BELFAST (BHD) - 3

[tigger2k8]

well looks amazing if you ask me, but they should have started this over winter when it was quiet.. but i suppose its better than nothing

thought they were going for a Vancouver style nature park in the terminal, the centre area looks like a pond and a canoe in it then i had some common sense... looks like a bar lol..

hope we get more images soon

[True Blue]

EI have a new autumn seat sale on their web site at the minute. The following appears.


*Terms & Conditions
One way fares including taxes & charges. Available for travel from 01 September until 17 December. Belfast to Paris, Barcelona, Faro and Rome valid for travel until 23 October only.

Does this confirm that the above routes will not operate this winter and only two aircraft will be based at Bfs?

True Blue

[tigger2k8]

i think thats the £1m question at the minute..

[NWSRG]

Is there anywhere we can see an overview of the Aldergrove development? And is this in line with the development plan, or a stop-gap in lieu of the extra piers and so on that are in the development plan?

[BFS101]

Not that I have any inside information, but I reckon thats it from EI for the winter. While its sad to lose Rome, which I thought was doing pretty well, the other routes always seemed to be mentioned on here as underperforming.

No real surprise that CDG is going, BCN was always a question mark was it not, and potentially EI see FAO as a summer only route.

So to keep the third aircraft, only to operate Rome and potentially maybe Barcelona, that would still leave a lot of slack time for new routes, and this may not be the best climate to be trying new destinations.

Like I said, purely my gut instinct, hope I'm proved wrong, and at the very least hopefully see number 3 back in BFS for summer 10.

[tigger2k8]

NWSRG,

from page 33 of the masterplan

6.5 TOWARDS 2015
The following Terminal and site development
options have been identified within the period
2006–2015.
Extend existing Terminal Building
Extensions and reconfigurations planned for this
period are:
• Check In Hall.
• Baggage Sort Hall.
• Ground floor Central Search and staircase core to
airside first floor.
• Construction of new South Pier including
departure lounges.
• Construction of West Pier extensions.
• Passenger Aircraft Parking Apron expanded into
Cargo Apron.
• Administration facilities.

hopefully the things not in bold will also start, although i think most of it will require a little more than £10m? they seemed to have jumped ahead as some of the work announced seems to be "towards 2030"

• Extended Check In Hall.
• Landside and airside concourse split over
two levels. (Sounds like this is part of the annoucement of the £10m investment..?)
• Retail and commercial opportunities.
• Administrative facilities.
• Catering.

BFS101, i wudnt be surprised about CDG and BCN either... during winter EZY offers the service (i think its a daily CDG and 4x weekly BCN) which is more than enough, the only time it wasnt enough was Christmas time... FCO is a funny route it has good days and bad, theres days its been close to full, then the next theres around 70 PAX on it... dont understand why they are keeping MUC its not exactly a populated flight

surely the loss of a base a/c would lead to a loss of jobs at BFS with EI? As the number of crews would be too much for 2 a/c... but i havn't heard anything from EI staff about job loss (unless the powers above are keeping it quiet until near the end of summer..)

bmibaby crews seem quite "excited" about the BFS-PRG route, wonder if they've received strong bookings? could be one of EZY's biggest mistakes of 09/10 at BFS..

anyone know how the BFS-BLK route is doing with Jet2?

[gate 22]

EI/BFS

Maybe the crew will be trained up for an A330, with Toronto/Orlando/Boston as options (although knowing EI head to head New York against CO, then lose out and withdraw) plus maybe something via Shannon. They may have a spare A330 this winter. The loss of an A320 but gaining an A330 would be OK.

[johnrizzo2000]

The additional 320 in BFS will be going to LGW. I would also say that if a 330 is going anywhere, it will be LGW. Ideally a BFS route would operate BFS-SNN-USA, but it would be messy as it has to be crewed ex SNN

[gate 22]

messy as it has to be crewed ex SNN

Surely a BFS based aircraft can operate via Shannon

[BFS101]

With the issues EI are having surrounding long haul at the moment, rumours of SFO and IAD being pulled and / or reduced frequencies, from the Republic, I doubt they would consider long haul from BFS. As much as I think MCO, BOS and YYZ could be viable from BFS, I doubt we'll be seeing it any time soon.

