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Post by expressflight on Jan 10, 2016 9:20:19 GMT
I don't know if there is any significance in the fact that the Jet2 PA-31 G-IFIT has visited SEN three times in the past month. The latest visit was last Thursday from and to LBA with the aircraft being on the ground at SEN for three hours. Two possibilities come to mind; either interest in the ATC Lasham hangar or perhaps some Jet2 charters. It could have nothing to do with either of course and I'm just clutching at straws, there being no recent announcements on the 'progress' front. I did hear one interesting rumour last week but it's too sensitive to put in the public domain at the moment.
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Progress
Jan 10, 2016 11:08:51 GMT
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Post by EGMCfollower on Jan 10, 2016 11:08:51 GMT
For G-IFIT to have visited 3 times in a month, surely there must be something at SEN of interested to them? Let's hope 2016 can get off to a good start.
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Post by devonian on Jan 10, 2016 11:37:53 GMT
I think the ATC Lasham hangar might be of more interest to them than starting services - but we can but hope! At least Jet2 have a fleet that's capable of using SEN's runway to the full. Are their newly acquired 737-800s of the higher powered version though....?
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Post by EGMCfollower on Jan 10, 2016 13:28:35 GMT
I would tend to agree that the hangar is more likely, but stranger things have happened in the past. Always good to hear of rumours, lets just hope a deal is agreed, and that it has the potential to bring plenty more routes and pax! Target of 2.5 million ppa by 2018? Better get a move on then...
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Post by cwis on Jan 10, 2016 16:04:27 GMT
Jet 2 has far as i know do not have anything in the south of England, might be tempted, after all it is a London airport of sorts...
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Post by devonian on Jan 10, 2016 17:44:09 GMT
East Midlands is as far south as they get, although I believe that they did operate regular Ford charters from SEN for a while back in 2012.
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Progress
Jan 10, 2016 17:56:14 GMT
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Post by pug on Jan 10, 2016 17:56:14 GMT
GIFIT is used to ferry crews and parts around when aircraft are AOG. There is a significant engineering presence at SEN which Jet2 make use of, so I wouldn't read anything into this.
GIFIT has been the cause of rumours before, both at SEN and NWI, there are companies at both airports which Jet2 use for engineering purposes. I don't even think GIFIT is used for commercial purposes.
I'm not sure if there are any plans to move south just yet, I would think it is In their long term strategy, but I'm not sure SEN would fit the bill.
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Post by expressflight on Jan 11, 2016 8:29:58 GMT
pug
Are you not aware that the engineering company that Jet2 used at SEN, ATC Lasham, went bust a few months ago?
No, the aircaft has definitely not been positioning crews/spares during its recent visits. You are correct regarding their continued use of NWI but not correct about the SEN visits I'm sure.
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Progress
Jan 11, 2016 10:16:45 GMT
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Post by pug on Jan 11, 2016 10:16:45 GMT
Expressflight, I do not wish to disappoint, however I can confirm that these flights were for engineering purposes. Exactly what they relate to I am not sure, but definitely engineering in nature, and that goes for all of the recent visits made by GIFIT.
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Post by expressflight on Jan 11, 2016 12:18:29 GMT
So maybe interest in the ex-Lasham hangar then?
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Progress
Jan 11, 2016 13:11:21 GMT
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Post by pug on Jan 11, 2016 13:11:21 GMT
I wouldn't like to speculate on that one, I guess it will be a case of wait and see.
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Post by devonian on Feb 9, 2016 12:04:35 GMT
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Post by EGMCfollower on Feb 9, 2016 12:34:44 GMT
This thread is more like 'regress' than progress lately.
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Post by expressflight on Feb 11, 2016 12:12:16 GMT
BBC East local news this morning is worth a look at on the iPlayer (around 07:57 I think) where Glyn Jones is interviewed about growth in pax numbers at SEN. He says that he expects pax numbers to reach 2.5 million by 2019 and talks about further growth to 5 million or more being possible but growth to that level would require careful consideration of the environmental factors.
I don't quite know why the interview was arranged as it doesn't seem to be part of any specific route announcement on the part of SEN and seemed to take growth to 2.5 million rather for granted, whereas as we all know maintaining the current pax numbers seems problematical, let alone there being substantial growth towards the 2.5 million figure being currently achievable. Still, I suppose it's better for Glyn to be speaking positively of growth, which suggests he is confident for the future, rather than speaking of "consolidation" or some such.
None of the above seems to take SEN out of "regress" (nice one) territory at the present though.
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Post by expressflight on Feb 11, 2016 18:47:26 GMT
There'll be an extended interview with Glyn Jones on Look East at 22:30 tonight.
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