ScotAirways Pulls Out of GLA; Concentrates on EDI-LCY
From today's Scotsman:
[quote]Stagecoach boss takes on BA Gethin Chamberlain
STAGECOACH tycoon Brian Souter is to go head to head with British Airways in the capital by launching a new 16 flights-a-day service between Edinburgh and London’s City airport.
ScotAirways is to pull out of Glasgow and concentrate all its resources on a new service aimed at the Edinburgh business market.
The Business Express concept will be launched this month after the company, part-owned by Stagecoach founder Brian Souter, concluded it could make more money by withdrawing from Glasgow.
The airline will charge around £140 for a single journey on its 31-seater turbo-prop Dornier 328 aircraft, although some flights will be available for £49 through an internet booking system.
Last night, Mr Souter said the decision had been driven by commercial reality and the realisation that there was a gap in the market for a fast commuter shuttle service.
He said: "Edinburgh is the right market for this product. It seems to us that Edinburgh is where the disposable income is, it’s where the business market is buoyant and in Glasgow, it is quite difficult to make that business product work. We’ve been doing Glasgow for two and a half years now and our trend in Glasgow has not been good."
He claimed ScotAirways has reported "phenomenal" business in the Edinburgh market, with year-on-year growth in excess of 120 per cent.
The company will take on British Airways by claiming it provides more flights each day between Edinburgh and London.
Mr Souter will claim, in a campaign expected to start next week, passengers could cut an hour or more off their travelling time because of reduced check-in times and less time spent boarding and disembarking from the smaller aircraft operating on the route.
He said the company believed it had identified a gap in the market between the large carriers such as British Airways and the budget operators.
This week, ScotAirways announced the suspension of its service between Aberdeen and London City airport, two months after taking the route over from British European.
The previous day, the airline had suspended flights between Inverness and London City after four months of operation.
Last night, Mr Souter said: "We’re pulling out of these places because we’ve not been finding the market has been coming through for this type of business"<hr></blockquote>
One Thinks, Joe, that you and I have been done this route before.(Remember CO?)
The West of Scotland, and 'The Guvnor', knows this to be true: That, the market force exists in the West, where it doesn't in the East.
Now, I don't want to to start a slanging match about where is best, but let's face it, the majority of the population lives in West Central Scotland (Hello Mabel, luv ya!). We should be thankful that carriers of the like of CO, AA, AC, etc still fly into Scotland, and not be pissed off about why they fly they GLA and not to EDI.
BB
[ 12 January 2002: Message edited by: Blue Boy ]</p>
>>Now, I don't want to to start a slanging match about where is best, but let's face it, the majority of the population lives in West Central Scotland.<<
Slanging match Guvnor? You won't get one from me. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">
The majority of people live in West Central Scotland yes. But it seems that most visitors and Scots alike prefer to fly EDI.
The proof is in the passenger figures. On the various routes that both airports compete over, EDI is the more popular. <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">
I don't see why a daily transatlantic route from EDI should be any different.
Current growth rates suggest that EDI will be Scotland's busiest airport circa 5 years.
Indeed,given independent owner at EDI, the airport would be in the lead now. <img src="cool.gif" border="0">
'Blue Boy' you're spot on. The west coast does have the largest conubration (Greater Glasgow) & probably the biggest draw for North American tourists in the West Highland scenery & Golf Courses @ Troon, Turnberry, Loch Lomond etc & of course many more West Coasters immigrated to the US/Canada from the west coast than from the east coast hence AAL, COA ACA etc having a presence at GLA ( I believe COA are upgrading to a 767-400 from April & AAL are upgrading to a 767-300)but hopefully EDI does get a US flight in the future but not to the detriment of GLA or elsewhere. A scenario could have been that say AAL moved to EDI & the pax didn't materialise so AAL then pulled the plug on Scotland so yes the Scots should be gratefull that AAL continue to return to GLA year after year & rumour has it they *may* go year round again this year <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
>>Blue Boy' you're spot on. The west coast does have the largest conubration (Greater Glasgow) & probably the biggest draw for North American tourists in the West Highland scenery & Golf Courses@ Troon, Turnberry, Loch Lomond etc & of course many more West Coasters immigrated to the US/Canada from the west coast than from the east coast hence AAL, COA ACA etc having a presence at GLA<<
Despite this, Edinburgh is the 2nd.largest tourist-visited city in the UK - after London?
