VISITORS
A good day for first visits, starting in the early hours with Sony Falcon 900C N90TH (180). This was followed by several rotations by Danu Oro Transportas ATR72 LY-ATR (162 ex OH-KRD, ES-KRD) operating for Aurigny in an inspiring all white scheme. CityJet BAe 146 EI-RJA (E2329 ex N513XJ, G-CDYK) diverted in from LCY, while another flurry of arrivals mid morning included Silver Bird Learjet 40XR D-CPDR (2080) & Capital Air Charter PA-31 G-VIPV (7952092 ex N3517T, G-BNZI, G-WROX, OH-PRE, G-MRMR) making their first visits. Ryanair B738 EI-DYY (37521) rolled in early evening on the Niederrhein service also on a first visit (all, bar the two delivered today, have now visited Gatwick) & this was followed later on by International Jet management Citation 560XL OE-GTK (5007 ex N83RR, N97VN).
Newcomers yesterday while I was out of the country were Ocean Sky BD700 G-EXRS (9274 ex N974TS), Foxair Avanti I-FXRC (1045) & Martinair MD-11F PH-MCS (48618).
FLEET NEWS
British A/W. The former B735 G-GFFB (25789 & now VP-BKU) was only on a test flight from Dinard on Wednesday & not on delivery to Aeroflot-Nord. B735s G-GFFF/VP-BXN (24754) & G-GFFG/VP-BOI (24650) were both rolled out at LHR in Aeroflot-Nord colours on 16th January. They are due to be ferried to Bucharest some time next week for cabin work. G-GFFJ (27355) is still hangared at Gatwick since it was withdrawn in December & will position to Glasgow later this month for post-lease work. B733 G-LGTH (23924) was ferried from Glasgow to LHR today as BAW9250 for repainting from BA scheme.
Deliveries of new B772s are due to be G-YMMR (36516) on 31st March (to Cardiff), followed by G-YMMS (36517) in May, G-YMMT (36518) in June & G-YMMU (36519) in May.
A bit outside our scope (again!), but I am informed that BA Cargo is to move its entire operation from Stansted to Manston, possibly as early as May this year. Currently, this comprises 11 flights per week flown by the three B744Fs of Global Supply Systems. A real boost for the Kent airport.
Bulgaria Air/Hemus Air A320 LZ-FBE (3780) did indeed arrive at Toulouse from Finkenwerder yesterday & is in an all white scheme (what a surprise!).
EasyJet A320 G-TTOB (1687) is due to go to British A/W later this month & should enter service on 1st March. This will be followed by G-TTOE (1754) on 1st May. The airline has deferred the deliveries of two A319s scheduled for next year. EasyJet currently plans to be operating 177 A319/320s & 8 B737s during fiscal year 2010 & 197 A319/320s & 2 B737s in fiscal year 2011, but says that it may reduce these numbers. At the start of this year, it had 75 A319s & 25 A320s on order.
Ryanair B738s EI-EBC (37520) & EI-EBD (37522) were both due to delivered to Dublin as RYR800C/D at lunchtime today &, although EI-EBC made it, EI-EBD diverted to Shannon before arriving at Dublin later. This has happened before!
TAP A320 CS-TNQ (3769) was noted sitting at the Delivery Centre at Toulouse yesterday & is believed to have been delivered to Lisbon today.
Viking A/L has leased former bmi Baby B733 G-BYZJ (24962) from GECAS
ROUTE NEWS
Air Europa will, according to a posting on one of the forums, operate a weekly Friday morning charter from Palma to Gatwick this summer.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Citation 525 G-OEBJ (0423) was reregistered as G-ORAN yesterday. Don't forget to update your SBS database.
More travel chaos yesterday & today but, thankfully, not directly adversely affecting Gatwick too much. Snow closed Bristol, Dublin, Luton & Stansted airports for varying amounts of time, resulting in a number of extra GA movements at Gatwick & cancellations or delays to some Dublin flights.
Airbus has told Michael O'Leary that it is not interested in wasting time & money bidding for his supposed big order for 300 to 400 new aircraft, especially when they are very unlikely to win it. The manufacturer has a huge backlog for the A320 family & has no need to fall over itself bidding for an order which it almost certainly wouldn't get unless it was prepared to lose money. Boeing took the last order when it was desperate for sales & may well have lost a good deal of cash through that. O'Leary now has no choice but to deal with Boeing who won't be taken for a ride at the moment in terms of price. Having said that, an order for Bombardier's C Series perhaps??
Leasing company LCAL is understood to have cancelled 16 of the 21 B787s that it had on order.
