More bad news for MME (Durham Tees Valley Airport)

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Member for

19 years 11 months

Posts: 784

Hi

Just been told by a freind that works for cabin crew at Thomsonflys base up at Durham Tees-valley airport that the airline has announced that they are pulling the base at the end off this summer. The based aircraft will not be returning next summer. Just like they are doing at LBA next summer.

So he and many others (Flight & Cabin Crew) based at MME have been asked to move to the Airlines Newcastle base for next year.

This is on top of the announcement that bim baby are also pulling there MME Base. Though things where starting to pick up with the recent announcments by Ryanair and Globespan.

Original post

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 112

That's sad news but on the plus side Flyglobespan will pick up Palma, Malaga and Alicante routes which BMiBaby are dropping and Eastern are starting direct flights from MME to Brussels. Many bigger airports such as Glasgow would envy a direct service to Brussels.

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 151

Wizz Start to Warsaw - 3x weekly

On the good side however,
Wizz have announced they are starting to Warsaw from DurhamTees from July 07, 3x weekly with Airbus A320 equipment :D
http://www.durhamteesvalleyairport.com/page.php?p=3&media_id=28&month=Oct

Plus for the winter Eastern have given us our own sunday rotation, instead of sharing it with Humberside :) Will operate to the normal T3587/588 times!

Member for

18 years 8 months

Posts: 1,280

To be fair MME needs some expansion work before it can sustain commited tour operators. When i travelled in 2004 to Tenerife with Spanair it was far too small and the terminal was overcrowded with 2 Tenerife flights going out that evening.

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 920

Sad if true, though I've seen no official indication of this yet.

Good news on Wizz Air, though hardly compensation:-

This year's good news:-
Eastern - Brussells (2 x daily) (w)
Ryanair - Gerona (3 x weekly)
Flyglobsepan - Palma, Alicante, Faro, Malaga (1 base doing 2 x daily runs)
Wizz Air - Warsaw (3 x weekly)

This year's bad news
Bmi Baby - Withdrawl of 2 aircraft flying to Palma, Alicante, Malaga, Paris, Gatwick, Jersey, Cork, Knock, Newquay
Eastern - Withdrawl of Bristol
Ryanair - Withdrawl of Rome
Ryanair - Reduction in Dublin
Thomsonfly - Removal of base?
KLM - Proposed 4 x daily didn't materialise.

Despite the good news, this has been a bad year for MME - no question about it. :mad:

Member for

18 years 4 months

Posts: 2,561

Christ can it get any worse for them.

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 457

Christ can it get any worse for them.

Yup, rumoured that the BMI LHR service to be dropped. :(

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 462

Not at the moment, at least, they've just added a 4th daily rotation for MME, although it is only a temporary thing, a slot protector at LHR no doubt!

Scott

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 920

Have yet to see anything to prove the Thomsonfly story yet.

In fact, I have received information from DTV on the very subject which clearly says that the Thomsonfly aircraft will be back next year. At the moment, I'm inclined to believe the base is staying.

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 462

My info about it leaving was from TOM crew at the NCL base (where all the MME crew are supposedly heading). We shall wait and see who's right (hopefully DTV!)

Scott

Member for

18 years 8 months

Posts: 1,280

To be honest if Thomsonfly drop LBA they SHOULD drop MME.

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 920


To be honest if Thomsonfly drop LBA they SHOULD drop MME.

And on what business knowledge do you base this latest remark on? Thank goodness, you're not running our airlines Tommy (or anything else for that matter).

Member for

18 years 7 months

Posts: 121

Thomsonfly are facing the same problem as all the other package tour operators. The bog-standard package holiday market is shrinking. People are either booking themselves on the internet, and searching for their flights, or are looking for something more from their holiday than they currently get and are venturing further afield.
The effect will vary from airport to airport. You need package tour holiday makers to fill most of the plane, if they are not there you pull the flight. It is nonsense to suggest that because one airport is losing out so should another in an adjacent geographical area. Depends on the availability of other flights, holidays etc.
There are going to be casualties. Lets hope they are few in size and number.