The main reason for US airlines being based at GLA is because BAA 'transferred' them there after the demise of PIK as Scotland's transatlantic gateway.
If West Central Scotland has a slight advantage in population, why does EDI outperform GLA on the routes it is allowed to compete over.? <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">
After PIK's status as the 'designated gateway' was removed, transatlantic operators could fly anywhere they wanted - GLA, EDI, ABZ, INV etc.
They chose GLA. Why? Because that's where the market is - not EDI.
(Much as it pains me to say that, originating from the Kingdom of Fife ... currently living in the uncivilised wilds of Ayrshire!)
Edinburgh remains the main domestic business market for a variety of reasons, prime amongst which is the concentration of financial services companies and Parliament.
As for tourism - you have the Festival, the Tattoo and of course Edinburgh's status as the Capital. Glasgow could do a lot more to raise its profile, and it's starting to do that.
I see though that Edinburgh's just added a new weapon to its armoury - 'brown cafes' as in Amsterdam where cannabis will be on open sale! Should be a winner!
>>They chose GLA. Why? Because that's where the market is - not EDI.<<
EDI has never been trialled with a daily cheduled USA flight. BAA have always directed airlines to their GLA 'branch'.
If an airline wishes to make political capital it should fly from Scotland's political capital.?
Plan flying some of your long-awaited L1101s from accessible EDI instead of remote PIK Guv...you know it makes sense. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">
I'm sure, with you working in this industry, that you'll be aware that it's the Airlines who decide where they want to fly from, not the Airport operator.
>>I'm sure, with you working in this industry, that you'll be aware that it's the Airlines who decide where they want to fly from, not the Airport operator.<<
Normally I would agree with you Blue Boy. But we are talking about two BAA-owned airports who are actually in bed together instead of competing.
If EDI had an independent owner we might be witnessing transatlantic competition as we speak.
BAA are dragging their feet over THAT control tower and full length taxiways, I'm sure an independent owner at EDI would have these problems addressed by now.
Smell the coffee? All I can smell is a large putrid rat calling its-self Scottish Airports <img src="mad.gif" border="0">
Blue Boy and Guv, you are both wrong. When the transatlantic gateway status was removed from PIK, it was a political decision to move that traffic to GLA, EDI did not get approval until a few years later. Those are the facts folks!
PS I prefer GLA though, and as an east coaster that really hurts...
On a serious note, it's a crying shame about SAY pulling out of GLA, great bunch of guys and gals up there, but the loads were never really Earth-shattering, and if the Operation ever went tits-up, it was always GLA that would suffer, in order to protect the more lucrative EDI and DND routes.
EDI is now going up to 11 flights to LCY per day, and DND continues to go from strength to strength.
Still got a bottle of Don Perignon chilling in my fridge for the first SAY-jock to make it out here onto one of EK's shiny new aircraft!
Best of British to all at ScotAirways (Aircrew, that is, not Management, nor that trout from Rostering - maybe you should come out here to learn a thing or two.....).
Blue Boy, I thought my answer was clear enough, you saying political or not makes no difference, thats what happened back then. These days it is different, but the point raised was why GLA got a foothold in the tranatlantic traffic, and thats how they did it, the airlines had NO say in the matter!
I do not dispute that at all Blue Boy, I am just pointing out the way it happened in the dim distant past. It is quite well known that BAA lobbied the government of the day to allow only GLA gateway status (out of the 3 BAA airports), it took quite a few years for them to grant the same to EDI.
ScotAirways Pulls Out of GLA; Concentrates on EDI-LCY
