Originally Posted by
NickBarnes
Can anybody tell me if they know if Stansted - Tampere will continue for the winter?
Dear NB, there is no reason for FR to discontinue this route. There were some drops in LF's in between, but now the situation is back on track and the route has been profitable.
Nevertheless, it's justified to admit that FR has made some miscalculations concerning Finland. Firstly, Finland is "pathologically" democratic country. One cannot count on any official preferencies at the airports, so certainly FR hasn't been able to get any discounts and alike. If MOL wants to wait for a special treatment, he'll disappoint. But at the same time, from the point of view of low-cost carriers Finland is still very low-penetrated country and certainly the not-yet-developed market exists here. Ryanair just should have concentrated on the North-to-South routes, as these are extremely attractive for sunshine-starving private clients, not on the connections like LPL-TMP, as the corporate customers will always prefer their domestic AY. Spain, Italy, Berlin, Paris or Marseille would enjoy much more esteem. Likewise, I can envisage the remarkable popularity of a newly announced TMP-BGY route, a step in the right direction (in spite of the unfortunate flight hours).