Speculation re further connectivity across the world
"We hope to have further good news for travellers soon as we look to build the South West’s connectivity to key destinations across the world.”
When the above comments of Shaun Browne (BRS routes director) were discussed in this thread recently there was also speculation that it might refer to another European hub, hopefully from my point of view Frankfurt.
The LH (Eurowings) link between BRS and FRA ran for 12 months and ended at the end of April 2009 having carried over 98,000 passengers.
Whilst acknowledging that raw passenger numbers alone don't necessarily indicate a route's profitability the figures at least suggest that there is a market.
I don't know whether slots would be a problem at FRA in the sense that there may be bigger fish for LH to fry in a limited pan; if not there might be a chance of the route resuming if the economic climate shows signs of sustained improvement. LH intimated that the recession was the reason for the BRS-FRA route being removed and there was more than a hint that it would return when conditions improved.
It's also been suggested that bmiRegional (already operating BRS-BRU for Brussels Airlines since January with passenger numbers up 15% for the first nine months of this year over the same period in 2009) might be the carrier.
Logically, it's difficult to argue with Skipness's UK regional-US points. It was reported that Delta spoke to CWL in the hope that the Wales Assembly Government would support a CWL-JFK route to the tune of a million or two a year. I was never sure how the WAG could legally do this.
What is certain is there is no public body in the South West who would have the money or the inclination to support a BRS link with the USA even if it was legal.
I note also that KLM is pushing its AMS gateway on advertising hoardings around Bristol with a slogan about why bother to flog up the M4 - no doubt trying to attract some of the former CO passengers.