2011 Liège Airport (LGG) latest news

[Acid-drop]

LGG is still not in the world top30, but from the number, i guess it's very close, like 32, 33 ...
http://www.airports.org/cda/aci_common/ ... -227_666_2__

But when you concider only international trafic, it's the world 20th biggest. Not bad
http://www.airports.org/cda/aci_common/ ... 1382_666_2__

[an-148]

LGG is still not in the world top30, but from the number, i guess it's very close, like 32, 33 ...
http://www.airports.org/cda/aci_common/ ... -227_666_2__

But when you concider only international trafic, it's the world 20th biggest. Not bad
http://www.airports.org/cda/aci_common/ ... 1382_666_2__

last year, 24th : climb of 4 places

[Desert Rat]

240 more Ha @ Liege bierset for business development

http://www.lameuse.be/regions/liege/201 ... 2254.shtml

[liege-bierset]

Confirmation that there are some talking going on between Thai and LGG.
There are also talking with CAL and Elal for expansion.

<span><a href="http://www.lalibre.be/economie/actualit ... erset.html" class="smarterwiki-linkify">http://www.lalibre.be/economie/actualit ... </a></span>

It would be a good news that one (or both) of those 2 projects succeed, it seems LGG has difficulties to attract new companies and continues its (crazy-charleroi-like) growth.

Not sure if this will (would) have an impact on business talks with Thai Cargo.
Thai/Southernair:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/avi ... -for-cargo

[liege-bierset]

Seen at Asia Air Freight 2011 (8th-10th March 2011)

Thai Airways International Public Co., Ltd.

Stand: 3C21

THAI Cargo provides cargo transportation service to 71 destinations in 34 countries spanning 5 continents. At Suvarnabhumi Airport, we also offer cargo terminal handling with superb facilities for all type of cargo. Our team of cargo professional handles your cargo with utmost care from acceptance at origin to delivery at destination. Customers will further benefit from our operation in the Custom Free Zone environment. We have 2 Freighters type B777-200LRF,connecting east and west together with 4 flights Bangkok - Frankfurt vv. via Hong Kong, Dubai, Sharjah and Chennai and 2 flights Bangkok – Liege vv. via Delhi and Hong Kong.

So would be 2 FL/W ?

BTW : Steel structure erection of new 12.000 M2 warehouse has started this morning at Cargo Nord.
Expected to be ready before end of the year.

[regi]

As far as has been told to me, the cargo division of TG is dealt by the Frankfurt office.
When they started the cargo flights to AMS, the office of TG in Brussels was not involved.
Question: is this still the case if they will come to Liège ?

[Acid-drop]

2 flights per week, with 777 or 744, isn't very impressive ...
CAL or ElAl could bring more trafic than that if they only add 1 a/c.
The track is now long enough, we are waiting for the real deal now.

[afterburner]

Any information about the belgian AOC for Avient ?

[Desert Rat]

The cabinet yesterday gave Thai Airways International the right to decide by itself the means of acquiring new aircraft instead of using a specific method advocated by the Transport Ministry.
That means the national flag carrier reserves the right to purchase and/or lease 75 aircraft over a 12-year period under a 457.12 billion baht budget it was seeking.
The ruling was seen as a blow to the Transport Ministry which had strongly advocated that the new fleet of aircraft be purchased.
The ministry has been at odds with THAI over several major issues such as control of expansion plans or new ventures.
According to THAI president Piyasvasti Amranand, the airline should acquire new jets through a combination of leasing or buying as the airline's cashflow and debt situation warranted.
Purchasing aircraft was seen as capital intensive, creating large debts which could burden the airline, while leasing only incurred operating costs and these could also be spread out over the contract period.
The cabinet's approval paves the way for THAI, now stuck with a large fleet of ageing, inefficient aircraft, to proceed with its long-awaited fleet renewal, one of the largest of its kind in Asia, which will allow it to compete with leading international airlines.
The new fleet will be bought in two batches - 37 planes in the first phase between now and 2017 with a budget of 210.6 billion baht, plus spare engines worth 5.47 billion baht, and then 38 planes between 2018 and 2022 with a budget of 229 billion baht, plus spare engines worth 11.98 billion baht.
In a related development, the THAI board yesterday endorsed the leasing of two Boeing 777-300ERs from India's Jet Airways for a period of two years with delivery scheduled in October and November.
The board also granted approval to commission US plane maker Boeing to convert two 747-400 passenger planes into freighters for delivery in March and April next year.

[Acid-drop]

we're still not sure we'll ever see those 2 744 in LGG ...

