Originally Posted by
panpanpanpan
Looks like some good news for Harbour at last, I really hope new routes revive this friendly little airport again.
Several points I suppose. FlyBe couldn't make the Embraer work, reading some of the other threads it appears the Embraer deals were one of the millstones round their neck, what's different that will make this route profitable on relatively short sectors. I read somewhere the Embraer has the cost footprint of an Airbus but with two thirds of the seats - not sure how true this is.
With the rumours of these new routes, is this finally the end of the FlyBe resurrection rumours? A new version would simply be competing on every profitable route they originally had.
Again with the rumours of new routes, will this in any form reduce the threat to all the ground handlers that are/were about to be made redundant? I truly hope so.
I know the London City route was always very busy with FlyBe, I really hope it works again for a new airline. The only worry is the current market but hopefully that will recover, I am sure all routes will be carefully monitored for profitability over the next while!
Flybe couldn’t make the E195’s work because of the leasing deal they had. The 175’s were a bit different - for the extra 10 seats over the Q400 it made operating at full capacity the same fixed costs as the q400 or as close to as possible. That was why they had to sign up to a Brazilian bank for the lease of them but they had to always be full.
flybe couldn’t fly any of these EMB’s into LCY as they weren’t rated. They flew the Eastern E170 for a season which was always full - and don’t forget towards the end flybe were 6 or 7 daily on the route. They had lots of corporate contracts on the route too.
With the aircraft being a night stopper this will potentially save some jobs but it’s only 1 aircraft - a step in the direction they need but will need more than 1 aircraft to help prevent the job losses proposed by SWISSPORT.
Hopefully the rumours about EI pilots being ok about EIR setting up BHD ops will come to fruition and this would help other aircraft be based at the airport. This will save jobs. Hopefully they start the proposed MAN BHX EDI and London routes that they have applied for slots for.