Post by viscount on May 10, 2020 16:37:19 GMT 1
ANNUAL REPORT ON ACTIVITY AND VISITING AIRCRAFT
AT LIVERPOOL JOHN LENNON AIRPORT
- 2019
AT LIVERPOOL JOHN LENNON AIRPORT
- 2019
FOREWORD
It has become a tradition, first started by Phil Butler in the mid 1960s to each January compose a Report in the MAS magazine ‘Flypast’ detailing how many aircraft of each type had visited during the year, registration nationalities, airlines using the airport and a list of resident aircraft. Various people have been involved over the years, including (at least) Phil Butler, Tony Williams, Brian Jones, Bill Woosey, Adrian Thomson, Paul Ellison and Dave Graham. From 1979 the full list of visiting aircraft registrations was included and the ‘Annual Report’ of Airport activity feature was carried on without a break after the demise of the Merseyside Aviation Society (in 1986) by Air Britain (Merseyside Branch) then the North West Aviation News Group on paper until 2005 and subsequently on the web until 2013. With Dave Graham’s sudden departure from the scene in mid 2014, the production of Annual Reports has not been regular (which is my fault) – the first break in continuity since the mid 60s. The monthly lists of all visiting aircraft have continued without a break, which are the basis of the second section of this Report and it is my aim to go back and post the ‘missing’ years (2015, 2016 & 2018) over the next few months.
While each year the report is likely of interest to only a minority, it does provide an interesting summary and fascinating ‘snapshot’ insight into aviation activity at the Airport for the year and have over time become a major resource for research. Certainly without decades of past ‘Annual Reports’, my blogs on the Nostalgia section examining all visits by certain types of aircraft, or the fleet lists for Liverpool aviation companies would have been near impossible to compile in such detail. In typing onto digital and posting on NWAN the 1950s and 1960s and now into the early 1970s ‘Visiting Aircraft Logs’ the creation of an ‘Annual Report’ helps establish a background for the registration record and airline activity and leaves a factual base for future researchers.
Although Dave Graham removed all his posts on the Web overnight unilaterally in June 2014, his Annual Reports are thankfully still available to view on an ‘archive rescue’ site:
web.archive.org/web/20130810042501/http://nwan.co.uk/review.html (covering 2001-2012)
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/20286/nwan-2014-annual-review-activity (for 2014)
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/30598/annual-report-visiting-aircraft-activity (for 2017)
Following posting 2019, it is intended to add the ‘missing’ years of 2018, 2016 and 2015 over the next few months. The tables are mostly ready, it is the words between that need to be composed.
2019 INTRODUCTION
LJLA just managed 5 million passengers in 2019 with 5,002,192 according to CAA statistics – this was down 1% on 2018. The approximate overall average load factor for the year was again 85% with 5.847M scheduled service seats being offered.
A fairly static year in terms of based aircraft with easyJet having eight (4xA319 and 4xA320) and Ryanair 3xB.737-800. Blue Air duly removed their based B.737-700 a month early at the end of February. New destinations were offered by Ryanair to Copenhagen and Corfu from the beginning of April although their service to Milan was lost at the end of October. EasyJet joined Ryanair on the Tenerife route from the start of their winter schedule and Wizz Air added to their growing list of destinations with a year round service to Varna from July. FlyBe offered a double weekly schedule to Newquay over the peak summer months this year and new operator Blue Islands offered the same to Guernsey. Both these will not return in 2020. Our second new operator this year Laudamotion commenced their service to Vienna with the start of the winter schedules. EasyJet duly withdrew their Toulouse service at the end of March.
There were no inclusive tour flights from LJLA in 2019 with Tui ending their services to Palma and Ibiza last year. However there were 187 passenger charters in 2019 carrying some 33K passengers – up 10% on 2018. The majority of these were associated with domestic and European football culminating in the airlift to Madrid at the end of May for Liverpool Football Clubs successful Champions League Final against Real Madrid.
A relatively good year for freight in 2019 with 786 tonnes handled up 394% on 2018. This was carried on some 251 charters.
