Originally Posted by
FFMAN
Wow. Anyone reading this would wonder why bother with CODA at all if that's the attitude. So you personally would have preferred a BHX service - that's not how it works.
1. How many of those 50k LPL pax are going to the Manchester area anyway - a good few I reckon.
2. How many in the CODA catchment area head down the road to BFS to get one of the RYR or EZY flights to MAN - again a good few.
3. The MAN catchment area is significantly larger than BHX despite the close presence of LPL and LBA - that is why MAN is two and a half to three times the sixe of BHX - it's not an accident.
4. Let's say the point to point traffic is similar LDY-MAN/BHX...you'd still go for MAN every time because of its huge network v/v BHX or even STN. With the right marketing agreements and ticketing deals it should be possible to book and fly routes such as LDY - HKG / SIN / BOM etc etc all through MAN. With the best will in the world you'll never get that at BHX. Therefore the economic value of a MAN route to the Derry region is significantly greater than a BHX route. Maybe that's why it is 'beloverd'.
Personally I would’ve preferred Manchester however, considering how miserable the last attempt at it was it really has suprised me that they’ve got it back. Services to the Midlands from CoDA have always been seen as the wiser choice, operated for around 10 years (switched from EMA to BHX) I’ve heard from many locally that BHX is very much the preferred option out of those two. Not to say Manchester isn’t, it would be very close but I’ll be interested to see how it will run along side LPL.