Ryanair in northeast England
Hi,
It seems odd that so far the Northeast of England has not been a very happy hunting ground for Ryanair. So far they have tried and dropped the following routes (please note the usual caveat about loads and yields):
NCL-SNN - carried 9000 passengers last winter with an average flown load factor of 59%.
NCL-TRF - carried 82,000 passengers in 2005/6/7 with an average flown load factor of 51%.
NCL-BGY - carried 173,000 passengers between 2005 and 2008 with an average flown load factor of 67%.
MME-DUB - one of Ryanair's oldest routes, operating from 1997 until it was dropped this summer. Last year the average flown load factor was 59%, which was unchanged from 2007.
MME-CIA - carried 78,000 passengers in 2005/6 with an average flown load factor of 65%.
The following routes are still running:
NCL-DUB - has been operating since 2003 and in recent years Aer Lingus have dropped the route twice.
NCL-GRO - 75% flown LF so far this year, 81% last year and 82% in 2007.
MME-GRO - seasonal, but an 81% flown LF this year, 83% last year and 79% in 2007.
MME-ALC - seasonal, but an 81% flown LF this year.
With these mixed results so far, how far up Ryanair's list of priorities is a base in the north east? To what extent will it depend on how good a deal they can strike with the airport(s)?