subject)?