Route Development & Rumours

[CM.]

I dont know about others on here but I’m being optimistic and hoping that they do show up with an A330 in August as that’s when they start.

 

[Aviador]

In very simple terms, a lot!
Even if you have your own aircraft and crew to hand, there is a huge amount of logistics to sort out, not to mention asking permission and getting permits from governments and airports.
So for a company that doesn’t have their own aircraft - it’s a mountain to climb!

How long did it take Flybe v2 to get back up and running?…..

Can we assume if the company leases an aircraft that meets all the aforementioned then the flight is still possible albeit unlikely at this stage?

 

[A_____N]

Apparently Leeds and Bradford airport have said they can’t provide for the A330 so it won’t be flying this month and the flight organisers are still trying to get an approval for August but are still unsure if it will ever go ahead.

 

[White Heather]

Apparently Leeds and Bradford airport have said they can’t provide for the A330 so it won’t be flying this month and the flight organisers are still trying to get an approval for August but are still unsure if it will ever go ahead.

Well they can't at the moment. No air-stairs or any other equipment for a wide body aircraft. We haven't had any since 2014! We have heard before that Swissport were supposed to be coming to LBA from MAN to train staff on wide body ops. I doubt it's happened as they can't even deal with day to day operations at either MAN or LBA. As cargo would also be part of the equation and there is no handling agent at LBA that too needs resolving.

That said, LBA are wanting flights to ISB and on a wide body aircraft, but I have doubts it will happen any time soon. That's what makes this all so weird. The new airline are apparently selling flights from 6th August but apparently without agreement.(ie a contract) with LBA.
It remains to be seen if the missing requirements can be sorted by August. One thing that can't is the terminal and we all know that LBA baggage reclaim will be carnage with a 300 seat aircraft, even assuming nothing else turns up at the same time.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I cant see cargo happening. Its not economical to have a cargo facility to handle so few flights. Staff would be sitting around most of the time with nothing to do. LBA let all their Customs premissions lapse and may even have repurposed the cargo shed so it all seems very unlikely.

If IPS cant fly from Leeds (by their deadline) I assume they will look for an alternative like Manchester or Doncaster where both passengers and cargo can be handled.

 

[White Heather]

I cant see cargo happening. Its not economical to have a cargo facility to handle so few flights. Staff would be sitting around most of the time with nothing to do. LBA let all their Customs premissions lapse and may even have repurposed the cargo shed so it all seems very unlikely.

If IPS cant fly from Leeds (by their deadline) I assume they will look for an alternative like Manchester or Doncaster where both passengers and cargo can be handled.

No point in flying from DSA and EMA. They are too close together. And the reason they will want to fly into LBA is the huge market here in West Yorkshire , on the airports doorstep and with known demand. If the service routes to DSA that WY market are more likely to carry on flying from MAN. Fly to DSA and it's likely to be yet another short-lived airline operating there. Little point either in going to MAN with its already
established airlines.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

No point in flying from DSA and EMA. They are too close together. And the reason they will want to fly into LBA is the huge market here in West Yorkshire , on the airports doorstep and with known demand. If the service routes to DSA that WY market are more likely to carry on flying from MAN. Fly to DSA and it's likely to be yet another short-lived airline operating there. Little point either in going to MAN with its already
established airlines.

I agree the 'whole point' is to service the Pakistani population in our area but if theyve sold tickets for services starting in August and LBA cant handle the aircraft by then they will have to look at alternative airports for the interim period. Maybe they would just use EMA?

They will have assumed cargo revenue I am sure so I hope that the lack of import or export cargo facilities isnt a deal breaker.

 

[White Heather]

I agree the 'whole point' is to service the Pakistani population in our area but if theyve sold tickets for services starting in August and LBA cant handle the aircraft by then they will have to look at alternative airports for the interim period. Maybe they would just use EMA?

They will have assumed cargo revenue I am sure so I hope that the lack of import or export cargo facilities isnt a deal breaker.

Well perhaps they need to engage with LBA management to determine what is and isn't do-able. It certainly doesn't feel as though they aren't doing much of that from the outside looking in. It feels like they are saying what they will do before finding out if they can. But that's just an impression I get. Nothing more.

Not sure launching an airline to operate solely between EMA and Pakistan a few times a week will go well.

The more I see and hear about this, the more it seems destined not to happen - but I sincerely hope it does, and is a success.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Well perhaps they need to engage with LBA management to determine what is and isn't do-able. It certainly doesn't feel as though they aren't doing much of that from the outside looking in. It feels like they are saying what they will do before finding out if they can. But that's just an impression I get. Nothing more.

