Liverpool John Lennon - General Thread

[TheLocalYokel]

Thanks for that, tom and Aviador.

I read recently that Ryanair has axed some routes from LPL this summer so, with this and KLM departing, it will be interesting to keep an eye on passenger numbers this year.

 

[tleeds]

It certainly will TheLocalYokel, although Liverpool has been one of those airports, much like many other airports around the UK who have been able to fight off the economy and have actually increased their passenger figures, when routes have been decreased, probably due to the load factor on many flights being improved!!

 

[pug]

Im of the opinion that LPL will struggle to make any more ground now. It has witnessed some quite extraordinary growth over the last decade or so, but this is mainly down to the two main low-cost airlines. These same two low-cost airlines have finally got a foot in the door at MAN (evidently where they have wanted to be for some time, and MAG have now realised the importance to attracting them), and they now seem to be stagnant at LPL, with FR even dropping certain routes that they have subsequently opened at MAN.

Where do they go from here? KLM are to pull out, again it seems that they are trying to keep their MAN service as profitable as possible. Eastern had also pulled out not so long ago. BE have the one route to IOM but easyjet have increased competition and will certainly be impacting on yields by offering cheaper fares due to the larger aircraft they operate, they will also increase their presence at MAN soon. Charter airlines seem reluctant to touch the place, probably due to the sheer number of summer sun routes on offer by easyjet and Ryanair, not to mention the number offered from MAN. Wizz seem to be doing ok however.

Call me pessimistic, but I think the years of growth for LPL are over, added to that I think MAG will be making the effort to ensure they reclaim those passengers back. Its certainly a precarious position to be in, relying heavily on just two airlines, who are now placing emphasis on growth just 30 odd miles down the motorway.

 

[pug]

Just to add to last nights comment. Someone on fruit has said today that easyjet are to cut their LPL capacity by 10% this coming winter 2012/13, and due to a contractual dispute amongst other things this is unlikely to change for summer 2013.

 

[Aviador]

Peel used to have an excellent relationship with both Ryanair and Easyjet but it looks like the "Peel Deal" is off for now. Liverpool isn't the only Peel airport that has seen reductions. It was a spectacular move when Doncaster Sheffield airport lost it's entire Easyjet offering after only a short period at the airport. The "Peel Deal" seems to be off with Ryanair too. Only last year MOL stated he would expand from Leeds Bradford and Manchester airports but he made it clear that no further expansion would be made at Liverpool. MOL wouldn't be as specific as that with no reason.

 

[pug]

Could it be that VAS/Vantage are running these airports like they run their others? I.e with a non-competitive mindset? Just look at their other airports, most are on islands with little to no competition whatsoever.

Add to that the apparant fact that easyjet and FR have wanted to get into MAN for some time, and Leeds has a much bigger market than DSA and you can see which ones will struggle to compete effectively. I wouldnt be completely surprised to at least see DSA back up for sale in the next couple of year, and possibly even LPL depending on how far easyjet decide to cut.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]John Lennon Airport could be losing market share to regional rivals

LIVERPOOL John Lennon Airport (JLA) could be losing market share to rivals in the region, it was conceded this week.

At a time when JLAs two main operators, Easyjet and Ryanair, have cut back on routes, frequencies and the number of planes based at Liverpool, they have increased their presence at other airports such as Manchester and Leeds/Bradford.

Easyjet, which used to have no planes at Manchester, now has seven based there.

In an interview with The Liverpool Post, a JLA spokesman said: Easyjet and Ryanair have reduced services at Liverpool and they offer more services at Manchester.

Read More http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/ldp ... z28JfcSSb0[/textarea]

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I think this has been pretty obvious for some time now.

Just shows how on the ball local rags are (not).

 

[pug]

Its been posted elsewhere that there will be an announcement tomorrow supposidly.

 

[pug]

Obviously thos persons reliable source wasnt reliable..

 

[lysander]

The Liverpool think tank , ExUrbe, has compiled a 214 page report on the activities of Peel and a section is devoted to their Airports group.They quote from a report by CAPA, the Centre for Aviation ,which diagnoses Liverpool's main problems as, " an over reliance on budget airlines and a failure to diversify". It cites the fact there are nearly as many route cancellations as there are of start-ups . They have also been unable to develop any sort of realistic short-haul network, having lost several air-lines. Similarly, long -haul operators have come and very quickly gone...along with "sixth freedom" long-haul connections via Dublin .

Anyone interested in the effect Peel**is having on the NW of England and of their airports group then I urge you to google "ExUrbe"!!!! :bomb:

** I recognise that 65% of the shares of LPL are now held by Vantage.

 

[User0001]

Liverpool Airport is really not having a great time of late.