Total aircraft movements for 2019 were 58968 down slightly on 2018. The table below shows the CAA breakdown of this total:
Air Air Positioning Test and Aero Private Military Business Misc. Transport Taxi Flights Training Club
34448 602 675 121 18956 1863 224 2044 35
2019 SCHEDULED AIRLINE, CHARTER AND FREIGHT ACTIVITY
SCHEDULED AIRLINE ACTIVITY
BLUE AIR
The main news concerning Blue Air in 2019 was the ending of their remaining based destinations Alicante and Malaga on 26th February and Rome on the 27th a month earlier than their intended end date in March at the end of the winter schedule. The based B737-700 returned to Bucharest on 28thFebruary. This left just the non-based services to Bacau and Bucharest. Bacau remained at two per week for the whole year using only B737-800 aircraft from the start of the summer schedule – previously a mix of B737 types were used. Bucharest had four rotations per week up until the end of the summer schedules when the Monday service was dropped. December saw the B737-800 used exclusively whilst again in prior months a mix of B737 types were used.
Blue Air offered 121K seats in 2019 down 62% on 2018 (315K).
Alicante year round service to 26/02 3 flights a week Service ended
Bacau year round service 2 flights a week
Bucharest year round service 3 to 4 flights a week
Malaga year round service to 26/02 2 flights a week Service ended
Rome year round service to 27/02 4 flights a week Service ended
BLUE ISLANDS
A new operator to LJLA for 2019 was Blue Islands who commenced their twice weekly service to Guernsey on 21st May operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays using their ATR-72 aircraft. The last flight was on 14th September having carried 3156 passengers with an overall load factor of 68%.
This service is already known not repeat in 2020.
Guernsey peak summer service from 21/05 to 14/09 2 flights a week New route/Service ended
EASYJET
The twenty-two winter routes from 2018 were operated to the end of March in 2019. Toulouse duly ended on 28th March having operated just twice per week compared with four per week in 2018. The route carried 12236 passengers in its five months with an overall load factor of 57% (22K seats were offered). The summer schedule saw twenty-eight routes being operated – as 2018 with the exception of Lisbon – but with increased frequencies to Berlin, Isle of Man, Jersey, Krakow and Madrid. The winter schedule saw three changes compared with 2018. EasyJet joined Ryanair on the Tenerife route from 3rd October operating twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Venice was suspended with the last service on 12th November and a Sunday rotation was added to Grenoble. Services to city destinations were reduced in November with just two per week to Berlin, Geneva, Madrid, Nice and Paris – Berlin and Paris were four per week in 2018 and Madrid three.
Routes showing the largest increases in passengers during 2019 were Bodrum (+37% due to two per week for the whole of the summer schedule), Naples (+12% three per week in May and June compared with two in 2018), Isle of Man (+9%), Amsterdam (+8%) and Geneva (+7%).
Training flights were operated from LJLA utilising based aircraft in February and March to Newquay x4, Teesside x3, Doncaster x1, Chateauroux x2 and at LJLA x1 - also in November and December to Newquay x2, Teesside x1, Prestwick x2 and Nimes x1.
EasyJet operated 8608 rotations in 2019 up 2.5% on 2018. Seats offered were 2.904M up 4% on 2018 due to the extra based A320 for the first seven months of the year.
