WATABENCH,
Re the extra four easyJet aircraft, this might be someone playing with figures in that at the height of last summer the airline had 12 based aircraft whereas at the moment the January schedule seems to need a maximum of eight. It may be that someone has heard that 12 will be operating again in August/early September.
If your 'informant' is suggesting that last summer's 12 will go up to 16, I can't see how that is remotely feasible in one go, especially in the light of the current severe economic slowdown. As you know, easyJet has for several years added one aircraft per year to its Bristol base.
There certainly have been rumours about Ryanair going up to four aircraft very soon with another two after the walkway is completed but how much substance there is in this I have no idea. It may be your source is the same as mine because the 3rd TCX aircraft also featured.
Currently, Ryanair is reducing its winter schedule from BRS with the Dinard axed and the Riga not bookable until the end of March (at least that was the case when I checked a few days ago).
As for frfly's comment, I have noted that their aircraft do park on the western apron on occasions, but he may be right in general terms in that FR may not want to make this too big a habit.
Finally, it would not be the greatest suprise in the world to me if FR did get back in bed with CWL. They seem to have a lot of aircraft to make use of and with TOM and WW stagnating at best at CWL, there could be some interesting opportunities for someone else and who is to say that MOL would not view the sun routes especially as tempting, provided he could get the right deal (for his company) from the airport?
Were that to happen it might impact on the BRS operation with expansion perhaps not as big as might otherwise have been the case. We ought to get a clue in the next few weeks, one or way or the other, if not sooner.