Quick Takes – JetBlue/Cape Air, ATR, RACCA, Flight Support

JetBlue Helps Rutland Increase Pax The new service by Cape Air between Rutland and Boston is getting a boost from Cape Air’s affiliation with JetBlue, according to Airport Manager Tom Trudeau, who has observed a major uptick in passengers since the airline took over the EAS service in October. He cited...

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JetBlue Helps Rutland Increase Pax
The new service by Cape Air between Rutland and Boston is getting a boost from Cape Air’s affiliation with JetBlue, according to Airport Manager Tom Trudeau, who has observed a major uptick in passengers since the airline took over the EAS service in October. He cited fares as a contributing factor, long known as a problem for attracting passengers to off-line airports around the country.
Cape Air succeeded CommutAir, which closed its East Coast operations in favor of increasing its Continental Connection program out of Cleveland. As a Continental Connection it could do little to nudge passenger numbers, despite marketing grants from the Department of Transportation. Instead, passengers drove to Burlington where they could get discount flights. Travelers also blamed inconvenient flight times.
Trudeau indicated that he hasn't seen such numbers since the early 1990s. The Associated Press reported that November numbers were double and triple that of Novembers 2006 and 2005.
"We are seeing a few people from places we haven't seen before and we suspect it's because of the Jet Blue connection,” Trudeau told AP. “We never had that kind of connection with a major discount carrier before.”
Cape Air Spokesperson Michele Haynes said the 824 Rutland passengers in December was an increase of 136 percent over December 2006.

ATRs for Lonrho’s Fly540
Eight ATR 72-500s are destined for Lonrho Air as part of a deal cut between the aircraft manufacturer and Lonrho, the pan-African investment conglomerate. The aircraft will be operated by Fly540, an airline belonging to the conglomerate. The deal, which includes a comprehensive support and spares package, is valued at over $150 million.
The aircraft will be configured at 66 seats, including 12 in first class, and will be equipped with higher rated PW 127M engines. The deliveries of these aircraft are scheduled for 2008 and 2009.
Lonrho’s Fly540, is developing an expanding aviation network across Africa, providing much-needed air transportation at international standards. Fly540 will be operating in eight African countries by early in 2008 and these new aircraft will allow the airline to continue its rapid expansion to develop its network linking African countries with quality regional service. Lonrho Plc is strategically focused on the development of business opportunities in infrastructure, transportation, support services and natural resources.

RACCA Schedules Spring Conference
The Regional Air Cargo Carrier Association will hold its 2008 Spring Conference May 20-22 at Westfields Marriott property located in Chantilly, Virginia very near the Dulles International Airport in Fairfax County. Up to date information is available on our web site

Flight Support Expands to Scotland
Flight Support, the expanding UK ground handling company, is setting up a new base at Aberdeen Dyce Airport from Saturday 8 December – its first in Scotland and its first BAA-owned airport.
With the announcement, Flight Support, which will mark its third anniversary in January, adds the UK’s largest low-cost carriers, easyJet and Ryanair to its customer base, with their flights to London Luton and Dublin, respectively. It will also look after Flybe, the largest regional, low-cost carrier and its flights to Belfast City, Birmingham, Exeter and Leeds. At Aberdeen, Flight Support will be turning around over 60 flights per week, which is set to almost double regular scheduled departures per week in summer 2008.
In addition, it will manage seasonal services of VLM Airlines plus freight operations for DHL. Flight Support is taking an initial 48 former Servisair staff to run the operation which will be overseen by existing Flight Support management headed by Gary Jenkins. This will be part of a total £0.5m investment by Flight Support at Aberdeen, enabling it to handle full ramp operations and passenger handling, 24 hours a day.
Flight Support, headquartered on the Isle of Man, is established at Isle of Man Ronaldsway, Manchester, Liverpool John Lennon and Coventry Airports. It looks after a host of scheduled and charter carriers including Flybe, Flyglobespan, Thomsonfly, Monarch, EuroManx and VLM Airlines.
Flight Support is independently-owned by cabin interior maintenance and support services organisation Airbase Interiors, headquartered at Crawley, near London Gatwick. Airbase is a supplier to major UK and international airlines and shares Flight Support’s ethos for its strong commitment to customer service. Airbase Interiors and Flight Support joined forces in July this year. Combined, the companies are set to turn over a minimum £15 million in 2008. The Flight Support Group embraces a workforce of more than 400 people.