Serco's crumbling Empire
 

First Sheffield and Woodvale were lost, then West Freugh, and now Wattisham. Fat chance Norwich.

Looks like Serco's NATS hangover is proving very hard to shake off - pass the alkaseltzer someone:eek:

Where did it all go wrong?

The shares are at an all time low too, what's the chances now of the ATC division being shelved rather rapidly?

Discuss.

And just which NATS unit are you from?

They're not even very good at shifting my rubbish once a week either!!!!!:D :D :D

Have a good friend who works in high places at SERCO... From what I've heard many heads rolled over the NATS bid failure and it cost them a bundle.

This is why I took the rumours of SERCO buying into NATS now with more than a pinch of salt... once bitten and all that.

But hey... since when have I got it right?!?! :p

Just out of interest, who's running Wattisham now then, are the MOD employing the civi staff directly? Surely Safeways didn't get it?:eek: :rolleyes: :eek:

Wattisham
 

niknak me old - how come the name change?

Anyway - VT Aerospace got Wattisham, BUT - what they bid doesn't even cover the wage bill ;)

This being the same organisation who have said they have the flying hours to cover the JEFTS contract (they don't even have enough aircraft) and I think the Army have given it to a bunch of dreamers, who are about to get a nasty shock! (They've already asked MoD to reduce the days they fly at Woodvale as they haven't got enough ATC staff - the person they recently sent on the APP cse got chopped half way)

Expect to see changes in East Anglia before (or should that be if) they take over.

CM

Yo Chilli!:D
Heap big trouble in little China:p
VT eh?
Cor Blimey, I'm sure they'll do there best, but knowing some of the guys at Wattisham who stand for no nonsense, "there may be trouble ahead".
So which side has Bob P - B leapt to? :cool:
I can't see it lasting. :rolleyes:

I feel a need to put a couple of things right here.

Woodvale and Sheffield were both taken in house by the Airport operators in order to save money. At Woodvale, VTAerospace are now struggling to make an ATC provision, and Sheffield is to close in September.

West Freugh is also to close, indeed, the airfield already has, and the ATC staff are remaining to provide a service in the surrounding danger areas until a decision is made on these later in the summer.

Wattisham appears to have been lost by Serco, but mainly due to the severe under-bidding tactics of VTAerospace, who as Chilli mentioned, have not even correctly budgeted for staff costs during the contract term. It is not known yet how many, if indeed any, of the current Serco staff will elect to stay.

As for Norwich, well we'll all just have to wait and see.:)

The majority shareholding in Norwich Airport is currently up for sale, it has been/or will be advertised in the European Journal soon (and a select number of estate agents throughout Suffolk and Norfolk:D. Des.Res, inc. 600 acres of freehold land, close to local amenities, outline planning permission for change of use of management back to human beings {allegedly:p}).
Rumoured interested candidates are Peel, MAN PLC, and a consortium along the lines of 3i.

As soon as they can find anyone daft enough to buy it, the new owners will undoubtedly decide if they want to run atc themselves or not.:p

Legs11,

Have I undestood your post correctly? Is Sheffield (the Airport) to close in September 2002, or is it just their ATC that is closing, perhaps leaving just an Air-Ground service?

QNH 1013

Sheffield airport to close
 

SHEFFIELD AIRPORT IS TO CLOSE IN SEPTEMBER. :eek:

A bit OT I know but what's going to happen to EGSY?

Seems a shame cos it's a lovely little aerodrome. Never really a commercial proposition but it's always sad to see a runway disappear.

Spitoon - agreed, but it's an aerodrome constantly on the move, as it's built on what basically was a coal excavation site.
Last time I was there one of the VCR windows had a huge crack in it caused by the movement, and anxious eyes were regularly cast over the rest of the aerodrome.

As for the closure, does this mean my mate Indian Ben is on the loose? :p

Utter bollocks
 

You are all talking a load of bollocks

ChilliMonster - you poor misguided lamb - someone's obviously been winding you up with gossip again - I wonder who that could be???:D

VT Aerospace is a growing and dynamic company with a wealth of experience and resource. If you work for SERCO - unlucky - but hey Chillimonster - someone's got to!!!:D

VT Aerospace more than has the capacity to deliver the goods at JEFTS; will make a grand job at Wattisham - just as it has done at Wyton for yonks and is proving to do at Woodvale.

I've heard that they're up to full ca[acity at Woodvale and most of the controllers are getting further training - and that's not just hearsay like some of the rubbish posted on this topic.

Cut the nonsense - gossip is dangerous.

When I said sad to see a runway disappear I didn't mean .... like, really!

Pi Eta

No - not misguided. I just have VERY good sources of information - far higher up the food chain than you can imagine. (And it doesn't matter who I work for - I'm equally cynical about everything and everyone ;))

Maybe Woodvale Controllers have been offered extra training - but we all know that until they hold that rating with an associated CofC then they cannot contribute to the efficiency of the contract. How many APP qualified controllers are there with a valid CofC and how many are there meant to be. Bums on seats numbers might be right - but are they the right bums?

Wattisham - I've now heard the same figure in terms of the underbid from 3 different, independant sources. I believe the staff you'll have left when SERCO leave is 3 isn't it ;) With that in mind then you should be able to cover the wage bill - because the bid doesn't cover it over the 5 years of the contract with the correct staff establishment. What about the extras such as training and pension provision? They haven't even been factored in.

Onto the JEFTS contract - that POS known as the Tutor is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Unable to be flown in IMC, constant spares problems from Grob. Tell me - have they solved the problem where the ILS glideslope goes full deflection when you transmit on the UHF? Given the choice of that lightweight or the grunt of the Firefly and I know which one is a better aircraft for the task (and I'm probably more familiar with the products of Burkhart Grob than Slingsby). So, spill the beans - which Air Officer has been promised a seat on the VT board if it happens?

It might be worth pointing out the history of VT - in a previous life its ATC arm was called AIRWORK - anyone here remember the Boscome Down fiasco?

So Pi - toddle off back under your rock and don't come out again until you can say something which doesn't smack of company rhetoric.

Have a nice day :)

CM

BRAVO!!!

Well said CM.

Nice one Chilli!!!


PS - Say Hi to TK.

Bearing in mind this is a RUMOUR network...How about Southend to go 'in- house' soon?

Well said Chilli ;)

Mats - when you say Southend going in - house, do you mean "into a housing estate" or a "warehouse".:p