Emperors new clothes?
Whilst SOU is one of my local airports and I support flying from there where I can, one cannot sugar coat the facts anymore clearly as rounded up by the post of RW20 which has attracted some rather silly commentary.
We are grown ups here, and I do get it that when one gets excited when new SOU routes get announced and plenty of ''oohing & ahhing'' but please do step back and have a reality check.
To mention there is nothing to see here is simply daft.
SOU's and EXT's bosses have both openly said their airports are in danger of closing. We don't want that, but they cannot ignore that.
The announcement of BA's summer SOU programme was a joy to see, truly uplifting for the Industry, but - I too have to concur, I cannot foresee Summer 2021 leisure routes operating with any certainty, if at all.
This applies not just to SOU but to everywhere else - BOH, BRS, EXT etc...
We will be fortunate if we can all get a Staycation - should UK restrictions allow us.
KLM will come back once they can, and when we can all travel again.
Easy jet hopefully too - We hope for the next winter's Ski season, the demand is huge, but who knows for sure at this time if we will fly.
BA sunshine routes - Again we know the public demand is there. If plenty of advance bookings are made then BA has cash in the bank.
Loganair and Eastern - even Flybe2 if they start - they will have to try and get by with small pickings on some feeder routes for now.
Reality check folks -
Basically almost all air travel (both Business & leisure) and the Package holiday business has been lost for nearly 12 months up to now.
No bumper bookings for Easter or Whitsun 2020, Very little Summer 2020. No Winter Sun 2020-2021, and No 2020-2021 Ski season.
Now it's looking like no Easter and Whitsun 2021 - and as for Summer 2021 we have not a clue as yet.
How any airline or tour company can survive this much longer surely beggars belief.
I was in this business as many of you know from the early days of 1972, and I, knowing what margins we had to cover costs, let alone make any money -
I cannot see a lot of blue skies right now....
Let's not be mean to each other please - Frankly don't shoot down a messenger who frankly has just faced the hard reality of the mess we are in.
Last edited by rog747; 30th Jan 2021 at 08:45.