Where would LDY be without them?? Don't make me laugh. RYR have served their purpose. They have proved that there is a market for direct City of Derry to London services, proving Jersey European wrong when they left, taking their piss-poor Belfast city Hen House shuttle service with them back in the late 90's.
What we need now is someone with the necessary gutzpah at both the Airport and in a certain suitable Airline to get together, thrash out a deal suitable to both, that will bring a PROPER twice Daily London service along with a select number of regional services.
On the same day, the Airport management phones up good o'l Mick thanking him for his help in establishing the route, but as he now seems to be destroying, and not building on what he has started here, we think its time for a parting of the ways.
Will that happen? 'course it won't. Why? Gutzpah is in short supply around these parts and most could not contemplate that life beyond Ryanair (a sole B738 fleet not flexible enough for City of Derry) could be good. ( oh gawd, somebody prove me wrong).
Seperate subject: for those who have been critical of the Airport's recent attempts at remaining open despite the adverse weather gripping the entire British Isles (Even Jersey), those responsible for snow clearing have not only been starting their work at 4am on most mornings, on some occasions they have remained on station overnight to try and ensure that the Runway remains clear.
Those who ask why they can't have a runway open for 730am show a startling lack of knowledge in airport operations. Newsflash: a cleared and useable Runway at 720am can be a SNOCLO (thats snow closed to you Amelia dear!) by 730am, unuseable for the next hour. I noticed that those critics were very silent when, immediately after their barbed comments, City of Derry recieved several Diversions from Belfast City due to them being SNOCLO. Must've been those damned Belfast City council workers slouching again eh?? Easy to slag off; not so easy to praise.
Over the last month with a few exceptions ( dec 23rd was a disaster ), City of Derry have been wide open for business only for flights to cancel due to adverse weather at Birmingham, Liverpool, Luton, Prestwick etc. It happens everywhere and this Airport clears it's runway as quickly or as slowly as the rest. Don't believe me? Compare City of Derrry's SNOWTAMS with the others.
Yet another Seperate subject: As for the calls for Flybe to start services from City of Derry; it's a very good idea but only direct services would ever work. If Flybe think they can do some rickety sperrin-scraping hop to Belfast City which feeds their network there, they will fail - badly. North West passengers have had a taste of direct flights and low prices come to that. They like both and ain't about to go back to the 90's. I believe that they will drive all the long long way to Aldergrove rather than be subjected to that.
Regards,
Alpha Echo.