Wizz Air fallen out with Doncaster/Sheffield airport.

[Bearsden]

Confirmed today that the airport to close on 31th October. Sad news for the employees

Hopefully sets a precedence for PIK’s terminal to follow suit.

Sorry Clive but IMHO absolutely no chance as long as PIK's substantial military traffic continues (RCAF announced today that PIK will now be the base for 3 CC-130J and be redesignated as an Air Mobility Detachment)

The non-passenger traffic is covering PIK's fixed costs so it should be relatively easy to show that Ryanair's marginal passenger revenue exceeds marginal passenger costs

[Clive]

Confirmed today that the airport to close on 31th October. Sad news for the employees

Hopefully sets a precedence for PIK’s terminal to follow suit.

Sorry Clive but IMHO absolutely no chance as long as PIK's substantial military traffic continues (RCAF announced today that PIK will now be the base for 3 CC-130J and be redesignated as an Air Mobility Detachment)

The non-passenger traffic is covering PIK's fixed costs so it should be relatively easy to show that Ryanair's marginal passenger revenue exceeds marginal passenger costs

Or new owners will buy it on the strength of its core business and drop the loss making parts or indeed they may not be in the commercial pax ops business at all. Another avenue is that Ryanair decide to close their base just like Wizz did at DSA then the terminal would have to close whether anyone liked it or not.

[Clive]

Hopefully sets a precedence for PIK’s terminal to follow suit.

Sorry Clive but IMHO absolutely no chance as long as PIK's substantial military traffic continues (RCAF announced today that PIK will now be the base for 3 CC-130J and be redesignated as an Air Mobility Detachment)

The non-passenger traffic is covering PIK's fixed costs so it should be relatively easy to show that Ryanair's marginal passenger revenue exceeds marginal passenger costs

In fairness, he did specifically say 'terminal', i.e close pax operations and focus completely on cargo and military traffic.

Indeed. And that’s been my mantra for the last 10 years.

PIK is a fantastic asset to Scotland - it just can’t be a pax airport with one impetuous and erratic customer who could up sticks at any moment. That’s not a business proposition any commercial entity would proffer.

On top of the aforementioned Canadian Air Force contract it seems there may be a new resident 747 freighter there as of today. Air One, I gather.

Everything’s going in the right direction. The paltry terminal ops are a drain and a distraction IMO.

[McG]

While Ryanair continue to have a significant maintenance presence at PIK it is unlikely that they will withdraw from passenger ops.

[Bearsden]

it seems there may be a new resident 747 freighter there as of today. Air One, I gather.

Not sure where One Air intend to base B747F G-UNET (a 31 year old airframe) . . . certainly crew training between Prestwick and Doncaster

[Paris]

“PIK is a fantastic asset to Scotland”

Why is it a fantastic asset for this country? Why can’t all that do business at PIK, not do the same at GLA ?

[Bearsden]

“PIK is a fantastic asset to Scotland”

Why is it a fantastic asset for this country? Why can’t all that do business at PIK, not do the same at GLA ?

Initial thoughts . . .
(a) PIK has gone for an integrated but flexible approach with in-house staff (very little outsourcing, incentivised to bring revenue into the business, part-time contracts, split shifts, multi-tasking) . . . eg the private aircraft handling companies were removed and the business was taken in-house to avoid the intermediate's profit taking and to control the business direction going forward
(b) PIK has acres more hard standing and a bit longer runway . . . the former is vital for RCAF, USAF etc heavies and for maintenance/storage (where could GLA hide 4 B788s for 3 years!)
(c) PIK handles heavies at all hours of the day & night . . . I can envisage the complaints from those under the flightpath if C-17As & KC-135s come thundering overhead at 0200, 0300 etc (Jet2, TUI etc are just about tolerated)
(d) And quite frankly GLA would struggle to come up with an investment case for heavy cargo and/or military traffic

[Clive]

“PIK is a fantastic asset to Scotland”

Why is it a fantastic asset for this country? Why can’t all that do business at PIK, not do the same at GLA ?

Impossible and not plausible. Also, between you and I, it will be a national strategic asset in the next couple of years.

[awwdabaaby]

Wizz have announced new routes to Leeds, basically the Doncaster flights been moved

[Iain]

Wizz have announced new routes to Leeds, basically the Doncaster flights been moved

Obviously LBA have benefited here from the failings at DSA, but still that airport seems to making quite a lot of headway at the moment with new routes.