Just to add insult to injury for you CWL guys, the FCA BRS-SFB operated direct last week, it was running 8 hrs late and they sent it off direct insted of via MAN, showing that believe it or not BRS to East Coast USA can be done and on one of the hottest days of the year and a wide body jet, also took off on the shorter 09 runway.....full pax load, full baggage load and full fuel load, I wander now that it's been done if it would of raised a few eyebrows.
The director of the new merged TUI airline is Chris Brown (ex FCA), however if you were to talk currently to any FCA cabin crew or pilots I think you would find that things are increasingly turning from Pink to Blue, and the Pink brigade are really not happy.
It's a funny time for aviation generally, and I cant see much new expansion from any regional airport for a little while, airlines need to consolodate at the moment, and this is what TUI are doing, yes CWL is losing an a/c next year, but on the flip side theres no more going in to BRS with TUI next year.
Its a strange thing the still on going BRS v CWL banter, the thing is that BRS landed the GO contract years ago, they got brought by EZY and expanded more than any body (inc CWL managemnt) could of expected, it's just been compounded by the fact that CWL 2 years ago was on FR's website as a future base, then CWL fell out with MOL, he was wooed by BRS management and hence an FR base over the bridge as well, Just unlucky CWL, but it's done now and in the past, look to the future CWL, go out and get a DXB route before BRS and see what happens from there.