Gulfair for Cork!

[Tom the Tenor]

Gulfair are to operate an A330 or Boeing 767 service from Cork to Dubai weekly from Saturday, 26th June. This is not a premature 1st April joke. Dublin, put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Corcaigh abu!

[michaelknight]

Hope that dosen't go bang like Jetmagic! Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

[MEFLYBE]

What is your source? WHY would GF operate to DXB, it is not one of their hub airports. IF the flights ARE true, they must be in connection with some tour operators or corporate customers. I am still having trouble believing this post.#

Regards

Mike

[stalling attitude]

could it be anything to do with horse racing. just a thought

[BEST L/CONTROLLER]

I don't understand why they would operate such a big route from Cork, I'm not knocking Cork but you'd think a route like that would be done from Dublin, like I said i'm not knocking Cork and if it's true I wish them all the luck with it, but I do find it strange.

CHEERS!!!!!!:ok:

[tashkurgan]

Here is the scoop.

According to this morning's examiner United Travel is to operate a number of charter flights out of Cork this summer.

From June 28 to Sep 16
Cork - Dubai operated by Gulf Air 767 or A330 - departures every Sat at 10pm

All bank hols from May to Sep
Cork - Prague (presume CSA who already operate out of Cork)

From May 26 (no end date given)
Cork - Warsaw (dunno)
Cork - Lisbon operated by Air Luxor

Negociations have started on Cork - St. Petersburg as well as Cork-Budapest and Cork-Rome

For next year (everyone sitting down).. United Travel are planning on Cork - Brazil, Cork - South Af and Cork- Lebanon.

Now.. any questions?

>j

[MEFLYBE]

Cork-Lebanon!!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS MADNESS LOL

PURE MADNESS LOL

Regards

Mike

[BEST L/CONTROLLER]

Well fair enough, if it comes off good luck to them, but----CORK TO LEBANON!!??!!!??

WHAT>


CHEERS!!!!:ok:

[Tom the Tenor]

Re: Lebanon. Historically, before the occupation of Lebanon by the Syrians and the Israelis Lebanon is supposed to have been quite a place, a sort of Amsterdam of the near east for trade and nightlife. Imagine there must be some fine beach resorts being built up again? Worked with a Lebanese doctor once who used to say that Lebanon is an easy introduction for westerners to the near Orient. Also, over the last 26 years or so Irish soldiers have formed a big part of UN contingents on Peacekeeping duties in Lebanon and there would be a certain rapport here for Lebanon.

As for the GF flights to Dubai. Even if there are just a few flights it will be a great achievement for Cork. The first flight is on 26th June so the travel agents have just over 2.5 months to sell the first flight. Dont know what an IT package is from Cork to Cyprus but if Dubai is sold at, say, no more than 150 to 200 Euro more expensive it just might work? Even if the loads were less than a 767 or A330 they still might get enough to fill an A320 and refuel the aircraft somewhere downroute on the journey to Dubai? The beauty of it all for Cork is there is no corrupt Shannon stopover obstruction. After the disappointment of the Jetmagic collapse and the loss of many other UK routes for the coming summer Cork needs something like this to work and let us hope it does!

It will not be the first visit of a Gulf Air aircraft to Cork. Autumn/winter 1977 saw the visit of the BAC 1-11-400, A40-BU that was on lease to British Airways doing a rotation from LHR.

[FlyCorkInternational]

For my understanding it is not Gulf Air's main arm, but in fact Gulf Traveller (their charter division). This is in no way detracting from the fact that this service is a major coup for Cork. United Travel have rightfully decided that Cork is become a major departure airport for them. As for the market to fill such a service, they are selling throughout the whole of Ireland (feedering in from Dublin and Belfast as well) therefore they should not find it too difficult to produce satisfactory loads. One does have to ask the question will this prompt EK to consider Dublin ?? Rumour has it also that Ryan International will be operating a weekly charter 757 service on thursdays from JFK to Cork from May/June (mainly inbound traffic) and this will route nonstop in both directions (somewho exempt from the Shannon stopover). There will also be a once off test ORK-CPT service operating on Saturday April 17 (which should be weekly in 2005), along with the QF charter from LHR-ORK-SYD in September. There are all major milestones for Cork. And watch this space cause there are more major happenings to be announced !!!

[MEFLYBE]

Gulf Traveller is not Gulf Air's charter division. It is their lower fares, all economy full service airline.

Regards

Mike

[Tom the Tenor]

As much as it would be exciting I am not so sure about New York for this year. Mind you, up to the Madrid bombings the pax are likely to have been there, hard to tell now. However, there is also likely to be some extra capacity needed between New York and Ireland this year. It is my understanding that EI were approached to put on some extra flights but the aircraft and drivers are simply not there. Have to wait and see. Not aware of the Shannon stopover being got around either in relation to the proposed service. New York will come, though, to and from Cork whether it be this year, next year or at worst 2006.

The main news is still Dubai and let us hope it will work and work well!

[mutt]

Dubai in the summer, excellent place to be, especially as most of the people who live there will have left to escape the heat......

50°C is a little bit toooooo hot..


Mutt.

[goatbusters]

Nice to see routes like these developing away from the traditional gateway of DUB.

Also, nice to see Knock getting Cape Town service in November - along with summer flights to Palma, Malaga, Alicante Lanzarote, Las Palmas, Faro, Paphos, Paris, Barcelona, Prague, Budapest, Lisbon, Lourdes, and probably the traditional German, Dutch and Swiss flights bringing some continental folk to the 'wisht'. Who would have thought it a few years ago?

