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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #240 on: May 03, 2011, 20:13:27 » |
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From the BBC» : Plymouth City Airport closure 'long overdue'
A leading Plymouth academic says the closure of the city's airport is "long overdue".
The airport is to close in December, its owner Sutton Harbour Group announced in April, partly blaming competition from other airports. It said the airport, which employs 56 people, was facing a ^1m loss over the next year.
Professor Peter Gripaios, an economist at the University of Plymouth, said the airport should be redeveloped. He said: "it is time to think about other uses. It would be a good idea to have an Ikea or John Lewis on the site."
He said that the airport had been on a downward decline since it lost flights to Heathrow 10 years ago. "They were crucial for business," he said. "Gatwick has never really been a substitute for that."
He said it was "too late" to stop the closure of the airport, which lost its link to Gatwick in January. "It's time to move on," he said. "The catchment area is too small, the runway is too small and there's far too much competition from Exeter."
Exeter Airport is poised to take over passengers from Plymouth.
Managing director Jamie Christon said: "We will use the strapline 'Devon's Airport' in our marketing. We are quite close, we have a good dual carriageway link between the cities and we already work very closely with Plymouth Chamber of Commerce."
Sutton Harbour Group, which owns the Plymouth site leasehold, said it would be discussing the future of the site with freeholders Plymouth City Council.
Some of the land at the airport is already earmarked for housing, with a ^38m project in the planning system for homes on what was the airport's disused second runway.
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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inspector_blakey
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« Reply #242 on: May 03, 2011, 22:06:49 » |
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The trouble was although a"vital transport link." it had become hopelessly uneconomic
Doesn't the fact that is was uneconomic because there were very few people using it imply that those who claim it was "vital" might not be entirely correct...? |
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woody
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« Reply #243 on: May 03, 2011, 23:38:37 » |
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The trouble was although a"vital transport link." it had become hopelessly uneconomic
Doesn't the fact that is was uneconomic because there were very few people using it imply that those who claim it was "vital" might not be entirely correct...? The airport has been on a downward decline since it lost flights to Heathrow 10 years ago when it was considered "vital" to the local economy and Gatwick has never really been a substitute to the train from Plymouth to London.Therefore the loss of Plymouths airport had an inevitability about it,with the loss of the Gatwick link in February being the final nail in its coffin.Plymouth airport RIP. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-13274216 |
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inspector_blakey
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« Reply #244 on: May 04, 2011, 01:49:35 » |
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But that's rather my point... Presumably the Heathrow and subsequently the Gatwick flights were withdrawn because they didn't generate enough patronage to pay for themselves. If you can't muster up enough punters to fill a dinky little turboprop aircraft a couple of times a day then more or less by definition in my book the airport isn't, and never was, 'vital'.
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broadgage
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« Reply #245 on: May 04, 2011, 09:54:52 » |
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But that's rather my point... Presumably the Heathrow and subsequently the Gatwick flights were withdrawn because they didn't generate enough patronage to pay for themselves. If you can't muster up enough punters to fill a dinky little turboprop aircraft a couple of times a day then more or less by definition in my book the airport isn't, and never was, 'vital'.
Agree entirely, I believe that lightly used transport facilities should be subsidised in special cases when withdrawl would cause significant hardship or dislocation. Examples could include air or ferry services to remote islands, lightly used rural rail services, or maintaining roads at the public expense, even when not much used. I dont belive that Plymouth airport falls into any such category. Plymouth is fairly well served by rail, and the trains are far more frequent than the very limited air service. The train is slower, but not by that much when one considers travell to/from the airports and check in times. There is no deneying that passengers have voted with their feet, with the air service being little used. |
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU▸ is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #246 on: May 04, 2011, 10:00:22 » |
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And 100 passengers through the airport = 50 in & 50 out (on average)
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smokey
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« Reply #248 on: May 07, 2011, 17:41:45 » |
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inspector_blakey
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« Reply #249 on: July 14, 2011, 16:17:03 » |
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Plymouth-based airline Air Southwest is to stop all of its flights and close by the end of September.
The airline said all Plymouth services would end on 14 September, with Newquay routes to Glasgow, Guernsey, Jersey and Manchester stopping on the same date. Link to full article here. |
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woody
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« Reply #250 on: July 17, 2011, 11:40:18 » |
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According to the below linked Plymouth Evening herald article David Parlby, chief executive of Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, said the latest announcement is a "blow" but not unexpected given recent uncertainty surrounding the airport. He said: "This puts a dent in air services for the South West generally and reinforce's the Chamber's belief that we need to look very hard at how rail services can be improved from Plymouth to London." They are calling for more frequent and earlier three-hour services to the capital, as well as better Wifi and mobile phone connectivity in trains. http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Air-Southwest-calls-halt-flights-city/story-12946445-detail/story.html Could the Paddington to Penzance route be incorporated into the Great Western Upgrade given the changed circumstances? |
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LiskeardRich
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« Reply #251 on: July 17, 2011, 11:49:04 » |
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What does this leave at newquay, is it just Flybe, and the isle of scilly services now?
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All posts are my own personal believes, opinions and understandings!
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ChrisB
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« Reply #252 on: July 17, 2011, 12:10:18 » |
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Sorry, i'm not in favour of total mobile phone coverage on trains! Nowt wrong with wifi which ought to be franchise committed going forward.
Can you imagine a whole ciach incessantly chattering on their mobiles all the time? Because it'll happen....
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grahame
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« Reply #253 on: July 17, 2011, 12:44:09 » |
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Can you imagine a whole ciach incessantly chattering on their mobiles all the time? Because it'll happen....
Why not designate one carriage as "mobile phone free" ...    ... |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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ChrisB
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« Reply #254 on: July 17, 2011, 14:57:42 » |
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How about one coach labelled 'mobile phones only' :-)
With mobiles banned in the others. Texting allowed though
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