HUMBERSIDE - 2
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either they are keeping it very close to their chests OR they havent got a clue about those extra flights as there still havent been any official mention of them around the airport. 
Thread Starter
The new BE AGP flight looks to be doing very well. An average Load of 92% in June and i hear even busier for July and August!
Any whispers if they intend to return next year?
Any whispers if they intend to return next year?
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There are whispers that the Malaga flight may be continuing through the Winter. 
Also Sharm El Sheikh for Summer 2011
You heard it here first
Also Sharm El Sheikh for Summer 2011
You heard it here first
Thread Starter
Surely its a bit late to put the AGP flight on sale in time for the winter??
Sharm next year would be a great addition, but would it not be with TCX and would they not have already announced this by now?
Sharm next year would be a great addition, but would it not be with TCX and would they not have already announced this by now?
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Flybe Malaga flights boost Humberside Airport
27.08.10
Thousands of extra passengers have used Humberside Airport this summer after new flights to Malaga boosted demand. The summer route from Flybe was launched on May 29 and will continue to fly until September 11. Over 3,500 seats were made available on the flights, and airport bosses have declared it a 'roaring success'
Mike Rutter, chief commercial officer for Flybe, said: ‘Our confidence in forecasting the popularity of our new Humberside to Malaga route this summer appears to have been well placed. The load factors on this route are among the highest of any of our summer sun routes this year.’
Surely this is a clear sign that there is room for more sun routes and frequencies from BE?
Regards
Mike
27.08.10
Thousands of extra passengers have used Humberside Airport this summer after new flights to Malaga boosted demand. The summer route from Flybe was launched on May 29 and will continue to fly until September 11. Over 3,500 seats were made available on the flights, and airport bosses have declared it a 'roaring success'
Mike Rutter, chief commercial officer for Flybe, said: ‘Our confidence in forecasting the popularity of our new Humberside to Malaga route this summer appears to have been well placed. The load factors on this route are among the highest of any of our summer sun routes this year.’
Surely this is a clear sign that there is room for more sun routes and frequencies from BE?
Regards
Mike
Thread Starter
Must be some more expansion of sorts next year. Not sure if it will be just a longer operating season of the AGP than this year? I find it hard to believe there will be more routes from BE though, as it must be hard to find space for more 'w' patterns surely?
I notice that the friday HER flight is to be dropped next summer, with TCX taking seats of the tuesday one. This is a shame though not surprising (Crete is dead this year) but should everything else goes to plan there should still be some growth next year with Enfida and H4U.
I notice that the friday HER flight is to be dropped next summer, with TCX taking seats of the tuesday one. This is a shame though not surprising (Crete is dead this year) but should everything else goes to plan there should still be some growth next year with Enfida and H4U.
Thread Starter
Doubt it john, the flight was perated by ECA anyway i think, so they've got no worries about filling capacity..
Unless an airline comes in to base at HUY then i guess it will be extended operating seasons for next years flights.. One positive, though, is the BE flights to AGP doing so well, despite many people, including more than a handful on here, doubting such flights were viable with the spaceport down the road.
I cannot see a BE base, but hopefuly they will have a couple more 'w' patterns to other Spannish destinations next year if they find the space, though i find this unlikely.
Unless an airline comes in to base at HUY then i guess it will be extended operating seasons for next years flights.. One positive, though, is the BE flights to AGP doing so well, despite many people, including more than a handful on here, doubting such flights were viable with the spaceport down the road.
I cannot see a BE base, but hopefuly they will have a couple more 'w' patterns to other Spannish destinations next year if they find the space, though i find this unlikely.
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Just a thought, what about when the E175's come in. They would possibly allow for additional sun routes from airports where BE withdrew due to low pax numbers....such as Norwich, Birmingham etc. I wouldn't at this early stage, rule out more W patterns in to HUY!
niknak
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The most important thing to remember is that BE don't do anything for nothing and they aren't going to base any aircraft anywhere but their current bases.
All services wherever they may fly to, will centre around these bases and nothing else.
Certain airport authorities have been wildly optomistic about potential passenger throughput on certain routes and, whilst some may say they were sucked in to believing what they were promised, common sense would tell the most naive airport director that some routes work and some don't.
Basically, any route to a destination which is popular with second home owners, if marketed correctly, should work year round, its just a question of getting the right airline which can be assured of at least 90% capacity in the Summer and around 75% the rest of the time.
