GATWICK

[FRatSTN]

FlyBe should perhaps consider a shift to Stansted. BHD, INV, IOM, NCL and NQY are all not served from Stansted, all of which (I'm not so sure on INV) have been served from Stansted in the past. 2 of which were FR routes and 1 of which was EZY. There is certainly a market for these routes and APD and increased taxation has been the main cause of these carriers axing them.

GCI and JER are very underserved from Stansted, especially JER, with Aurigny being the only carrier serving the Channel Islands. Again, FR and EZY are not at all likely to serve these routes from Stansted so again, would be a sensible option for BE.

At Gatwick there is direct competition on BHD from EI (indirectly to BFS with EZY), direct on INV and IOM with EZY, BA on JER and with GR on GCI.

BE are not in a greatly competitive position at the moment and instead competing with all these carriers indirectly will be better for them in my opinion.

Yes Stansted lacks long-haul but BE could use the LCC aspect of Stansted to promote domestic services to the airport for people to use them as a connecting flight to the main base of LCC for onward flights (remember STN has many unique destinations in Europe that very few if any other UK airport serve, so there could be a demand for this.)

I can't really see what real good being at Gatwick is doing BE as they are burried in fierce competition and are disadvantaged by Gatwick's charging structure. They would be better to go from somewhere much more free from competition and who will give them a fairer price. As for direct travel into London before anybody starts, it really isn't that much more difficult nor expensive to get to London from Stansted than it is from Gatwick.