Nothing, never implied it - However you making assumptions which are absoloute bulls*hit. Did the UK Gov not reduce APD for UA at BFS? is this not a subsidy then also? And if you think airlines are swayed by Tourism boards there not - But they expect them to advertise, absolutely nothing wrong with that. Don't Discover Northern Ireland do the same in the US?
I'm beginning to think you either don't read to the end of the sentences or just don't understand them, Yes, they reduced it for the Long Haul flights to £12 per head (it is still full whack on other destinations btw) Yes this is a subsidy, that is my point, I WANT them to subsidise flights in this manner to help generate expansion and growth. It is different on the UK mainland, where all the airlines have to pay it regardless - but in Northern Ireland, we have a land border with a competitor who doesn't charge it, so it should be scrapped here in the interests of competition, what part of this have you failed to grasp?
Then you tell me the airlines are not swayed by the tourism boards' advertising but that they 'expect' them to advertise. So in other words, it is factored into their cost/benefit analyses in their business development strategy and the numbers will be worked out with said bodies long before a route will be announced. You accuse me of Bull and Bullsh*t twice in your reply but then you basically say the same thing as me when you try to argue against my points.
Maybe its because BFS management live in the real world. None of those routes will come around, possibly YYZ but seasonal. Summer Holiday makers dictate Orlando flights and Travel operators respond to demand. With regards a second US destination, I doubt it. You seem to have your own defined demand in NI? Airlines are around to make money and if demand existed as you say they'd be flying here. I mean when BFS had flights to the States the airline was a Lo-Co and was loss-making.
Are you seriously saying that BFS Management shouldn't be looking to add those routes? YYZ was a long standing route for Belfast and can easily be so again, Orlando is always full for the short schedule these past couple of years, so they should extend the schedule (if it has to be gradual, so be it) Second destination US is perhaps the least likely option. As for a Defined Demand in N.I. Noone who runs a business can afford to limit their potential marketplace like that. You say airlines are around to make money - well I say that they are just using the economic downturn to try to eek out as much third party support as possible to make as much money as possible (Again, not a criticism, to me this is just good business). Call me a cynic (it is a much nicer word than Bullsh*t btw) if you wish but somehow I think my finger is nearer the pulse than yours
It is responding to a fall in tourism. But you're implying they planned to hit the NI market? Bull.
You are saying they didn't? What planet do you live on if you think that wasn't a factor in the decision? As I said above, noone limits their marketplace and you'd be amazingly out of touch if you thought that Dublin doesn't look at the Northern Irelanders with their Sterling and a shiny connecting Motorway as a target market. Considering they have recently been publishing their increased passenger traffic from the North (it was linked on the Dub thread somewhere recently), I imagine they've considered it