CREDITS
John Creasey, Dave Long, Bob Robinson, Allan Huse, Rod Page, Paul Fowler, Steve Hibberd, Mike Hooker, Paul Mutton, Dave Broome, Yogi bear, Paul Dopson, Peter Stanbrook, Sean Meagher, Pete Marshall, Jethro, the Wall Street Journal, Skyliner, the Fugitive & anybody else that I have forgotten.
Happy spotting!
John (& "Mad" Max)
MOVEMENTS SUMMARY (most from SBS)
AAW912 - A319 5A-OND
ADR450 - CRJ2 S5-AAF
AMC116 - A319 9H-AEG
AUI501 - B733 UR-GAQ
AUR600A - AT42 LY-ATR (first visit - also AUR602/604)
AWE730 - B762 N253AY
AWE732 - A333 N273AY
BCY597D - B462 EI-RJA (first visit - LCY diversion)
BEL2121 - B462 OO-DJQ
BEL2129 - B462 OO-DJN
BMM314 - did not operate
BTI651 - B733 YL-BBK
CIM265 - CRJ2 OY-RJA
CIM5761 - B733 OY-JTA (callsign displayed as JTG398 on SBS)
CIM5765 - B737 OY-MRF
CLI8640 - A320 EC-HHA
CNO623 - B736 LN-RCU
CTN4494 - A319 9A-CTI
DAL012 - B763 N843MH
DAL036 - did not operate
DAO101 - B752 G-LSAJ
EIN242 - A320 EI-DVF
EIN244 - A320 EI-DER
EIN246 - A320 EI-DES
EIN248 - delayed to 22.45
ELL101 - B733 ES-ABJ
EZS8532 - A319 HB-JZQ
EZS8569 - A319 HB-JZP (also EZS8571)
EZS8573 - A319 HB-JZJ
EZS8575 - A319 HB-JZG
EZS8577 - A319 HB-JZL
ISS3531 - A319 EI-DEY
ISS3535 - A319 EI-DEZ
LZB495 - did not operate
LZB497 - did not operate
MAH612 - B736 HA-LOG
MAH614 - B737 HA-LOR
MGX720 - F100 4O-AOT
MPD230 - MD80 EC-KCX (Swiftair - also MDP232)
NAX1318 - B733 LN-KKB
NAX1342 - B733 LN-KKE
NMB385 - A343 V5-NME
OAL271 - B734 SX-BKD
QTR075 - A332 A7-ACB
RYR1X - B738 EI-DYO
RYR3Z - B738 EI-DWB (Stansted diversion)
RYR112G - did not operate
RYR114G - B738 EI-DPM
RYR116G - B738 EI-DPZ
RYR118G - delayed to 21.40
RYR404 - B738 EI-DYC (Stansted diversion)
RYR1124 - B738 EI-DLF (callsign displayed as RYR1126 on SBS - also op RYR1126)
RYR1182 - B738 EI-DWE
RYR5562 - B738 EI-DAS (also RYR5568)
RYR5993 - B738 EI-DAN (Stansted diversion)
RYR7102 - B738 EI-DYY (first visit)
RYR9228 - B738 EI-DHB
RYR9852 - B738 EI-DHP
TAP332 - F100 CS-TPD
TAP334 - A320 CS-TNP
TAP344 - A320 CS-TNJ
TAP348B - A319 CS-TTA
UAE009 - B773 A6-EBK
UAE011 - B772 A6-EMG
UAE015 - B773 A6-EMT
VIK156 - delayed to 03.15 tomorrow
BIZJETS, ETC
A6-DAS BBJ (arr 5/2)
CS-DFD DA900EX (NJE388Y)
CS-DFX HS125 (NJE520R)
CS-DXO Ce560XLS (arr 5/2 & dep today)
D-AGSI DA900EX (ADN902 - second visit)
D-BUBI BD100 (CLU1460 - second visit)
D-CPDR Lear 40XR (first visit)
G-EDCM CE525A (EDC213 - second visit)
G-EXRS BD700 (second visit)
G-INTO PC-12 (arr 5/2 & dep today)
G-VIPV PA-31 (EGL99H - first visit)
I-ALHO HS125
I-BOAT Ce525 (arr 5/2 & dep today)
LX-JFJ PC-12 (third visit)
N90TH DA900 (first visit)
OE-GTK Ce560XL (IJM369 - first visit)
VP-BFF Gulf 2 (arr 5/2 on second visit)
VP-CZY B727
The busiest day on the GA front here for an awfully long time.