Bristol Airport - General Thread

[Jerry]

I think it’s going to cost £150 per passenger, may be wrong

£120 from Boots pharmacy.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Had the following email from Bristol Airport today. This is obviously the plan at the moment. It remains to be seen how far this programme can be carried out.

Winter 2020 destinations​

Here’s the latest list of destinations available in December 2020:

easyJet​

Operating throughout December:

Alicante, Amsterdam, Belfast, Edinburgh, Faro, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Glasgow, Gran Canaria, Hurghada, Inverness, Lanzarote, Newcastle and Tenerife.

From 11th & 12th December:

Geneva and Grenoble

From 17th December onwards:

Athens, Barcelona, Basel, Berlin, Gibraltar, Innsbruck, Krakow, Lisbon, Lyon, Madrid, Malaga, Nice, Paphos, Paris, Porto, Prague, Rome Fiumicino, Salzburg and Sofia.

Visit easyjet.com/re-opened-flights to find out more.

Ryanair​

Operating throughout December:

Alicante, Dublin, Krakow, Lanzarote and Tenerife

From 17th December onwards:

Bucharest, Budapest, Faro, Gdansk, Gran Canaria, Grenoble, Kaunas, Malaga, Malta, Milan Bergamo, Poznan, Rzeszow, Sofia, Turin, Venice, Warsaw Modlin and Wroclaw

Visit ryanair.com to find out more.

KLM​

Amsterdam

Visit klm.com to find out more.

Blue Islands​

Jersey

Visit blueislands.com to find out more.

Wizz Air​

From 18th December onwards:

Katowice

Visit wizzair.com to find out more.

TUI ​

Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Hurghada, Lanzarote, and Tenerife

Visit tui.co.uk to find out more.

Crystal Ski​

Chambery, Innsbruck and Turin

Visit crystalski.co.uk to find out more.

This information is a guide and there may be some flight variations. Please refer to the airline or tour operator for the most up to date information, schedule start dates and flight times.

 

[superking]

There is bound to be changes as so much going on to change things.If they dont change then it looks impressive what with this covid 19 going on.

 

[Marko1]

Given the recent jet2 announcement and now the Cardiff wizz announcement I wonder whether easyJet and / or Ryanair will respond ?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Given the recent jet2 announcement and now the Cardiff wizz announcement I wonder whether easyJet and / or Ryanair will respond ?

With the virus situation still making all our lives a misery it's next to impossible to hazard a reasonable guess as to how airlines will react to anything at the moment.

There is a lot of talk around aviation forums that airlines are almost offering themselves to the highest bidder for their services, with unsurprisingly Ryanair's name often mentioned in this context.

From what you posted recently in the BRS easyJet thread it seems that they are backing BRS with their aircraft base complement holding up.

Ryanair might try to hurt Wizz a bit at CWL as might TUI. If so it could be by growth at CWL. Equally they might decide that Wizz's presence at CWL, particularly an anticipated expansion this summer or next, might be too much of a gamble for them to invade if the market there could not sustain Wizz and an enhanced Ryanair plus possibly an enhanced TUI.

Ryanair could grow a bit at CWL without the need for a base as could TUI using w-diagram operations on some extra rotations. They both might surprise us by establishing a base (Ryanair) and basing an extra aircraft (TUI). Equally Ryanair and/or TUI might decide to something along those lines at BRS although there are still those regular Ryanair routes yet to be bookable.

Then again EXT might see a bit of growth from Ryanair or TUI or both, given that it's not seen a new airline pitch up.

At the end of all this waffle is the realisation that I haven't got a clue about the intentions of the established airlines at BRS. The virus uncertainty cloud still hangs defiantly over the aviation scene. Probably my most accurate statement would be to say that nothing would surprise me at present.

 

[alphagolf]

Nigel Scott was made redundant from Bristol Airport 5 months ago according to his LinkedIn account.

I am sad to report that Tuesday was my last day working at Bristol Airport. I like so many in the Aviation industry, have been made redundant as the industry adjusts to the new normal after Covid-19. I am gutted; I loved working for Bristol Airport, connecting the West Country to the world, working with the airlines to offer more routes and a better experience from your local airport, and working with a fantastic team who will carry on their great work now I'm gone.