A bit of clever planning would see BE's nose put out of joint in the Winter, but sadly, too few airport marketing teams have the nouse to put that together.
All services wherever they may fly to, will centre around these bases and nothing else.
Certain airport authorities have been wildly optomistic about potential passenger throughput on certain routes and, whilst some may say they were sucked in to believing what they were promised, common sense would tell the most naive airport director that some routes work and some don't.
Basically, any route to a destination which is popular with second home owners, if marketed correctly, should work year round, its just a question of getting the right airline which can be assured of at least 90% capacity in the Summer and around 75% the rest of the time.
A bit of clever planning would see BE's nose put out of joint in the Winter, but sadly, too few airport marketing teams have the nouse to put that together.
Thread Starter
Niknak, forgive me for being a bit daft, but im not sure what you're driving at here.
Clearly the route has been a success, wether yields were good enough or not is impossibe to say, but they have been seeing load factors of 90% right through. Ive already posted about why i think expansion from BE is unlikely, but if they do have ample space in their schedules then i dont see why places like ALC could not work too.
Ive posted so many times about why airlines like Jet2 are more suited to HUY, particularly as they have their own package company and sell seats to TCX, and despite them showing interest more than once they are still to be forthcoming.
I do think the management at HUY know their limits all too well (if only Peel had realised what was in store for them when they were going for go on Finningley) but they have obvioulsy been persuing a replacement for their Spannish flights and BE have come in to prove that there is demand there for the right airline.
Im not too sure if BE will even be back next year, it could have been a ploy to see if it actually works, but im sure in the next few years we will see all of the routes that have been lost recently being replaced by another operator.
Clearly the route has been a success, wether yields were good enough or not is impossibe to say, but they have been seeing load factors of 90% right through. Ive already posted about why i think expansion from BE is unlikely, but if they do have ample space in their schedules then i dont see why places like ALC could not work too.
Ive posted so many times about why airlines like Jet2 are more suited to HUY, particularly as they have their own package company and sell seats to TCX, and despite them showing interest more than once they are still to be forthcoming.
I do think the management at HUY know their limits all too well (if only Peel had realised what was in store for them when they were going for go on Finningley) but they have obvioulsy been persuing a replacement for their Spannish flights and BE have come in to prove that there is demand there for the right airline.
Im not too sure if BE will even be back next year, it could have been a ploy to see if it actually works, but im sure in the next few years we will see all of the routes that have been lost recently being replaced by another operator.
Thread Starter
Despite consistent load factors in the 90%s throughout, it looks like FlyBE will not be operating the Malaga flights next summer. A press release on their website states that all of their summer 2011 schedule is now on sale, and though HUY has reappeared in the booking engine, the only option is Jersey.
I suppose one good thing to come of it is that they were filling their flights, so the airport have that to show to other airlines, no matter how narrow the chances are.
I suppose one good thing to come of it is that they were filling their flights, so the airport have that to show to other airlines, no matter how narrow the chances are.
Thread Starter
Why Tony Lavan is still a top flight director at Humberside airport
Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 08:00
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That was until the start of this financial year, when the now infamous Icelandic ash cloud grounded flights across Europe, sending aviation into chaos.
The Humberside Airport director said: "It's been an interesting year. I've been more than 30 years in this business but it's the first time I've spent a week watching what was happening with a volcano.
"For everyone in the whole airport community, there was no income whatsoever – no flights, no passengers, no spending in the shops or buying food in restaurants. "It affected everybody."
On top of the ash cloud, there was also the recession to deal with and the Kirmington-based business faced another headache when Goldtrail, one of its passenger operators, went into receivership, affecting 18,000 holidaymakers from the airport.
Mr Lavan said: "Year on year, passenger numbers over the summer have remained static, if you take away Goldtrail.
"The aviation industry as a whole has only just started to see a small amount of growth after the recession.
"Our passenger numbers probably dropped by 25 per cent and I'd anticipate for UK airports it'll take three years to get passenger figures back to where they were three years ago."
Mr Lavan said his target now was to "start to grow back the leisure market in sustainable and incremental steps", much of which depends on introducing new destinations.
And with market research showing the majority of travellers would opt for their local airport, if their choice destination was available, why aren't airlines banging down Mr Lavan's door with offers?
