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Heliport News
Cornwall Council has approved plans to build a supermarket on the site of the British International Helicopters (BIH) terminal in Penzance, west Cornwall. The application by Sainsbury's would also enable the heliport to be relocated to St Erth. Sainsbury's said the proposed project would create up to 400 new permanent and part-time jobs. The news has been "welcomed" by Tony Jones, the managing director of British International Helicopters. Mr Jones said: "It's a very important first stage in making sure the helicopter service can survive long term." The BIH announced in March 2010 it had done a deal with Sainsbury's for the Long Rock site. BIH said it must sell the current heliport in order to survive and use the proceeds from the deal to buy new aircraft and bid for new business. Sainsbury's said it would provide a park-and-ride scheme, petrol station and business units, in addition to the supermarket. On Tuesday protesters campaigning against the new heliport site challenged BIH to prove they would not be badly affected by noise. |
In a nutshell, BIH wishes to sell the Penzance site to raise capital for new aircraft. It agreed a deal with Sainsbury's and was intending to move the service to Lands End airport. The Isles of Scillies Steamship Co who own Lands End airport and from where Skybus operate Islanders and Twin Otters to St Mary's on the Scillies initially said yes and then no.
BIH now plans to build a new heliport parallel with and east of the A30/railway line just south of the railway station at St Erth and have published plans. They hope to move to St Erth in 2012 and the service will continue from Penzance until then |
All's well that (lands) ends well ;)
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Not yet...they have to get planning permission at St Erth and the natives are restless!
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BIH
What new types of aircraft are they going for..? Are they phasing out the S-61's..?
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Amid all the rumours/facts that have been circulating locally, the only one I have heard about aircraft is that the money may be used to purchase aircraft for other parts of the company.
The S61/payload/route/weather/summer-heavy year-round demand is just about the perfect combination, (allowing for a slight shortness of breath in the summer)., for a helicopter which is why the service has been so successful. Its difficult to see any aircraft replacing the S61 until rising spares costs prices the 61 out of any market. An educated guess, I have no current inside info. |
Tweeted by Radio Scilly today:
"BIH have withdrawn their planning application for a heliport at St Erth citing unresolved concerns amongst local residents as the reason. They say they will continue to fly out of Penzance until June 2012 and have the option of using Newquay if necessary." |
We were Told Last Shift that they will be Operating out of Newquay from around April i think until a More Suitable Airfield / Premises are found.
It was in the News just Recently. |
S-61 Scillies Route
I'm heading over to the Scillies shortly on the S-61 route from Penzance, I last used this service in 1973 or so ! It occurs to me the S-61s are getting relatively long in the tooth and wondered what might reasonably replace them on the St. Mary's and Tresco routes. As far as I'm aware the Super Puma carries less than 20pax.
The transfer of the service - presumably on a temporary basis - from next summer to Newquay is going to put additional pressures on the operators in view of the distances involved . I would be interested in the views of those of you who obviously know a great deal more about this subject than me. |
As far as I'm aware the Super Puma carries less than 20pax. |
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