But I also want to take it as an opportunity, to move on to a new challenge, a new team, and maybe a new industry. I am still working out exactly what I want to do next, but if you hear of something that you think might be of interest, please drop me a line.

Most of all I want to say a huge thank you to my Bristol Airport family, for making it an amazing journey over the last 3 years. Best of luck for the future, and thank you

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Nigel Scott was made redundant from Bristol Airport 5 months ago according to his LinkedIn account.

It's always disappointing to hear of anyone's redundancy. I'm assuming that Nigel Scott is the most senior member of the airport staff to leave in this way during the pandemic.

When he joined he had the title 'business development director' and I believe that route development was one of his responsibilities. I remember when he joined that his 'cv' on the airport website made no mention of previous aviation experience. He had a mass of experience in senior posts in commerce and industry.

It might be thought that the person in charge of developing routes is an important member of the team and at face value it is somewhat odd that he has left. I don't know whether any of the other senior staff members now has that responsibility within their portfolio. As I said when I raised the matter a few weeks ago the CEO has been the man making the comments on press releases when new airlines or new routes have come along in the past few months. Previously it would have been the business development director.

For a number of years BRS had an aviation director in the senior management team and the incumbent was someone with an encyclopaedic knowledge of aviation in the South West and South Wales having worked his way up from a very junior position at the airport many years ago. He had numerous contacts within the industry. A few years ago he stepped sideways to concentrate on certain aspects of the airport's business and was no longer shown on the senior team sheet on the airport website. If he is still working at BRS I'm sure the management is making use of his undoubted knowledge of everything appertaining to the airport.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Bristol Airport has teamed up with SYNLAB to offer customers a first class Covid-19 testing service

Bristol Airport has teamed up with SYNLAB to offer customers a first class Covid-19 testing service

www.bristolairport.co.uk

 

[TheLocalYokel]

This local press article published today is really only a summary of what is already in the public domain. There is no attempt to analyse, contextualise or provide a critique. In other words, it's typical of the 'journalism' served up by Reach Plc regional outlets where proactive reporting is a rarity.

The future of Bristol Airport and how it got through 2020

The lockdown was imposed days after its expansion plans were formally rejected

www.bristolpost.co.uk

 

[TheLocalYokel]

In a year's time we might, just might, have a clearer picture of the way ahead for Bristol Airport . By then the result of the airport's appeal against the local authority's rejection of its planning application might be known. 12 months might be too short a time span to get right through the appeal processes but there is an outside chance that it will. The trouble is that if the airport wins its appeal there are likely to be legal challenges by opponents that will drag out the matter further.

This time last year we were pondering how much closer to its current 10 mppa planning cap the airport would be at the end of 2020. In the order of 500,000 to 600,000 short of that total was the likely outcome.

No-one could have foreseen at the close of December 2019 that the airport would be reduced to around 2 mppa by the end of 2020, nor that amongst all the carnage an airline like Jet2 would pop up with a three-aircraft base.

It really does show that in the present situation it's next to impossible to 'guestimate' anything in aviation.

Dave Lees, BRS CEO, made a brief appearance on the local tv news today and he is not expecting any significant passenger traffic at the airport until the summer.

 

[Severn]

Bristol based Centreline has a VIP terminal and hangar on the Southside of Bristol Airport. It has it's own fleet of executive aircraft as well as handling visiting aircraft and corporate shuttles (BAE, Airbus etc) along with providing maintenance in its hangar and training services. It is owned by the Guernsey based Pula Aviation Services and has now added another arm to it's growing company having now bought the name and assets of Capital Air Ambulance which was based in Exeter providing medical flights using King Air 200s. Links below provide some good information for anyone that's interested:

https://www.centreline.aero/centreline-acquires-capital-air-ambulance/

Bristol based aviation business, Centreline acquires Capital Air Ambulance

Bristol based aviation business, Centreline acquires Capital Air Ambulance

www.bristolairport.co.uk

 

[Jerry]

Capital Air Ambulance likely to move to Bristol then i take it?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Bristol based Centreline has a VIP terminal and hangar on the Southside of Bristol Airport. It has it's own fleet of executive aircraft as well as handling visiting aircraft and corporate shuttles (BAE, Airbus etc) along with providing maintenance in its hangar and training services. It is owned by the Guernsey based Pula Aviation Services and has now added another arm to it's growing company having now bought the name and assets of Capital Air Ambulance which was based in Exeter providing medical flights using King Air 200s. Links below provide some good information for anyone that's interested:

https://www.centreline.aero/centreline-acquires-capital-air-ambulance/

Bristol based aviation business, Centreline acquires Capital Air Ambulance

Bristol based aviation business, Centreline acquires Capital Air Ambulance

www.bristolairport.co.uk

You know far more about the activities on the South Side of Bristol Airport than I do, Severn, but it does seem that it is a thriving part of the airport and probably unknown to most people apart from those connected with the airport in some way and those who are interested in the local aviation scene.

