BAC finished at NWI???

[slot misser]

Emerald Airways have recently won the NWI-STN contract from BAC Express.

Rumour has it that BAC have now also lost the NWI-EMA-LPL-NWI route.
Anyone know if this is true??? And if so to whom? :confused:

[niknak]

Allegedly, Emerald have also won the sh - nx - gp - sh route, and will use SH36 aircraft on this and the sh - ss - sh route.

The Norwich - Stansted a/c goes onto Bristol and Exeter, with the later, inbound flight (a different a/c) doing TE - GD - SS - SH.
It'll be interesting to know if (as I assume that they have) Emerald have the entire route.

Both flights operate on strict time penalties, failure to meet them means big fines from Royal Mail, so I hope that Emerald are up to it.

[slot misser]

Thanks niknak. That RS? :D

[Air Mail]

Doesn't really matter as all Post Office flying will probably cease in Oct 2003 for Emerald, BAC and Channex. (Unless they all re-equip with 146's!)

[LGW Vulture]

Air Mail....

Am I just thick or without knowledge?

Why do you mention re-equipping with the one four sick?
Is this common knowledge or do you know a little more than most?

[Air Mail]

LGW Vulture,

No inside knowledge - only talking to several post office ramp supervisors around the country.

Consignia's (or is it The Royal Mail's as of today?!) Transport Review is due to be in place and implemented by the end of October 2003. Talk on the ramp is huge loss of manpower (30,000 people on the news today) as containerised aircraft are introduced flying between only about 5 airports.

Hope this helps.

Airmail.

[niknak]

Zoru , far be from me to steal Slot Misser's thunder, but I heard it from a "very close friend" of a BAC pilot who flies out of NWI.
It appears that Emerald have both routes.

As for the other comments about Consignia/Royal Mail reducing the number of mail flights - I don't know about other areas, but the flights to/from Norwich make a lot of money for the Royal Mail. Also, it's the only way that the royal Mail can guarantee next day delivery to East Anglia.
There have already been very very serious enquiries from other "mail operators" about operating such a service if the Royal Mail ever gave it up, one of whom is based in the next landfall site east of the Norfolk coast.

[slot misser]

zoru,

Working at a tin-pot little airport such as NWI the rumour machine tends to enter overdrive at times as the staff have nothing better to do!!

This aside, the information originated form several different sources. The substantiating arguement came from none other than the Royal Mail/Consignia/Royal Mail supervisors' who seem fairly certain that Emerald will operate exclusively from NWI.

Whether or not this is true we shall just wait and see. After all, it is just a rumour.....

[cargo_alf]

heard from postal workers in leeds and manchester that the lpl postal operations are under review, and most likely going to be stopped in a major overhaul by the p.o. since there further cuts announced last week, which was a shocker to them cos its one of the largest in the country, dunno if its true but could mean quite a lot of changes a head

[Roger de Rofton]

Next day delivery, in East Anglia....Yeah,right. In fact the postal delivery service (could've changed their name again,see) only guarantee something like 90 and a bit percent next day on first class mail. Enquiring on an expected letter that hadn't arrived after 4 days, I was told that if it was second class they don't consider it late unless it takes more than 5 days to get there.

On the subject of Emerald et al losing the mail contracts, I don't know specifics but I have heard through the grapevine that the Post Office were looking to upgrade to 8 tonne a/c, which would leave BAC,Emerald etc out in the cold unless they spend a bit of loot on upgrading.

RdR;)

[canberra]

i wouldnt be suprised if ,with a few exceptions royal mail bin all their mail flights. they are also planning to get rid of all the travelling post offices. i worked for a short time for an airline that had mail contracts and one of the post office supervisors said that as part of their cost cutting the planes and trains would almost certainly go. i have to ask the question why is it so difficult to get the mail to east anglia? its less than 100 miles from london.

[Roger de Rofton]

canberra,

Don't know specifically about East Anglia, but was commenting in general and therefore it's as unlikely in EA as anywhere else that all first class mail will be delivered next day.

RdR

[canberra]

its not exactly aviation related, but it is difficult to get mail to east anglia. when i was stationed in lincolnshire i remember beeing in the post office and looking at the map that shows latest posting times, to get your letter to norwich the next day you had to post it by 4pm. if you wanted it in aberdeen it was 8 pm, work that one out, my dad was a postman and he couldnt!!