Hello B_T
Re OLT to Bremen and originally Hamburg, from what I heard there was no real hope that the route would become a viable commercial service; it was more the thought that if some members of the public travelled as well as the aviation industry people it would at least help with some of the costs.
It seems that from October OLT is closing all its Bremen routes with Copenhagen, Zurich, Toulouse and the seasonal Heringsdorf all facing the axe in addition to Bristol.
More generally you will know probably better than anyone in this forum that the Lufthansa service to Frankfurt that operated from April 2008 until April 2009 had all sorts of teething propblems with its booking system with abnormally high fares often shown in the early days and even months. Nevertheless within the first six months of the route LH had announced that BRS-emanating pax had used every one of the airline's ongoing routes from FRA. 98,000 people used the route in the 13 months of its existence.
3 x daily (21 per week) Eurowings Bae 146-300 equipment did look a bit optimistic for such a new route for LH and I believe that even larger aircraft sometimes featured. The winter saw a reduced schedule. Monthly load factors were in a fairly constant range of 50-60%.
Prior to that BA, variously as Brymon, BACitiexpress and BAConnect, operated ERJ-145s to FRA (and MUC) year-round from the late 1990s until Flybe assumed control of BACon in 2007. Dusseldorf had been added to the portfolio about a year before BACon ceased flying and all the German routes were either daily or 6 x weekly. Monthly load factors seemed to vary between 50% and 80% and, depending to whom you spoke, the routes were either profitable or loss-making. FRA and MUC did operate for over seven years though and if they were loss-making why was DUS added and at the same time a fifth ERJ 145 added to the BRS base?
easyJet tried Hamburg from late 2005 though summer 2006 before axing it. Monthly load factors weren't brilliant with the best month around 70%.
Berlin (SXF) has been operating for over seven years and load factors have been good, usually into the 80s% most months and sometimes higher.
I suppose, Berlin apart, the picture is mixed vis-a-vis Germany which is perhaps the reason why such an obvious destination to punters may be viewed more cautiously by the operators who have to actually risk their dosh.
There was certainly hope that BRS and Germany might see more of each other when the LH Group announced they were looking to use bmi to link more UK and German airports. It was thought by some, including me I have to admit, that the current bmiRegional ERJ145 service to BRU on behalf of Brussels Airlines would be joined by at least one similar route to Germany on behalf of LH.
It might still happen, or something like it.
Before anyone points it out, I know load factors are not the definitive mark of a successful route but they do at least indicate the presence, or lack of it, of a potential market.