2011 Expectations

[Aviador]

Just thought I'd start a thread for people to discuss how they would like the airport to progress in the coming year. What are your expectations for the year ahead for DSA?

 

[backtrack]

Not a lot by the way things have gone recently...

 

[Aviador]

Not a lot by the way things have gone recently...

Be positive.

 

[White Heather]

I am positively not expecting a lot for the coming year! However, you just never know what might be around the corner for DSA. They have got a new Wizz route to Vilnius, which is a first for the region, plus the new Ryanair route to Tenerife, but neither will replace the loss of Easyjet and Aer Lingus will they?

 

[pug]

Certain (dubious) comments on another forum suggesting TOM are scrapping their winter operations and the announcement is imminent. Not sure why they would, but in the offchance that they do then that realy would be a bad sign. I believe there are a couple of other things to come out over the coming months but i dont know of any other passenger services.

 

[ryan]

Certain (dubious) comments on another forum suggesting TOM are scrapping their winter operations and the announcement is imminent. Not sure why they would, but in the offchance that they do then that realy would be a bad sign. I believe there are a couple of other things to come out over the coming months but i dont know of any other passenger services.

It would surprise me if TOM pulled their winter ops - these flights run at virtually 100% full, for example, Sharm el Sheik last December had an average of 99.6% load factor (info from CAA). Which forum did you see it on by the way? Just wondering because it's the first I've heard of it on here!

 

[pug]

Was on the AH forum, its been banded about for a while but i just cant see it myself.

 

[White Heather]

Neither can I, although I imagine that TOM are not best pleased at the airport being closed for so long in the past week or so and now today's closure too. What surprises me is that they are cancelling flights, and presumably peoples holidays? Today's TOM flight from Sharm el Shark is cancelled, but isn't that supposed to be flying holiday makers home from their jolllies? I would have expected it to operate and just fly into EMA or MAN, or even better, LBA (as if .

 

[ryan]

although I imagine that TOM are not best pleased at the airport being closed for so long in the past week or so and now today's closure too

DSA's closure would have had relatively little impact on TOM's operations, with it just being one based aircraft - Gatwick on the other hand.... if Thomson aren't happy with DSA, then I wouldn't even want to imagine the anger towards Gatwick!

 

[pug]

LGW is a bit different with respect.

 

[cazza]

Neither can I, although I imagine that TOM are not best pleased at the airport being closed for so long in the past week or so and now today's closure too. What surprises me is that they are cancelling flights, and presumably peoples holidays? Today's TOM flight from Sharm el Shark is cancelled, but isn't that supposed to be flying holiday makers home from their jolllies? I would have expected it to operate and just fly into EMA or MAN, or even better, LBA (as if .

The passengers going to Sharm were coached to a couple of other airport's. The passengers coming back from sharm were also split between a couple of other UK airports and coached back to Doncaster. Their holiday's were not cancelled, Thomson will always do what they can before they have to cancel someones holiday even if it means coaching passengers from Doncaster to London...

 

[White Heather]

So presumably there was spare capacity on other TOM flights or they substituted larger aircraft in order to fit the DSA passengers on. I assume therefore that the 'incident' at DSA took place whilst the TOM 737 was on the ground so it was unable to do the outbound leg?

With regard to TOM not cancelling though, didn't someone on the forum tell us when they joined a few days ago that his holiday to Paphos had been cancelled due to DSA being snow closed? Other airports were open and so those passengers could presumably have been transported down to EMA, LTN or MAN where other TOM flights might have accommodated them.

You might be underestimating the response of TOM though to the extended closure of DSA. LGW is on a much bigger scale with huge parking aprons and taxiways in addition to the runway, whilst that airport was cluttered up with many aircraft when the snow fell, unlike DSA. Only time will tell whether the past couple of weeks has done any harm to the DSA/TOM relationship and even if it has, we are unlikely to find out on here.

 

[User0001]

when you think about it the airport going to start struggling soon if it doesn't get anymore airlines in im surprised fly be haven't decided to operate any flights from here.

 

[ryan]

im surprised fly be haven't decided to operate any flights from here.

Do you mean "operate any more flights from here"? They already operate Belfast six days per week and Jersey 4 days per week.

 

[Aviador]

Ryan, you beat me to it. I picked up on this yesterday but I got pulled away from the computer before responding. Flybe does indeed operate flights to it's Belfast City base.

 

[cazza]

Ryan, you beat me to it. I picked up on this yesterday but I got pulled away from the computer before responding. Flybe does indeed operate flights to it's Belfast City base.

...and Jersey!!!

Would be good to see a couple of based E175s when they get them to routes such as AMS, CDG, BHD, JER, DUB and even AGP, PMI and FAO... All routes which they serve and all routes that would and DO work very well from DSA... Though we can all dream hey!

 

[User0001]

last time i checked they didn't even fly there

 

[cazza]

last time i checked they didn't even fly there

I believe Flybe have flown from DSA since 2006 starting off with a double daily BHD service (albeit very poorly timed for a business trip).

 

[ryan]

last time i checked they didn't even fly there

This is quite laughable!

Did you last check in 2005 by any chance?

Here's the full timetable for your viewing pleasure:

Doncaster Sheffield
Belfast City
BE264 14:00 15:05 M T . T F . . - - 22-Feb-11 - 25-Mar-11
BE264 14:00 15:05 M . . T F . . - - 21-Jan-11 - 21-Feb-11
BE264 14:25 15:30 M T W T F . . - - 28-Mar-11 - 28-Oct-11
BE264 17:05 18:10 . . . . . . Su - - 27-Mar-11 - 23-Oct-11
BE264 17:10 18:15 . . . . . . Su - - 23-Jan-11 - 20-Mar-11
Jersey
BE1165 11:00 12:30 . . . . . Sa . - - 07-May-11 - 24-Sep-11
BE1165 14:25 15:55 . T . T . . . - - 24-Feb-11 - 27-Oct-11
BE1165 16:50 18:20 . . . . . . Su - - 20-Feb-11 - 23-Oct-11

 

[Jordan-34092]

There was a rumour Jet2 was going to do a route from here but i can't see it due to them being based at Leeds/Bradford International Airport.