Originally Posted by
brian_dromey
I imagine their research/market intelligence/etc suggested that BHD/Belfast has more potential than many other airports. There is less competition from road/rail from Belfast and for day trips/overnight stays a road/rail/sail combination is thoroughly impractical. From that point of view it makes sense. I don't think flyBe banked on Emerald getting their launch together a year early, getting a UK AOC and building a reliable operation as quickly as they did. The continued operation of many of the Stobart Routes by EI mainline and BA CityFlyer probably helped Emerald and closed off opportunity for flyBe 2 as well. Now, Im not sure how much market research they really did. The route network is visibly incoherent and operationally fragile. Why fight at AMS with easyJet, KLM and BA?
flyBe were never afraid to throw good money after bad in Pyrrhic battles. They shot themselves in the foot with poor timings, lower frequency than Emerald and much worse reliability.
You would like to think they did their research but the old BE was focused on aggressive tactics against opposition so perhaps they just don’t learn their lesson. The move into jets and the disaster that was the battle in the highlands against LM springs to mind. It’s odd as they very much have a place in the industry and should focus on their own business rather than going on the attack. They won’t win against Emerald at Belfast and certainly not at Heathrow against BA/KLM.