Alicante year round service 4 to 7 flights a week
Amsterdam year round service 13 to 18 flights a week
Barcelona year round service 3 to 12 flights a week
Belfast Int. year round service 31 to 42 flights a week
Berlin year round service 2 to 5 flights a week
Bodrum summer service from 02/04 to 29/10 2 flights a week
Bordeaux summer service from 30/04 to 05/10 3 to 4 flights a week
Dalaman summer service from 15/04 to 28/10 2 flights a week
Faro year round service 2 to 10 flights a week
Fuertaventura year round service 1 to 2 flights a week
Geneva year round service 2 to 20 flights a week
Grenoble winter ski service to 30/03 from 14/12 2 flights a week
Isle of Man year round service 9 to 15 flights a week
Jersey year round service 3 to 13 flights a week
Krakow year round service 3 to 4 flights a week
Lanzarote year round service 2 to 3 flights a week
Larnaca year round service 2 flights a week
Madrid year round service 2 to 4 flights a week
Malaga year round service 5 to 9 flights a week
Nantes peak summer service from 25/06 to 01/09 3 flights a week
Naples summer service from 02/04 to 8/11 2 to 3 flights a week
Nice year round service 2 to 9 flights a week
Palermo summer service from 02/04 to 26/10 2 flights a week
Palma year round service 2 to 14 flights a week
Paris year round service 4 to 7 flights a week
Pula summer service from 01/05 to 13/10 2 flights a week
Rhodes summer service from 01/05 to 02/11 2 flights a week
Salzburg winter ski service to 14/04 from 20/12 1 flights a week
Tenerife South winter service from 03/10 2 flights a week New route
Toulouse winter service to 28/03 4 flights a week Service ended
Venice year round service to 12/11 2 to 3 flights a week
Zante summer service from 29/04 to 24/10 2 flights a week
FLYBE
The Isle of Man service continued to be operated by Stobart ATR-72s until the end of the winter schedules on 30th March with 25 rotations per week. FlyBe then took over operating the route with their own Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. Initially 21 rotations were offered for the first two weeks reducing to 19 for the rest of the year (one less on Fridays and Sundays). Their share of the passengers on this route was 44% carrying 113K (down 10% on 2018) at an overall load factor of 71%.
Strangely there were just three rotations to Belfast City in 2019 on 11th, 12th and 13th May.
Their peak summer service to Newquay doubled its frequency in 2019 to two per week (except the first week!). Commencing on 28th May it ran until 31st August and carried 2873 passengers up 63% on 2018. Unfortunately the service is not returning in 2020.
Belfast City short series from 11/05 to 13/05 3 flights Regular service had already ended
Isle of Man year round service 19 to 28 flights a week
Newquay peak summer service from 25/05 to 31/082 1 flight a week Service ended
LAUDAMOTION
As part of the Ryanair Group this second new operator to LJLA in 2019 commenced their twice weekly service to Vienna on 28th October. It proved popular carrying 5591 passengers in 2019 at an overall load factor of 82%.
Vienna year round service from 28/10 2 flights a week New service
RYANAIR
Ryanair based three aircraft at LJLA throughout 2019 with no extra aircraft arriving for the summer months as in previous years. However, many flights were operated by non-LJLA based aircraft. Typically during a week in August about 130 rotations were operated. Of these 70 were by LJLA based aircraft and 60 by aircraft from other bases so almost equivalent to another three based aircraft. Girona, Las Palmas, Milan, Pisa, Prague and Sofia were solely operated by non-based aircraft during the summer months. Often a mix of based and non-based aircraft operated the same route.
The 24 winter schedule routes from 2018 were continued into 2019. For the summer schedule 32 routes were carried over from 2018 (the exception being Shannon) and two new destinations were added – Copenhagen from 1st April at two per week (Monday and Friday) to be operated year round and Corfu from 2nd June also at two per week (Thursday and Saturday) but for the peak summer months only finishing on 29th September. The Milan service ended on 26th October and the route transferred to Manchester. During its two years of operation 94K passengers were carried with an average load factor of 80%. The winter schedule from the end of October again saw 24 routes operated (with Copenhagen substituted for Milan). The Sofia service did not operate from 1st September to 28th October inclusive causing a 14% fall in annual passengers. Frequencies were reduced to Prague (21% drop in annual passengers –route started at Manchester), Warsaw-Modlin(19% drop) and Wroclaw (24% drop). The recent significant annual reductions in Dublin passengers was stemmed in 2019 with just a 1% fall.
2019 saw more use of aircraft from the Ryanair subsidiaries Ryanair Sun based in Poland and Malta Air. Non-based rotations to Krakow and Wroclaw were operated by Ryanair Sun throughout the year with Poznan, Prague and Warsaw being added towards the end of October and also Sofia from 26th November. Malta Air aircraft operated to Luqa from 7th November.
Ryanair operated 5936 rotations during 2019 down 1% on 2018 – offering 2.244M seats.