"It's very difficult to get airlines to take a risk in this environment," he said.
"If we go for a big step change and introduce routes, then don't provide passengers for them, they'll have gone forever; you never get the chance again.
"Our strategy is to pick out what we believe are locally strong routes."
Flybe's service to Malaga from Humberside is a fitting example, with the majority of flights this summer operating at full capacity.
Mr Lavan said: "We knew from the information from our own travel agency, the level of demand was there and it has exceeded everyone's expectations.
"This allowed us to have a different conversation with the airline about extending the service and other routes that will work."
"It is about building confidence, so airlines can trust what we are saying, understand the market and deliver."
Of course, not everything works as well in reality as it does on paper, as was the case with the proposed Flybe flights to Belfast, which were pulled this year – before they even took off – following low ticket sales.
Mr Lavan said: "Using data from the Civil Aviation Authority we know at least 40,000 passengers with a Humberside and Lincolnshire postcode travelled there in the previous year, and also know a percentage of those were travelling from Doncaster, or further afield.
"On that basis we anticipated the route would be successful."
Mr Lavan said with hindsight he wishes the route had been operated for a month, to prove demand, adding: "I still firmly believe that for that type of market, people only book a couple of weeks ahead."
About four years ago Ryanair operated flights from Humberside to Dublin, but they too were pulled due to what My Lavan describes as "an overcapacity in that market".
However, he maintains there is a place for so-called budget airlines to fly from Humberside and said he was in talks with "a number of airlines" about new routes.
Mr Lavan also has his eye on the cruise market, which has experienced significant growth among UK holidaymakers, and using its link with KLM, the airport has booked a number of 2011 cruises out from Dubai.
This connectivity, to 700 destinations across the world via KLM, was "the absolute jewel in the crown" for Humberside, according to Mr Lavan.
But he accepts awareness needs stepping up.
"With families travelling to far away destinations I think they probably expect it to be quite expensive to go via KLM, so there's some education to do in terms of the offers available."
While attracting holidaymakers remains an important feature of the airport's future plans, one area showing no sign of slowing is the offshore business.
This has enjoyed year-on-year growth and now 60,000 passengers are flying annually from Humberside to the North Sea rigs.
And it has got Mr Lavan thinking about another market he believes will bring huge benefits to the local economy, particularly the airport.
He said: "The link to Europe with KLM will be more important to us and will grow if we can deliver what I think are fantastic opportunities in developing this region.
"If this region becomes a centre of offshore developments and renewables, construction and shipping, then investors and business people from Europe will need airport travel to this region.
"This airport is six miles away from what could potentially be one of the largest construction development sites in the UK over the next ten years.
"I think there are massive opportunities for the airport and absolutely for this region to make a big step change."
Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 08:00
Comment on this story
That was until the start of this financial year, when the now infamous Icelandic ash cloud grounded flights across Europe, sending aviation into chaos.
The Humberside Airport director said: "It's been an interesting year. I've been more than 30 years in this business but it's the first time I've spent a week watching what was happening with a volcano.
"For everyone in the whole airport community, there was no income whatsoever – no flights, no passengers, no spending in the shops or buying food in restaurants. "It affected everybody."
On top of the ash cloud, there was also the recession to deal with and the Kirmington-based business faced another headache when Goldtrail, one of its passenger operators, went into receivership, affecting 18,000 holidaymakers from the airport.
Mr Lavan said: "Year on year, passenger numbers over the summer have remained static, if you take away Goldtrail.
"The aviation industry as a whole has only just started to see a small amount of growth after the recession.
"Our passenger numbers probably dropped by 25 per cent and I'd anticipate for UK airports it'll take three years to get passenger figures back to where they were three years ago."
Mr Lavan said his target now was to "start to grow back the leisure market in sustainable and incremental steps", much of which depends on introducing new destinations.
And with market research showing the majority of travellers would opt for their local airport, if their choice destination was available, why aren't airlines banging down Mr Lavan's door with offers?
"It's very difficult to get airlines to take a risk in this environment," he said.
"If we go for a big step change and introduce routes, then don't provide passengers for them, they'll have gone forever; you never get the chance again.
"Our strategy is to pick out what we believe are locally strong routes."
Flybe's service to Malaga from Humberside is a fitting example, with the majority of flights this summer operating at full capacity.
