I would hate to see Air Southwest sidelined. I think it is a super little airline that is growing steadily. I note it is to base one aircraft at BRS in the summer and I would hope for more routes from them in the future. However, they would probably have to branch out into mainland Europe if they intended developing more routes out of BRS because I can’t think of another realistic UK destination not covered at present by them or other airlines.
Perhaps they might be interested in some French holiday-home routes, especially now that Flybe is reducing its Bergerac and Bordeaux operations from BRS this coming summer, apparently to concentrate on its base at EXT as far as the West Country/South West is concerned.
As for easyJet and BRS, the BRS website contains the minutes of the AGM of the Airport Consultative Committee that took place last July. MD Andrew Skipp told the meeting that, “easyJet was committed to introducing an additional aircraft (at BRS) each year.” I note the use of the past tense although I suspect it is intended to convey the current situation. However, he did not qualify how many years this arrangement would last.
I was very disappointed when the CPH route was chopped (having used it and would have done again), seemingly because of the Danish government’s insistence on levying a charge of £7 per passenger at Copenhagen Airport. The route built up nicely and carried over seven and a half thousand passengers in both July and August last year (CAA stats), a percentage load factor in the low 80s, but presumably the yield was not good enough, perhaps mainly because of the passenger levy.
I know there is a Polish community in Bristol but am not sure how big it is, although a lot of bus drivers have been recruited from that country to drive the buses in Bristol and Bath. Perhaps they would like regular trips home on a different sort of bus.
