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Post by expressflight on Dec 2, 2008 13:19:25 GMT
The Flybe SEN-JER service will be Saturdays only in 2009 with flights commencing 23 May through until 26 September. It is probably no surprise that the Wednesday flights will not operate in 2009 and we must be thankful that the route is being maintained on a weekly basis. Fares look quite attractive at the moment on the Flybe website so let's hope the service is well supported.
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Post by LEWIS on Dec 2, 2008 17:09:57 GMT
Interesting to see Manston added to Flybe in 2009 to Jersey as well.
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Post by Thames Gateway on Dec 2, 2008 19:30:00 GMT
The Manston flight takes over from the VLM FK50 flight that has been doing it this year.
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Post by SENtence on Dec 3, 2008 10:27:44 GMT
Airport sale is great news, but the bad news is that Flightline have gone into administration this morning - this is a real blow for the airport. I wonder how this affects the Ford flights - the flight hadn't left when I drove past the airport at around 8:00 am, although that could just be a weather problem maybe.
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Post by expressflight on Dec 3, 2008 11:32:30 GMT
I don't think the CFE LCY flights flown by FLT operated this morning either.
Very sad news, although I'm not sure how much of a blow it is to SEN economically as presumably some alternative arrangements will be made by Ford. I always thought it rather a shame that FLT were not interested in operating revenue flights from SEN in their own right over the years - indeed they seemed to actively avoid doing so.
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Post by Humberside on Dec 3, 2008 11:38:56 GMT
It could lead to the loss of skilled engineering jobs, plus the other Flightline SEN based staff such as administration. Thoughts with all the affected staff
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Post by expressflight on Dec 3, 2008 13:18:30 GMT
A week or two back I was told that ATC Lasham were so short of engineers that they were thinking of looking to Eastern Europe to recruit. Hopefully, most of the FLT engineers might now find work on the airfield but, as you say, a very sad day for all the affected employees.
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Post by expressflight on Dec 5, 2008 13:16:09 GMT
Confirmation received that last Monday's CGN-SEN was the last Ford flight for 2008.
The service is due to restart in mid-January 2009 when the aircraft will have been placed on another operator's AOC, but with Ford having shut down entirely their corporate aviation unit in the USA there must be the outside possibility that the service will not be resumed.
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Post by expressflight on Dec 6, 2008 15:38:18 GMT
Does anyone know why the SEN-JER route disappeared three days ago from the Flybe website reservations dropdown menu? It is not appearing on their online timetable either. Also you cannot book anything from SEN on the Jersey Travel website, although it appears on their booking dropdown menu.
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Post by roche on Dec 9, 2008 23:00:17 GMT
I was really surprised by an article in one of the Sunday papers about the efforts the airlines are making to move away from the use of jet fuel. There seem to be a number of initiatives underway and the article suggested that although the industries ultimate objective of being carbon neutral is still a number of years away, it may be a lot closer than people think. One of the numerous initiatives mentioned involves Air New Zealand and Rolls Royce, who are looking to gradually introduce a new bio fuel from 2013 onwards. There is a link to an article on their website below. www.airnewzealand.com/aboutus/mediacentre/pressreleases/sustainable-biofuel-test-flight-update.htm What has this got to do with Southend Airport - well, I just wonder how many local people are aware that this work is going on and that the time frames being discussed to introduce these new bio fuels is not 50+ years, but potentially in the next 5-10 years. Maybe people will feel a little more comfortable seeing the airport develop if they can also see that there is a good chance that levels of aircraft pollution will start to decrease in 5-10 years and at current rates of progress, could be eliminated completley in 15-20 years time - or am I being totally naive?
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Post by Thames Gateway on Dec 19, 2008 11:23:10 GMT
Looks like the SEN-JER flights are back on the Flybe website now (9may to 19sep). Noticed that they have been retimed to later in the day compared to this year. I suspect this is so as to utilise the same aircraft either doing the Manston new flight, or the extra one from Luton. Most people seem to prefer to travel earlier in the day in my experience, and the flight may pick up more compounded delays from the late running of the flights prior to the Southend legs.
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Post by expressflight on Dec 19, 2008 16:51:06 GMT
To say that Flybe have made a pig's ear of announcing their SEN-JER route for Summer 09 would be an understatement.
On 2 December they announce the reintroduction of this "key route" and two day's later pull the route. They then say that they are reviewing the situation and may reinstate the route and will make an announcement in the New Year. Today they issue a Press Release saying that SEN-JER will be reintroduced next summer and will operate on Saturdays from 6 June to 29 August, but when you look on the booking engine it is, indeed, bookable from 9 May until 19 September. What utter confusion.
It could be the MSE aircraft that will fly the SEN-JER as it arrives JER 15:40 and the departure to SEN is at 16:40. If so that at least gives an hour's turnround which could absorb at least part of any delay that has built up during the day. It cannot be the LTN aircraft as there is no Saturday flight until 23 May- at least according to the booking engine - and its timings don't fit the SEN rotation.
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Post by expressflight on Dec 24, 2008 16:56:39 GMT
Flybe have changed the timings for the JER flights next summer and the aircraft will now arrive SEN 14:25 and depart at 15:05 so that may help to minimise cumulative delays.I have just checked the fares for a departure on 9 May, returning one week later, and this totals £374 per head. Is the route already selling so well that they can achieve this figure on the first flight of the season?
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Post by southendobserver on Dec 29, 2008 19:27:26 GMT
From looking at the seat booking maps for SEN to JER departing on May 9th, 16 seats have been already prebooked at an extra cost of £7 each. Not bad for FlyBe considering each single fare is £198.76. That can simply be used as an indicator of how many seats have been booked overall. Considering the flights have only been on sale since the beginning of this month and the flight which I have been observing is due to depart in the beginning of May - hardly the height of summer, it can not be doing too badly. maybe FlyBe will suceed in shortchanging the locals and finding that it is considerably cheaper to fly from Gatwick rather than Southend. A single lunch time departure between LGW and JER on May 9th comes to £42.96!
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Post by southendobserver on Mar 12, 2009 18:42:13 GMT
From UK Airport News. Could this mean the end for future SEN-JER.
Aurigny announce Stansted – Jersey flights 07.03.09
Stansted Airport is to gain new daily flights to Jersey from May 1. Channel Islands airline Aurigny Air Services, which has just celebrated 40 years of flying, will operate the daily flights.
The flights will leave Stansted at 13:05 arriving in Jersey at 15:05, except on Sundays when departures will be at 12:40 landing in Jersey at 13:55. Fights from Jersey will leave at 15:35 arriving at Stansted at 16:50. On Sundays these flights will depart from Jersey at 14:25 and arrive at 15:40.
Stansted airport commercial development director Nick Barton said: ‘We’re delighted to welcome the return of a direct link to Jersey from Stansted, which has always been extremely popular with business and leisure passengers alike. Aurigny already operate services from here to Guernsey and we’re looking forward to supporting them as they expand their route network further from Stansted.'
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