Aer Lingus to launch base at Gatwick

Well, go any day now and you can see an EI machine at LGW. They already operate DUB from there.

As for it not making them go into money troubles, I think they’ve been very succesful at that without Gatwick, I’m sure it’ll just help it on it’s way. Hopefully the last one out will turn the lights off!

Oh yeah forgot they started a LGW-DUB service.

James

They have already announced that they are looking for used aircraft for these servcies. The four on order are not being used for it.

Aer Lingus seeking eight A320s for new Gatwick base
David Kaminski-Morrow, London (19Dec08, 12:39 GMT, 235 words)

Irish flag-carrier Aer Lingus will not redeploy its current fleet to its new London Gatwick base, and is scouting the market to acquire the Airbus A320s required.

The airline is to station four of the type at Gatwick from next April but plans to double this fleet to eight within 12 months.

Speaking at a briefing in London today, Aer Lingus chief Dermot Mannion said the airline was open either to leasing or purchasing the jets.

“It’s a good time to procure short-haul aircraft,” he says.

But he states that there are “no plans” to operate long-haul services from the capital airport.

Aer Lingus is to operate eight initial European routes from Gatwick and believes the market will support 2.5 million passengers per year.

Mannion says the Gatwick slots have been secured through a combination of direct discussion with the slot co-ordinator and agreements with other carriers.

He declines to identify the carriers involved with the slot negotiations, but states that Aer Lingus “didn’t pay cash” for the slots. He adds that the airline obtained a “very competitive” agreement with Gatwick operator BAA.

The airline expects to invest about £100 million ($150 million) and create 120 new positions by recruiting local pilots and cabin crew.

Mannion says Aer Lingus intends to keep costs down by applying “to equally good effect” at Gatwick the same strategies it employed to ease the opening of its Belfast base.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

On Wikipedia it says they have 4 Airbus A320s on order. So it must be them then

I thought some were going/have gone to British Airways?

Indeed, G-EUUH and G-EUUL are both ex-EI.

1L.

I agree with Josh 100% in the way he’s looking at this.

😀 At last! Somebody agrees with me! Thanks mate

Regarding the aircraft situation, they have one on order for next year. Perhaps they might try picking up a few delivery slots early from someone else. Or, where are the easyJet ones going. Im sure all the 321s have found new homes for the new year, but i have heard nothing about the 320s?

Unless they’re new aircraft. No idea if they have any on order though…

They’re seeking 8 aircraft on the used market, 4 for the initial launch, followed by another 4 over time. No existing bases will be reduced.

The problem is Josh, Gatwick doesn’t have much space. You don’t want it being wasted (from an enthusiasts point of view) by carrier’s you see 5 or 6 times a day already. If Wizz said they’d started up a new route from LTN as of tommorow, I’d just shrug my shoulders.

You’re missing the point, Dan. The real problem is that airlines are going down the crapper frighteningly quickly and if that continues to happen, there’s going to be very little left for us to shoot at all. Your viewpoint may well be a perfectly valid point from the perspective of a photographer who wants to shoot as many varied schemes as possible, but I honestly can’t comprehend how anyone who calls themselves an ‘enthusiast’ can possibly say any airline putting flights into an airport is ‘wasting’ space. Surely with the economic climate being what it is and with airlines going bust left right and centre, you should be happy to see an increase in traffic, regardless of where it comes from?

If airlines continue going bust there won’t be much of an industry to keep ‘enthusiasts’ interested. Expansion and increased traffic can’t be anything other than good and I agree with Josh 100% in the way he’s looking at this.

Paul

Unless they’re new aircraft. No idea if they have any on order though…

What planes they basing there?

4 x A320s I believe.

However does this mean a downsizing of other bases in order to accommodate LGW into the schedules?

The problem is Josh, Gatwick doesn’t have much space. You don’t want it being wasted (from an enthusiasts point of view) by carrier’s you see 5 or 6 times a day already. If Wizz said they’d started up a new route from LTN as of tommorow, I’d just shrug my shoulders.

What planes they basing there?

And Josh, what on earth is so exciting about EZ, FR and EI opening up new routes at LGW? They’re just taking advantage of the space left in the wake of XL, Oasis and Zoom. Sounds like a horrible step in the boring direction if you ask me!