Alicante year round service 5 to 11 flights a week
Barcelona year round service 3 to 6 flights a week
Bari summer service from 02/04 to 05/11 2 flights a week
Bergerac summer service from 02/04 to 26/10 2 flights a week
Copenhagen year round service from 01/04 2 flights a week New route
Corfu Peak summer service from 02/06 to 29/09 2 flights a week New route
Cork year round service 4 to 5 flights a week
Derry year round service 3 to 4 flights a week
Dublin year round service 22 to 25 flights a week
Faro year round service 2 to 7 flights a week
Fuertaventura year round service 1 flights a week
Girona summer service from 03/04 to 04/11 2 flights a week
Ibiza summer service from 01/04 to 26/10 3 flights a week
Knock year round service 5 to 6 flights a week
Krakow year round service 3 to 6 flights a week
Lanzarote year round service 2 flights a week
Las Palmas summer service from 03/04 to 30/10 2 flights a week
Malaga year round service 4 to 12 flights a week
Malta year round service 2 flights a week
Marrakesh year round service 2 flights a week
Milan year round service to 26/10 3 flights a week Service ended
Palma summer service from 25/03 to 05/11 6 to 7 flights a week
Paphos year round service 2 to 3 flights a week
Pisa summer service from 01/04 to 25/10 2 flights a week Service ended
Porto year round service 2 flights a week
Poznan year round service 2 to 3 flights a week
Prague year round service 2 to 3 flights a week
Reus summer service from 04/04 to 24/10 2 flights a week
Sofia year round service 2 flights a week no service between 01/09 and 28/10 inclusive
Szczecin year round service 2 flights a week
Tenerife South year round service 1 to 3 flights a week
Vilnius year round service 2 flights a week
Warsaw-Modlin year round service 3 to 4 flights a week
Wroclaw year round service 2 to 3 flights a week
WIDEROE
Wideroe continued to operate to Bergen in 2019 with the service suspended from 13th May and restarting on 16th August – roughly aligned to the British domestic Premier League season. Their Friday and Monday schedule was generally operated by 78 seat Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. However, of the 55 rotations between January and October 15 were operated by 114 seat Embrear E290 aircraft. From 10th November a third weekly rotation was added on a Sunday although only five were operated in 2019. All flights in November and December were by Dash 8-Q400. A total of 77 rotations were operated in 201919% being by E290.
Wideroe carried 7061 passengers in 2019 at an overall load factor of 53% (13400 seats were offered).
Bergen extended winter season to 13/05 from 16/08 2 to 3 flights a week
WIZZ AIR
Wizz Air continued their sevenyear round services into 2019. Up to the end of the winter schedules at the end of March the frequencies were: Bucharestx3, Budapestx3 reducing to 2, Cluj-Napoca x2, Gdansk x3, Iasix2, Katowice x2 and Warsaw-Chopin x2. All Budapest services were operated by A321 aircraft. With the start of the summer schedule some frequencies increased: Budapest x3, Gdansk x4 from June and x5 from July and Warsaw-Chopin x3 these being maintain to the end of October. Budapest services reverted to A320 aircraft whilst all Warsaw services were operated by the A321 with occasional use on the Gdansk service also. With the start of the winter schedule frequencies reverted to those at the start of the year however Warsaw continued to be served by A321 aircraft with their occasional use to Bucharest also. The larger aircraft saw Wizz Air increase its market share on the Warsaw route from 39% in 2018 to 48% in 2019 with passengers up 19% (Ryanair to Modlin were down 19%).
Their new route to Varna in Bulgaria commenced on 17th July operating three times per week reducing to twice weekly in mid-October. It proved very popular carrying 18288 passengers with an overall load factor of 86% in the first six months.
A total of 1028 rotations were operated in 2019 up 47% on 2018 – 387K seats being offered up 48% on 2018 with greater use of A321 aircraft.
Bucharest year round service 3 flights a week
Budapest year round service 2 to 3 flights a week
Cluj Napoca year round service 2 flights a week
Gdansk year round service 3 to 5 flights a week
Iasi year round service 2 flights a week
Katowice year round service 2 to 3 flights a week
Varna year round service from 17/07 2 to 3 flights a week New service
Warsaw year round service 2 to 3 flights a week
2019 CHARTER REPORT
INCLUSIVE TOURS
There were no inclusive tour charters this year with Tui ending their services to Palma and Ibiza in 2018.