[FlyCorkInternational]

Tom

The JFK-ORK flights seems to be a runner for this year, as inbound only (Travel Co in USA have fallen out with EI and decided to operate themselves). Apparently how Ryan International are getting around the Shannon rule is that they already operate enough services thru Shannon to comply with the One for One rule.

[SNNEI]

The JFK service will get round the one for one rule because, like all other services mentioned here, it is a charter and not a schedule.

Could we all now kindly get away from this country versus Dublin rubbish please... Gulf air have done charters in to Dublin and as we all know are considering schedules, so i'm afraid the corcaigh abu is a bit misplaced here.. (and i'm from Clare by the way, not Dublin)

Whatever routes we get, no matter to what airport, are good for the country, and our traditional clannish rivalries shouldnt come into it ;-)

[positive]

Great news for Cork nice to see some additional traffic coming in.It had been rumoured on the Irish aviation board about Gulfair starting schedule service to dublin 3/4 times weekly from Dubai in june or july still no firm word yet.Emirates still pops up from time to time about Dublin/Dubai but I would be surprised if it ever starts.Its about time there was a direct link from Cork to the USA I do'nt think they are affected by the Out Of Date Shannon Stopover.

[FlyCorkInternational]

is the Irish Aviation board back up and running? new web address?

[Air_Dream]

Gulf Traveller would never fly to Cork as its a regional and to asia service which was intended to cope with the high volume of labour travellers (servants/oil workers/manual labourers) between AUH and the connecting countries.

The last time I knew of Gulf Air flying out of DUB as charter was in DEC03 as we were sending over the DHD Crew via LHR.

To be honest, I can't understand why GF would want to start from Cork or Dublin as GF are 'on the road to recovery' and these routes are obviously going to loose money as scheduled flights but for chrater flights, perhaps one or two times a weeks wouldn't hurt the bank. I am just saying this from experience of how many transfer pax from Ireland we have which fly out of LHR on GF. Don't the horse races start and finish on the 27th March in Dubai?

Apparently GF are trying to start routes to the US via LHR. They should try Canada as well, mainly because of the amount of transfer pax we get through LHR off Air Canada, American Airlines, Virgin and United Airlines.

(YAY to staff travel to the States!)

[SNNEI]

Why exactly will they obviously lose money? There are smaller cities than Dublin now supporting direct flights to the Gulf. And emirates themselves have said they were stuned by the amount of Pax transferring from Ireland at MAN especially but also LHR. Bear in mind many will also transfer at AMS on KLM's service from there... and there is also the pretty large Irish expat community in Dubai to think of.

[Air_Dream]

Well that would explain a few charter flights from Dublin or Cork to Dubai but remember, there will never be a scheduled service Cork/Dublin to DXB on Gulf Air as Gulf Air has no hub in Dubai. Any schedule service would run to their hubs and then to DXB.

[Tom the Tenor]

The local talk now is that these flights will be a triangular operation flying in to Dublin, down to Cork and then out direct to Dubai. More viable from a travel agent point of view being able to pick up pax at both airports? Wonder what kind of operational problems this might create for Gulf Air though with crewing etc? As I said even if there were just one or two flights it would be a great success.

Still have doubts about the New York charters. Does anyone know if the Irish Department of Transport have yet given it's approval? How much of a history does Ryan International have of flying the North Atlantic and are their aircraft ETOPS? A few other basic problems too at the Cork end that if it was Shannon would have been already sorted! C'mon Cork, get yourself in order - all you are doing is playing into the hands of the privateers.

Leaving Dubai and New York aside (!) this summer will see just 7 daily flights from Cork to London. In summer 2001 there were 12 fllights and all were well subscribed to - from that to this year's 7 flights. That is all far more worrying than all the exoitca of longhaul titbits we might get this summer. Another funeral service was held last Friday night, the last evening EI 848/9 service to Amsterdam. There were 109 passengers on that flight and no one is going to convince me that one morning A320 will benefit the consumer more than having the two flights.

[Eh Hello?]

Remember it is not the airline which takes the risk on charters - the tour operator hires the aircraft and pays an agreed price to the airline, so talk of the route not being viable for GF is irrelevant. Using GF would cut out the need to obtain permissions from the Dubai authorities for a third-country airline (and presumably lots of red tape) and also avoids aircraft positioning costs so is probably the most economic charter option.

[SNNEI]

Tom,

I share your concern there, but I think the evening AMS service will be back once EI get a few more aircraft. I travelled on that route every few weeks and can not remember even one occasion when there was not at least a 70% load, and usually much higher.

I think what we may be seeing in is settling down of routes after so much new capacity being poured into the Cork market and I would be hopeful that it wont last.

Aerlingus' next focus for new routes must surely be Cork after such major route expansion in Dublin. They see all these new entrants and must surely want a bigger piece of the pie. Dont give up on EI just yet! and once those shiney new terminal facilities are complete...;-)

[chargreen int]

New site new forum:
http://www.flyinginireland.com/forum/index.php

[runawayedge]

Is the runway at Cork long enough for this service, surely if there was a w it would run DXB/CRK/DUB/DXB. Would make some sort of sense. Can' see it happening this year....too late in the season. Amazing the amount of diddley ay! that follows any Irish thread, particularly one emanating from CRK, and as for the rubbish from goatbusters about Knock....Oh....pprune is turing me into a cynic!!!!

[Tom the Tenor]

Nothing wrong with the Cork runway that two General Electric CF6s cant handle. :suspect: