Newcastle Airport - General Thread

[tleeds]

Hmm, what an interesting article LocalYokel!

It does make you wonder however, with Jet2 operating the Newcastle-Newark route over Christmas, how much 'the American Airline' has watched the loads on this flight previously and how it probably will do this coming Winter.
I'm sure there is sufficient demand for such a route, using the 188seater B757 as an example - possibly operating 2,3 maybe even 4 times a week if the route went very well, but anymore frequently and I think the load per flight will be diluted too much to make the route viable anymore.

I do love though how they use the success of Emirates' Dubai route as an example of how the airport are so good at securing 'longer-haul' routes, even though Dubai and New York are completely different and have two separate target markets...

 

[Aviador]

Well last week we had Cardiff airport claiming it was in the running for a new US flight, this week it's Newcastle airport. The idea Newcastle gaining an American service sounds far more realistic than the idea of Cardiff airport gaining an American service. Although Cardiff airport has sustained transatlantic flights in the past it no longer offers such services plus the airport passenger numbers are still in free fall. On the otherhand Newcastle is still a thriving regional airport with transcontinental flights operating to Dubai. Any potential airline will look at the airports current situation. An airport that appears to be doing well will have far more chance of getting flights across the pond than an airport that appears to be in terminal decline with passengers dwindling year by year.

 

[eastcoaster]

I believe it is all just spin really. You will find that every regional airport is in discussions with an airline to start a New York /Toronto/Orlando/Dubai flight. As is LBIA. It does'nt really mean anything other than the the marketing/PR departments are working hard. It costs nothing to talk and negotiate. It keeps the share holders happy that the airport is actively searching for something new. But, as to whether it comes off. Well more than likely it won't. At least they tried. The climate for New York flights is far from perfect at the moment, hence Jet2 barely sustain a series of Christmas specials which end up getting very discounted towards the latter end of sales.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I agree that NCL is more likely to get a scheduled transatlantic scheduled service than CWL unless the Wales Assembly chucks in lots and lots of cash to oil the wheels though of course it cannot do so directly to an airline.

CWL has never had a route to the USA other than Florida with charter flights in the past, except for the occasional one-off Christmas shopping charter to New York in years gone by.

When American Airlines announced its NCL-JFK service in 2005 (subsequently axed before it began if that's not a contradiction in terms) the 188-seat Boeing 757s were to be all economy. It was an interesting proposal as the premium cabins usually underpin this type of service and one of the reasons CO said it axed its BRS-EWR route after five and a half years was the low take-up in business-first at non-discounted rates.

The major reason though was probably CO's access to LHR which it didn't have when it started its Bristol route. It now flies 5 x daily to EWR from LHR and the BRS route was effectively moved there.

Loads on BRS-EWR were fine in summer - it was January and February that were especially dire. Nearly half a million people used the route during its lifetime which might be considered a reasonable bet to sustain it.

As the article points out, NCL doesn't have LHR just up the road so might be better placed in that sense.

I still thinks it's mainly hype though. The world economy will have to take a huge upturn before these sort of routes come into favour.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Newcastle Airport expects busiest Easter for 3 years

Newcastle Airport is expecting its busiest weekend of the year so far and its busiest Easter for three years as passenger numbers begin to recover following the recession, ITV News reports. Around 45,000 people are expected to pass through the terminal between Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Around 400 flights will either take off or land over the four day period after an average of around 10,000 passengers per day have been jetted off during the first week of the Easter school holidays. Over the full period, the airport expects 190,000 people to travel in and out. The most popular destinations include the Canaries, Spain and Tunisia; New York via either London, Amsterdam or Paris; and long haul flights via Dubai.

For more information on this airport news story visit: http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2012- ... r-3-years/[/textarea]

 

[Aviador]

[textarea]Newcastle Airport In Multi-Million Pound High Court Battle With Law Firm
By Andy Hughes Location: Newcastle Airport

Newcastle Airport is locked in a multi-million pound High Court battle with a law firm after huge sums of taxpayers money were paid to two executives.

The airport is currently involved in a claim worth nearly £5million against Eversheds, the lawyers who advised the airport committee on a £377million mortgage deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2006.

The airport, which is partly-owned by the region’s seven councils, alleges that Eversheds allowed former chief executive John Parkin and former finance director Lars Friis to be paid £8.5million between them for simply organising the refinance deal.

Read the full story: http://tyneandwear.sky.com/news/article/19460[/textarea]

 

[Aviador]

[textarea]Copenhagen Airports to sell stake in Newcastle International airport

Copenhagen Airports has announced plans to sell its 49% stake in Newcastle International airport parent company NIAL Group. The company is inviting potential buyers to submit bids for the stake and expects the divestment to be completed by the end of the year.

Read more: http://www.moodiereport.com/document.ph ... c_id=31180[/textarea]

Any idea on who might buy the airport? I seem to recall a report by the accounts consultancy firm Deloite saying the airport was worth much less than it was a few years ago so it will be interesting to see who shows interest in purchasing the airport.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Any idea on who might buy the airport? I seem to recall a report by the accounts consultancy firm Deloite saying the airport was worth much less than it was a few years ago so it will be interesting to see who shows interest in purchasing the airport.

