Balboy From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2000, 142 posts, RR: 0 Posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 2269 times:
From Britannia...
New base for Britannia and Thomsonfly
Today both Thomson and Thomsonfly have announced that Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport will become an additional UK base for their operations.
In summer 2005 Britannia will base one B757 at the airport offering a new departure point for Thomson customers. The airport will become Thomsonfly’s second departure point with four aircraft based there offering a range of low cost flights and routes will be announced shortly.
Britannia’s managing director Kevin Hatton said, “This is an exciting new development for both Britannia and Thomsonfly and will offer up to 150 job opportunities in the local area. Passengers like to fly from airports which are convenient for them and we are delighted that Robin Hood Airport will join Britannia’s already extensive network of bases.”
Thomson holidays for summer 2005 departing with Britannia from Robin Hood will be on sale from 29th April 2004 and Thomsonfly flights from its second base will go on sale before Christmas 2004.
EGNM-LBA From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 156 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2183 times:
...or EMA which has 2 x based BY units over the summer and where (compared to LBA) many more punters from South Yorks travel to take their package hols. Even more travel over to MAN, but I guess we'll have to wait and see which airport is destined to loose out.
FlyingColours From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 2315 posts, RR: 11 Reply 5, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2110 times:
MYT332 - I am afraid that aint a p*ss take, it is the stupidest name for a UK airport. It was formerly RAF Finningly, still this is what happens when you let the public name things.
There is already a sheffield airport so that could confuse those who already don't know where EMA is.............
Phil
FlyingColours
Lifes a train racing towards you, now you can either run away or grab a chair & a beer and watch it come - Phil
Groobster From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 309 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2091 times:
That really is a stupid name. And considering they already fly from Coventry and Leeds/Bradford, can't see why they would fly from somewhere not too far away from those.
GKirk From UK - Scotland, joined Jun 2000, 24621 posts, RR: 59 Reply 7, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2086 times:
I hear LBA is changing name to "Mark Viduka Leeds Bradford International Airport" and NCL is changing to "Paul Gascoigne Alan Shearer Newcastle Broon Ale International Airport"
When you hear the noise of the Tartan Army Boys, we'll be coming down the road!
EGNM-LBA From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 156 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2074 times:
Flying Colours,
1) it (was) Finningley, not Finningly - a good reason to rename the place was that no-one could spell Finningley
2) the public didn't choose the name, it was entirely a decision made by Peel
3) Sheffield Airport closed to commercial traffic a long time ago. Part of it is now a business park and the rest is only licensed for light GA and helicopters.
4) What is the connection between the now redundant Sheffield Airport and people who don't know where EMA is?
Skymonster From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2031 times:
It will get shortened by the locals to Donny airport or similar.
Yeah, and I remember when there was a Castle Donny airport... now named Nottingham East Midlands airport - it annoys some of their ATC if you call them "Castle Don approach" on 134.175!
Oerk From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2003, 162 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 1997 times:
With regards to having three airports competing.... surely the one in the middle will win out..... thus Robin Hood.
My folks live nearby, and the local press and officials are outraged by the selection of the name, but they are still digesting it, given that nobody could ever have imagined such a title. They expect it to become known as 'Robin Hood' instead... i.e. the name alone is a joke, which is not uncommon for a major facility in this area. People are already referring to it simply as 'Robin Hood'.
Good to see the first airlines announcing service, it is easier to get to than Leeds Bradford, especially with the rail link to the east coast mainline.
Capital146 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2003, 2125 posts, RR: 49 Reply 12, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 1949 times:
Ahh as predicted, Thomsonfly to set up base at RHDSI airport. As well as serving the predictable routes such as AGP, ALC, etc, lets hope they also add some of lesser served regions, currently underserved north of Stansted by LCC's.
I hope BY (or should I say TUI) resist the temptation the reduce LBA services next summer with the news of a based B757 at RHDSI. A more positive step would be to allow the LBA based aircraft to open up some new routes to Greece and Italy, as BY currently only serve Corfu in the whole Central Med/Eastern Med/Adriatic region. They could easily introduce places such as Naples, Rhodes, Heraklion, Paphos and Zakythos and have the RHDSI based aircraft do the 'W' services to include HUY flights (which are currently carried out by the LBA based aircraft).
Ant72LBA From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2003, 411 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 1929 times:
Couple of points;
The local news here in Yorkshire is going to be carrying a piece in their 6.30pm show which has been trailed along the lines of "new local airport struggling to attract operators".
