This is all getting very interesting. Sometimes I wonder about the aviation industry, its' Business Plan usually does not extend beyond the next flying season. "How we do last time...not good...Ok cut some routes..." Thompson did that at HUY, now Thompson are coming back. They could have shafted HUY with that move, good and proper, but HUY have fronted it out and Thompson realise they made a boo-boo. My earlier post refers.
HUY needs an entrepeneur to come in another Stellios or such and start ops maybe on a long term risk share deal, maybe the Airport co-operating the aircraft and fly the routes they want/think will work to encourage an airline in (the proverbial sacrificial lamb or stalking horse) try the route, see if it works. People seem to want proven destinations but lo-co proves this incorrect, I am good at geography but some of the places Ryan fly to, well...
Quick poll (unofficial)
Within 1 hour drive time of Lincoln (for example) or Sheffield
[please indicate in your response!!] to an airport (encompasses CVT, EMA, DSA, HUY & BHX if you own a Ferarri! LBA {doubt it-it takes over an hour to get to LBA from S.Leeds
} )
get to or be connected to the following destinations with a maximum 1 change of plane:
Milan
Madrid
Brussells
Southampton
Frankfurt
Amsterdam
Bankok
Cape Town
Kiev
Vienna
London
USA
Belfast
Cardiff
Cologne
Copenhagen
Helsinki
Not wanting to bang the drum for HUY, but most of the 'long hauls' are via Schipol. The others are routes have "fly appeal", yes/no? are they routes the lo-co don't do generally (sorry about the grammar!!!) [mind you they go everywhere now?!]
What about lo-co to Bulgaria (yikes)
Andy,
I think pax go where the route is. The SLF are like sheep. If HUY offered/convinced an airline to do Falaraki (for example) on lo-co or club 18-30 or whatever, the desination is the key, but and it is a big but...would they drop their prices to make it happen, not only landing fees but car parks, food, beer... it is a big risk and needs a lot of guts to front out, nerves of steel and possibly a death wish!!!
Bulgaria is a property hot-spot lo-co might just make 2 turnaround per day (3 flights in possibly)bargain houses and flats. Run the route for a year and see what happens.
Ski is a first for HUY in 2004. I gather it has been busy with the ski flights. We are closer to Sweden etc than most why don\'t HUY offer more ski/mountain routes?
the speciality guys: Voyage Jules Verne, Hayes, Dragoman, Explorer, regional should surely appeal to their mrketing strategy.
What p**sess me off most is getting tickets with LHR on them, that just puts me on a downer. Sorry LHR it is not nice flying from you, great airport highly efficient and briiliant facilities but when one is doing \'euroshuttle\' A320and the passport queue is mainly 747 three of them!!! it's a pain.... hence I love regional, through check-in job done.