2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

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Boeing767copilot
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2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by Boeing767copilot »

Stobart Air ends ANR - SEN on Jan 18, according Travel Magazine Online :cry:

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RoMax
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Re: 2014 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by RoMax »

Was to be expected, never saw a real future for this route. SEN is not convenient enough for the business market, especially with frequent LCY flights at the same airport. And for the leisure market these flights didn't make sense either. Eurostar is much more convenient and for those that really want to fly, it's still more convenient to fly BA, SN or easyJet to LHR or LGW.

Also Southend-Maastricht will end later this month.

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opergvh
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Re: 2014 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by opergvh »

Line from Antwerp to London Southend will be closed on 18/1/15.
http://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20150105_01457 ... -geschrapt

Inquirer
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by Inquirer »

Despite this setback, I think it's safe to assume 2015 will be a good year for Antwerp passenger wise, thanks to new flights from Jetair as well as the stand alone operations from VLM.
it's one of the advantages of having so few left, it's that you can't lose much more.
Besides, the new projects seem to be built on more solid grounds than all the previous new routes which they gained briefly, so for the first time in a long tome, they have a genuinely positive outlook.

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sn26567
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by sn26567 »

Antwerp airport renovation to start this year

Antwerp International Airport will see its renovation begin this year.

Operator French engineering group Egis plans to build a new departure hall instead of the one existing in the airport building. Its space will reach 3,000 m², with capacity increasing to handle up to 2 million passengers per year, from the current 300,000. Egis anticipates launch of the new terminal in the next five years, according to Antwerp airport CEO Marcel Buelens. The new hall is estimated to cost €10-20 million and Egis is looking to attract financing.

The operator will begin new parking construction after summer season 2015 and renovate a part of the baggage handling system this spring. The airport needs new baggage belts as Jetairfly will launch six new destinations from Antwerp this year, all of them to be operated with Embraer E-190s.

Later in 2015 one of the cargo buildings will be destroyed as Egis plans to construct a new several-story parking garage in its place. The operator is also negotiating with the local railroad company to establish a new station at the airport. The airport expects to handle 200,000 passengers this year.

Antwerp-based VLM Airlines is to launch the Sukhoi Superjet SSJ100LR in Europe. The carrier inked a letter of intent to take two SSJ100LRs on 12-year lease from Russia’s Ilyushin Finance last October. The carrier has not disclosed its route network for the new type yet.

Egis was awarded concessions for Ostend-Bruges and Antwerp airports in July 2013 for a 25-year term; the company started operating Antwerp in October 2014. The group manages 14 airports worldwide, but only four of them are in Europe. Besides the two regional airports in Belgium, the company operates Larnaca and Paphos airports in Cyprus.

Source: ATW online

I'm afraid this will mean the end of free parking!
André
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AAI
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by AAI »

" I'm afraid this will mean the end of free parking! "

Right you are !

but an new airportbuilding for 2 million pax is exagerated!

it will be max for 500 to 600.000 pax

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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by jan_olieslagers »

Myself can't help having my doubts about such an ambitious expansion project. ANR/EBAW can never cater to more than niche markets, and should aim for those - specialisation is it best bet. And indeed, any project killing off free parking will remove one of its strongest points of attraction. More than likely hurting the current very short turn-around times at the same time.

On top of that, a major expanson initiative is sure to awaken a lot of sleeping dogs, NIMBY's and what not - better to keep quiet and grow inconspicuously.

airazurxtror
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by airazurxtror »

sn26567 wrote: The operator is also negotiating with the local railroad company to establish a new station at the airport.
What do they mean by "local railroad company" ?
A tram line could perhaps rather easily be built and arrive at the airport; as for a train (NMBS) station, that would be a huge task.
IF IT AIN'T BOEING, I'M NOT GOING.

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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by jan_olieslagers »

Not really. The train rails pass very close anyway, adding a side track with a platform would be a trivial exercise; adding a covered walk might be slightly more demanding. Actually the remains of the old rail cargo platform are still in place.

OTOH the tram rail in the Diksmuidelaan was foolishly dug up perhaps in the 1970's or so - I do remember tram line 16 having its terminus at the airport, in my boyhood years. That will not easily come back, more's the pity. Because it would mean some polititician admitting they decided wrong, and that's what those !@#$%^&* don't like.
Last edited by jan_olieslagers on 07 Feb 2015, 20:39, edited 1 time in total.

DIBO
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by DIBO »

Building platforms for an airport railway stop, would technically be feasible, but doesn't make sense, within 2km of a major train station (Berchem) serving all 'wind directions'. The line next to the airport only serves the east, with moderate frequency of stop trains passing by.
A free-for-travellers shuttle to the train station and its adjacent, totally underused underground, guarded Q parking (200+ unused places available) would be a small, but much appreciated investment. Negotiate with Q parking a discount for air-travellers. Restrict the free airport parking to daytime only use, for the 'same day business return-flights' (make the overnight stays, pay double the price of the Q parking).

