PIK

[jetblue497]

Just shutting the pax operation down is not enough. All COMMERCIAL airline operations should be closed - maybe even the FBOs (if the airfield was in private hands then it would the the owners choice as to whether that kind of business is viable). Leave it open for the private industries to thrive and expand onto the real estate freed up (terminal/cargo/short runway all closing would double available space just about) - if that fails then market forces will have finally won out, a situation PIK has not faced in my lifetime I think.

Leaving cargo ops in PIK is a disaster - too many on this forum dont realize how much of a bonus having a cargo operation at GLA would be. GLA cargo goes on a lorry and heads south for the most part - that cargo going on a flight from GLA helps pay for said flight and add to profitability.

[atuk]

Just shutting the pax operation down is not enough. All COMMERCIAL airline operations should be closed - maybe even the FBOs (if the airfield was in private hands then it would the the owners choice as to whether that kind of business is viable). Leave it open for the private industries to thrive and expand onto the real estate freed up (terminal/cargo/short runway all closing would double available space just about) - if that fails then market forces will have finally won out, a situation PIK has not faced in my lifetime I think.

Leaving cargo ops in PIK is a disaster - too many on this forum dont realize how much of a bonus having a cargo operation at GLA would be. GLA cargo goes on a lorry and heads south for the most part - that cargo going on a flight from GLA helps pay for said flight and add to profitability.

Thank you. I’m glad somebody else sees sense regards PIK. I fully agree with your statement and don’t feel such a lone voice in the wilderness.

[Bearsden]

There are a number of threads going at the moment which probably need to be consolidated . . . What future post COVID-19 for the three Central Scotland airports?

This is the PIK thread and one thing which makes PIK different is quite simply it was acquired for a £1 (Stagecoach and Infratil lost their money) and has accumulated a government loan plus unpaid interest of around £50m (annual interest at say 3% = £1.5m)

Both EDI & GLA were bought for staggering sums of money on the basis of future earnings but with it comes debt - AGS overall had £757m of external debt and £196m of shareholder debt at 31 Dec 2020 while the shareholders injected a further £35m of equity and £35m of debt on 18 Jun 2021 (so annual interest at say 3% on £988m [£757m + £196m + £35m] = £29.6m)

EDI had external debt of £1,113m at 31 Dec 2020 so £33.4m annual cash profit required just to service the debt

With the continued high level of US military traffic in 2020/21 I expect PIK's accounts (which will be published in the next four weeks) to be around a £2m loss after interest

[viscount]

Leaving cargo ops in PIK is a disaster - too many on this forum dont realize how much of a bonus having a cargo operation at GLA would be. GLA cargo goes on a lorry and heads south for the most part - that cargo going on a flight from GLA helps pay for said flight and add to profitability.
[/quote]

Could GLA or Edi handle fully loaded 748 All year round and all weather without disrupting the passenger side.

[Bearsden]

Leaving cargo ops in PIK is a disaster - too many on this forum dont realize how much of a bonus having a cargo operation at GLA would be. GLA cargo goes on a lorry and heads south for the most part - that cargo going on a flight from GLA helps pay for said flight and add to profitability.

Could GLA or Edi handle fully loaded 748 All year round and all weather without disrupting the passenger side.
[/quote]

I suspect not . . . . I don't think we have any B748 aircrew on the forum to confirm

But also remember An-124s are frequently used for significant oil & gas and other large engineering equipment worldwide

[jetblue497]

Leaving cargo ops in PIK is a disaster - too many on this forum dont realize how much of a bonus having a cargo operation at GLA would be. GLA cargo goes on a lorry and heads south for the most part - that cargo going on a flight from GLA helps pay for said flight and add to profitability.

Could GLA or Edi handle fully loaded 748 All year round and all weather without disrupting the passenger side.
[/quote]

Before the doom and gloom brigade pipes in with "what passenger side?".........
With the right equipment yes. The stated "aircraft too big for GLA" excuse from management is (expletive deleted) and even if it was true its fixable. GLA many years ago had the proper equipment for main deck cargo but was sold off (per many many stories from those who worked at GLA to save PIK). Anyway not all cargo is on main deck freighters - see what Emirates packs into the bellies on a daily basis. That kind of freight makes money, having a consolidated freight operation at ONE airport is more cost effective. Mixing main deck and belly ops is the most efficient method if possible.

[Paris]

Leaving cargo ops in PIK is a disaster - too many on this forum dont realize how much of a bonus having a cargo operation at GLA would be. GLA cargo goes on a lorry and heads south for the most part - that cargo going on a flight from GLA helps pay for said flight and add to profitability.

Could GLA or Edi handle fully loaded 748 All year round and all weather without disrupting the passenger side.
[/quote]

(Fully loaded 748) You ask the question as if PIK can..!! It can’t as runway is way too short to do so.

[viscount]

I also would like to ask the question what length of runway would it need for a 748f

As I chartered A124 into Edi with 98 tonnes for A client in fife many years ago, and PIK as far as I am aware is about 2000 ft longer
I believe a 748 can take about 110 tonnes shoot me down if am wrong.
Is it the take off that is the problem?

[atuk]

I also would like to ask the question what length of runway would it need for a 748f

As I chartered A124 into Edi with 98 tonnes for A client in fife many years ago, and PIK as far as I am aware is about 2000 ft longer
I believe a 748 can take about 110 tonnes shoot me down if am wrong.
Is it the take off that is the problem?

Has anyone actually looked at the routes the freighters are running? I’m not up to speed on this but know in the past Cargolux arrived from USA and departed for Europe. Surely that wouldn’t present an issue for GLA runway length?

[Bearsden]

I also would like to ask the question what length of runway would it need for a 748f

As I chartered A124 into Edi with 98 tonnes for A client in fife many years ago, and PIK as far as I am aware is about 2000 ft longer
I believe a 748 can take about 110 tonnes shoot me down if am wrong.
Is it the take off that is the problem?

Has anyone actually looked at the routes the freighters are running? I’m not up to speed on this but know in the past Cargolux arrived from USA and departed for Europe. Surely that wouldn’t present an issue for GLA runway length?

5 Cargolux and 2 Air France a week - all eastbound apart from 1 Cargolux