This just in here at the big ECR newsroom... the loudest planes to use Chas 'n' Dave Tracey Emin Margate Manston RAF International Airport have been banned from Belgian airspace for safety reasons!The ban on Meridian Airways, which operates the ancient DC8s that rattle your windows and your Auntie Gladys's teeth while taking off and landing over our septic isle, was introduced yesterday. The Flems are also recommending that the Ghanaian registered, Ostend based cargo company is put on the EU airline blacklist.
The news follows several safety inspections which found technical failures and issues with the maintenance of Meridian's aircraft.
So, hurrah for the Belgians! If it wasn't for them, KCC, TDC and Manston owners Infratil would be happily allowing these buckets to operate right over our heads. What a quality operation we have in our back yard!
Click here for more on Meridian ban (in French)
Click here to see Meridian still proudly advertised on Manston website
34 comments:
Almost correct ECR. Our very own Department for Transport initiated the EU-wide ban after safety concerns.
The Belgians say:
"Meridian Airways is no longer welcome in Belgium.
The Ghanian airline Meridian Airways (ex-Air Charter Express) is no longer welcome in Belgian Airspace. This was the decision of the Secretary of State for Mobility and Transport, Etienne Schouppe after the discovery of "serious technical violations" during inspections carried out the Ostend airport.
In addition, requests for additional explanations and corrective action have ellicited no adequate response. "Since the beginning of the year, Meridian Airways was under close scrutiny. The light was orange. It has now been set to red," said Etienne Schouppe.
According to the Office of the Secretary of State the decision was reinforced by similar action that has been recently taken in the United Kingdom. Five units of the company based in Ostend are currently grounded. Subject to authorization, they can appeal for an "outbound ferry flight", which means pack up and go."
From what the Belgians say the Civil Aviation Authority has mirrored their decision. So its Bye Bye Meridian.
Must admit to having been appalled at the appearance of some of the heaps that have used Manston in recent years but it is not the KCC, TDC or even Infratil that issues air worthiness certificates. Thinking about that last bit, it is probably just as well.
Noisy old aircraft such as a DC8 are discouraged from using other airports. East Midlands, for example, would charge a DC8 taking off £10,000 for the pleasure of making such a racket after 11pm.
Manston? £1,000, if they can be bothered to ask for it.
They don't do enough to discourage noisy old planes.
"Must admit to having been appalled at the appearance of some of the heaps that have used Manston in recent years"
An expert in aircraft serviceability status from a distance are you? You can't tell from a distance, just because it is dirty!
"They don't do enough to discourage noisy old planes"
Why discourage if they were flying legally at the time, business is business.
discourage because they create noise
discourage because when they crash (MK, numerous times)they make a hell of a mess
discourage because its publicly embarrasing when a freight partner is banned from flying in the UK, Belgium and Ghana and may reflect badly on the airport's other customers. After all, business is business.
4.02pm, a long term investment is a short term investment that has gone horribly wrong.
I made the comment about appearance because some were reminiscent of ones seen in odd places in Africa. The kind, like the Zambian Airways one, where the door fell off in flight or another that started spewing fuel within minutes of take off and had to circle Lusaka airport for a couple of hours before it could land.
No, I am not an expert on aircraft maintenance but, as a personal preference, I like to get on one that at least looks as if somebody cares for it.
Just the latest in the list on dangerous aircraft which have been allowed to fly in over our houses.
Bluenote, unless you are yellow with fyfes stamped on your arse, you have little chance of getting onboard the more commonly seen aircraft at manston - the ageing freighter.
I most definitely would not want to get on some aging freighter, yellow skinned or otherwise, but, my friend, we still have to live underneath them.
Too right BN
You should have a medal for living under aging freighters. Add it to those you got for enduring the perils of odd places in Africa and all that jazz.
BN (British Nationalist) or Blue Note is of course a nomme de net of ECR.
You've lost me, mate. Whatever are you prattling on about and what the sweet holy one is a nomme de net?
So my anonymous friend at 7:27PM, I have now moved even further right from Tory to British Nationalist. Is there some link somewhere in the BNP to a dislike of scruffy, ageing aircraft that brings you to this conclusion or simply yet another example of your habit of attributing silly names and political memberships based on your own prejudiced viewpoint. Try taking the tablets more often.
"..but, my friend, we still have to live underneath them."
B*ll*cks to that "mate." You can live underneath them if you want. Me? I live in a democracy and I'm voting to get these cr*pheaps out of the sky.
After all, all they do is take business away from responsible companies which invest in new aircraft. Business is not always business. Sometimes it's a crime and people die as a result. You and your idiot "mates" at the Council might want to think about that one.
P.S. I appreciate that you may not have many friends, but don't class me as one of them.
ECR, it is with much regret that I have decided to stop posting as Bluenote. It would seem that some other commentator on your blog has become rather paranoid about me and, whereas I happily accept counter argument, there would be no debate without it, the perpetual recourse to silly and uncouth name calling becomes tiresome. I also resent the unfounded assumptions that he frequently makes without any basis in fact and the sarcastic dimissing on any disclosure I do make about myself.
