Royal Mail post contract

[cornishsimon]

Just steeling this from the Jet2 thread as this probably deserves its own thread

Newsroom (http://westatlantic.eu/Newsroom/2016/10/28/West-Atlantic-AB-publ-announces-new-expanded-contract-with-Royal-Mail-Group-Plc)

West Atlantic has been awarded a contract by Royal Mail Group (UK) to add additional aircraft to its network in 2017. The contract, which commences in January 2017, will run for a duration of five years and will consist of nine Boeing 737s and three British Aerospace ATP aircraft.

The award comes following a public procurement process during which Royal Mail conducted an extensive evaluation of solutions designed to support its domestic air network in the UK. West Atlantic was selected to be the sole provider of aircraft capable of carrying between 8-21 tonnes. Once fully implemented, the award will increase Group revenue by approximately 25% annually.

“We are delighted with the results of this tender process” says West Atlantic CEO, Fredrik Groth, “This award represents a significant commitment from Royal Mail Group to implement an extremely high quality network of dedicated cargo aircraft to support its world class delivery service for the next five years.”

Final contract will be subject to Board approval and is expected to be completed in the upcoming weeks.

Does anyone know the current setup. Locations and aircraft numbers etc v the new setup ?

Does the new contract represent addition or decreases flying etc etc etc

[ematom1]

Current Royal Mail setup at East Midlands is -
Jet2 - Newcastle 733QC
Jet2 - Edinburgh x2 733QC
Jet2 - Belfast x2 733F
Loganair - Inverness
Atlantic - Aberdeen ATP
Atlantic - Isle of Man ATP
Atlantic - Belfast 733F
Atlantic - Exeter 733F
Atlantic - Edinburgh 733F
Atlantic - jersey/Guernsey ATP
Atlantic - Bournemouth 733F
Atlantic - Cardiff ATP

[HH6702]

Jet2 didn't bid for the work so that makes the 9 x 737's

[AirGuru]

The CWL-EMA ATP has not operated for a considerable amount of time. Wonder whether this service will be reinstated in news of this ?

[ematom1]

Ahh I know when I worked there the loads were awful went out maybe 25% full and there was talk of sending it all by road so can't see it returning unfortunately, wonder if the loganair will be kept or changed to a ATP it always went out full!

[BFS BHD]

Atlantic - Belfast 733F

Atlantic service to EMA from BFS is currently on a ATP aircraft.

[El Bunto]

Jet2 - Belfast x2 733F ... Jet2 - Edinburgh x2 733QC One of each of those is currently provided by Titan, from Stansted. Callsigns are AWC2[A-D] and AWC11[JK] respectively. Airframes are G-ZAPZ and G-POWC. I assume this news also scuppers Titan's acquisition of additional 737s from former BA examples?

[possibleconsequences]

There are no Royal Mail services from Bournemouth, they stopped about a year ago leading to the cessation of night ATC cover and some redundancies.

[canberra97]

El Bunto

British Airways retired the last of their Boeing 737-400 aircraft in October 2015 and have since been either stored or scrapped.

Titan we're never looking to acquire any 737s from British Airways plus they weren't QC so no good anyway.

Plus the most important thing to remember is that Titan Airways are going to be an all Airbus fleet so no future needs for Boeings which they are gradually retiring from the fleet.

[Buster the Bear]

British Airways retired the last of their Boeing 747-400 aircraft in October 2015 and have since been either stored or scrapped.

BLIMEY! I think you meant 737-400! A bit of a difference.

[canberra97]

Obvious mistake sure I meant Boeing 737-400 I will correct it I don't want to look stupid, am pleased it was you Buster who picked up on the obvious mistake!

[strawberry Ribena]

Titan have a 737-400 on order according to this site.
Titan Airways Fleet | Airfleets aviation (http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Titan%20Airways.htm)

[El Bunto]

Indeed ex-BA B734 G-DOCY had its UK CoA restored in September this year courtesy of Titan, but I'm not convinced that it will ever escape from Victorville. In fact one of their current B733s is still on the open market for sale ( G-ZAPW I think, from memory ). Come February 2017 I expect both Jet2 and Titan to bail-out from all freight schedules.

[GrahamK]

IIRC, the ex G-DOCY is currently in FLL undergoing conversion to a freighter. Pretty sure there is another ex BA 734 undergoing the same freighter conversion

[El Bunto]

Interesting! Looks like Automatic took half the ex-BA fleet https://automatic.cc/2015/09/automatic-to-acquire-twelve-12-b737-436-aircraft-and-three-3-spare-cfm56-3c1-engines/ which are the ones allocated N-regs: FAA Registry - Aircraft - Make / Model Inquiry (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/MMS_results.aspx?Mmstxt=13844HC&Statetxt=FL&conVal=0&PageNo=1)

[Musket90]

Titan's G-ZAPZ was disposed of a while ago. They have two remaining QC's, G-ZAPW and
G-POWC

[El Bunto]

Yuo are of course entirely correct, not sure how I miskeyed that one given that ZAPW flies overhead most nights *doh*

[Bodgitandscarper]

Is there any truth in the rumour that Royal Mail are building a hub at Newquay airport and hoping to fly freight with Westatlantic from Newquay to EMA?