SANTAS LAPLAND
Five ‘Santa’ charters were operated in December. These were two 3 day trips to Ivalo in Finland on 1st and 10th using a Titan Airways A321, two 1 day trips to Econtekio in Finland on 7th and 20th by Enter Air B738 and one to Pajala in Sweden on 21st also by Enter Air B738. The number of passengers on these flights was 1734 giving an 88% approximate load factor.
GENERAL CHARTERS
Weekend breaks from Norway usually combined with a football match again proved popular in 2019 with flights in February, March, October and November by Wideroe from Stavanger and in March, April, May and November by Enter Air from Oslo and one from Harstad. Transavia also visited from Oslo in December There were visits by Danish Air Transport from Copenhagen in January and December and one by Air Alsie from Sonderborg in Denmark in November. A Maleth Aero B733 visited in April from Orebro in Sweden and a North Flying Metro in May from Bergen.
A single outbound flight to Lourdes operated in April using a Jota Aviation RJ85 whilst four return flights were operated in July by Enter Air B738. A total of 909 pilgrims were carried.
A single flight associated with Rugby League operated from and to Perpignan at the end of March using a Volotea A319 carrying the Catalan Dragons.
On 10th July there was a refugee flight from Amman using an Al Masria A320.
An SAS B738 visited on 10th July to collect cruise passengers disembarking at the Pier Head Cruise Terminal and return them to Oslo.
There were private charters noted to Stansted, Biggin Hill, Sion, Billund, Farnborough and East Midlands.
DOMESTIC FOOTBALL CHARTERS
Liverpool FC flew to twelve premiership away matches visiting Gatwick (Brighton), London City (West Ham), Southampton x2, Cardiff (Swansea), Newcastle, Luton (Chelsea), Doncaster (Sheffield United), Birmingham (Aston Villa), Biggin Hill (Crystal Palace), Bournemouth, and East Midlands (Leicester) using Jota Aviation, 2 Excel Aviation and Gainjet. They also flew to their FA Cup match against MK Dons using Jota Aviation to Cranfield.
Everton FC flew to eight away matches arriving at Southampton, Stansted (Millwall FC), Cardiff (Swansea), Newcastle, Biggin Hill x2 (Crystal Palace), Bournemouth and Gatwick (Brighton) all by Jota Aviation.
For LFC and EFC home matches Tottenham FC, Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC flew in with Jota Aviation, Bournemouth FC with British Midland, Norwich FC and Brighton with Loganair, West Ham FC with 2 Excel Aviation and finally Watford FC with four visits using Jota Aviation, Eastern Airways, Air Charter Europe and Meleth Aero.
Finally Swansea FC visited from Cardiff on 1st November for a match against Wigan using Eastern Airways.
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHARTERS
Liverpool FC’s progress in the 2018/19 Champions League saw Bayern Munich arrive aboard a Sun Express B738 on 18 February with their supporters arriving the following day by Sundair A320. Additional LFC supporters arrived from Oslo by Enter Air B738. The second leg saw LFC travel to Munich on 12th March aboard a Titan B752 with supporters arriving a day later by ASL Ireland B733.
The quarter finals saw FC Porto arrive by Hi Fly A343 with supporters arriving aboard a Privilege Style chartered White A320. On 16th April LFC travelled to Porto again by Titan B752. Supporters arrived the following day by Enter Air and Jet2 B738s.
Semi finals now and LFC travelled to Barcelona on 30th April by Titan B752 and were followed by two Enter Air supporter flights. FC Barcelona arrived for the second leg on 6th May by Air Europa A332. LFC supporters arrived the same day from Oslo by Enter Air B738 and Sundair A320 whilst Barcelona supporters arrived the following day on three Vueling A320, an Enter Air B738, A Privilege Style B752 and A Go2Sky B738.
