Winter Schedules - Released!

[UKV1412 - Richard Jones]

As mentioned in previous news articles, our Winter schedules have been delayed while we have carried out a full review of our routes, aircraft and basing. Although this has taken longer than expected we now have a sound baseline for future Summer and Winter schedules. This will also make it easier for us to bring in future plans for new aircraft and bases.

Key features of the new schedules include:
 

• The Boeing B757-200 has been withdrawn from Mainstream service but will remain with FLY2, and the Cargo version remains with the Cargo fleet.
• Highland Connection. Now re-branded as ‘Highland Connect’ with a new livery available for download.  Aberdeen has been added as a ‘focus city’ with new routes. Three BAe Jetstream 41s have been purchased and added to the HC fleet: 2 based at Aberdeen and one at Edinburgh. At the moment we only have a livery for the PMDG JS41 but are working on either a freeware version or allowing a suitable substitute: news to follow soon.
• Cargo. Fleet unchanged but a completely revised route network including some short haul flights for the MD11-F and B747F throughout the week.
• Basing:
  • Leeds Bradford closed as a Mainstream base but will remain as a FLY2 base.
  • Heathrow. All our jet types are based here. For those who like to fly the B777 on shorter routes 3 flights/week have been introduced to Rome, as well as some inter-island flights in the Caribbean including St Maarten. Long haul flights to Far East including India, Japan and Australia have also been revised with some new routes.
  • Gatwick. Now home to A320 and A321 for short and medium haul with B777s for long haul.
  • London City – routes and frequencies to comply with operational hours.
  • Birmingham. A320 and A321s have been relocated leaving 2 x B738s and 4 Dash 8s.
  • Manchester. Now home to just 3 a/c types: Dash 8 and B738 for short and medium haul and B763 for long haul.
  • Edinburgh. As well as the Highland Connect a/c, home to A320s and 1 B763 flying alternate days to New York and Toronto.

We have aimed to bring a greater degree of realism to our route network and schedules, but have tried to ensure there is a good selection of routes available at weekends, when many members fly.  Also you will be pleased to see frequent flights to winter favourites such as:
 

• Innsbruck. Daily from all bases except London City. FLY2 flights operated by B737 and B752 on alternate days.
• Chambery (3 flights/week from Gatwick, London City, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.  Chambery is also our new Destination of the Month.

We have also maintained flights to other ‘simmers favourites’ such as:
 

• Madeira (daily from Gatwick and 3-4 flights/week from Stansted, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Leeds).
• Gibraltar (daily from Heathrow and Gatwick and 3-4 flights/week from Manchester and Birmingham).

As you can see a lot has changed and I would like to thank the other members of the Exec Team for their hard work on the overall plan; and a particular thanks to Matt Lewis who has done a superb job on the detailed scheduling.  Thanks also to Steve Trueman for our new Highland Connect liveries, which look amazing as usual; and to Keith Tomlinson as we now have our first batch of X-Plane liveries available for download.  

We would welcome your feedback on these changes and a dedicated forum post is here https://flyuk.aero/forums/topic/1008331-winter-schedule-feedback/. Any route/flightplan issues should be posted in the BugTracker as usual.

Once these new schedules and changes have ‘settled down’ (with such a large change there are bound to be a few teething problems) we will be working on future plans which include:
 

• Introduction of the CRJ700.
• Moving our Cargo Ops to East Midlands.
• Exploring plans for an overseas base for FLY2 next summer.

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For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Richard Jones - CEO
richard.jones[at]flyuk.aero