No disrespect intended, but as I have said in previous threads when you have seen one of these shots from Sam Chui you’ve seen them all.

Now the Virgin shot on the other hand, that’s nice. Wys’s new desktop maybe?

1L.

A lease (dry, damp or wet) doesn’t have to be a specific aircraft if the terms of the lease don’t specify it to be. It can just be for ‘an’ aircraft. In this case presumably it just specifies ‘a 767’.

1L.

Now if it’s always been the property of the “regional” arm (does this include the pre 767 days?), why didn’t they include that phrase?

When a BA flight is operated by an independant airline under the BA name, there are certain places that the law requires the operators name to be pointed out. For example advertising.

If that independant airline is wholly owned by BA, as in CitiExpress or the old EuroGatwick, then that requirement does not exist.

I can only assume that in the interest of promoting the BA Connect brand in the regions, BA have decided to include that phrase in advertising the New York service even though they aren’t obliged to.

1L.

Wasnt it always a BA regional / CitiExpress route (now BACon) ? I dont really see what the problem is.

Absolutely correct by738. The route is (and always was) operated by the regional company of the day using a 767 damp leased from BA, ie: aircraft with flight crew but no cabin crew.

It’s always been a source of conjecture as to where the bottom line goes

As BA Connect is 100% owned by BA then ultimately the profit (or loss) belongs to BA as well.

Last I heard the only connection with BA Connect is/was that the cabin staff involved in this operation is/were seconded to BA Connect. Everything else is/was mainline

The simple way to explain it is the route is operated on behalf of BA by BA Connect. (Hence the expression used in the advert in the same way as when GB Airways operate a route for them) However BA Connect leases the things they need to operate it, ie: aircraft and flight crew, from BA.

1L.

Very 80s IMO. Not my cup of tee

My thoughts exactly.

1L.

It is great to see pilots choosing this forum

You talking about my mate FlyMonarch? He’s only safe to let loose with a bar cart!

1L.

ABZ-LGW/LHR-IAH is a huge routing for BA. Someone doing it direct would definately hurt. But then you could say that about lots of routes I guess.

1L.

As you are seeing this isn’t as simple a subject as you might think.

Put simply, for each aircraft type there is a minimum number of crew laid down by the CAA, or ‘required crew’ as they refer to it. This is generally (but not exclusively) 1 per 50 seats, or 1 per pair of doors on a narrowbodied aircraft, or 1 per door on a widebodied aircraft, whichever is greater. Other arrangements can be made between an airline and the CAA to suit specific needs of the operation.

Beyond that minimum, how many crew an airline has on an aircraft type and how it deals with shortfalls in crew is up to them really.

At BA, longhaul types each have a set number of crew, shorthaul types depend on length of flight and number of pax in each cabin. We will never leave base with less crew, airport standby’s being used to provide top-up crew where needed. We will however fly with less crew if necessary to get a flight back to base.

1L.