The Irish Sunday Business Post suggests the new route LHR-BFS will start as a loss-making one.
Aer Lingus sells just one third of Belfast seats
Aer Lingus has sold an average of just one third of its seats on the controversial new Belfast to London Heathrow route for the first month of its operation. The service begins tomorrow, as the Shannon-Heathrow route ends.
A total of 32,364 seats are available on the return route for the first month, with three 174-seat aircraft flying three return trips daily. With an average load factor of just 35 per cent, it means only 11,327 of these flights have been sold to date - despite being available online since early August last.
Many Aer Lingus return flights from Heathrow to Belfast Aldergrove for the first month of service cost stg£1, and £1 fares can also be secured from Belfast to Heathrow for this period. These fares and a 35 per cent load factor compare with an average load factor of almost 80 per cent - and €80 one-way flights - on the axed Shannon-Heathrow route.