Originally Posted by
AirportPlanner1
BE would be a good fit for the ANR route, the baseline seems to be 30-odd pax per flight 3x daily paying decent fares. It’s easy to see potential for that to be grown a little, and much more potential for additional lower-yielding leisure traffic to add to the mix.
Antwerp is a pretty good short-break destination that seems to underperform with British travellers, perhaps because it’s a little under the radar by virtue of it being too small to handle EZY/FR etc and another hour or so from Brussels if you come by train. Rotterdam isn’t too far but that isn’t particularly well connected directly by air from the UK either.
The problem is really the vicinity of Brussels. Nothing more telling than the answer I received upon checking out of a hotel in Antwerp when I asked for directions to public transport to the airport - and the lady started explaining how to catch the train to Brussels Airport.... I guess Antwerp to some extent has to sell itself as "Flanders City Airport" with regard to Brussels Airport.