Flybe To Cut 500 Jobs

[Coldsteel]

The Isle of man Government buys the health Care it cannot proved on island from the UK NHS. IOM has a contract with the health authority that manages services in the Liverpool area, handing over a "budget" at the beginning of the financial year, hopefully this will cover the cost of Manx patient treatment (although I'm sure they must get a bill for an overspend each year)

 

If the service that's required is not available in the Liverpool area exceptions are made and the patient goes to a hospital in mainland UK or Northern Ireland where it is available, and the government foots the bill. I'm guessing that the cost is worked out in the same way a private patients bill would be charged.

 

The cost of the contract with Liverpool hospitals must be negotiated so the Manx tax payer gets best value for money. It is a system that is long established and seems to work well.

 

Its my guess to start and source services from Manchester hospitals, negotiate new contracts with the health authority, find new taxi companies etc (there is a lot more too it than just getting on a plane) would be very time consuming and costly. Patients who have been treated and having long term follow up care in Liverpool would have to start again with new consultants, Nobles consultants would have to re refer every single patient who is having on going care to a new Manchester based consultant (I'm guessing) Of course patients could all fly to Manchester and go by the coach load to Liverpool and back, that's always another option I suppose?

 

Interesting times.

[Guest]

Whether we like it or not, 150 seat aeroplanes are routinely too big for our routes and, as a consequence, load factors are often poor and profits suffer.

Somehow, we need to continue to operate circa 50-70 seater aircraft to the primary destinations, and at appropriate times each day.

Achieving this is becoming increasingly difficult as there are now very few regional airlines left operating in the UK, so someone needs to start thinking "outside the box".

Here are my thoughts,

either we subsidise an existing operator or operators,

or, encourage an enlarged Citywing type operation, with leased-in aircraft and crews.

or, we go down the Guernsey route and operate our own small airline.

I don't believe the "do nothing" option is now appropriate.

Any solution is going to cost us money, Flybe's withdrawal from Ronaldsway on its own will result in a large reduction in airport income. Maybe it is time to realise that low fares and convenient flight times to the best destinations are not achievable when the pot is only 84,000 people. So do we accept the status quo or do we recognise that we have to pay more realistic fares for an improved service?

Despite government subsidy, the Scottish Highlands and Islands flights are by no means considered budget fares, have a look !!

[Lxxx]

Whether we like it or not, 150 seat aeroplanes are routinely too big for our routes and, as a consequence, load factors are often poor and profits suffer.

Somehow, we need to continue to operate circa 50-70 seater aircraft to the primary destinations, and at appropriate times each day.

Achieving this is becoming increasingly difficult as there are now very few regional airlines left operating in the UK, so someone needs to start thinking "outside the box".

Here are my thoughts,

either we subsidise an existing operator or operators,

or, encourage an enlarged Citywing type operation, with leased-in aircraft and crews.

or, we go down the Guernsey route and operate our own small airline.

I don't believe the "do nothing" option is now appropriate.

Any solution is going to cost us money, Flybe's withdrawal from Ronaldsway on its own will result in a large reduction in airport income. Maybe it is time to realise that low fares and convenient flight times to the best destinations are not achievable when the pot is only 84,000 people. So do we accept the status quo or do we recognise that we have to pay more realistic fares for an improved service?

Despite government subsidy, the Scottish Highlands and Islands flights are by no means considered budget fares, have a look !!

 

The airline route has been rubbished by Eddie Teare today, the pot we keep getting told is empty for substantial subsidies therefore the only option I can see is an enlarged Citywing-type operation to fill in the gaps. Done right there is a viable island-based operation that is flexible enough to cater for the routes they'll get the most loading on and at times that suit the rock, not corporate headquarters of a UK organisation.

[asitis]

Teare would much rather create opportunity for off island business than be able to think outside the box to protect local jobs and travellers interests !