[Acid-drop]

ElAl blackmails LGG
http://www.lloyd.be/Article/tabid/231/A ... fault.aspx

[chrisflyer]

Hardly blackmail, I would say. They have a quieter fleet now so they're going back to Schiphol which seems far more interesting for them. And even if they decide to stay, the option to move gives them bargaining power. That's plain commercial tactics, not blackmail.

[Acid-drop]

well, if you want to leave, you leave. No need to do that kind of communication
Now, calling it commercial tactics or blackmail is only a matter of words. It's more and more the same, ask ryanair how they do it

[regi]

ElAl blackmails LGG
http://www.lloyd.be/Article/tabid/231/A ... fault.aspx

Off topic question regarding this article:
At the end , it mentions a winter season for cargo traffic.

Out of curiosity - I have no clue about cargo operations - this question:
what is the background of making a difference in seasons for cargo? Is it related towards food stuff? Or availability on passenger planes?

[LJ]

Out of curiosity - I have no clue about cargo operations - this question:
what is the background of making a difference in seasons for cargo? Is it related towards food stuff? Or availability on passenger planes?

I reckon they mean the IATA WInter season (thus the same as for passenger flights). The slots for Summer 2011 are already determined, thus it would be difficult to start a regular service during IATA Summer 2011. We can see if ELAL requested slots at AMS for Winter 2011/2012 shortly (the slot requests will be published by mid May).

Cargo does have a seasonality. However, that depends more on the type of cargo then on.

[sn26567]

Message from Johan Vanneste (TNT Airways) on Twitter:

3 months to go before our first of 3 Boeing 777F arrives in TNT Liège Hub. First ever on Belgian Registry. I wonder if anybody knows this?

[Desert Rat]

They even recruit Maintenance's people Triple 7's qualified.

http://www.tntliege.com/files/documents ... 20B777.pdf

[liege-bierset]

The first one was expected in June. Two other freighters in Q3 and Q4.

[Acid-drop]

- I really don't have a problem with LGG being the nr 1 cargo airport in Belgium. I told you before that I regularly pay it a visit to add new regs to my database.
- Loosing its first client in 10 years: ElAl doesn't stop operating their classic B742F's in LGG.
(On the other hand there's Polet and I seem to miss the SOO/THA B777F's in LGG lately).

Indeed ElAl is still not gone and I still hope this is only blackmail and not a real preparation to leave. We'll see. Polet was never officially announced as a new client. I'm not sure why, I guess they had some charters only. But that's the biggest lost ever from a spotting PoV. About Thai, it's still early to tell, there are discussion going on.

- about the subsidies: it's not the first time that you mention it. I appreciate your honesty - I know where your heart is and I know where part of my tax money is used for. So be it.

Well it's technically the walloon budget that is used, but when someone has a job and stop using the unemployment money, it's the federal budget that wins.
And always remember that subsides are cheaper than paying someone for doing nothing. That's probably why it's much used in many countries (like east-germany for ex)

- about the tonnages: what happens to the monthly LGG statistics? Are the double digit growth figures over? I know this comment may give the wrong impression again but believe me it's not the intention. In my opinion this is the place to discuss tonnages, operations etc. not the individual spotter related topics.

LGG decided to stop publishing the stats last automn. The goal was to prepare the surprise at the end of the year: nobody could have guessed such a growth I think. So now it's impossible to know what's going on. But without new clients, I don't expect much more than 3-4% growth this year.

- about the ability to attrack new customers: I don't comment, it's all about money and the rest is marketing talk. Or maybe one thing: the Walloon unions are not very helpful aren't they?

The union is the biggest threat imo. For the rest, LGG has a lot of advantages, and not only the money ones.

[OO-JFP]

Well it's technically the walloon budget that is used, but when someone has a job and stop using the unemployment money, it's the federal budget that wins. And always remember that subsides are cheaper than paying someone for doing nothing.

One of the reasons why we don't have a new federal government is the lack of willingness to take on financial responsibility for the spendings by the Walloon government. It's too easy spending money for your own benefit with one hand if you know that the federal government makes sure that you will be compensated via the other hand. (The regions may not become poorer...) I don't know the subsidised amounts so I can't say if they are cheaper nor am I going to say that LGG is the only airport subsidising its business.

But without new clients, I don't expect much more than 3-4% growth this year.

Are the TNT B777F's not going to generate more revenues?

For the rest, LGG has a lot of advantages, and not only the money ones

On a sidenote, I never understood why you don't have a marketing job at LGG airport instead of traveling to BRU. Let me guess: 24/24 and 7/7 operational, low to zero handling charges, subsidised kerosine, expertise in the handling of live stock, soon to be expertise in handling of Halal food, good road access, space, an extended runway...

Cheers,
OO-JFP