Well its only good because we are finally getting flights back! Look at it this way, what would you feel if easyJet and Ryanair both began pulling out of LTN. All that would be there is Bizjets and you are unable to take advantage of flights because there was nobody there. Say an airline like Wizz then saw this as an opurtinty to expand. And they began a host of new routes. Im sure you would be over the moon, because Wizz would have thrown you(LTN) a lifeline and kept routes going.

Its the same down here. LGW has been hit very bad the last 12 months. So many bankrupt airlines, Open Skies moving nearly all long haul traffic to LHR and whats the left at Gatwick seems to be allways downsizing. So with the mentioned airlines bringing new routes, you can not blame me for being happy!

Very good news for Aer Lingus and Gatwick. Never does an airport operator any harm to see a well respected airline place a new operation on your patch. Great shame to see some “fellow enthusiasts” derive such glee from the financial problems at EI.

You mean they launched a service in competition against an airline?! :eek::eek: And they happen to have lower costs and lower fares so EZY jumped off the route. Any airline is free to reduce their costs and fares to match Ryanair, so let’s not suggest it’s all just bully tactics…

Micheal O’Leary has openly admited hundreds of times that his airlines tactics are to undercut other airlines and force them to give up the route, and in some cases, bankrupt the local airline. He might not have used the word “bully”, but he has certainly implied it. Mr O’Leary hides nothing from the public, it’s all good publicity to him.
And other airline’s cant meet them, because most don’t have the financial safety-net of FR.

And Josh, what on earth is so exciting about EZ, FR and EI opening up new routes at LGW? They’re just taking advantage of the space left in the wake of XL, Oasis and Zoom. Sounds like a horrible step in the boring direction if you ask me!

I don’t think so.. EI is not playing in the partnership game here, they want to cash in on the London yields for themselves. Getting involved with another airline will undermine their business plan.

Don’t be so sure…yet.

Gaz

Im very pleased about this too! Its fantastic…

I would have thought BHX or MAN would have been first England base. So for it to be LGW is awesome!

The fares look great so hopefully i am going to take advantage of them next summer!

Things are really heating up at LGW currently. With easyJet, Flybe and Ryanair all announcing new routes within the past weeks! Perhaps this will push FR to expand LGW further. easyJet may start on the VIE and ZRH routes, not sure what they would be thinking on this subject. And im sure this doesnt effect BE too much.

Josh

This is fantastic news. I suspect that a number of the routes will be a huge success.

Good on EI.

Wonder how BA will react becuase if EI have the backing of BA, FR might aswell go and whistle becuase its tough.If, EI has BA backing, will BA narow down its Network at LGW, and let EI grow at LGW, thus BA transfers all it passangers onto EI LGW Network and just keeps Long Haul.

I don’t think so.. EI is not playing in the partnership game here, they want to cash in on the London yields for themselves. Getting involved with another airline will undermine their business plan. Admittedly BA recently cancelled LGW-ZRH, and it could be suggested that this is a replacement service, but my guess is this will just get BA’s back up as they were trying to reduce capacity on the LON-ZRH route due to falling demand.

(i wish them the best of luck, as that aint happening soon)

I wouldn’t be too sure this time.

Good on EI.

Wonder how BA will react becuase if EI have the backing of BA, FR might aswell go and whistle becuase its tough.If, EI has BA backing, will BA narow down its Network at LGW, and let EI grow at LGW, thus BA transfers all it passangers onto EI LGW Network and just keeps Long Haul.

And i also wonder how FR will react. Over the last few years they have stuck two’s up at LGW, they were not interested but now a competitor is at LGW that they want to buy (i wish them the best of luck, as that aint happening soon), will FR have an expansion of there own (typical FR bully boy tatics).

Good for Aer Lingus I hope it works out ok for them and not make them go into money troubles.

Be good to see a EI machine at LGW again.

James

Well, go any day now and you can see an EI machine at LGW. They already operate DUB from there.

As for it not making them go into money troubles, I think they’ve been very succesful at that without Gatwick, I’m sure it’ll just help it on it’s way. Hopefully the last one out will turn the lights off!