Hiya,
I was up at LBA today, and saw G-STRB operating for Astraeus in full Flybe colours. Now from what I have read, the BE coloured 733s have operated for the charter side out of both MAN and LBA this summer already numerous times.
I find this really strange when I read that AEU have been sending all sorts to operate from BHX for FlyBe, yet they have a/c in FlyBe colours operating for their own charter airline.
Is this just down to aircraft utilisation? You would have thought they would have tried their best to make sure the FlyBe coloured 733s were operating the BE operation and vica versa.
BTW – I still dont get how a 733 can make it to TFS,LPA and LCA off of LBAs runway! Anyone know if they have got uprated engines or if they have to have a reduced pax load on this route? And also – anyone know whats happened to G-STRJ? That was meant to the LBA based a/c this summer, seems to change every Wednesday when it postions out to MAN, was STRA earlier in the week.
Thanks in advance 🙂
By: Pembo330 - 5th June 2005 at 12:37
Interesting question Tom, I was wondering the same myself!
Good replies guys – it clears up my query too!
By: LBARULES - 5th June 2005 at 12:24
Thanks Matt, I imagine STRB and STRJ should swap eventually.
Also thanks to the person who voted this thread 1 star, I was only asking a question, Geez…
By: Matt K - 5th June 2005 at 00:03
G-STRJ is currently based at BHX in full Astraeus colours along with G-STRE in full flybe colours.
Yep, AEU have sent everything into BHX including a 752 G-OPJB when STRJ went tech.
By: LBARULES - 4th June 2005 at 18:06
Thanks very much to both of you for your replies, most helpful :).
By: bwaflyer - 4th June 2005 at 17:44
When G-STRB returned from it’s winter operations for Air Asia, the cabin was absolutely wrecked. The aircraft was quickly repainted, but flybe asked for a large amount of interior maintenance to be carried out before they’d accept it. This has been ongoing over the last few weeks during night stops etc. and has been operating many of AEU’s own charter flights. AEU aircraft have been operating from BHX on flybe services. I’m not sure, but I think RB enters flybe service in the next couple of weeks.
Our 737-300s have the uprated 22K thrust engines so only on the hottest days do they have problems on the return from TFS. However, the flights are timed later in the day to avoid this. We have been operating TFS on 733s since we started and I don’t think we’ve had a tech stop yet. Once or twice we have had to leave a few bags behind though. We’re operating the 737-300 regularly this summer from LGW to DBB (El Alamein on the Egyptian Mediterranean coast).
Leeds operations should be back to normal soon with AEU aircraft, although not the 73G’s that have been mostly operating there so far.
By: EGNM - 4th June 2005 at 17:34
Registration: G-STRB Current Reg. Date: 07/06/2002
Previous ID: G-OBWX First Reg. Date: 27/03/2002
Status: Registered De-Reg. Date:
——————————————————————————–
Manufacturer: BOEING COMPANY
Type: BOEING 737-3Y0
Serial No.: 24255
Mode S (hex): 40089D
Popular Name: –
Generic Name: 737
Aircraft Class: FIXED-WING LANDPLANE
Engines: 2 – 2 x CFM CFM56-3B2
B2 Uprated powerplants. The increased performance of this engine means a higher payload can be carried compared to the B1 varients,. and as such can operate to TFS, LPA, LCA etc – indeed we have had B733s operate these routes before in the mid 1990s.
As for having the aircraft painted in your colours doesn’t mean they will fly soley for you. The charterer (flybe in this case) does not pay for your positioning costs of aircraft and Astreaus will do what is most commercially viable to them.
I suspect the deal with the painting of the B733s was a 50/50 venture, the costs split. AEU neded to repaint STRB after its Air Asia winter lease, and FlyBe like the idea of punters seeing shiny Jets
By: LBARULES - 3rd June 2005 at 16:32
LBA also has trouble with the height of the airport as well though, and dont forget LBA-LPA/TFS/LCA will be longer than BHD-AGP.
I imagine that a 733 might have to make a tech stop if it had headwinds on say LBA-LCA.
Maybe theres a perfectly reasonable explanation for it, just curious.
By: allmcc - 3rd June 2005 at 16:31
Apparently Astraeus are planning a few charters from BHD to AGP this summer and BHDs runway is shorter than LBAs so there mustn’t be a problem.
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June 3, 2005 at 3:04 pm