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Post by kirmingtonuser on Apr 28, 2011 7:27:59 GMT
The BBC reported on the radio 4 news at 8am this morning that Plymouth Airport will close at the end of the year. It has been making heavy losses recently due to the recession. Where does this leave Air Southwest ?
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Post by Humberside on Apr 28, 2011 8:43:48 GMT
I guess any support functions that have not yet moved to HUY will do so, and operationally everything will be done from Newquay. Might mean reductions to Guernsey and Jersey though since they were mostly done from Plymouth exclusively, rather than a shared flight between Plymouth and Newquay
But this make me wonder even more why Eastern bought WOW. Gatwick gone, BRS-Manchester going/gone. Newcastle going/gone. Channel Islands may have to see reductions. And without Plymouth, the remaining Newquay services, especially MAN, would be very easy for Flybe to target. Daily NQY-MAN and I'm sure WOW would be off the route
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Post by kirmingtonuser on Apr 29, 2011 14:06:05 GMT
BBC tv Southwest naturally led with this story. They raised the question of what would happen to any development capital gains which would follow a change of use from aviation to housing. Apparently there is an agreement in place wherby the major portion of any development gains will flow to the local council. They made the point that Sutton Harbour Holdings had made a wholehearted attempt to make the airport viable, even to the extent of forming their own airline (Air Southwest).
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Post by john2408 on Apr 29, 2011 20:22:28 GMT
On prune DTV 1151 mention of article in the Independant by Simon Calder, re the demise of Plymouth Airport, mentions HUY is in a similar positioin.
He only mentions the 3 schedule destinatioins, no mention of Helicopters and Charter flights, seems to have looked at winter timetable only. Which does not give a true picture of movements and passengers at HUY.
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Post by Humberside on Apr 29, 2011 20:39:06 GMT
Uninformed nonsense. Clearly done no research. Shame, because usually Simon Calder knows his stuff
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Post by elmfield on May 2, 2011 15:37:39 GMT
Sutton pay Plymouth Council a peppercorn rent for the Airport. The Council, so I am led to believe, haven't entirely given up hopes that a new operator, with a new business plan, might be induced to take over. In the event of closure and sale of land for redevelopment any profit will flow into the Council's coffers. Also mentioned were: Blackpool, Teesside and Derry City as potential candidates for closure.
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Post by pug on May 2, 2011 19:49:30 GMT
I would take that with a rather large pinch of salt, the writer has clearly directly associated passenger figures with financial success. As you know Elmfield, things are not as simple as that.
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Post by elmfield on May 3, 2011 11:30:55 GMT
Absolutely. I think the journalist was making a general point that this small island of ours might just becoming over-fished with small regionals....some of which, on passenger stats alone, don't make much sense.....but, that said, Spain has been the recipient of massive Euro- grants which it has invested in a series of new airports...which are, currently, very, very quiet! Incidentally, I noticed that Teesside showed a % increase on its year on stats for March!
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