Most people probably regard it simply as the home of the Silver Zone car park complex or the general aviation area.

I think I'm right in saying that the the Centreline lounges and departure zones are now certified for use by private charter aircraft up to A320 size without the need for passengers to enter the main terminal on the North Side of the airport.

Whilst on the subject of the South Side, the new administration block opened a year or two ago was displaying 'offices to let' notices when I last drove past it along the A38 some time ago which suggests that not all the building will be used by airport admin staff.

 

[Cambrian]

The fall off in traffic at BRS has resulted in some of the Airport flyer buses being redeployed. Two single deck examples are currently on Rail replacement work. The buses are branded for the Weston Super Mare - BRS service but are working between Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil.

 

[superking]

The fall off in traffic at BRS has resulted in some of the Airport flyer buses being redeployed. Two single deck examples are currently on Rail replacement work. The buses are branded for the Weston Super Mare - BRS service but are working between Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil.

If the busses still advertise BRS airport then that is good for the airport. Any idea how long they will be doing this service.Long may it continue.

 

[Cambrian]

No idea sorry. Its ironic that the Welsh Government controlled Transport for Wales, should be hiring buses that advertise the rival Bristol airport. They must have had a good deal with Arriva West of England as I have seen photos of two of their double deckers also on Rail replacement work in the Cardiff valleys.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Transport for Wales aren't government controlled yet. The takeover is in Feb. Rail replacement is contracted work which is tendered for from operators all over.
First run the buses in West of England.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

First West of England own and operate the A1 Flyer buses (Airport-Temple Meads-Bristol bus station) and the A3 Weston Flyer buses (Airport-Weston railway station) and also provide the crews under contract to Bristol Airport. The A1s are double-deckers and the A3s single-deckers.

Last summer the decision was taken to suspend the Flyer buses, initially until now but no doubt the continuing downturn will have extended that suspension. The crews were redeployed to other First WoE routes. At the same time a number of airport-employed drivers of the car-park and Cobus 3000 buses were temporarily transferred to First West of England mainly I think to operate Weston area services for that company.

The other airport service to Bristol city centre the A2 double-deckers (different livery and a different route to the A1) operated by First on a commercial basis was kept operational and was diverted to call at Temple Meads to replace the suspended A1. The other airport services A4 Air Decker (Bath Bus Company) to Bath and South West Falcon (Stagecoach) to Taunton, Exeter and Plymouth were also retained in operation, albeit at reduced frequency. The National Express (Edwards) to South Wales ceased and was then brought back at a reduced frequency. It's probably ceased again. I think the A5 'village bus' (Carmel) is still operating.

Pre-pandemic an A1 liveried double-decker could sometimes be seen on a First Bristol city route if the company was short of vehicles. A few years ago a liveried Cardiff-St Fagans single-decker was used for several months on a Bristol city route for First. In 2019 when First West of England was short of vehicles a number of route-liveried buses from both Leeds and Nottingham could be seen operating Bristol city routes.

There seems to be a lot of co-operation between bus companies and regions of the same bus company when it comes to vehicle use. One of the Bristol Metrobus routes (M1) is operated for First by Bristol Community Transport, a not for profit company.

Buses are like aircraft. They don't make money for their owners if they are parked in the depot.

 

[Kingshat]

The airfield is currently open from 06:00 to 23:59; however with the continuing reduction in traffic this will reduce further from 25th Jan to:

• Monday – Thursday 07:00 – 19:00
• Friday – Sunday 09:00 – 21:00

Outside of these hours the airfield will be closed and no flights will be permitted to operate. This restriction is in place until at least the end of February.

 

[Jerry]

Is he correct? Has UK government given Bristol £8 million? I know there was a England only fund set up.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1351496777095114753