So to the final in Madrid. LFC travelled by Aero Nexus B763 on Friday 31st May returning on 2nd June. The Friday and Saturday saw twenty outbound charters by a host of airlines and seventeen outbound scheduled flights by Vueling and Ryanair (included for completeness). Sunday saw twenty charters returning and twenty scheduled flights by the same operators. These flights provided approximately 8000 seats outbound and 8500 inbound. Aircraft highlights were a Corse Air B744, an Ethiopian B789, A Virgin A333, an Iberia A332 and an Air Austral B773.
LFC started their 2019/20 Champions League campaign in Naples arriving there on 15th September by Klasjet B735. Supporters arrived the following day by 2 Excel B733. The 1st October saw FC Salzburg arrive by Enter Air B738 and supporters by ASL France B738. Further supporters arrived the following day on two Air Caraibes A332 and a Carpatair F100 from Linz and an ASL France B738 from Salzburg. LFC travelled to Maastrict on 22nd October by Titan B752 for their match against FC Genk. The return leg saw FC Genk arrive on 4th November by Tui Fly B738 and Air Charter Europe E145 from Maarstrict whist an Air Charter Europe E135 arrived the following day from Liege. FC Napoli arrived for their return leg on 26th November by Blue Panorama B733. LFC travelled to Salzburg on 9th December by Titan B752 with supporters arriving on two Eurowings Austria A319 flights. The return flights on 11th diverted to Manchester as the runway at LJLA was blocked.
The charter and scheduled flights described above added some 25K passengers to the LJLA 2019 total.
Champions League football also attracted a Danish Air Transport MD82 from Molde in Norway on 12th February for the Manchester United game against PSG. This aircraft also brought FC Kopenhagen to LJLA for their match against Oswestry on 22nd July.
Finally LFC travelled to Istanbul aboard the Aero Nexus B763 on 12th August for the Super Cup match against Chelsea. Supporters arrived be Maleth-Aero B735.
MISCELLANEOUS FOOTBALL CHARTERS
There were several flights associated with domestic football pre-season training and matches. Liverpool FC flew to Dubai on 19th January returning via Budapest on 23rd by Titan Airways A319, to Malaga on 12th February returning on 15th by 2 Excel Aviation B733 and again to Malaga on 20th May returning on 26th – Titan, 2 Excel and Jota Aviation being used. Jota took LFC to Edinburgh on 27th July for a pre-season match against Napoli before flying to Geneva on 28th and returning to Luton for their Community Shield match at Wembley on 4th August.
Everton FC used Jota, 2 Excel and Air X Charter for pre-season matches in Switzerland and Germany.
Liverpool FC flew to Milan in March by Alba Star B734 for their match against Milan Legends and used Aero Nexus to travel to Doha in December for the Club World Final.
FREIGHT CHARTERS
2019 saw a fourfold increase in freight over 2018 to 786 tonnes – 465.5 tonnes inbound and 320.5 tonnes outbound – the vast majority of which was associated with motor manufacturing. There were 244 charter ‘rotations’ with 166 carrying inbound freight, 65 carrying outbound freight and 13 carrying both. The highlight of the year was the plethora of Antonov 12s visits – twenty by Ukraine Air Alliance and seventeen by Cavok Air. The Cavok Air aircraft which arrived on 28th September (UK-CKL) suffered damage whilst taxiing and remained on the ground until replacement parts arrived by AN12, of course, on 7th December and finally departed to Leipzig on 27th December. Two Ukrainian Air Alliance AN12s arrived on 3rd and 4th October but they quickly positioned back to the Ukraine following the demise of their sister aircraft at Lviv and the subsequent revoking of their license to operate in the EU. On 4th October there were four AN12 aircraft on the tarmac – something likely never to be repeated !!
The table below shows the originating/ destination airports and the carriers visiting in 2019. Clearly out in front were Paderborn (Jaguar) for inbound freight and Gothenburg (Volvo) for outbound freight.
