Lithuanian A320s based at LHR ?
 

Anyone know what this is about? Lithuanian A320s based at LHR from March 2013:

Jobs with Avion Express

They will most likely have red tails. Does that tell you what you need to know?

Lithuanian A320s
 

How about LHR- MAN, LHR-EDI, LHR- GLA and LHR-ABZ for a starter?

There is no LHR-GLA route.

It is rather sad to see an iconic brand outsource to a foreign operator, I fear it will not be a smooth arrangement... :(

Why wouldn't they outsource the flying?

Think of all the hassle in setting up essentially a new airline just for 3 years worth of flying.
After 3 years Virgin will strip the slots for other routes.

Am I missing something or does everyone else see this coming too?

I thought the woolley pulley beardy weirdy liked to think of his airline as
Britains flag carrier, yet here we are importing cheap foreign labour.

and whatever happened to 4 engines for longhaul?:yuk:

What is it with newbies who do not read the f:mad:g posts correctly... :ugh:

Zacbranigan:
I would suggest when reading Meeb's retort the operative word is 'foreign'. It is not an issue of outsourcing but simply who it's going to! Another post above highlights the issue of foreign cheap labour. Reminds me of Indian call centres and the controversy surrounding them, there are many UK based airlines that could have done the work, but as always in this game the bottom line is money!

What is it with this forum? 10 posts in and there's a slanging match going on, and almost no discussion of the original point!

Avion Express A320
;)

Aviaon express is doing this with more companies:

WOW- Iceland
Cosmo- Spain
Now another airline in the UK

Cheap operation in northeast europe...

Yep the bearded one will no doubt already have his excuses lined up for why he will pull the routes and instead switch them to long haul which lets face it is where the money is.

EFTA etc
 

All these bloody foreigners. Lobby your MP for UK to leave EFTA, EASA and EU. That way you could control who flies in and out of UK. But hey, that would stop Easy and a few other companies from flying intra-European routes and put a few of your fellow citizens out of a job flying with continental European companies. Can't have it only your way chaps, you are part of a bigger scheme like it or not.

Virgin may want to convert these slots for LH, but since they are BA slots, given up at the order of the EU, on specific routes, I imagine that *should* not be possible.

As for contract pilots, I can't believe the VSCC are happy with this?

Pretty sure I read that the slots have to be run as is for 3 years under some EU ruling. After that time period all bets are off.

What's that sound ? That's right, it's the sound of nothing as the VSCC roll over and have their bellies tickled (again). Come on guys, show some balls and make some noise !

Contract flying
 

Can't VS find any British qualified A320 crews for these operations? Probably more to the point is that Yes there are British crews there but VS don't want to pay their salaries.

Gentlemen, reality check. VAA need feeder routes since this was mostly carried out by BMI. They now become attractive to Star Alliance as they can offer onward UK travel.

As for who does it, it was always going to done by an outside agency; so if you're in the business of making a fledgeling short haul outfit pay, or lose as little as possible on start up, then you would go for the best deal around.

As for stripping slots in 3 years time, i refer you to the above. Yes slots may be changed around and swapped with some other existing VAA long haul slots. But at the moment VAA are not in an expansion mode. Nairobi has been canned and i would guess Accra won't be far behind.

VAA need, no are desperate for a feeder outfit - fact.

Dan Air 87

Make your bet which pilots this ad in Flight International for LHR base could be aimed at? No doubt Armenians or Kenyans?