Originally Posted by
adfly
Reading through the press releases it seems to indicate the following.
EXT
- Initial 3x weekly JER and daily MAN served by JER and SOU based aircraft from 31st Aug.
- Plan to base a single aircraft 'in the next few months' once demand improves.
- I expect this will operate a more business friendly MAN schedule (2x-3x daily eventually?) with room for another route or two in between.
- Considering they are starting SOU-DUB I imagine EXT-DUB may be considered for this, but you never know they may even consider CDG or AMS if they can get slots.
- I expect JER will also increase to something closer to a daily flight assuming the recovery remains ok into next summer.
SOU
- 1 based ATR72 from 31st Aug, JER/GCI both operate ~2x daily on away based aircraft. SOU aircraft initially operates daily MAN flight (inc. w-pattern to EXT) and 4x weekly DUB flight.
- Plan to add a second aircraft once demand improves - EXT gaining its own aircraft will also allow for an extra flight as well.
- Slot applications for 3x daily MAN and 2x daily DUB over the winter indicate where a chunk of this capacity is likely directed at.
- Still ~3 daily gaps in the schedule, so could be more routes considered further down the line (again CDG, AMS although I think these are unlikely?). Alternative could be the aircraft operate extra JER/GCI flights in between.
- Added factor of competition from Eastern on MAN and DUB routes. Eastern have a much better schedule to MAN from the start of Sept with 3x daily (1x Sat/Sun) service planned, also on a based ATR72. Eastern DUB schedule is currently 6x weekly so not so much difference there.
Frequencies at SOU increasing nicely with core routes being filled minus AMS/CDG, just need bums on seats now!