Bloomberg quotes the Sunday Times in saying that the following funds have expressed interest but Bloomberg doesn't know where the ST gleaned its information:

3i Group plc, Antin Infrastructure Partners SAS , IMF Australia Ltd.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-2 ... ports.html

 

[tleeds]

Wouldn't MAG be a potential bidder...

I know they were recently linked to Stansted as BAA have been told they need to sell another airport...

(They have recently won the right to appeal against selling Stansted in a new ruling, according to the Financial Times)

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Council’s cash promise to airport chiefs

NEWCASTLE AIRPORT ... South Tyneside Council will continue to fund it.

COUNCIL chiefs in South Tyneside have pledged to keep pumping money into Newcastle International Airport as it refinances its debts.

Each of the seven North East authorities – which have a combined 51 per cent stake in the aiport – have revealed they are making provision in their budgets to enable them to invest back into the site.

Each one is now considering the maximum they can put forward, which is based on their individual shareholding, and say any cash they do invest will be made back through interest and dividends from the airport.

It’s believed Sunderland City Council could be proposing to give up to £20m to help re-finance airport debts, but it’s unclear how much South Tyneside Council, which is the lead authority, will suggest.

Read more: http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/busi ... -1-4739193[/textarea]

 

[Ray Finkle]

Apparently SAS are to start NCL-CPH from Feb 5th daily (evening) with a CRJ200, should be bookable from 15th Nov.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Toronto

Rather than start a new thread for an airline that is pulling out of NCL, I've put this in the NCL general thread.

The Air Transat summer service to Toronto on behalf of Canadian Affair will not operate in summer 2013.

For the past few years it's operated a joint service with Exeter which has also been axed for summer 2013.

 

[Aviador]

Crikey, that' flight has been operating for years. The Canadian market must be really dropping off if this has been pulled by Canadian Affair.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Newcastle Airport could get government aid after all - if EU agrees

More confusion over whether Newcastle Airport was in line for a share of a £20 million fund to help it develop new routes followed a statement from Ministers that they must ask the European Commission for permission to hand over the cash.

Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah received assurances that the Government hoped to back Newcastle Airport, as she questioned Transport Ministers in the House of Commons.

But she said: “It would have been better to have got the policy right in the first place than trying to fix it now.”

It follows Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement in the Budget earlier this year that a £20 million Regional Air Connectivity Fund would be made available for airports outside the planned high speed rail network to help them attract airlines and launch new services.

This raised hopes Newcastle Airport could secure its long-held ambition of providing regular trans-Atlantic flights.

But it then emerged that only airports with less than three million annual passengers would be eligible for the assistance - while Newcastle currently serves around 4.7m each year.

The airport asked local MPs to help it secure a share of the fund.

And Ministers have now said they hope to ensure airports with fewer than five million passengers are included, but only if the EU agrees.[/textarea]

Full report at http://www.thejournal.co.uk/business/bu ... id-7420425

Some reason for optimism then at NCL although how effective this fund will really be must be open to considerable argument.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Chancellor's Warning Over The Future of Newcastle Airport

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1 ... rt/?ref=mr

George Osborne in evidence to the Commons Treasury select committee said that a 'big fall' in air passenger duty in Scotland would have an impact on passenger numbers in England, particularly in the North-East.

He said the Conservative and Labour parties should work together to support the regional northern airports to ensure they don't suffer a loss but he suggested no solution to the predicament.

If he's worried he has the answer in his own hands: reduce APD in England and Wales (although the latter may yet have the power devolved to it which would then potentially adversely affect the likes of Bristol and Birmingham airports) to the level that Scotland decides so that there is a level playing field around the whole of mainland Britain.

Better still abolish APD altogether.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Re: Leeds Bradford - General Thread

Maybe Newcastle should make hay whilst the sun shines.
Talking to a friends in the area last week who is putting off booking in the hope the Scottish parliament scraps the airport duty.
This will see the residents of this region rushing over the border.

 

[Aviador]

I'm not convinced the saving would be large enough to make it worthwhile for people to trek to Scotland from the North East. The die hard folk will always follow a bargain but if the saving isn't more than £100 for a family of four, I doubt it will be worth it for the majority of people after paying for transfer costs and parking charges in Scotland.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Talking to a friends in the area last week who is putting off booking in the hope the Scottish parliament scraps the airport duty.

The Scottish government has already said that although it would like to abolish APD it can't afford to do so straight away and will reduce it by about 50% initially.

 

[Seasider]

Don't worry about Tynesiders going over the border, my daughter and family are flying from Glasgow and they live in East Yorkshire! Different school holidays means they can save £500 on MAN/LBA.

 

[Aviador]

Now that's a saving worth making! We've booked at the end of August and it's slightly cheaper than the week earlier because the Leeds school holidays start and end a week later than most other places in England.