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Post by southendobserver on Jul 7, 2008 19:23:41 GMT
28.06.08
Air fares will increase and flights will be scrapped as some of the Channel Islands’ biggest airlines suffer from the increasing cost of fuel, the Jersey Evening Post reports.
Aurigny, which runs 170 flights between Jersey Airport and Guernsey per week, has announced that it has increased fares by about 5%. Blue Islands says it will cancel ‘two or three’ of its daily flights between Guernsey and Jersey and increase fares on longer routes. And Flybe, the Channel Islands’ biggest carrier, may cut the number of flights to and from Jersey in its autumn and winter schedule.
The announcements come as Jersey Airport increases its security costs. Passengers face paying another 12.5% rise in security charges at the airport from the beginning of September. It will be the second increase this year and will mean that the security charge has risen by 47.5% since the beginning of January.
Hopefully this won't effect SEN flights. Seems a bit of a confused and mixed up article however, but does give a snapshot of the difficult times in the industry.
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Post by Humberside on Jul 8, 2008 8:58:44 GMT
No SEN-JER this winter, but thats normal
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Post by southendobserver on Jul 9, 2008 15:15:27 GMT
Be nice for some ski flights from FlyBe, could be very lucrative.
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Post by Humberside on Jul 9, 2008 15:23:27 GMT
Ski flights could be a good idea - if not Flybe maybe a charter for Inghams and/or Crystal? Innsbruck with Austrian Arrows or Switzerland?
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Post by expressflight on Jul 10, 2008 7:09:24 GMT
Ski flights would be very nice, but I cannot really see them as a realistic prospect at the moment.
What incentive is there currently to move the existing departure points in the London area to SEN? Once the rail station is a reality, maybe, but an uncategorized ILS on 24 only is not a very enticing prospect for winter ops. No, I reckon we may have to wait for the runway extension and improved approach aids before we see Chambery or Innsbruck on the departure boards.
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Post by southendobserver on Jul 10, 2008 15:57:09 GMT
That ILS is a problem. Could be a reason for FlyBe being less eager to expand any flghts. Let's hope that the buyer of SEN will see that improvemnets to infustructure like that are needed now.
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Post by Guest on Jul 10, 2008 16:42:31 GMT
I don't think the ILS on 24 is a problem. If there's a problem, it's the lack of an ILS on 06. Although I agree that it's unlikely that ski flights will happen before the station and runway extension are in place, I'd bet that if an enterprising company organised a weekly flight to somewhere like Geneva during the winter, the locals would fill it. Hopefully, if/when new owners take over the airport, they may be able to persuade someone like CityJet to position one of their RJ85's down from LCY for a Saturday pm departure to a ski resort, after all, LCY is closed from 12:30 Saturday until 12:30 Sunday. Unlikely to happen, but it would certainly give the place a boost!
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Post by southendobserver on Jul 10, 2008 18:12:36 GMT
Another possibility would be FlyBe. They offer quite an extensive network of winter ski flights. Mabye they could try some ski flights on a charter basis (like with the SEN-JER originally.) I agree in that the locals will fit in, as a said in a previous post, It could prove very lucrative.
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Post by Humberside on Jul 10, 2008 20:38:40 GMT
Or Darwin Airlines or Flybaboo from Switzerland. I dont think finding suitable airlines will be the problem for any ski charters, its convincing a ski tour operator to take a gamble
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Post by expressflight on Jul 11, 2008 7:00:52 GMT
I agree with Guest's comment regarding the lack of ILS on 06 being a limiting factor, but this will be resolved if the runway extension plans go ahead. No doubt there are numerous airlines who could operate ski flights from SEN but, apart from Flybe who might operate such a route in their own right while selling blocks of seats to tour operators, they will only do so at the behest of a tour operator such as Inghams. Are they really interested in offering flights from SEN as well as STN for example? SEN simply doesn't appear on the tour operators' radar at present and I cannot see it doing so unless all the current development plans become reality and/or they receive large numbers of requests from potential clients to add SEN as a departure point.
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Post by Humberside on Jul 11, 2008 8:22:05 GMT
SEN isn't on the radar but how aware are tour operators of SEN? While the charter business will only ever be minimal, once the new owners are settled in it may be worth setting up a couple of meetings with tour operators to make them aware of SEN - London area, small airport (which some passengers appreciate). Maybe they will say not interested, or come back when you've developed the airport more, but SEN needs whatever it can get to gain critical mass
The hardest thing though will be getting the next regular service - scheduled or charter. Flybe is really just a continuation of the one remaining flight SEN from when it was a lot busier. Once someone has made the gamble to try and SEN, and if it is a success, then that will help to attract others
Are Flightline still doing charters out of STN - if so that would be a logical place to start - try and get them to use SEN. I know the customer may prefer STN but Flightline could offer them a cheaper SEN option, with no positioning flight needed
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Post by expressflight on Jul 11, 2008 12:33:13 GMT
Flightline are not interested in using SEN as it stands and they do not have any aircraft based at SEN, except the Ford RJ100. They could not operate the MD80 at all commercially from the current SEN runway.
Otherwise I agree with what you say regarding the new owners raising SEN's profile with tour operators - although I think even that will have to await the rail station coming into service.
With the oil price reaching a new high today, it is hard to think of a worse time to try to attract existing operators to SEN, let alone expecting anyone to open up new routes. Mind you, the new huge Saudi oilfield comes onstream next June and with other investment opportunities likely to look more attractive in 2009, I think we may well see a substantial drop in oil prices by the middle of next year. If not I think we are all in big trouble as far as the high standard of living that we have become used to being sustained in the medium term.
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Post by Humberside on Jul 11, 2008 14:50:57 GMT
Have Flightline stopped doing charters with the BAe's now?
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Post by expressflight on Jul 12, 2008 6:28:02 GMT
I believe all the 146s are currently wet leased/operating for various European airlines, except the ABZ based contract aircraft, so are not available for ad hoc work. The 146-300 which used to be Manchester(?) based for ad hoc charters has been withdrawn from service to have a freight door fitted.
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Post by southendobserver on Jul 12, 2008 7:10:56 GMT
I think that the the BAe 146-300 being turned into a freighter is significant. Flightline will be finding that that the 146s are becoming to old to be doing any pax work. I believe the average age for the 146s is 20 years. Surely Flightline should be thinking to acquire newer aircraft. Aren't BA Cityflier planning on replacing their RJs? Such aircraft could be in Flightlines interest, as they seem to being doing well, even in the current financial climate. Would Flightline be able to acquire the funding to do any major fleet upgrades. I believe there is a BAe 146 of Flightline at SEN located opposite the ATC Lasham hanger. Maybe I am just jumping to conclusions, but I am unaware of it having any livery.
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