Ryanair have used the delay in approval to extend the runway length at Belfast’s George Best City Airport as an excuse to pull out of the airport entirely.

The airline currently bases one Boeing 737-800 aircraft there and serves Bristol, the East Midlands, Prestwick, Liverpool and Stansted. It carries around 800,000 passengers a year from the airport.

Ryanair‘s Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said that ‘it is very disappointing that the promised runway extension at Belfast City Airport has still not materialised more than three years after we opened the base there.’ He said that ‘in these circumstances, sadly, we have better alternative airports elsewhere in the UK and Europe, all of whom are willing and able to provide us with the runway infrastructure and low-cost facilities we need’. He also said if permission was granted in the future, then Ryanair would come back.

Ever fancied seeing a classic VC-10 buzz just a few feet over your head in a scene reminiscent of St. Maarten’s famous Maho Beach? How about a mix of military and civil types of yesteryear all in one place? Brize Norton is one of the UK’s busiest military transport bases. It is located in Oxfordshire, closed to Abingdon, and around 65 miles northwest of London. Brize is home to the RAF’s VC-10 and L1011 Tristar fleets, as well as the C-17s and a number of Hercules aircraft. Since it is a major staging post for troops and supplies, it also handles a lot of large cargo aircraft, such as DC-8′s and AN-124′s. It also plays host to a number of private airlines being used for troop movements, flying 757s, 767s and DC-10s. The primary spotting location is at the end of Runway 26. The A4095 road leading north from Bampton towards Brize passes very close to the end of the runway. With care you can park near a crash gate as long as you do not block it. Alternatively, park on a nearby road and walk to the spot. Here you will be just a few feet under the aircraft as they approach the runway. It is perfect for photos, and has some views over the ramp (it’s difficult to read things off). To get close to the ramps usually used by the VC-10s, head west from Bampton on the A4095 and follow signs for Black Bourton. If you follow the road through this village as far as it goes, you will come to the perimeter fence. A footpath leads in either direction, and has some close-up views of the VC-10s and the runway. Eventually you can walk to the Runway 08 end too. Here’s a nice aerial view of the airfield . As always, tread with care. Military bases have incredibly tight security. Although spotters are common and tolerated at Brize Norton, don’t push your luck by trespassing or blocking a gate.

[View with PicLens]

London Heathrow Airport will have runway and taxiway work taking place from 13 September 2010, and is expected to take six weeks to complete.

During this time, normal daytime operations will be affected. When arrivals are from the west (over London), only the southern runway will be used for arrivals, and the northern runway for departures. They will not switch at 3pm as usual.

Whilst this will no doubt cause a lack of noise respite for those living under the flightpath, it is also something for spotters to note when planning where to spot at Heathrow.

The full BAA news release can be found here

Southend Airport is a great place to catch up with airliners that are in transition from one airline to another due to the maintenance and painting work that is regularly carried out there on behalf of a number of leasing companies and airlines.

The airport is only 40 miles from central London, and has tried to bill itself as London Southend in order to attract new airline services. At the moment, only seasonal flights are operated to Jersey with Flybe Q400′s.

There are a number of smaller cargo operators passing through the airport on a daily basic.

For the spotter, Southend has many nooks and crannies to explore and you’ll often find aircraft hidden in different places. Most prominent will be those parked around the terminal, and outside the spray hangars. These are the easiest to spot, simply by following signs to the airport terminal and entering the car park to the side.

After this, if you follow signs to the Southend Flying Club, it will bring you to another vantage point with views of other aircraft parked outside the hangars or on the main apron.

Next, it’s wise to head to the opposite side of the airfield, where many other aircraft are stored or receiving maintenance. In recent years, there have always been a large number of BAe 146 and Avro RJ airliners here at any time, with other HS.748 and BAe ATP aircraft to compliment them. Sadly the number of aircraft in residence here – particularly the more exciting Boeing 707s, 727s and 737s have all but gone now.

To reach the opposite side, drive back to the airport entrance and turn right onto Eastwoodbury Lane. Follow this past the runway end, and turn right along Aviation Way (next to the church). If you follow this road, you will eventually come to a dead end, but on your right you will see many vantage points to quickly log and photograph aircraft on the various ramps. Don’t loiter too long as it may cause suspicion.

Here are some recent photos from Southend:

[View with PicLens]

Singapore A380 9V-SKA seen from London Heathrow Holiday Inn Ariel hotel

I recently had the fortune to spend a night at London Heathrow’s Holiday Inn Ariel hotel, so I thought I’d check it out as a spotting location.