 

Sorry to bang on but Cypman is exactly correct regarding the coming of easy. Those who say glibly that the government are not responsible for the situation a uk regional airline finds itself in are only half correct, we had four aircraft based here and government were told that if Easyjet came that would fall to three, then coupled with loss of passengers generally it became two and now None. If someone had taken a strategic view of how we were to move forward then just maybe the IOM wouldn't have been one of the locations Flybe had to cull to save itself, I sincerely believe we could and should have been part of the solution not part of the problem.

 

Teare always seems to be able to find buckets of money when needed for pet projects I don't think he understands the airline industry neither the needs of the travelling public. There are solutions all of them costly but I don't have any confidence we have the skills within government to find them !

[woolley]

only option I can see is an enlarged Citywing-type operation to fill in the gaps.

I'll pass on that one I think.

[GD4ELI]

 

only option I can see is an enlarged Citywing-type operation to fill in the gaps.

I'll pass on that one I think.

 

Same here. Never, ever, ever...

[Lxxx]

 

only option I can see is an enlarged Citywing-type operation to fill in the gaps.

I'll pass on that one I think.

 

I'm not saying it's the best solution but the one most likely, in present circumstances.

[dave1978]

Yep, thats what will happen.

[dreamon]

Will reserve my opinion about Citywing type non-airline ticket-supplier outfits until I’ve read the Manx2 Cork Air Accident report due to be released before the end of the year!

 

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/final-report-on-manx2-crash-by-end-of-year-29634108.html

[GD4ELI]

Will reserve my opinion about Citywing type non-airline ticket-supplier outfits until I’ve read the Manx2 Cork Air Accident report due to be released before the end of the year!

 

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/final-report-on-manx2-crash-by-end-of-year-29634108.html

 

I won't - friends have described Manx2 as being the most scary experience of their lives.

[Lost Login]

 

Will reserve my opinion about Citywing type non-airline ticket-supplier outfits until I’ve read the Manx2 Cork Air Accident report due to be released before the end of the year!

 

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/final-report-on-manx2-crash-by-end-of-year-29634108.html

 

I won't - friends have described Manx2 as being the most scary experience of their lives.

 

Possibly, but I think that is as much down to the size and type of the plane being operated on the routes.The smaller and slower the aircraft I expect the more it is subject to wind and turbulance etc.

[Tarne]

The Let410s and Jetstreams are fine, it's just when people are not used to it, they don't like it. Likewise with those who only fly on Jets, and then go on a Q400 for the first time, they panic and are scared sh*tless by the spinning props.

Anyway, one of my industry friends sent me this link showing a graph of all FlyBe bases and prices. The Isle of Man is the cheapest average airfare in the entire FlyBe base network, and one of the shortest sectors too (but not the shortest). No wonder it's going!

http://www.anna.aero/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CHT-BE-x-y-graph.png

[woolley]

 

Will reserve my opinion about Citywing type non-airline ticket-supplier outfits until I’ve read the Manx2 Cork Air Accident report due to be released before the end of the year!

 

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/final-report-on-manx2-crash-by-end-of-year-29634108.html

 

I won't - friends have described Manx2 as being the most scary experience of their lives.

An acquaintance of mine was returning from Blackpool one filthy evening when virtually everything else had been cancelled, and he said there was nothing on Blackpool Pleasure Beach to compare with the experience. His wife said "Ooo I don't think I like this." to which he replied "If it makes you feel any better, I've just shit myself."

[LooseChange]

The problem with Manx2, ahem, I mean Citywing, is that by far and away the number one factor in choosing the airline who fly their flights is price. The cheaper the better. Thus why we have small operators from countries with far less emphasis on safety culture than others. The airline that had the crash in Cork was merely the same airline that had been shut down the year before for serious safety breaches. Manx2 chose to use them again in spite of this.

 

Easyjet started life as a non airline ticket operator and Euromanx were one also.

 

I'd happily fly with a ticketing agency who lease aircraft, so long as the people who run Citywing are absolutely nothing to do with it!

[Andy Onchan]

 

only option I can see is an enlarged Citywing-type operation to fill in the gaps.

I'll pass on that one I think.

I knew you would!