IRELAND WEST AIRPORT KNOCK

[Keyvon]

Germanwings is set to serve Knock from Summer '14. It will be operating a weekly flight from Cologne, on Saturdays.

This flight would replace LH current operations from DUS.

[EI-A330-300]

For all the crap in the July and August passenger press releases they actually forgot to say that July traffic was down 2% while August was down 4.4%.

Up to end of August passengers are down almost 91,000. It will continue if replacement carrier isn't found for BHX.

[Kinocker]

Down 91,000 on what exactly? Let's keep things in perspective here.

For the first 8 months of this year the numbers are down less than 20,000 on last year. If that trend continues for the rest of the year there will be over 655,000 pax for the year which would make it the airport's second busiest ever. Nobody expected last years numbers to be repeated with Beauvais and Hahn dropped, the figures so far are actually a little ahead of what was forecast on here at the start of the year.

[EI-A330-300]

Down 91,000 on what exactly? Let's keep things in perspective here.

For the first 8 months of this year the numbers are down less than 20,000 on last year. If that trend continues for the rest of the year there will be over 655,000 pax for the year which would make it the airport's second busiest ever. Nobody expected last years numbers to be repeated with Beauvais and Hahn dropped, the figures so far are actually a little ahead of what was forecast on here at the start of the year.

apologies iphone came up with that number some how, checked again any your correct. You talk about HHN and BVA being dropped which they carried very poor loads but a new weekly/2 weekly service to AGP started which was more less at capacity for the summer.

[EI-A330-300]

Some better news MOL has said that NOC, ORK and SNN are likely to see next routes in 2014.

[mart901]

Some other better news flybe will operate BHX 4 weekly from November Mon, Wed, Fri & Sun.

BHX-NOC M,W,F dep 1100 arr 1225, S dep 1225 arr 1350
NOC-BHX M,W,F dep 1250 arr 1415, S dep 1415 arr 1540.

[Kinocker]

Good news, more or less as expected. I had another poor flight today with EIR, as a fairly regular traveller with flybe on the dash 8 it is definitely a significant step up on the EIR offering so hopefully their route to Birmingham is a success. I was surprised that they didn't come in to that route originally after bmibaby folded, they seem a much better fit at NOC than EIR.

[EI-A330-300]

Germanwings have released 2014 and NOC starts in March and runs until October.

[decky24]

Kinocker,

I too was on that flight and found it very pleasent indeed,and more to the point was in 10 mins early,what did you find Poor about the flight?

Just Curious.

[Kinocker]

Must have been a different flight decky as my flight was late (I was flying EDI-SNN as there's no Friday flight from Scotland to Knock).

Perhaps its just a personal preference but I don't like the ATRs at all. Too many bad experiences with RE and EIR over the years to mention at this stage - I only use them when there's no other option that fits the schedule.

[iwak]

Well good to see flybe coming onto the bhx route I presume it will be like man with a daily service for summer.Also interesting development with a wkly cologne service.

I notice fr are running the Friday stn flight into noc at 8 pm and departing back at. 8.30pm.this is exactly what people want on Friday evenings but it goes back early afternoon on Sunday which could do with being a bit later.This is for the winter months at the moment.

I would imagine we will see Malaga go to 3 wkly next summer and maybe a palma 2 wkly with fr.I can't see any other routes to be better than these.I definitely think an early flight ex knock to stn mon ,weds,fri,sun aprox 8.30am with a late arrival back similar to the Friday flight planned would enable day return leaving ltn and lgw to the afternoon flights.

I know it's all about running costs but surely it's better to be getting people paying the ten euro and spending money at the airport that closing at 4 o'clock .

[confused atco]

surely it's better to be getting people paying the ten euro and spending money at the airport that closing at 4 o'clock .

No its about trying to maximize usage of the assets and not to lose money.

Approx 650000 passengers are expected to use Knock in 2013.

Assume 50000 are minors then that leaves 600000.

This is both directions so only 300000 are paying the €10 departure levy.

Airports are expensive to run.

Unless there is sufficient extra traffic generated by permitting late flights then there is no economic case.

[Mayfly1]

Agree to one extent, but airports also provide important regional connectivity for business, torusim and weekly commuters....and in some instances need to absorb the additional costs to provide the services needed. If this principle was applied to other transport assets, then there would be no late evening or mid week rail services , regional bus services would be significantly curtailed etc etc...there is a balance to be reached

[confused atco]

airports also provide important regional connectivity for business, tourism and weekly commuters

Agreed.

and in some instances need to absorb the additional costs to provide the services needed

Airports are labour intensive operations.

Opening late/early involves extra costs.

The vital question is; is volume of traffic during the day sufficient to cover the extra costs in these services?

Are the local councils/Irish Government/Failte Ireland going to cover the potential shortfall?

Its far better to have a viable operation running core hours maximizing the utilization of its resources.

regional bus services would be significantly curtailed

Since 2010 Bus Eireann has been "restructuring" some of its rural routes.

While concentrating on the profitable routes between the main urban centres.

[EI-A330-300]

a second Friday STN starts in December while LPL loses a weekly flight for winter.

[takingoff]

Great news about the 6:30pm flight from Stansted. This will be of huge help to those working in the city getting out at 4pm on a Friday as they will be able to make the flight comfortably from Liverpool Street. Sunday could have been a bit later although getting into London late on a Sunday can mean a difficult journey home late at night with less frequent trains and tube lines down for up grade works.

Edit - was wrong above a late night flight on a Sunday will commence at 8:20pm. These new Friday & Sunday late flights will be great for commuters. Management have been listening!

[Knock63]

Great news for everyone connected to the airport!!!

[Kinocker]

Great to hear that this is finally happening. Hopefully the airport will be able to absorb the costs of staying open late two nights a week through the winter. There are a lot of regular commuters on this route that this will be a major benefit to, hopefully it will draw in passengers traveling to and from the north west who have previously needed to use Shannon and Dublin due to flight timings as well.

[iwak]

Hi kinocker

Did you fly back from knock on the Sunday that you flew edi snn on friday. What were loads like?

[Kinocker]

Took a week off so flying out tomorrow. I'll let you know. Loads were really good through the summer but will probably be tailing off at this stage. As the route stops for the winter in a few weeks this will probably be my last flight out of Knock this year.