Post by viscount on Jul 17, 2018 14:21:43 GMT 1
Visits by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to LJLA
2014
Virgin Airlines received their first Boeing 787/9 new from Boeing into Gatwick on 10th October. Crew certification training and CAA route proving began immediately, with the aircraft routing Gatwick-EMA-Prestwick-Liverpool-Edinburgh the following day, Saturday 11th October. The aircraft was G-VNEW landing 27 at 1654 and departing onwards 1728 as VS 852T/853T. The same aircraft was back on Tuesday 14th 1124-1203, again Prestwick-Edinburgh, again as VS 852T/853T, but this time 09 was in use. A pattern was beginning to emerge as the aircraft returned on Wednesday 15th, 1224-1255 with the same routing and call-signs again. Although the Airport had been notified of further flights, this was the last one as the Virgin Training Captain decided to keep the training to airports with longer runways given that everyone was new to the type. There was no issue with Boeing 787s being well capable of using Liverpool's runway, just a policy change within the airline.
G-VNEW by Brian Thompson, on Flickr
2018
G-TUID B787 by Beemer328i, on Flickr
The desperate hunt for aircraft to fly LFC fans to Kiev for a weekend European Cup Final in May 2018 led charter flight organisers to approach airlines with aircraft on long day-stops at European capitals. As a result, to the great delight of Liverpool's aviation enthusiasts, Ethiopian Airlines were contracted to supply one of their new Boeing 787-9s for the fans' airlift. The flight very nearly did not happen as on the Thursday before the flight Ethiopian were denied landing rights at Kiev. A rapid round of political intervention and the flight was restored. ET-AUO arrived 0747 on Friday 25th May from Paris/Charles de Gaulle as ETH 8700, departing to Kiev/Borispol as ETH 8702 at 1427. On Monday 28th ET-AUP brought the LFC fans back, at LJLA 1447-1612 as ETH 8704/8705, routing Kiev/Borispol back to Paris/Charles de Gaulle.
In the early hours of Tuesday 17th July another airline with a big reputation and new to Liverpool, brought a Dreamliner in on a charter flight. Royal Jordanian Airlines Boeing 787-8 JY-BAE, operated from and to Amman as RJ 9390 bringing in official refugees from Syria. The very same morning TUI diverted Dreamliner flight TOM 2175 from Burgas into LJLA likely due to morning fog at Manchester. The flight was operated by Boeing 787-8 G-TUID. Once the weather had cleared and with some delays, the aircraft was flown across to Manchester, likely with the passengers still aboard. For 7 minutes both flights were on the ground together, showing that LJLA is well capable of handling this type, even when the arrival is unexpected.
On Thursday 20th December another operator brought a Boeing 787-9 in on diversion. Norwegian Air brought G-CKWD with 'Ernest Shackleton' tail inbound from … on diversion from Gatwick due to drone activity closing the Airport. It was the following day before the 'all clear', the aircraft departing ….. . At the start of the year we might have hoped for a visit or two from TUI Boeing 787s, but the visits by Ethiopian, Royal Jordanian and Norwegian were quite unpredictable!
2019
With Liverpool FC in the European Final again, this time with the final hosted by Madrid, who better for the charter organisers to turn to than the airlines they established a good working relationship with the previous year. So it was on Friday 31st May that Ethiopian Airlines' ET-AUP called at Liverpool again.
ET-AUP B787-9 Ethiopian Als by Beemer328i, on Flickr
2020
For the first knock-out round of the European Cup LFC drew Atletico Madrid. For the second leg at Anfield the Atletico Madrid team arrived on EC-NCY a Boeing 787-9 in full Aer Europa titles, but operating on a Privelege Style flight as PVG1903 arriving from Madrid on Tuesday 10th March, staying at Liverpool until returning with the team to Madrid after the game.
EC-NCY Boeing B.789 Air Europa by Beemer328i, on Flickr
2021 & 2022
No visits by the type in these years.
AIRCRAFT VISITING:
EC-NCY
ET-AUO, ET-AUP
G-CKWD, G-TUID, G-VNEW
JY-BAE.
AIRLINES:
Ethiopian Airlines
Jordanian Airlines
Norwegian Airlines
Privelege Style (using an Air Europa aircraft)
TUI
Virgin