Humberside Nostalgia

[Seasider]

As I have previously stated I am "digitalising" (is there such a word) my own timetables from years gone by.
Here is the Timetable for Summer 1979.

View attachment 3970

 

[Aviador]

Thanks Seasider. Was Humberside busier then than it is now?

Was AQ Air UK? It had such a big domestic network back then. I don't think any airline comes close these days.

 

[Seasider]

In terms of the number of flights, Yes.
AQ was Air Anglia who merged with BIA to form Air UK in late '79.

 

[Aviador]

Not at Humberside but still worthy of a viewing to hear those dart engines.

I was born in 74 so I only remember Air UK.

 

[Seasider]

Hopefully I will be able to take some photos of them next month when in NZ.

 

[Silvercity]

As I have previously stated I am "digitalising" (is there such a word) my own timetables from years gone by.
Here is the Timetable for Summer 1979.

View attachment 3970

I find this old timetable interesting, as I think the loss of regional air connections is replicated at many airports around the UK, 0f course rail has got faster in some places so air links have been lost. I flew only once into Humberside on quite a late flight from Tees side with Air UK. Probably an F27, the service continued to Norwich I seem to recall.

I just about remember Air Anglia they had F27s and F28s.

 

[Seasider]

The F28's didn't last long after the merger, about 12 months?

 

[wolfheze]

I find this old timetable interesting, as I think the loss of regional air connections is replicated at many airports around the UK, 0f course rail has got faster in some places so air links have been lost. I flew only once into Humberside on quite a late flight from Tees side with Air UK. Probably an F27, the service continued to Norwich I seem to recall.

I just about remember Air Anglia they had F27s and F28s.

And Najavo Chieftains

 

[Silvercity]

And Najavo Chieftains

oh really, wow which routes were they on, they did have quite an extensive network I think . Did they serve Swansea, just had a feeling they did ?

 

[wolfheze]

Don't know about routes other than the Norwich to Birmingham service that started around 77/78.

 

[Silvercity]

Don't know about routes other than the Norwich to Birmingham service that started around 77/78.

I just did some research, they used that aircraft to fly Norwich Birmingham Swansea Newquay.

 

[wolfheze]

I just did some research, they used that aircraft to fly Norwich Birmingham Swansea Newquay.

Out of interest when did it start? I know I was at Birmingham that day hoping it would be an F27

 

[Silvercity]

I don't know exactly it just said second half of 1970s

 

[pug]

Thought it would be handy resurrecting this to some things lost over the last 30 years..

I remember Eurodirect, they operated a wide number of services from Humberside using Jetstream 31 and ATP equipment. They didn’t last long, but the BRU service was retained for quite some time under Eurodirect Belgie which I think was double daily on a J31 with Sabena code share. Believe it lasted a couple of years after the demise of Eurodirect and itself ended in around 1996.

Citybus operated a short lived HUY-LCY service multiple daily on a DO228, think that lasted months rather than years and was in 1994.

Air U.K. operated to LHR multiple daily on S360, service ended in 1992 when LHR increased costs.

Gill Airways operated a 2x daily HUY-CDG on ATR72 in full Air France livery. Initially shared with MME, the MME leg was dropped. Lasted at least 18 months and recall did well.

Ryanair in 2006 daily Dublin service. 4500 to 6000 passengers a months, pretty good figures where it not for the fact that it was a B737-800! Also competed directly with DSA. Dropped after In 2011 ran a 2 x weekly ALC service with high load factors (higher than DSA), dropped after one season due fallout with ALC.

FlyBe ran one season of flights between HUY and AGP. Very high load factors but they never returned.

Excel based an aircraft part of the week in 2006, plans for a full based aircraft and a second part based aircraft for the 2007 season never materialised, clearly their financial standing wasn’t great and we know what happened thereafter.

There are a load more examples of charter destinations, perhaps people could add to this list.

 

[Danny]

Summer 2006 Holiday Guide

 

[White Heather]

I

oh really, wow which routes were they on, they did have quite an extensive network I think . Did they serve Swansea, just had a feeling they did ?

I remember Air Anglia using DC3s too when they first started operations into LBA.

 

[Aviador]

It's nice to see this thread up and running again. I always loved the annual holiday guides released by the airports. You don't really see that anymore.

What year did Airtours open up a base at Humberside? I seem to recall the shockwaves being felt far and wide when they announced that.

 

[pug]

It's nice to see this thread up and running again. I always loved the annual holiday guides released by the airports. You don't really see that anymore.

What year did Airtours open up a base at Humberside? I seem to recall the shockwaves being felt far and wide when they announced that.

I don’t recall them having a base, but they did offer a significant number of destinations. I would guess it’ll have been just after the runway extension in 1992, as that’s when passenger growth really took off. It seemed to me at the time that the airport was on an upward trajectory for years, but in reality it’s growth only lasted just over a decade until DSA opened. Now it’s running at less than a third of its peak value. If DSA hasn’t have opened then who knows where it would be now.

 

[White Heather]

I don’t recall them having a base, but they did offer a significant number of destinations. I would guess it’ll have been just after the runway extension in 1992, as that’s when passenger growth really took off. It seemed to me at the time that the airport was on an upward trajectory for years, but in reality it’s growth only lasted just over a decade until DSA opened. Now it’s running at less than a third of its peak value. If DSA hasn’t have opened then who knows where it would be now.

A good time now then to catch up again.

 

[pug]

A good time now then to catch up again.

I don’t see the will being there, sadly. Bristow now have majority ownership and it’s not really part of their core business.

Tagline on the website is ‘sustainable routes that last’ and directs you to an enquiries email address. Last I heard there actually isn’t anyone there in charge of aviation development any more. Whether recent events change that remains to be seen, but I’m afraid I don’t have much optimism on that front.

Having said that, it looks like NPAS and 2Excel are going to be looking for a new home, and with Bristow handling the SAR contract with direct working partnership with 2Excel for the fixed wing services, I would suggest that HUY is a shoe in. This would open up the possibility of H24 operations and may therefore allow for sustainable passenger operations. All would require significant outlay, the airport is profitable in its current form…