There were rumours on other threads about a second bmibaby aircraft being based at MME, and according to bmibaby website they are leasing an addtional 3 aircraft and speaking to existing bases about routes etc, so there maybe some truth in that.
Having said that the pax figures for the new services in April are not exactly brilliant-
Paris 2599 pax (50% load factor)
Cork 1340 pax (Average 39pax per flight), which is pretty poor, even if one flight a week is by an Air Wales ATR.
Rome 6173 total, split between the 2 Rome airports and Pescara, which works out about a 57% load factor.
These figues will have to improve to sustain the servces. Anyone any idea how the new Newquay service is shaping up? Hopefully it will have a few more pax than Belfast!
The flybe/HUY threads mention flights to MME, but as far as I am aware, flybe themselves have never mentioned MME, and I find it highly unlikely seen as though they have mentioned expansion from both NCL and LBA. Still we could hope.
Checking out the IT brochures for Winter 05/06, all that is planned is the same 3 or 4 flights a week that there was last winter, which is pretty poor really.
Having said all that we have to remember how far the airport has grown in a short time, hopefully some stability in the IT summer market with the Thomson 737 based, and if Peel achieve all they promise, the future looks bright. We shall see.