Not sure launching an airline to operate solely between EMA and Pakistan a few times a week will go well.

The more I see and hear about this, the more it seems destined not to happen - but I sincerely hope it does, and is a success.

I agree with you in all respects. Is as if they are 'winging' it.

 

[airforced]

Winging it sounds about right if in fact it was ever a goer. It would amaze me if they had factored in cargo from LBA as there isn't a cargo facility there so it should have been no surprise at all. Did PIA have a cargo facility? I don't remember one being spoken about. Why cargo is being discussed and being given as a possible reason why they might not start their passenger flights in an A330 also smacks a lack of homework being done. All in all it points to a fantasy from start to finish.

 

[airforced]

Note for LBA4EVER. I wouldn't bother going to the viewing point on Saturday if I were you.

 

[A400]

Note for LBA4EVER. I wouldn't bother going to the viewing point on Saturday if I were you.

Well no because they’re not planning to start until August now.

 

[Aviador]

Point to consider regarding cargo ops. Although I'm not sure if it has ever been done before I see no reason why the clearance/bonding of cargo can't be done at say East Midlands airport before land transfer to LBA for the flight much in the same way that some bonded Duty Free bars have sometimes been completed in Manchester for flights exiting from LBA. This would essentially allow cargo ops from LBA without an onsite cargo operation.

 

[lbaspotter]

Has anyone seen any further indication of any of the following happening?

1/ LBA's own high lifter working again after having some maintenance done recently?

2/ Do any of the current employed Swissport staff at LBA have training on wide-bodied aircraft?

3/ Has anyone seen any further indication that the fire cover is being increased from CAT7 to CAT8?

4/ Have IPS Airways had any formal meetings to draw up and sign contracts with either Leeds-Bradford, East Midlands, Islamabad & Lahore Airports?

5/ Have any slots been allocated by ACL at EMA or LBA?

6/ Do we still have a tow bar for an Airbus A330 at LBA?

7/ Has anyone seen concrete evidence to say IPS Airways got an Airbus A330-200 aircraft lease signed up to operate the said services, eg Jordan Aviation or Serene Air.

8/ Do the UK CAA know about this operation, as the is no sign of an ATOL or IATA licences yet?

 

[Aviador]

You'd be surprised what you can find in Cargo Shed 2.

 

[ls27]

I remember PIA did take cargo, as one evening.whilst listening to my now abandoned Airband radio the flight was delayed whilst they loaded bottled water and fridges.

 

[Aviador]

I remember PIA did take cargo, as one evening.whilst listening to my now abandoned Airband radio the flight was delayed whilst they loaded bottled water and fridges.

Usually dead bodies on the way out, mangos on the way back!

 

[ls27]

Ah yes they did bring mangoes in.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

PIA brought in a lot of mangoes but also general cargo. Exports were bodies and occasionally general cargo. Most cargo was imports. Im not sure how it would work but in theory it's possible to take cargo into a CAA approved facility (say at Manchester/Doncaster/EMA- or there may be an independent on Euroway?), scan/security check the cargo and complete export Customs entries, and send to LBA by road on a sealed vehicle with a CAA qualified driver. Imports could use a similar method but would mean unloading the cargo, raising a Customs transit document and loading on a sealed vehicle to a Customs facility, probably at one of the airports already mentioned. Of course perishables present other problems as they have to have a health inspection. This has to take place at the first point of arrival ie LBA so that's going to complicate matters and likely delay the goods. It will also require supplemental charges which could make the freight rates unattractive.

Customs and other organisations prefer to work with familiar processes such having freight facilities on airport and discourage alternatives.

I should add that exports would be less of an issue than imports, which are eve more complex than I have indicated above.

The airport wan to get Pakistan flights back again but I suspect they have their heads in the sand when it comes to cargo. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!

 

[airforced]

I asked the cargo question LBAYORKIE as I don't recall this being discussed on here at the time PIA had their service running. The fact that they had a cargo operation of sorts, even with the complications you mentioned, makes me assume that IPS would have taken that sort of thing into account at some stage. They may well still be winging it however. In an earlier post lbaspotter asked some, what I consider, pertinent questions which when answered (if answered) could well clarify things further. We shall have to wait, again, and see but thank you for clearing up the cargo question even if we ignore the Hi-lift and Swissport questions for the time being.