British Airways strike goes ahead - any interesting leases?

[Pinza]

Appears BA cabin crew strike is going ahead as from midnight.

Read somewhere that they intend to lease in aircraft from various companies.

Just seen G-STRW (Astreaus) on a positional flight (I think).

Anyone spotted any other contingency plan movements of leased aircraft?

Could be an interesting weekend - just glad I'm not travelling myself!

[AirNav Development]

It will be very insteresting to monitor which aircraft will be operating for BAW this weekend.

[Pinza]

Another one?

[Pinza]

Looks like Jet2.com have a nice contract...

[Pinza]

Last post - another two Jet2 contracts!

[RodBearden]

Currently on the network with BA codes: Euro Atlantic, Transavia, Jet2 and Titan.

Rod

[Hawkeye]

Another Jet2:-
G-CELK as BAW9212

[RodBearden]

BBC news just said that 65 airlines are supplying aircraft to BA during the strike - quite an operation!

Rod

[Pinza]

Just before I go to bed, here is one more Jet2 flight on a BAW flight code.

Seems obvious that Jet2 is positioning aircraft in readiness for a weekend BAW strike.

Just wonder what these aircraft would have doing otherwise? Would they have been spare over the weekend?

Sorry, Hawkeye beat me with that one - but above question remains!

[Pinza]

BBC news just said that 65 airlines are supplying aircraft to BA during the strike - quite an operation!

Rod

No, sorry to contradict you Rod, I think what they (the BBC) meant was 65% of passengers will reach their destination (with the aid of eight companies) - NOT 65 assisting airlines!

[RodBearden]

It's a shame I'm working all day tomorrow - I'll find out what's happening when I get home.

Rod

[CHILL51]

Friday 18th Mar

CS-TFT B763 BA9203P pta 18.20 (from FAO)  1st visit
G-STRP A320 BA9202P pta 20.05 (from SEN)  1st visit
G-STRW B757 BA9209P pta 20.10 (from KEF)
CS-TLO B763 BA9213P pta 20.15 (from FAO)
PH-AHX B763 BA9204P pta 20.25 (from AMS)  1st visit
CS-TLX B757 BA9217P pta 20.30 (from FAO)
SE-RHT B733 BA9207P pta 21.00 (from LGW)  1st visit
PH-HZB B738 BA9205P pta 21.05 (from AMS)
G-LSAA B757 BA9200P pta 21.05 (from MAN)  1st visit
G-CELK B733 BA9212P pta 21.05 (from BFS)  1st visit
G-LSAE B757 BA9201P pta 21.15 (from NCL)  1st visit
G-CGET B733 BA9214P pta 21.25 (from LBA)
PH-HZM B738 BA9206P pta 22.00 (from AMS)
G-CELV B733 BA9218P pta 22.00 (from MAN)
PH-HZD B738 BA9211P pta 22.05 (from AMS)
G-POWD B763 BA9216P pta 22.05 (from STN)
G-ZAPX B757 BA9208P pta 22.15 (from STN)

Saturday 19th Mar

G-CELY B733 BA9210P pta 05.55 (from NCL)  1st visit
G-OJIB B757 AEU752P pta 07.00 (from YYC)
G-BPEJ B757 BA9219P pta 13.45 (from ORY)

[Roland28]

As well as the leased aircraft there also seems to be the issue of flights that BA are operating without passengers. Yesterday, BBC News said that some of the "cancelled" flights from JFK may still be operating with freight only. ITV News have been told by the union that many flights have left Heathrow empty.

The flight on the network screenshot, BAW178F, was listed as cancelled on ba.com, baa.com and flightstats.com, but here it is with a F suffix approaching the west Wales coast and also landing at Heathrow.

I guess that these flights allow BA to reposition aircraft and meet their freight commitments.

[Roland28]

I have been tracking BA aircraft using SmartView and I just managed to catch the attached screenshot of a view at LAX.

Here we see not one, but 2, BA 747s on approach. Again I checked ba.com and flightstats.com and both BAW279 and BAW283 were cancelled by BA. This means that there was not a single paying passenger on either of these giant aircraft.

I have just also remembered that both planes would have passed within range of my RB earlier today at about the same time.

400405  BAW279   EGLL-KLAX       G-BNLF  B744  British Airways      2010/03/21 13:13:41 
 * 40040D  BAW285   EGLL-KSFO       G-BNLN  B744  British Airways      2010/03/21 11:39:32 
 * 400426  BA9CG                    G-BNLS  B744  British Airways      2010/03/21 15:59:06 
   400427  BAW269   EGLL-KLAX       G-BNLT  B744  British Airways      2010/03/21 16:06:36 
 * 4004C7  BAW283F                  G-BNLY  B744  British Airways      2010/03/21 13:13:36 


BAW269 was a fare paying flight to LAX, according to the BA website.

[viking9]

BA already announced that they would be flying empty aircraft for positioning purposes.