A said before, killing the 2 selling points of the airport (free proximity parking & quick checkin) would be a bad thing.

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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by AAI »

stop dreaming!!!

the only need for a 500.000 pax airport is a good bus connection with the City!

and not a bus / tram transfer at berchem statie!!!

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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by jan_olieslagers »

AAI: no need to add triple ! to your exasperation. We can read your words as they are (a bit of capitalisation wouldn't hurt, though).

The bus connection to the city is there, and I think it is quite adequate.

OTOH I fail to see the relevance of a train station 2 km distant - what passenger will walk 2km, perhaps even lugging some, err, luggage?

And if Brussels Airport can have a train station, and in fact sees it promoted heavily for its passengers, why should it be different for Antwerpen/Deurne? Even if free car parking and quick turn-around are some of its strong points, there's every reason to add a service that is becoming more and more a basic convenience for airports.

Neither is DIBO right: though line 15 is indeed the one to serve the airport, and leads towards Lier and the Campine region, it has a branch "Y-Aubry" to line 27, leading to Mechelen and Brussel. So train service could be quite comprehensive. But I agree that good service to the city centre is the prime requirement. Passengers with a lot of luggage will especially prefer a train (or perhaps "light train") service over a bus, I think.

Stij
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by Stij »

If I m not mistaken, the line next to the airport is 27A only used by freight trains... All pax trains stop a bit further in Mortsel... So it s not just adding a couple of platforms and a covered walkway: the whole Berchem layout would have to be redone or it s capacity would be drastically reduced as 27 A goes to Antwepen Oost and the harbour instead of Antwerpen Centraal....

Cheers,

Stij

flightlover
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by flightlover »

Stij, correct me if I'm wrong, but

A: wasn't track 27A used by the old 'amsterdammer' before they dug a tunnel from Anterp central station? At least after the detour he made between Berchem and Antwerp central?

B: There are a whole series of switches in between mortsel -> Berchem and Berchem -> Antwerp central. So, although it migh take a bit longer, it must be perfectly feasible to create a path to Antwerp central.

AAI
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by AAI »

Jan Olieslagers : there is NO direct busconnection with the city!!!

Stij
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by Stij »

Flightlover,

You can and in case of works on the other lines, it happens, but because if all the "wisselstraten", it greatly reduces capacity on both the pax line to Lier and the freightline... It would be very sensible to delays as well because of this...

Cheers,

Stij

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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by DIBO »

Bus connections to the Berchem-station "public-transport hub" are pretty good, about every 15min. There you have an abundance of trains, about 10 bus and tramlines and as already mentioned the underused Q-parking. I still think that an extra shuttle directly to the Q-parking (just 2km from ANR) would be good for business travellers and could avoid the expensive project of building a car park building onsite (and de facto killing the free parking advantage). There simply isn't enough demand to build a trainstop on a line with limited stoptrains. Even some stoptrains to Mol/Aarschot start on line 27 (to make a stop at Mortsel) then switch to their 'normal' line 15, but only beyond the airfield, so missing a 'future' airport trainstop. I haven't any statistics, but my guess is that the feeder transport modes for ANR are 2x by car (driving and being dropped off), taxi, bus and train (now of course handicapped with the last mile still by taxi or bus). Haven't checked the schedules, but if the departures of the 100-pax liners coincide with the other departures, this will also negatively impact the quick checkin advantage for LCY / GVA (business) travellers.

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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by jan_olieslagers »

Well it seems I was wrong on all points, sorry!

@AAI: I had never ever expected the bus service to the city centre to be discontinued, but some genius must really have decided that. Incredible. (but could you please write without shouting and triple punctuation? It is so exhausting to peruse...

And yes, a kind of "light train" to the Middenstatie would be nice, but demand doesn't justify it currently and will not anywhere soon. And it would indeed be a heavy load on the limited rail capacity just south of Berchem station. Plus there will be no light rail or such on Belgian railways anyway, as long as it is the union's private playground.

I also much agree that the very nearby free parking should be kept, it is one of the airport's major attractions. As I said before, this airport should not try to be like all the other ones, its only chance is as an exception, serving niche customers - by which I mean both aircraft operators and passengers.

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sn26567
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by sn26567 »

If the Belgian Railways refuse to build a short link to CRL and its 6 million passengers a year, I don't see them spend a penny on a route and a station for the 200,000 yearly passengers at ANR.
André
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Re: 2015 Antwerp airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

Post by jan_olieslagers »

Exactly. Even if the figure triples (which it won't, overnight), no change.
otoh the eventual "Vlaamse Spoorweg Maatschappij" might have another view... ;)

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