Hello WATABENCH.
Happy New Year to you and to everyone on this message board.
There have been rumours on an unofficial BRS message board for a number of weeks that FR will increase to four based aircraft this year, rising to six when the walkway to the western apron is constructed.
The same sources also suggest TCX will base three aircraft at BRS this coming summer.
I have no idea whether any of this is likely - much will no doubt depend on how the general economic situation develops, particularly regarding Ryanair’s expansion at the airport.
As for your previous post re FR looking at a BRS-MLA service, it seems the Malta Tourism Authority and government have been negotiating with ‘every single airline in Europe’ (as one report put it) to try to increase flights and much-needed tourism to the island.
The chairman of the Tourism Authority was reported saying it was an ‘uphill struggle’ but that some airlines did show ‘some sort of interest’ to operate to Malta and he expressed the hope that some, if not all, of the routes to Malta from Bristol (Ryanair), Newcastle (easyJet) and Leeds-Bradford (not sure of carrier) would be taken up.
Last summer there was only a weekly Air Malta charter flight to the island from BRS of course, and it seems to be operating jointly with CWL this winter.
Addendum:
It looks from this report that Ryanair will be commencing a BRS-MLA route in May.
timesofmalta.com - Easyjet to start selling tickets for Newcastle route