GDANSK

[LGS6753]

What is happening at Gdansk?
Wizzair is withdrawing from routes to Bournemouth and Coventry in mid-May, and EasyJet is withdrawing completely (services to Gatwick, Bristol, and Belfast) a week later.
Other UK-Poland routes seemingly unaffected.

[dbertman]

Saturation of the market? Gdansk airport currently serves Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Doncaster-Sheffield, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow-Prestwick, Liverpool, London-Luton and London-Stansted in the UK alone. There are bound to be some routes that aren't viable.

[BRS_flyer]

From a BRS perspective the GDN route always seems to be well used. Probably just poor yeilds. A/C will be moved to increase capacity on a tried and tested summer route (AGP, ALC, PMI, NCE).

I would expect to see FR pick the route up when they increase capacity in November as they have bigger presence at GDN and have not cut any routes while the others mentioned above have

[BFS101]

Same could be said for BFS, loads always seemed good.

WizzAir have been operating for some time BFS to Katowice and Warsaw, and EasyJet BFS ro Krakow, so its a shame to see Gdansk go. Was hoping WizzAir may have stepped in, but maybe not.

Flew with EasyJet in March BFS-GDN and the plane was full going out and I would guess 90%+ coming back. Mostly foreign nationals, but a good few locals onboard also, leisure travellers I'd guess.

[ATNotts]

I recall reading on the BBC website that the cost of living here, coupled with the falling value of sterling against the Zlotty (along with most other major currencies) and the improving Polish economy has made the UK a less appealing (profitable) place for Poles to work, and that the flow is now more eastwards than westwards.

So much of the traffic between Poland and the UK is probably Polish migrant workers visiting families back home, so less Poles working here means less VFR traffic, means over capacity, which means inevitably, cut backs.

It might not be the whole reason, but may well be a good chunk of it.

[MerchantVenturer]

I take BRS_flyer's point about yields but on the face of things axing the Bristol-Gdansk flights might cause the odd eyebrow to raise.

In March the 3 x weekly service carried 3713 passengers, average load just under 143, load factor over 91% on the 156-seat A319.

This was the best load factor of the seven Polish routes flown from BRS by easyJet and Ryanair in March.

In Dec, Jan and Feb the load factors were between 77% and 79%, in traditionally two of the poorest months of the year.

[Centre cities]

I think that you are correct, a lot to do with the pound and its non value compared to 12 months ago. Stand by for lots of other cuts I think as the Brit going to a Euro country find that they are a good poorer than last year.

I bet london will do OK with visiting tourists but not so much the Regions who rely more on the UK outbound market to Europe.


Centre cities

[LGS6753]

I have read the various comments above, but still remain somewhat perplexed. Certainly there has been a currency realignment, also there is anecdotal evidence of Poles returning home. But why have so many routes been canned in such a short period from only one Polish airport?
Has Gdansk Airport itself experienced some change (such as increased airport charges), or are there local developments there that are attracting more returners (new orders in the shipyards perhaps)?

[TBSC]

No clue about EasyJet, Wizz schedule has been changed because 1 a/c (of 3 based in GDN now) will be moved to KTW. (1 KTW a/c reallocated to Ukraine to fly for Wizz Air Ukraine from July). Most probably GDN will have 3 a/c again after new deliveries.

[ATNotts]

Centre Cities

I agree with you regarding the hit Brits are going to take in Euroland this summer. I wouldn't mind betting support for the UK's joining the single currency will grow come September.

Also, again as you say, because the inbound UK tourism market is sold by the tourist authorities as beginning and ending in London (OK, plus a smidgen of York and Stratford) routes to regional (midland and northern airports) might struggle.

[33zz33]

BMIbaby is axing both routes (cwl and ema) with the end of may.

[mathers_wales_uk]

i knew that BmiBaby were axing the Tuesday rotation but keeping the saturday rotation. Has this changed now?