CityJet

[cmj]

Depending on how badly Maggie May and her bunch screw up Brexit negotiations ROI flights may need to come in on the international side soon anyway!

 

[oldendays]

My sentiments exactly A300.

 

[White Heather]

would be nice if they were proactive rather than reactive though would it not ?

Yes it would, but equally they need to know that they are not going to spend big money on a facility that isn't used. A mistake made with Doncaster, which still is very much under-utilised after major expenditure. It is about finding the right balance, and I speak as someone who has been working in the Estate Development business for the last 23 years.

 

[White Heather]

would be nice if they were proactive rather than reactive though would it not ?

Yes it would, but equally they need to know that they are not going to spend big money on a facility that isn't used. A mistake made with Doncaster, which still is very much under-utilised after major expenditure. It is about finding the right balance, and I speak as someone who has been working in the Estate Development business for the last 23 years.

If Jet2, Monarch, Ryanair, Eastern, KLM and others confirm defnite intentions to base a total of 30 aircraft and this cannot happen without adding 6 more stands, does anyone think that LBA will tell them not to bother to avoid having to build them?

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

And if they do WH, the whole management team who are responsible for growth and infrastructure need their P45's.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

My son fortunately just regained a european contract lost last year and needed additional apron space to park all the additional 44 ton wagons needed and possible flooring for new additiona warehouse space..
On his own from Monday started digging out an area 400 yards X 150 yards . Hardcore and reinforcement laid by yesterday and we have had a readymixed wagon every 45 minutes today. Work will finish tomorrow and this is just a two man operation, got his brother to take a days holiday today to help. I have stood an shouted encourement and the grandchildren have made their handprints to go with their fathers handprints made 40 years ago on adjoining concrete.
Taking 12 hours to cure the concrete and designed to take 20 ton per axle in weight. Looking I bet we can park quite a few 757 etc on this new apron.
Would suggest if LBA made a decision tonight you can have an area this size ready by monday 6am, if you had a team of JCB's on the job.
Apron space can be added in days not weeks.

 

[a300boy]

Sound good to me ! Where do I get a shovel ?

 

[quik123]

Apron space can be added in days not weeks.

Whilst I'm not disagreeing I think this is a rather simplistic view. Where are we to build these extra stands. Seems to me there isn't much free space at LBA that's suitable.

 

[oldendays]

If it was my project I'd build a new terminal on the site of the long stay car park, demolish the existing one plus all the prefab add-ons and concrete over. That might create another three or four stands.

 

[quik123]

If it was my project I'd build a new terminal on the site of the long stay car park, demolish the existing one plus all the prefab add-ons and concrete over. That might create another three or four stands.

I'd tend to agree but that would cost 10s of millions. And once you've built where would you sell car parking, one of the main sources of income the airport has?

 

[White Heather]

Whilst I'm not disagreeing I think this is a rather simplistic view. Where are we to build these extra stands. Seems to me there isn't much free space at LBA that's suitable.

Check out the Masterplan - the apron extensions are shown on the plans within it. There are 2 or 3 separate areas to enable further growth as and when required.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Looking at the Masterplan to 2030 the vast majority of the new apron space is an add-on to the aprons that exist at the moment, so little addition taxiways links , limited new lighting circuits, limited water soakaways etc and something I would have thought you be constructed in a very short time, without any major impact on the normal airport daily operation.
The only issue undertaking in the next 6 months would be frost, but like concrete curing time, you can now get mixes that combat frosty conditions. I dont know what the sub soil structure is at the airport, but they must have done soil bores as its mandatory nowadays, to ensure no hazardous waste products underground. With all the materials that must have been on this site in years past, this may be the number one issue.

 

[Aviador]

It would be just nice to have a purpose built terminal building fit for purpose for the passengers we already have, let alone future ones.

Anyway, back to reality.

 

[SNOWMAN]

spot on there aviador.

 

[White Heather]

I have also felt that for years and still think a new terminal over two levels where the lower short stay car park is, was the thing to do - and I have said that to the airport MD. With the terminal there and the current terminal gone, there would be a large apron area available in front of the new terminal with at least another 6 stands. It would be a major investment, particularly as a new control tower would be required, but the airport would be ready to face the future. Maybe one day, but not with Bridgepoint as owners and sadly not in my lifetime.

 

[quik123]

Looking at the Masterplan to 2030 the vast majority of the new apron space is an add-on to the aprons that exist at the moment, so little addition taxiways links , limited new lighting circuits, limited water soakaways etc and something I would have thought you be constructed in a very short time, without any major impact on the normal airport daily operation.

I've just had another look at the areas that might have stands built. It includes the areas currently occupied by the DME, HRDF and NDB, so these Nav aids would be out of service as soon as any works started. surely that would impact airport operations, especially during the winter when such aids are needed for poor wx ops. You could argue that new aids could be installed first but where, and at what cost?

 

[Seasider]

would be nice if they were proactive rather than reactive though would it not ?

Business' are reluctant to invest unless they are pretty sure they will get a return. Airlines can easily withdraw a route/based aircraft at a minute's notice. I agree with White Heather, when they have signed the contract, let the concrete flow.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Business' are reluctant to invest unless they are pretty sure they will get a return. Airlines can easily withdraw a route/based aircraft at a minute's notice. I agree with White Heather, when they have signed the contract, let the concrete flow.

The flip side of that argument is that airlines will not commit if the facilities are not available. It is a snowball effect. One thing helps the other but someone has to start the ball rolling. What I will say is that, for any successful business, expansion and growth is probably the key goal. If Ryanair wants to expand, there are thousands upon thousands of airports around the world where they could put a plane and charge passengers for the pleasure of a journey in a yellow cabin. They will put the plane where they feel is best for them. If LBA wants to expand, it has a 5 square mile area of land in which it must build a terminal that works, build a runway that works, build enough space for planes to park and build facilities that will enable passengers to arrive and depart. It cannot expand unless it puts the money into doing so. No-one else is going to do it for them. So, if we end up in this situation where the airlines want to expand but won't use LBA because there is nowhere to put the plane and LBA wants to expand but won't build more stands because airlines won't commit to basing aircraft, nothing is going to happen at LBA and it will stagnate. But the airline WILL expand by simply opening new routes elsewhere.

To return to CityJet, does anyone have any ideas as to whether this is a done deal or are we all just theorising over nothing?

 

[lbaspotter]

To return to CityJet, does anyone have any ideas as to whether this is a done deal or are we all just theorising over nothing?

Well if you go on Inghams Holidays website and dummy book a lakes and mountains holiday from Leeds/Bradford to Austria in summer 2017 you'll find that flights to Innsbruck are still listed been operated by Cityjet.

See: https://www.inghams.co.uk/lakes-mountains-holidays/resorts/austria

I would not have opened a brand new thread if it wasn't showing last week when I initially posted and shared the information on here.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Well if you go on Inghams Holidays website and dummy book a lakes and mountains holiday from Leeds/Bradford to Austria in summer 2017 you'll find that flights to Innsbruck are still listed been operated by Cityjet.

See: https://www.inghams.co.uk/lakes-mountains-holidays/resorts/austria

I would not have opened a brand new thread if it wasn't showing last week when I initially posted and shared the information on here.

Sorry, lbaspotter. My vague question has been misunderstood. What I meant was, we are all talking about CityJet as though they are suddenly going to base an aircraft at LBA all week but nobody has said anything that would suggest this is the case. Aside from the Saturday rotation, do we know if the plan is for CityJet to take over the Irish routes?