Mr Lavan said: "We knew from the information from our own travel agency, the level of demand was there and it has exceeded everyone's expectations.
"This allowed us to have a different conversation with the airline about extending the service and other routes that will work."
"It is about building confidence, so airlines can trust what we are saying, understand the market and deliver."
Of course, not everything works as well in reality as it does on paper, as was the case with the proposed Flybe flights to Belfast, which were pulled this year – before they even took off – following low ticket sales.
Mr Lavan said: "Using data from the Civil Aviation Authority we know at least 40,000 passengers with a Humberside and Lincolnshire postcode travelled there in the previous year, and also know a percentage of those were travelling from Doncaster, or further afield.
"On that basis we anticipated the route would be successful."
Mr Lavan said with hindsight he wishes the route had been operated for a month, to prove demand, adding: "I still firmly believe that for that type of market, people only book a couple of weeks ahead."
About four years ago Ryanair operated flights from Humberside to Dublin, but they too were pulled due to what My Lavan describes as "an overcapacity in that market".
However, he maintains there is a place for so-called budget airlines to fly from Humberside and said he was in talks with "a number of airlines" about new routes.
Mr Lavan also has his eye on the cruise market, which has experienced significant growth among UK holidaymakers, and using its link with KLM, the airport has booked a number of 2011 cruises out from Dubai.
This connectivity, to 700 destinations across the world via KLM, was "the absolute jewel in the crown" for Humberside, according to Mr Lavan.
But he accepts awareness needs stepping up.
"With families travelling to far away destinations I think they probably expect it to be quite expensive to go via KLM, so there's some education to do in terms of the offers available."
While attracting holidaymakers remains an important feature of the airport's future plans, one area showing no sign of slowing is the offshore business.
This has enjoyed year-on-year growth and now 60,000 passengers are flying annually from Humberside to the North Sea rigs.
And it has got Mr Lavan thinking about another market he believes will bring huge benefits to the local economy, particularly the airport.
He said: "The link to Europe with KLM will be more important to us and will grow if we can deliver what I think are fantastic opportunities in developing this region.
"If this region becomes a centre of offshore developments and renewables, construction and shipping, then investors and business people from Europe will need airport travel to this region.
"This airport is six miles away from what could potentially be one of the largest construction development sites in the UK over the next ten years.
"I think there are massive opportunities for the airport and absolutely for this region to make a big step change."
Interesting and seemingly rare interview with the airport MD. I know its full of theusual rhetoric, but at least its promising, particularly about growing the airport sustainably
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what i find unbelievable is the fact that HUY has NO winter holiday flights AGAIN. One year can be accepted as a blip, but for the airport to fail to get any airlines to do anything for a second winter season is beyond the pail.
Anybody would think it was a part-time airport, or maybe a summer airport only!
Tony Lavan - forward thinking? Where? When?
Anybody would think it was a part-time airport, or maybe a summer airport only!
Tony Lavan - forward thinking? Where? When?
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Tonto.
If you knew anything about the markets you'd know that the Winter season is one of the most competitive and difficult for regional airports to service.
Be they skiing or winter in the sun flights, they make very little money for anyone and operators will only take them on from the larger airports where they know that most flights will be full.
There's no point in any business taking on loss making services, most regional airports will cut down to core operations in the Winter and stick to what they can make money from.
If you knew anything about the markets you'd know that the Winter season is one of the most competitive and difficult for regional airports to service.
Be they skiing or winter in the sun flights, they make very little money for anyone and operators will only take them on from the larger airports where they know that most flights will be full.
There's no point in any business taking on loss making services, most regional airports will cut down to core operations in the Winter and stick to what they can make money from.
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Be they skiing or winter in the sun flights, they make very little money for anyone and operators will only take them on from the larger airports where they know that most flights will be full.
I am personally hoping that Tunisia may go year round in winter 2011/12, or at least operate for part of the winter. Thomas Cook are doing Norwich-Tunisia this winter on a w pattern basis, so hopefully they will do the same for HUY next winter, assuming the flights do well next summer
Thread Starter
Tony Lavan - forward thinking? Where? When?
Its dissappointing that there are no winter flights again, but there are still frequent movements by KLM and Eastern still throughout the winter. Still waiting for more on FlyBE which could be next month.