LBA Cargo Ops

[LBAYORKIE]

I understand that Servisair Cargo are calling it a day and ceasing LBA operations. I am hoping LBA have a 'plan b' because unless someone takes over their facility it's going to make LBA a far less attractive destination for airlines.

 

[Bigman]

As a matter of interest, what freight do we currently handle? Now that PIA have 'suspended' operations, that's the mangos gone.

 

[White Heather]

I received a piece of IT kit at work (a cable exension) that was flown in via LBA!! 😛leasantry:

 

[TheLocalYokel]

LBA flew 324 tonnes of freight in 2013.

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/80/airport_da ... s_2013.pdf

 

[Aviador]

There's really not much freight carried by air from LBA but a reasonable amount passes through the cargo area via road not sure on the quantities. Either way it will be a shame if it closes because it'll be something else LBA can't accommodate.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I have heard that WFS (BA) Cargo are to close their operation at LBA next month. As they are the only cargo handler left at the airport I am hoping that the Airport company have a plan. Without a handling agent there will be nowhere for local forwarders to drop off their exports or consign their imports to and an airport without a Transit Shed (type of a Customs Warehouse) is a non-entity.

From a marketing perspective its also a bit of a disaster. Any longer haul carrier operating wide bodied aircraft would expect to be able to carry cargo in and out of LBA.

I believe Jet2 use the current cargo facility quite heavily although I think this may be so they can scan their shipments of comat as the cargo facility has a large scanner.

Would be interesting to know if WFS decided to leave, or if they were pushed by LBA with other plans in mind for cargo (maybe operating the facility themselves). Although I think this is unlikely as there is absolutely no-one at the Airport Company who understands cargo or probably even knows it exists. More likely would be they have another use for the building.


Alan

 

[a300boy]

Never good news is it !!!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

No, and this is really bad. Basically all the airline's computer systems worldwide will be revised to delete LBA and show suggested alternatives, likely to be MAN. I am just hoping that the airport management team understand how important cargo is and have something under their hats. Would be nice if I could get hold of someone but I'm not going to spend 15 minutes waiting for my call to the airport number to be answered (and paying for it) just to be fobbed off.

 

[oldendays]

Does LBA even have a management team at the moment ? I don't know who's in charge since the bonny lad scarpered.

 

[White Heather]

No, and this is really bad. Basically all the airline's computer systems worldwide will be revised to delete LBA and show suggested alternatives, likely to be MAN. I am just hoping that the airport management team understand how important cargo is and have something under their hats. Would be nice if I could get hold of someone but I'm not going to spend 15 minutes waiting for my call to the airport number to be answered (and paying for it) just to be fobbed off.

I can assure you that LBA management are well aware of the importance of cargo and intend to increase the amount carried through the airport.

Does LBA even have a management team at the moment ? I don't know who's in charge since the bonny lad scarpered.

The airport is currently being managed by one of the assistant directors, who certainly knows his stuff, having considerable previous experience at East Midlands - which just happens to be a major cargo airport, so to any suggestion that he doesn't know what cargo is, is ridiculous - plus the head of development, and there is also a recently appointed Chairman of the Board.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Well any interest in cargo is not apparent to the forwarding community. No interaction whatsoever. Hasnt been many for years.

I just hope that the management have cohesive plan otherwise cargo will go down the the tubes.

I would be reassured if I could speak to someone about cargo, having being associated with the airport and cargo for over 40 years I think I could add something.

 

[oldendays]

I guess Simon Whitby is at the helm now. The airport now, more than ever, also needs a businessman or woman who can really SELL the place to the airlines. Sponsoring a bicycle race is laughable. Bristol and Newcastle just get on with the job of promoting themselves and make extensive use of social media to those ends.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I guess Simon Whitby is at the helm now. The airport now, more than ever, also needs a businessman or woman who can really SELL the place to the airlines. Sponsoring a bicycle race is laughable. Bristol and Newcastle just get on with the job of promoting themselves and make extensive use of social media to those ends.

Bristol has no cargo faciity though. Hasn't had for many years.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

WFS announced closure of their bristol facility and scaling back at Heathrow at same time as Leeds so they must currently have a cargo operation at Bristol.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

According to vol 3 of the HMRC tariff there are two transit sheds at Bristol. One operated by Bristol airport ltd and the other by WFS. So definitely thw customs freight facilities.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

According to vol 3 of the HMRC tariff there are two transit sheds at Bristol. One operated by Bristol airport ltd and the other by WFS. So definitely thw customs freight facilities.

I should have made myself clearer. I was talking about the significant cargo facility that was moved from the airport to Avonmouth many years ago. BRS also used to handle substantial amounts of Royal Mail but like most airports that's a thing of the past.

A look at the annual CAA stats tables 13-15 will show how little freight is carried at BRS. It's never more than a handful of tonnes each year, sometimes none at all is shown. In its current master plan update the airport has not indicated any intention to reinstate a significant freight facility. The airport's freight situation was one of a number of reasons why Qatar Airways opted for CWL for its Severnside route to Doha.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Ok, understood. I believe airports only record 'flown' freight whereas most is trucked from heathrow or continental airports. In our heyday of using LBA we moved around 1000 tonnes a year mainly flown into Paris and LHR and trucked on airline trucks to LBA for Customs clearance.

 

[lbaspotter]

Ok, understood. I believe airports only record 'flown' freight whereas most is trucked from heathrow or continental airports. In our heyday of using LBA we moved around 1000 tonnes a year mainly flown into Paris and LHR and trucked on airline trucks to LBA for Customs clearance.

But that's when we had a proper hub route to Heathrow with 4/5 daily flights. We've not had that since lufthansa pulled the plug on bmi.

Ps: I remember when we had the 2 nightly Royal mail data posts flights operated by Gill Air, Shorts 360 & Jane's Aviation, Hs748. After that also had UPS B727F fish flight from Iceland which then reverted to Bluebird Cargo Boeing 737F.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Comparatively little was ever flown into LBA compared to the amounts trucked. The services you mention were not in operation very long. The trucks were operated as if they were flights. They all had flight numbers and the drivers all had uniforms and caps. I started in cargo back in 1976 so not sure what happened before then.

There was a boost in flown cargo when Wardair and PIA flew in and to be fair its only wide body operations that will secure freight ops at LBA in future. Trouble is without a Customs transit shed an airport is much less marketable to wide body operators as they rely on cargo revenue.

The current uncertainty is not helpful

AL

 

[White Heather]

It is worth remembering that the LBA Masterplan includes the construction of a new trading area behind the old Avro Factory, to be occupied by aviation related businesses, and LBA have said already that they want this to include enhanced freight facilities. They are very aware that there is little in the way of freight through LBA these days and particularly since the PIA flights ended, which frequently saw freight pallets in the hold. Whilst they do not expect LBA every to be a major freight centre in the way East Midlands is, they would like to see more in the future. In fact they specifically mentioned that the new terminal would enable the operation of wide body aircraft and some longer haul wide body operations, which in turn would be able to carry freight in the way that PIA did.