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Post by expressflight on Nov 22, 2014 8:30:21 GMT
It's rather disappointing that the 146 doesn't seem to have flown in the past three weeks. The two Cello aircraft have been fairly quiet too apart from a flurry of activity on both aircraft early this past week, including some BA flying out of LCY. Perhaps it's just a very quiet period in this particular marketplace. I'm surprised that the Jota website has still not been updated to include the 146 within the charter fleet. Plenty of activity on their twitter account promoting the aircraft though - let's hope the right people know all about it and it's presented to them professionally.
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Post by lordgumboiljnr on Nov 24, 2014 21:31:20 GMT
I also hope that Jota are approaching this market in the most professional manner and would have thought that the importance of the web-site far outweighed the their twitter account. Earlier in the year, I had dealings with the company in connection with a private matter and found their office practice to be severely lacking, in fact, awful. I could not help but think then, that I hoped they responded to prospective clients in more professional manner, for if not, what of their future?
Regardless of that experience, I really do sincerely wish them well with their new venture which, with the right business acumen, could herald an exciting new chapter, not just for them, but possibly Southend as well.
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Post by Thames Gateway on Nov 26, 2014 20:46:42 GMT
CAA Finally updated their AOC holders list showing JOTA with 146. CAA
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Post by expressflight on Dec 12, 2014 8:59:51 GMT
For the past three days the 146 hasn't been shown on the Jota daily availability list. It doesn't seem to have flown (according to FR24 data) so it's either on maintenance or they aren't able to crew it. I hope it's only the former.
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Post by expressflight on Dec 15, 2014 16:57:43 GMT
I'm told that the 146 is having complete interior refit. This is due for completion by mid-January so hopefully we can look forward to it flying more frequently after that.
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Post by tagron on Dec 17, 2014 8:08:22 GMT
Who is carrying out the refit, and where ?
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Post by expressflight on Dec 18, 2014 11:29:42 GMT
I don't know who is doing the refit. Benson Lund used to do that sort of thing and they are now a part of Ipeco so perhaps it's them. I understood the work is being done in situ with the aircraft at it's usual parking place on the north apron but perhaps someone at SEN can confirm that.
Edit: I understand the aircraft is sitting outside the old Harvest Air hangar northside.
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Post by expressflight on Jan 11, 2015 10:38:59 GMT
It seems as if the 146 is about to re-enter service following its interior refit. It carried out a local flight yesterday and I understand some charter work is booked for the coming week or so.
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Post by expressflight on Feb 7, 2015 11:50:42 GMT
I see that G-SMLA operated a LCY-EDI-LCY rotation for BA yesterday as a sub-service. Let's hope that is the first of many such flights for LCY operators.
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Post by EGMCfollower on Feb 7, 2015 12:06:47 GMT
I've also seen they are advertising for more BAE146 type rated captains and first officers.
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Post by Thames Gateway on Feb 10, 2015 16:54:33 GMT
I see JOTA have joined ERA (from ERA website):
ERA WELCOMES JOTA AVIATION INTO MEMBERSHIP ERA head office, UK, 9 February 2015: Jota Aviation*, the independently-owned specialist UK air charter and management company, is the latest airline to join the European Regions Airline Association (ERA). Based at London Southend Airport, Jota Aviation joins a further 51 European airlines at ERA.
Founded in 2009, Jota Aviation offers air charter services to the UK and Europe with passenger and cargo flights provided by Beechcraft King Airs and a BAe 146-200 configured with 95Y or 56C/11Y, available for ad hoc or ACMI charter flights. The company prides itself on its 24-hour, swift and professional approach across its services.
The acquisition of the BAe 146-200, ideal for European leisure and business destinations, is indicative of Jota Aviation’s intention to expand into the regional jet sector and Mike Sessions, commercial manager at Jota Aviation, believes that membership of ERA will support this strategy. “ERA offers its members an invaluable means of identifying and addressing common challenges faced by European airlines and is a strong and effective voice with Europe’s regulatory bodies in protecting the interests of regional airlines in Europe. These were key factors in our decision to join the association,” says Sessions.
Director general of ERA, Simon McNamara, notes: “The addition of Jota Aviation to ERA’s membership is great news. The airline embodies the ethos of ERA – a company with an entrepreneurial spirit intent on providing an important service for both the passenger and cargo markets in Europe.”
Hopefully this will add to the interest for the aircraft.
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Post by Thames Gateway on Feb 24, 2015 20:28:16 GMT
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Post by expressflight on Feb 25, 2015 9:06:48 GMT
The long-term success or otherwise of the Jota 146 venture will probably depend on their ability to attract regular sub-service work from the likes of BA and other LCY airlines. They operated an LCY-EDI sub-service for BA a couple of weeks ago but nothing since then, while Cello have operated numerous such services in the past week plus an Aurigny sub-service from LGW to GCI. It's obviously important that Jota present themselves to potential clients as professionally as they can and, with all due respect to Mike Sessions, his appearance in the Echo photograph in casual attire wasn't perhaps the best idea.
I fervently hope that the 146 is a commercial success for Jota and perhaps Andy might like to make another appearance on this forum with his thoughts.
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Post by tagron on Feb 27, 2015 8:41:04 GMT
There seems to have been a whole recent spate of BACF LCY subs, shared between Cello and WDL, the WDL rotations originating at DUS or FRA. But I understand the Jota aircraft also positioned yesterday to LCY for as yet unspecified work
Although the LCY work may be (hopefully) lucrative I suspect it will always be spasmodic, and it would be understandable if BACF, the major LCY user, may wish to maintain a choice of suppliers. For these reasons it seems essential that Jota are able to develop alternative revenue streams, certainly if they wish to increase the fleet size to more than one aircraft. It would be nice to think they could generate business from SEN itself, such as niche charter series. No doubt they already have a view on the likelihood of this happening .
And is there any news of their maintenance arrangements,in particular their base facility ?
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Post by expressflight on Feb 27, 2015 9:17:27 GMT
It operated an EDI and GLA rotation from LCY for BA yesterday, which is good to see, and returned to SEN late in the evening.
Edit: It looks as if Cello 146 G-RAJJ has suffered some damage at GCI on Monday after operating the Aurigny sub-service I mentioned the other day and it is still there out of service.
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