BE are good at being in a strong bargaining position with airports; e.g. Exeter, Southampton, Newquay, IOM....
If the rumours are true on here about BHD trying to flex its muscle with BE, on the basis that they are so confident BE would never move routes to BFS, they are foolish. There are a selection of routes that BE could move that would be most unlikely to attract a replacement at BHD examples include:
- Winter Ski including routes to :Geneva, Grenoble, Salzburg (could facilitate longer flying days in strong ski season)
- Leeds/Bradford: really challenge Jet2 (who is seeing declineBFSLBA)
- Inverness (daily route)
- Aberdeen (daily route)
- Newquay (low volume but still a destination on BHD's map)
- Jersey (low volume but still a destination on BHD's map)
Almost all of these could attract a good discount from BFS. I think that BE surely must have looked at some operations from BFS if for no other reason but for leverage. It would make sounds commercial sense.
EI-BUD
I think it even got to the stage last time BE wanted to improve their deal, that they scheduled meetings with BFS and a couple of executives were telephoned prior to the meetings and offered the BHD's standard 3 years free in order to stave off the chance of losing them.
If all this malarky is true about EIR/Arann at BHD, I think the Executives at Aldergrove will jump at the BE to try and get them up the road.
On a personal note however, I think cessation of EI @ BFS seems highly unlikely.