NOC-LGW with XL....? Very odd route. I give it 6 months, especially starting it mid winter, unless of course they are just making the most of a ferry flight to NOC for an alternative sun route ...?
Odd route! dont think so ,over 150,000 pax carried from jan to october 2006 when Ryanair and Easyjet were flying the route. Was the most successful ever route from Knock.
However it will be interesting to see how Ryanair will react to competition on its profitable knock/london routes
The best news I've had in a long time, since MOL forced EZ out of Ireland and then cancelled their own LGW/NOC operation. Let's hope he doesn't see the XLA operation as another thrown down gauntlet to FRs right to be the only carrier on a sector. Even if XL is not a known brand in Ireland, it's well known in the UK, and I for one will be spreading the word. Well done XLA.
XL already have some summer holiday flights from Knock this summer using the Dublin based aircraft so its a brand thats beggining to be more recognised in Ireland.
Yes most likely if the demand seems good. It just looks like they are waiting to finalise all their summer schedules before releasing the rest of these flights for sale.
They just finished the new perimeter fencing and runway inspection road. Fire was upgraded to category 7 earlier in the year, so the infrastructure should be there for 27 CAT II upgrade. 09 should get CAT I also.
Ryanair has never really reacted to BMI Baby at Cork or Knock . Easyjet were the only lowcosts to really produce a reaction from them at these airports.
I wouldnt think that Ryanair will launch the Prestwick Knock sector, as the 738 would be a bit big??? Kerry Liverpool wouldnt work so I dont think a Knock Glasgow would be any different with a 738.
While I hope it goes well I think that it will be a tough one for WW. The Embraer was on a few years ago and I remember reading that the demand was terribly bad, with that in mind Baby will need to appeal to the leisure traveller who will go to Knock due to low prices.
Ryanair does EMA-NOC and works very well, with good loads and sales. . . . So I think Ryanair could do PIK-NOC. After flying into NOC several times I can see why it is such a fast growing route, the views of West Ireland really are amazing year round.
But I just don't under stand why Baby didn't do another sun route, where you have familes going on holiday, those pax who spend a fair bit on the inflight bar service.
And I guess Ryanair hasn't reacted too fast, because at the moment we are expanding, and aircraft are taken up at the new bases, 4 new bases within a month, VLC, ALC, BHD and BRS I think it's just a case of get your priorites right.
The airport management said they were looking for a new carrier to maintain the routes and avoid a repeat of the globespan issues last summer and hinted at an announcement later this year. Not sure who could work the routes, unless they were split with ORK or another UK airport.
NOC is to get a full Garda immigration unit from March. Not sure if that is related to US flights.