INBOUND FREIGHT OUTBOUND FREIGHT
OPERATOR A/C TYPE VISITS FROM VISITS OPERATOR A/C TYPE VISITS TO VISITS
Fleet Air SF340 32 Paderborn 88 Ukraine Air Alliance AN12 20 Gothenburg 45
Flightline Metro 21 Tangier 16 Cavok Air AN12 17 Graz 13
Cavok Air AN12 18 Ostrava 11 Jota Aviation B463 14 Bucharest 4
Sprintair SF340 17 Brno 10 Arcus Air D228 8 Bologna 2
Sky Taxi SF340 12 Gyor 6 Flightline Metro 4 Bratislava 2
Jota Aviation B463 9 Malaga 5 Air Taxi Europe F406 3 Jonkoping 2
Fleet Air Bulgaria ATR42 8 Bologna 4 Fleet Air SF340 3 Gyor 2
Business Wings C208 7 Katowice 3 Sprintair SF340 3 Pamplona 2
RAF-Avia AN26 7 Leipzig 3 E Cargo B752 1 Atyrau,Kazakstan 1
Air Taxi Europe F406 6 Munster 3 Fleet Air Bulgaria ATR42 1 Brno 1
Nyx Air SF340 6 Ostend 3 Pro Air PC12 1 Gerona 1
Ukraine Air AN12 6 Tunis 3 RAF-Avia AN26 1 Ostrava 1
Air Est SF340 4 Brescia 2 Vulkan Air AN26 1 Stockholm 1
Arcus Air D228 4 Dusseldorf 2 Zimex Aviation ATR72 1 Vigo 1
Business Wings D228 4 Gerona 2
Express Air Cargo B733 3 Gothenburg 2 Total 78 Total 78
Vulkan Air AN26 3 Rzeszow 2
Zimex Aviation ATR72 3 Graz 1
Global Air Sol PC12 2 Hof-Plauen 1 These tables constructed from observation and details provided
Aerowest C680 1 Kuopio,Finland 1 in the CAA Monthly statistics.
Edwin Air Charter AN26 1 Las Palmas 1
Hummingbird B350 1 Liege 1 There are four separate columns of information here, the lines
Pro Air PC12 1 Lyon 1 do not read across from one list to another.
Sky Taxi B763 1 Mannheim 1
Sprintair ATR72 1 Nuremberg 1
Zephyr Aviation B200 1 Paris Vatry 1
Siegen 1
Total 179 Timisoaro 1
Wroclaw 1
Zurich 1
Zweibrucken 1
Total 179
There was one additional charter by ASL Airlines B734 bringing horses from/to Shannon for the racing at Haydock on 7th/8th September.
TERMINAL AND AIRFIELD CHANGES
RESA – RUNWAY END SAFETY AREA ESTABLISHED
After years of discussion, planning and legal issues, the RESA – an area of open land under the 27 approach was fenced off during summer 2019 and has become a ‘sterile area’ within the airport boundary fence and closed to the general public. Establishing the RESA was a requirement placed on the Airport by the C.A.A. as part of awarding the Airport’s Licence to operate. To enable this, a section of Dungeon Lane that ran across the extended centre-line has been totally closed – for many years the bit of road that was controlled by traffic lights. To enable traffic to get to the VCR and a handful of homes, a section of Baileys Lane which had formerly been closed-off by barriers was re-opened for public use and a new footpath replacing the little known Aston’s Lane, a green-lane right of way, created outside the fence to permit access to the Merseyway LDP from hale Road.
AIRSPACE CHANGE PROPOSALS
The C.A.A. issued a document outlining new traffic patterns within the Liverpool Control Zone to aid the smooth arrival and departure of aircraft.
NEW HANGAR ACCOMMODATION
The construction of a new hangar on land adjacent to the western edge of the G.A. apron commenced in July 2019 by William Tarr Construction Ltd. Considerably larger than the existing general aviation hangars along one edge of the G.A. apron, it easily accommodates both a Bombardier Global 5000 and an Embraer Phenom 500 biz-jet. It has it’s own apron area and short taxiway ‘Uniform’ to the parallel taxiway and was opened and first occupied on 19th February 2020, operating as ‘Skyport’ with a large attached annex of office and lounge space. Really welcome evidence of an organisation considerably investing in infrastructure within the airport boundary.
ON GROUND INCIDENTS
Liverpool John Lennon Airport has, thankfully, enjoyed a fairly accident free decade. Then, as happens, three incidents within three months, all on the ground, all at relatively slow speed and no one injured.