[SWBKCB]

The first post says the contract starts Jan 2017 - what's happened so far?

[inOban]

If you look on Flight Radar in the evening you find that there are several flights from Scotland with the new contract. Last time I checked there was still one Jet2.

[ematom1]

Jet2 still operating the 733QC between NCL & EMA, believe the rest have moved to west Atlantic at the EMA hub, bluebird have been operating for West Atlantic between EDI & EMA & believe the Belfast is soon going to a 734F

[cornishsimon]

Is there any truth in the rumour that Royal Mail are building a hub at Newquay airport and hoping to fly freight with Westatlantic from Newquay to EMA?
NQY mail flights wouldn't surprise me in all honesty. But it's not one Iv heard locally as yet.

However the aero hub enterprise zone at NQY does offer some very good incentives so you never know you might end up seeing regular freight flights

[inOban]

Just now there's an Atlantic landing at STN from EDI, while there's a Titan on its way to EDI.

[inOban]

While now there's both a Bluebird cargo and a Loganair heading for EMA, and the remaining Jet2 QC service is heading for STN

[TopGunTom]

I believe Loganair have renewed their contract very recently

[El Bunto]

I see Titan's G-POWC had a problem on the early Royal Mail run to Belfast last night and promptly returned to Stansted. West Atlantic subbed for them. Can't be much time left for Titan's work.

[Chesty Morgan]

And Jet2 subbed for WA on the EDI EMA.

[SWBKCB]

Any idea why NCL-EMA hasn't gone over yet?

[Jersey32D]

Is there any truth in the rumour that Royal Mail are building a hub at Newquay airport and hoping to fly freight with Westatlantic from Newquay to EMA?


There is indeed truth in this rumour.... Royal Mail are currently constructing a new mail distribution centre in Newquay... doesn't take a genius to figure the outcome.

[cornishsimon]

Where abhors in newquay ? Airport or town ?

[commit aviation]

From what I hear, Atlantic are a little short on aircraft at present so Jet 2 / Titan are being subbed in to assist. I think Jet 2 finish at the end of March on the Stansted routes but Titan continue until late summer.
The ATP routes from JER/GCI/NCL to STN all end with the clock change in March. I think the channel islands will operate to EMA instead but no idea what the plan is for NCL. Maybe the closure rumour is correct - I have no idea.

[Robert-Ryan]

Royal Mail are closing their Newcastle operation, I've read a head office memo stating as much.

[s_insania]

Looks like Loganair have the Highlands & Islands Royal Mail contract now too, having taken over from Benair very recently. Does anybody know if this was the result of a tender, seems strange that Benair would be removed after so long operating these flights? Has there been an increase in demand recently? I wondered why they were converting another two Saab's to freight type.

Sprint Air is currently subbing on the Aberdeen route until the 4th Saab goes to Sweden for freight conversion.

Current route network now looks like the below
INV-EDI-EMA-INV
INV-SYY-BEB-SYY-INV

Additional new routes from Benair
INV-KOI-INV
INV-ABZ-EDI-INV
ABZ-LSI-KOI-ABZ (operated by Sprint Air currently)

[cornishsimon]

West Atlantic to relocate CVT-EMA and are taking hangar space at EMA. Stands to reason when EMA sees lots of the traffic to be bases at EMA

Is there any further info knocking around about the proposed mail flights starting to NQY?

[canberra97]

Announced on 23 November 2017

23NOV2017
West Atlantic UK Ltd, the UK division of European cargo operator West Atlantic Group, has relocated its main operational hub from Coventry Airport to East Midlands Airport.

The freight specialist said in a statement the move was driven by a need to find increased space to accommodate its Atlantic Airlines (UK) (NPT, Coventry) unit's growing fleet of B737 freighters (six B737-300(F)s and ten B737-400(F)s) and the fact that many of West Atlantic’s customers are based at East Midlands Airport.

"We had outgrown our Coventry facility as it could no longer meet the demands and needs of our business," Nigel Hiorns, Managing Director for West Atlantic UK Ltd, said. "A new base is required due to the rapid expansion of our fleet, and our in-house maintenance capabilities especially as we prepare to launch new converted B737-800 freighters in February 2018.”

As such, the firm said it has leased 4,000 sqm of hangar space at the Leicestershire airport to be closer to its key customers, DHL Express and Royal Mail.

West Atlantic also offers aircraft maintenance services and aircraft leasing which will benefit other cargo operators that are located at East Midlands Airport.

[kcockayne]

Another nail in Coventry’s coffin?

[Wycombe]

new converted B737-800 freighters

Is that the first freighter conversion of the -800?

[munster]

https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/06/20/1026194/0/en/West-Atlantic-to-lease-four-737-800-Boeing-Converted-Freighters-from-GECAS-becoming-the-first-operator-worldwide-of-type.html