Originally Posted by
Skipness One Foxtrot
Southend drove volume deals with both easyJet and Ryanair which drove short term unsustainable throughput. When the intro deal runs out, the locos relocate the fleet to somewhere with a better deal, SEN never managed to lock them in with a deal that the airport would do well out of. Again, if Southend stopped all passenger ops tomorrow, the totality of the operation would easily be handled by Stansted and others. Like Manston before it, it adds nothing that's net new, it really just cannibalises competitors.
But I know what you mean, it's a crying shame, very painful for local jobs and businesses. Very sad.
I’m seeing all the same comments that have been raised previously
Do we ‘Need’ DSA? - No there are alternatives, but similarly do we need a Morrisons popping up next to a Tesco - No, but they do because they are tapping into a market.
Can DSA be viable commercially - Yes but only with the right management and 15-20 based Airframes and let’s face it they would need to be bucket and spade operators, and Wizz
Are TUI going to base 15-20 Airframes - No, so DSA would have to try pull in Easy Holidays, Jet2, Ryanair & Wizz
Would that cannibalise the market - Yes but which market?, that depends who bases, TUI & Easy would pull the Yorkshire traffic currently travelling over the Pennines using MAN (they can afford to lose 3m pax), Jet2 would run the risk of closing LBA, Ryanair would hit numbers at MAN, LBA, EMA, BHX, NCL, LPL, Wizz would just return with previous routes.
There is opportunity for a successful facility at DSA, get the right products, in the right volume, at the right price, with the right timings/frequency and the passengers will welcome the opportunity to use the award winning airport. Despite being on a fringe, it’s very accessible and convenient, unlike LBA. Look at the support on social media.