VISITORS
Viking B738 SE-RHR (30637) arrived in the early hours of this morning & is not due out on its first charter until Friday morning. Falcon 200 EC-JBH (511 ex F-OGSI, F-WGTF, F-OLET, VT-TTA, F-WQBK) was today's other first-timer. Now for a real puzzler. A very reliable airside source assures me that there was a Viking B737 on stand 133 at 21.45 yesterday evening. Since SE-RHR did not arrive until 03.30 this morning, can anyone shed any light on this mystery machine, please??
FLEET NEWS
Adria CRJ-900 S5-AAN (15207) is on its way from Canada via Keflavik & is due to arrive at Ljubljana on delivery tomorrow. Doubtless a Gatwick visitor in the near future.
Air Comet is gradually retiring its A310s as more A330s join the fleet. The latest to depart is EC-GMU (451) & it passed within range of my SBS this morning routing from Hamburg to Opa Locka for parting out. This aircraft made a number of visits to Gatwick, the last one being on 11th July this year.
Air Europe. Although CH-Aviation reported on the 15th that the airline had ceased operations & returned its B763 (I-VIMQ) to the lessor, I am informed that the aircraft operated a service today from Mauritius to Milan/Malpensa via Rome/Fiumicino. Reports of the airline's demise appear to be premature.
British A/W B744 G-BNLW (25432), which had been at Cardiff, returned to LHR on the 7th & re-entered service the same day. It would seem, therefore, that I had not yet been destined for lengthy storage or parting out.
EasyJet A319 G-EZJI (30241) is due to go to Lasham for storage. According to another list, it was expected to arrive today but, as far as I can tell, it is still at Stansted.
Emirates B773 A6-ECL (37704) was due to arrive at Dubai on delivery today.
Futura. Two of the defunct airline's B738s are to go to Sun Express of Turkey.
Mexicana B762 XA-MXO (24734) was due to be delivered from Warsaw to Mexico City today, all white & without titles.
Rossiya. Adding a bit to the return of VP-BTT (1167) to S7 A/L, it was ferried to Bournemouth on 9th December as SDM6801 & departed on the 15th, after painting in full S7 scheme, as SDM6802.
Ryanair B738 EI-DYZ (37518) was reported on a test flight in the USA yesterday.
Spanair MD-83 EC-GBA (49626) has become N626MD with GECAS & was due to fly from Palma to Keflavik today en route to a new operator.
Thomson A/W B752s G-CPEU (29941) & G-OOOX (26158) were cancelled from the UK register yesterday & should have become C-FLEU & C-FLOX respectively, before crossing the pond for winter lease to Skyservice.
XL A/W B739s G-XLAP (36539) & G-XLAR (35227) were cancelled from the UK register yesterday as transferred to Indonesia & are believed to be for Lion Air.
ROUTE NEWS
Air Comet seems to have dropped its morning rotation (MPD230), as it hasn't operated for over a week. Now wait for it to reappear tomorrow!
Ryanair is due to commence two new daily services tomorrow. Details are:
Alicante - RYR5562 eta 10.55 & RYR5568 eta 19.00
Girona - RYR9228 eta 15.00
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Air France-KLM has received clearance from the EU to complete the take over of Martinair effective from 31st December this year.
The Competition Commission confirmed today that it requires the BAA to sell Gatwick, Stansted & Edinburgh airports. Flybe, however, is apparently "dismayed" that the commission has not recommended the sale of Southampton airport as well.
"Contrails" reports that Ryanair's recent offer to Aer Lingus shareholders met with a blunt rebuff from Colm Barrington, chairman of Aer Lingus, who said that it "contained the usual stream of invective, spin & misrepresentation that we expect from the people at Ryanair" - a statement which, as they say, may prove not to be the smartest career move.
CREDITS
Shaun Irvine, Biggles, John Creasey, Robbie Shaw, Gary Jones, Simon Pritchard, Mike Hooker, Ken Ede, Derek Malt, Jethro, ABTN, CH-Aviation, Contrails, Flight Global, Travel Mole, Skyliner, Tiny Tim & anybody else that I have forgotten.
Happy spotting!
John (& "Mad" Max)
MOVEMENTS SUMMARY (most from SBS)
AAW912 - A320 5A-ONA
ADR450 - CRJ9 S5-AAK
AHY107 - A319 4K-AZ04
AMC116 - A320 9H-AEK
AUI501 - B735 UR-GAU
AUI503 - did not operate
AWE730 - B752 N202UW
AWE732 - A333 N271AY
BEL2121 - A319 OO-SSP
BEL2129 - B462 OO-DJR
BMA8638 - A320 G-MIDX
BRU851 - B735 EW-253PA
BTI651 - B733 YL-BBL
BTI655 - B735 YL-BBP
CIM265 - CRJ2 OY-MBT
DAL012 - B763 N176DZ
DAL036 - B763 N172DZ
DAL058 - B763 N1602
DAO100P - B752 G-LSAB
EIN242 - A320 EI-DER
EIN244 - A320 EI-CVD
EIN246 - A320 EI-DEG (also EIN248)
ELL101 - did not operate
EZS8532 - A319 HB-JZQ
EZS8569 - A319 HB-JZP (also EZS8571)
EZS8573 - A319 HB-JZG
EZS8575 - A319 HB-JZI
EZY5132 - A319 G-EZDV (also EZY5198)
HHI8426 - eta 22.12 (due to be A319 D-AHIJ)
ISS3531 - A319 EI-DFP
ISS3535 - A319 EI-DFA
LIL452 - B733 LY-AQU
LZB495 - A320 LZ-FBC
MAH612 - B736 HA-LOF
MAH614 - B738 HA-LOC
MGX720 - E195 4O-AOA
MPD232 - A320 EC-KJG
NAX1318 - B733 LN-KKM
NMB385 - A343 V5-NMF
OAL271 - B734 SX-BKX
OMA905 - A310 CS-TEI
QTR075 - A333 A7-AEE
RYR112G - B738 EI-DHT (also RYR114G)
RYR116G - B738 EI-DWS (also RYR118G)
RYR1124 - B738 EI-DYK (also RYR1126)
RYR1182 - B738 EI-DCC (also RYR1X)
RYR9852 - B738 EI-DCK
TAP065P - A319 CS-TTA (arrived to operate the outbound TAP333)
TAP332 - A319 CS-TTO
TAP334 - did not operate (see TAP065P above)
TAP344 - A320 CS-TNM
TAP348B - A320 CS-TNJ
TSC284 - A333 C-GKTS
UAE009 - A332 A6-EKU
UAE011 - B772 A6-EMK
UAE015 - B773 A6-EBK
VGN293 - B763 YL-LCZ
VIK074P - B738 SE-RHR (first visit)
BIZJETS, ETC
EC-JBH DA200 (MYO821 - first visit - callsign displayed as MYQ824 on SBS)