Accordingly, and not wishing to be responsible for anyone's, not even a demented old psycho's, thrombie, it is time to go. For the record though, I am not a councillor, I am not in the pay of, or friend of, any councillor and I am not even a paid up member of any political party. Just a retired ex-serviceman who enjoys a bit of time on my PC looking around the blogs.
You have a good blog, Richard. You post some interesting items and have a wit and sense of humour sadly lacking all too frequently elsewhere. I shall continue following your site with interest and, who knows, I might be tempted to comment again but, if so, it will be anonymously and rarely. That last bit should keep chummy on his toes!
We are all holding our breath.
10.03pm? Nail on the 'ead mate.
Quoting Blue Note:
"So my anonymous friend at 7:27PM, I have now moved even further right from Tory to British Nationalist. Is there some link somewhere in the BNP to a dislike of scruffy, ageing aircraft that brings you to this conclusion or simply yet another example of your habit of attributing silly names and political memberships based on your own prejudiced viewpoint. Try taking the tablets more often."
I didn't attribute your silly name to you Blue Note.
A dislike of scruffy aircraft is not a position exclusive to any political persuasion. Even though you appear to think your dislike (of whatever it is at the time) is the result of your own enlightened political disposition. IE That you are a person who defines themself by what or whom you dislike rather than what you achieve or what you can persuasively argue.
I am sorry that you lack the personal courage to stand up to criticism (or even ignore it like a notorious Thanet blogger is wont to do but at least people respect his bottle)because you provided entertainment here for a while.
Best of luck then BN (British Nationalist, you chose the initials) What's your next venture ? A plan for the invasion of Pool-Land ?
"You've lost me, mate. Whatever are you prattling on about and what the sweet holy one is a nomme de net?"
Well if Blue Note did not exist the lively mind of ECR might invent him and post in his name ?
Note that when the possibility, that Blue Note is none other than ECR, was suggested that Blue Note spat his dummy out and ain't playing any more ?
ECR knows exactly who Bluenote/Rock/Tory-boy is. That's why Bluenote is scuttling away - his cover's been blown and he doesn't want the truth about his identity to leak out.
P.S. I think there may be a number of people posting anti-Bluenote stuff on here because it isn't all me.
Personally I don't think that Eastcliff Richard is a real person at all!
I have a strong feeling that some anonymous person has fabricated this character in order to hide their true identity.
In fact, I'm almost convinced that I'm doing the same, except I'm trying to hide someone else's identity.
Bit of a pity that others don't seem to share my razor sharp insight!
Holy head cases! So now I'm Bluenote too? You need to rinse your cranium out and go and have good lie down old chum!
I hardly have the time or inclination to make up an entire person purely for the purposes of arguing with the other entire person I've made up!
Bluenote, I'm sorry you've fallen victim to Godwin's Law of Nazi Analogies. If it's any consolation it happens to everyone sooner or later!
Oh dear Lucy. Like nuns in a convent, we seem to be on at the same time. Again. The next thing you know, they'll be saying I'm you too. Again. Zzzzzzzzz!
Richard, many thanks for your sympathies and I found 'Godwin's Law of Nazi Anologies,' both interesting and appropriate.
Loved the bit about you being me for the purpose of debates with yourself. Also that because you already know my identity I am scuttling off to avoid it being revealed. Real deep thinking that.
Which brings us on to the question of what if identities were revealed? Should we then expect bricks through the window from the great unwashed. Sad debate must sink to such level.
Anyway, thanks again for some hours of pleasure.
The Rocking Bluenote
Yes, well, not even I'm me, being a figment of a fragmented imagination, so I don't see how anybody else could possibly be!
And as for posting comments, I see that I had an 8 minute head start on you, which you would have noticed before you posted, had you not been messing around with one of those tricky link thingies.
As I would've noticed Blue Noses comment, and avoided posting suspiciously close to him, had I not been doing the same!
Lucy, are you saying that you are Bluenote? It gets more like Spartacus on here everyday. First the Rock, then ECR and now Lucy but I'm really Bluenote, I think!!!
Not only do I not really know who I actually am any more, I think that I'm getting past caring!
Though I'm pretty sure I'm not from Margate. Please check my spelling for confermation of this.
Their you go taking the piss again
Re 11:20 AM - Who exactly are you suggesting is extracting the urine from whom?
My dialysis machine is currently taking the piss out of me, if that helps.
This from the latest Infratil update to shareholders issued on Thursday:
"Freight traffic through Manston rose 12% against the previous year for the same month, with the rolling 3 month total up 5%. The recent demise of MK Airlines is beginning to be compensated by Egypt Air and Meridian who have increased capacity."
Meridian have been hauled out of the skies. How long can Manston last?!
If no Manston airport be very afraid of what might take its place. No way would the Thanet developer fraternity, not known for their aesthetically pleasing structures, allow such a site to go to waste. Mind you, it would give cause for a whole new wave of moaning and another proest group.
Why does Thanet always have to put up with all the crap not onmly from other burroughs but no we have to put up with the cranky old aricrafts that every other european country bans, haev we become such second class citizens that we have no say in any matter what so ever.
I say pull out of europe and throw The Human Rights Act back into their facee, get this country back onto it's feet.
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