LBA has one advantage over Donny in that its immediate catchment area is one of the richest in Northern England and is thus very convenient for the business types who live in the area. Admittedly it's not so good for the package holiday thousands from the likes of Wakefield, Barnsley and Pontefract. Hence the reason why the first services announced are holiday charters I suppose.
Ric180880 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 13 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 1772 times:
Britannia has a few other bases in the UK where only 1 a/c is based - LBA, BRS and CWL are some, and if the a/c go tech their they don't tend to bus pax to another airport. They either fix the problem or bring in another a/c. Its happened to me a few times at LBA.
LBA From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2000, 494 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (9 years 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1680 times:
I visited Robin Hood yesterday (and thats what it was called for the whole tour), the last time I was there was for the Finningley Airshow - a while ago!
At the moment it appears they are relying on one operator for its existence, an operator with no track record in providing scheduled services, but the airport will also handle freight - anticipated to be as much as 60,000 tonnes p.a. and one of the existing hangers is being converted to a freight warehouse. Someone asked about nearby competition and the general consensus was the main loser in the long run could be Humberside, LBA will see little effect as only 3% of its passengers travel from South Yorkshire and the travel time to MAN or Robin Hood for the majority of LBA's customers is about the same (it took me 70 minutes from Bradford, I can do MAN in about 60). I doubt it will ever compete for long haul over Manchester - people flying long haul are less concerned about travel times to the airport. Peel see the airport as a carbon copy of Liverpool (the terminal at Robin Hood is the same design, but smaller for now) providing low cost scheduled and charter services. One advantage the airport does have is the runway length which at just over 9,000 ft is capable of handling fully loaded 747s bound for the east coast of the USA - a 150m extension is possible to allow flights to the west coast of the USA to operate.
Useless fact - the runway is one of only a few in the UK which could take an Airbus A380 today (if one existed). No modifications would be required as the runway has a width of 60m all of which is 3m thick concrete.
First flights from the airport are scheduled for Easter 2005.
Seems a lot of destinations for just 4 based aircraft, frequencies on many routes may only be once or twice a week. I particularly like the additions of Florence and Valencia.
In other news, it states on the BBC website that First Choice are to offer the first long-haul services from Robin Hood from May 2005 to Florida, Dominican Republic and Cancun with its 763's. The flights will operate fortnightly. Having seen that First Choice are added the same destinations in 2005 from EMA, am I right to assume that the EMA services will be fortnightly as well and that the 763 will take it in turns on alternate weeks to serve EMA and Robin Hood?
Capital146 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2003, 2125 posts, RR: 49 Reply 21, posted (9 years 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 1561 times:
HUYfan, list shows Florence AND Pisa served, though I admit I was wondering how they were going to use their 735's to/from Florence!
Can the 735's operate with any kind of load from Florence as this would be great if so? I know Meridiana A319's are now flying from there, is the 735 so different performance-wise?
Ric180880 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 13 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (9 years 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 1543 times:
Some of those destinations, listed by capital146, might be the ones that the 757 will operate for Thomson, and therefore might not be all Thomsonfly destinations
Capital146 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2003, 2125 posts, RR: 49 Reply 23, posted (9 years 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 1533 times:
Mmmm, possibly Ric180880, but if BY is to base a B757 there next summer then surely they will also serve destinations such as TFS, LPA, ACE, LCA, MAH, etc which weren't on the list?
LBA From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2000, 494 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (9 years 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 1443 times:
Florence is not on the list on the BBC website. The above are purely the Thomsonfly scheduled destinations and will be served by 735s. In addition to these there are 6 or 7 charter destinations which aren't listed on the BBC but include some of the scheduled list, some of those mentioned by Capital146 and I remember Faro being mentioned as a charter destination.
Jaspike - EGXI is still officially closed. Before the first flight all the licences to operate need to be finalised and work on the runway is required including the installation of new markings, lighting, direction indicators etc.
Ant72LBA From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2003, 411 posts, RR: 1 Reply 25, posted (9 years 3 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 1346 times:
The piece on the local news I saw (see reply 13) mentioned that RHDSI were hoping to launch some long haul routes in the near future. First Choice has been mentioned, any other thoughts? CO to EWR..................?
Slightly more seriously I guess they'd be long haul charters to take advantage of the runway length. Would this have an impact on the, long term, plans to increase the runway length at LBA?
Sponsor Message: 
From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2000, 142 posts, 
From UK - Scotland, joined Jun 2000, 24621 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