The most serious, as it completely closed the Airport to commercial operations for some 20 hours on 11th December, was when an arriving Global 6000 Executive jet of Maltese operator, Vista Jet in the pre-dawn dark taxied off the 27 fast turnoff and sank into saturated soft ground at the end of a transatlantic flight. As the aircraft was still just within the runway safety zone no flights could arrive or depart until all parties had agreed as to how the aircraft could be moved and the heavy equipment in place to do so. Once recovered the aircraft was towed into one of the hangars and underwent inspection and replacement of the nose oleo, eventually departing on 25th January 2020.
An earlier incident involved an Antonov An-12B freighter, which on 30th September while turning to leave an ‘outparked’ apron stand, rotated the back of the wing into a mobile lighting unit, damaging the flaps. Repairs were apparently delayed by ‘red tape’ affecting work permits for engineers qualified to repair the type. The aircraft eventually departing on 27th December.
Finally while running-up the engine of a light aircraft on the G.A. apron on 30th November, a sequence of events led to the Glasair Super II-RG aircraft hitting a stationary Tomahawk and coming to stop with undercarriage retracted. The airport was closed for a short period while the fire section attended and made the area safe. As already stated earlier, no one was hurt in any of these incidents.
BUSINESS & GENERAL AVIATION ACTIVITY
The resident flying schools and aviation companies trading on the General Aviation apron have generally held their own during 2019, with little evidence of expansion or contraction.
RAVENAIR & MERSEYSIDE AVIATION SERVICES
By far the largest and most diverse company trading from the G.A. apron, offering FBO facilities to visiting executive aircraft, aircraft for charter, survey aircraft and pilot training on both single and twin aircraft. The flying school operate a fleet of 8 Tomahawks (although one was damaged during an apron incident in November), 2 Cherokees (with another acquired in February but not in service) and a Cherokee Arrow. Also available are 3 Aztec and 2 Seneca aircraft which are also used for survey work. The main aircraft used for various forms of survey and aerial photography work are 10 Partenavia P.68 aircraft, with another in the hangar being slowly brought back into service and an aircraft purchased in Germany during October and being readied for British registration to join the active fleet in 2020. Cheshire Flying Services operate a TBM-750.
LIVERPOOL FLYING SCHOOL
By far the longest established of the Flying Schools, LFS operate 4 Tomahawks and a Cherokee. The school owner sold his Citabria aerobatic aircraft in May and flew the replacement, a vintage Auster AOP.9 on a number of occasions during the year.
LOMAC AVIATORS
The flying school and the owners have a fleet of 2 Tomahawks, 2 Cherokees, a Cherokee Arrow and a Cessna 150, all have been active throughout the year.
MERSEYFLIGHT
Merseyflight have an active fleet of 2 Tomahawks and a Cherokee, although their third Tomahawk was sold during the year, departing in July.
HELICENTRE
For most of the year have had 2 Squirrel helicopters active at Liverpool. A Eurocopter EC.120B which was associated with them was sold by the owner and departed in February. A Robinson R.44 which for much of the year flew from Barton returned to Liverpool in December.
SOUTHPORT & MERSEYSIDE AERO CLUB
A member’s club continue to operate their Cessna 172 for suitably qualified pilots.
XLR EXECUTIVE JET CENTRE
XLR based in their own building beside the main apron, now in their second year at John Lennon have clearly building a customer base, helped by a general increase in biz-jet activity, especially when LFC are playing other 'top' teams at Anfield.
VINTAGE AND AIRCRAFT OF CHARACTER
The Miles Gemini G-AKKB which has lived here for 8 years in the Keenair hangar departed for Sleap during July. An infrequent flier, it was a different sound and attractive shape when in the circuit. The resident Auster AOP.9, NA T-6G Harvard IV and the Cessna C.165 Airmaster were active, mainly during summer good weather, along with biplane Steen Skybolt, a CZAW Sportscruiser and the sleek Glasair Super II. The Cessna Airmaster is currently away for attention but should return in 2020, while the Glasair was damaged in an apron incident while engine running during November.