Already mentioned are the plummeting passenger figures, but, it seems the bad news keeps coming.

Ryanair are looking like they will reduce the based aircraft from 6 to 5, possibly 4 next summer, Norwegian have pulled their only route to Copenhagen and it seems the future of flybe could be in doubt as their IOM base is closing down.

So, can the airport survive on 3 carriers, 2 of which seem to be growing more and more at MAN? All it would take is for wizzair to make a deal at MAN (which talks have been held numerous times), then all their securities have gone. The majority of LPL's growth came on the back of MAN's refusal to bow to the low costs, and now the floodgates have well and truly opened, LPL has very little bargaining for flights.

So, the future. Could LPL drop below 4m passengers per year? Where is growth likely to come from given many airlines have tried and failed, as well as such a huge airport down the road. What could LPL do if the lost Wizz? How can they claw back Ryanair and Easyjet who seem to have gone cold on LPL?

The future looks quite bleak at this moment in time.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Aircraft landing 'near-miss' over Runcorn Bridge

A plane carrying 61 passengers and four crew was involved in a near-miss with Runcorn Bridge

A Flybe plane carrying 61 passengers had a near-miss with Runcorn Bridge as it came to land at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, a report says.

The plane, from the Isle of Man, was coming into land at 09:07 BST on 1 June, according to the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) report.

The co-pilot disengaged the autopilot and turned the aircraft, tracking the bridge while descending, it said.

A cockpit alert sounded and the flight path was adjusted.

The flight crew confirmed it was safe to continue the approach and the plane landed safely.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-me ... e-25548187[/textarea]

 

[Aviador]

This thread has been running for since 2011 and we're heading into 2014 now. It's not the busiest of threads but it still makes interesting reading nonetheless. Liverpool John Lennon airport was the jewel in the crown of the Peel airports but it's looking far from being a jewel right now with passenger numbers continuing to fall at an alarming rate despite the recession officially coming to an end. The "Peel deals" often mentioned in the airports fraternity forums don't seem to come to fruition as things continue to look far from good for them.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

This thread has been running for since 2011 and we're heading into 2014 now. It's not the busiest of threads but it still makes interesting reading nonetheless. Liverpool John Lennon airport was the jewel in the crown of the Peel airports but it's looking far from being a jewel right now with passenger numbers continuing to fall at an alarming rate despite the recession officially coming to an end. The "Peel deals" often mentioned in the airports fraternity forums don't seem to come to fruition as things continue to look far from good for them.

LPL seems to have taken a hit with the major low cost airlines moving into MAN and, at the same time, reducing their exposure to the Merseyside airport.

In 2007 LPL handled 5.463 million passengers compared to its current throughput of 4.179 million.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Liverpool still have a good level frequency to many destinations and is a viable alternative to other Northern airports, including Manchester. However, it was only a matter of time before the loco's got into Manchester and bedded down. Similarly, as soon as Easyjet got into Gatwick, Luton started to suffer. Regardless of how the locos have operated in the past, they are no different to any other airline and their profits are far more secure at the likes of Manchester, Gatwick, Edinburgh etc. As such, it is no surprise that all the expansion is at those airports.

I am adding my token passenger number by flying out to Geneva in May. However, I am returning to Manchester. Cost and flight times are the main reason for this.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) in urgent talks with bankers after £7m annual losses

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) is in urgent talks with its bankers after it revealed annual losses of more than £7m.

Accounts just filed at Companies House show JLA is reporting pre-tax losses of £7.1m for the 12 months to March 31 last year – even worse than the £6.5m loss in the previous year.

And the airport’s auditors, KPMG, warned in the annual report of “material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern”.
Full report at: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... la-6496398

A slightly sensationalist headline in that the airport owners were due to meet their bankers to renegotiate their debt anyway in a few weeks.

During the period in question the airport made an operating profit of over £5 million but this was eaten away by almost £10 million in interest payments and its property assets marked down by £3 million. However, overall revenue fell by £2.5 million to £31.5 million.

It will be a tough job getting in a significant number of new carriers and with MAN now being ever more welcoming to the low-cost airlines LPL's previous strong card is no more.

Time will tell whether the fall from over 5.4 mppa six years ago to the current 4.2 mppa has bottomed out. There seems to have been a modest increase in passenger numbers in December and it's reported that the first week of 2014 saw a 10% increase.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Liverpool Airport's struggles to compete with a powerful Manchester neighbour; new airlines needed.

http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/l ... ded-166204

Interesting thesis.

 

[lysander]

Peel has just re-acquired the 65% shareholding it sold , some years ago, to the Canadian Vantage Co. Peel now controls its Peel Airports "empire".

 

[andyc941]

Blue air
http://www.liverpoolairport.com/blue-ai ... ghts-ljla/