I did a bit of research first, and found out that rooms  270, 274, 276, 278, 280 and 284 are all good (thanks to Plane Spotting Hotels website). I even rang ahead to request one of these rooms and was told it was not a problem.

However, upon arriving at the hotel I was told these rooms were not possible with my reservation. BUT there was an upgrade option available to room 376 for £15, or £20 with unlimited internet access. So I snapped up this offer.

These rooms are one level higher, so I think they will actually be better than those in the 27x range. They are billed as Executive Rooms, with a double bed. However I’m not sure if they’re any different to the ones on the floor below.

The view from the window was fantastic. It’s not as close as the Renaissance is, and my room didn’t have a view of the western end of the airport or runways, but you could easily see most movements and a lot of aircraft parked on the ground.

In particular, it had a view of Terminal 3, Terminal 4 and the maintenance areas. Runway 09L/27R is right in front of you, and 09R/27L in the distance.

On my visit, 09L was in use for arrivals, which meant I missed a lot of them as they exited the runway early. But I’d catch them on departure later on from 09R.

It helped to have FlightRadar24 on my laptop the whole time. Having a SBS box would be just as handy. This way, when it got dark I was still able to log departures.

Photographs are good for larger airliners, especially if they taxi from 09L to Terminal 4, as the picture below testifies.

So, there’s a good example of an affordable (if booked in advance) hotel at London Heathrow!

After months of uncertainty, Coventry Airport has finally found a new owner after The Patriot Aviation group stepped in to take on the airport in the West Midlands.

The group have plans to turn Coventry into a “commercial, regional hub with full air traffic service.”

Since closing, the airport has been in occasional use as an unlicensed field, with light aircraft and the resident Classic Flight aircraft still operating.

The hope is that Patriot, run by Sir Peter Rigby, will create a vibrant hub for general aviation, leisure, business and freight, “with passenger flights amongst possible future plans.”

This is great news for the airport, and the region’s spotters. Hopefully Coventry will only grow from now on, and see an increase in movements and fortunes.

Essex Police have introduced a new scheme at London Stansted Airport entitled Stansted Plane Enthusiasts Scheme, which aims to collect the names and details of known regular spotters at the airport. This information will potentially help the police identify regular ‘harmless’ individuals watching movements at the airport. It will also provide registered members with a pack which presumably dictates expected behaviour of the individual, and what to do if you see any suspicious activity going on.

Those who wish to receive an application pack should contact stanstedplanewatch@essex.pnn.police.uk

Breaking news this afternoon surrounds Coventry Airport and its apparent closure with immediate effect.

The airport, in the West Midlands of the UK, has been struggling for a number of months, and has been without passenger services since 2008 when ThomsonFly closed their base. The airport has a well-known reputation for cargo movements, as well as healthy biz jet and light aircraft movements. It is also the base for Air Atlantique and Atlantic Airlines.

What the future holds for the aircraft currently based at the airport is unknown. It has been anticipated that Air Atlantique would move its operations to Kemble in Gloucestershire recently, so this may transpire soon. At the moment, no aircraft are flying apart from the local air ambulance.

It is believed the owners of the airport have now run out of money. What the future holds for the site is unclear.

Please comment with more information if you have it.

The long-awaited news of the sale of London Gatwick Airport was announced today. BAA was told to sell the airport, and has now agreed a deal with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) for £1.5bn. GIP are also the majority owner of London City Airport.

The sale of the airport was ordered to counteract what was described as a lack of competition in the UK airports market, particularly in London where BAA held Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted airports. This should bring much better choice and prices for passengers, with new airlines and routes likely to be announced.

The sale is still to be approved by the European Union – expected to be finalised in December.

For the enthusiast, the sale is likely to spice up the mix of operators flying into Gatwick, although details of this will only come as GIP take over and the new operation takes hold. It is highly unlikely we will see any official spotting locations return, but who knows?

Various enthusiasts sites exist for some of the airports in Scotland which can help in planning a trip to any of them, or in simply finding out what’s been happening up there. We have collated this information for some of the airports:

Glasgow Airport
EGPF.co.uk
Enthusiasts site for Glasgow Airport, with timetables, SBS list, spotting locations and charts, photos, live arrivals & departures, and logs of recent movements.

Prestwick Airport
Prestwick Airport Movements Site
Similar to the Glasgow enthusiasts site, with movements, photos, spotting information, airfield charts and live flight information.

Edinburgh Airport
EGPH.co.uk
A similar site for Edinburgh Airport enthusiasts. Lists frequencies, live flight arrivals & departures, airline information, photos and SBS information.

egphforum.co.uk
A forum for discussing Edinburgh Airport and its operations.