bmi are between a rock and a hard place on this one, they would love to start a CPH but SAS are blocking it as they fear it would hit their MAN yield, likewise FRA but Luffty won't have that
fair point, but BA also pull traffic across from Yorks to both destinations - bmi have a chance of capturing some of this for the Group if they offered a half-decent LBA schedule. Also, how long before EZY stir things up in the NW with LPL-CPH?
If JET2 decide to go CDG (and can get the slots?) then Bishop will go apeship and with three Fokkers in place, a baby operation could be up and running PDQ
Can't believe that SMB has any particular interest in LBA-CDG. Since the F70s were taken off 5 years ago, bmi have been happy to restrict capacity and simply take a small slice of the large potential market at reasonably high yields. No shame in that, but let's not kid ourselves that its a big route for the top brass. If it were, I'm sure we'd have seen some sort of management action in response to the significant drop in passenger numbers that have kicked in since EZY started their LPL-CDG run.
Regional is doing OK on thin routes with a high yield and as good a service as you can deliver with a barbie jet.
Good service indeed, but I suspect that while ever the company mentality is that LBA-EDI/GLA/CDG are 'thin' routes, they are simply inviting competition from Jet2. These are thick routes that bmi choose to take a thin slice of.
NCL-BRS was a thin route for BA (Dec02 3,500 pax). Easyjet managed to get 17,000 pax in Dec-03!
The marketing and start up cost in Jet2 is only part of the on going marketing costs that Jet2 must face if they are to grow brand awareness, its well known in this comnunity but other than the Leeds catchment area it a case of " Jet who?"
No point marketing themselves to people outside of their catchment area. They are now well known to people in their target market and therefore the marginal cost of telling people about the 14th, 15th, 16th etc.. routes as they come on-line is relatively small.
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