No disrespect teleparty but you are showing your age. A debate must be well balanced and rational.
Ryanair already base at BOH (despite their 3 month pause). Palmair also (same 3 month pause). Thomson also. easyJet already fly from here. Flybe already fly from here. Soon Thomas Cook will also be flying. We have around 6 to 12 flights a year to the caribbean for very high yielding cruise holidays and this is far from having its potential realised.
The demand is what it is. It may be finite in the winter, but there is demand there and on a large scale in the summer months. Most of BOH's business is from Aircraft Re-spray, MRO, Flight refueling, Cobham - Next year 11 A330's are being renovated for the MOD. There are around 10 Falcon jets & D228's based. We have a based 747SP for private operations. Honeywell, European Citation centre, flying clubs and major cargo operations (10,000 tonnes a year) and other companies are based here. CEGA have a medical response fleet of Beechcraft King Air aircraft. Not to mention the large private jet traffic.
The scheduled passenger business probably only accounts for 5% (if that) of total airport revenue.
Over 1,500 employees, 80,000 aircraft movements, 10,000 tonnes of cargo and between 750,000 to 1m passengers a year (almost 1.1m at its peak in 07) this is significant and cannot be discounted especially when compared with other UK regional airports.
Last edited by Nakata77; 4th Sep 2010 at 04:46.