To be honest, think EI would be better to operate direct from BFS if passenger numbers / frequency allowed. If not you may as well fly direct from BFS with the competition (charter / loco), of via mainland and onwards with BA or Virgin, or CO via Newark.

The additional 320 in BFS will be going to LGW.

Is that confirmed about the 3rd BFS based airbus going to LGW??? And if so is there any word on staff numbers at Belfast?

[tigger2k8]

well, ignore my posts of hope for the keeping of a 3rd base aircraft

BFS will definately be 2 base aircraft for Winter 09/10, unless the schedule changes but at the minute its not likely.. as for the aircrafts destination, i dont know

As for EI job losses, havn't heard anything... Although Menzies could be effected if the EZY schedule is reduced compared to last winter... fingers crossed for all staff involved

[tigger2k8]

All EZY BFS flights for Winter 09 are for sale and as follows.. not in alphabetical order.

BFS-ALC - 5x week (Sun, Mon,Wed,Fri,Sat)
BFS-AMS - 7x week (Daily)
BFS-BCN - 4x week (Sun, Mon,Wed,Fri)
BFS-BRS - 16x week (1x Daily Sat, 2x Daily - Sun,Tues,Wed, 3x Daily - Mon,Thurs,Fri)
BFS-EDI - 18x week (3x Daily Sun,Mon,Thur,Fri, 2x Daily - Tues,Wed,Sat)
BFS-GLA - 17x week (3x Daily - Sun, Mon,Fri 2x Daily - Tues,Wed,Thur,Sat)
BFS-FAO - 2x week (Tues, Sat)
BFS-GVA - 6x week (Mon,Wed,Thurs,Fri,Sun. 2x Daily - Sat) *From 18th December, some weeks run an additional flights due to Christmas
BFS-KRK - 3x week (Sun,Tues,Thurs)#
BFS-LPL - 36x week (6x Daily - Mon, Fri .5x Daily - Sun,Tues,Wed,Thurs. 4x Daily - Sat)
BFS-LGW - 26x week (4x Daily - Sun-Fri, 2x Daily Sat)
BFS-LTN - 29x week (4x Daily - Mon,Tues,Wed,Thur,Fri. 3x Daily - Sun, 2x Daily - Sat)
BFS-STN - 27x week (4x Daily - Sun,Mon,Tues,Wed,Thurs,Fri - 3x Daily - Sat)
BFS-AGP - 4x week (Sun,Mon,Wed,Fri)
BFS-NCL - 19x week (3x Daily - Sun-Fri, 1x Sat)
BFS-CDG - 7x week (Daily)

Total EZY per week = 226

Could be mistakes in my adding up lol..

************

EI Flights

BFS-ACE = 4x week - Sun,Mon,Wed,Fri
BFS-AGP = 4x week - Sun,Mon,Wed,Fri
BFS-LHR =21x week - 3x Daily
BFS-MUC =3x week - Tues, Thurs, Sat
BFS-TFS = 3x week - Tues, Thurs, Sat
BCN,CDG,FCO,MXP = Dropped

Total EI per week = 35

[BFS101]

Ideally a BFS route would operate BFS-SNN-USA, but it would be messy as it has to be crewed ex SNN

Surely a BFS based aircraft can operate via Shannon

When EI originally operated JFK / BOS from Belfast via Shannon, they used an A330, though didn't this change to B737. Basically from what I can remember, the BFS - SNN leg was changed to a B737, and the onward transatlantic portion of the flight, an A330. Probably felt it was more economical to fly the smaller aircraft up to NI.

So what I'm saying is that should EI wish to offer connections from BFS, to potentially destinations in the US, the initial leg could be on the A320, with BFS crew, with the passengers then connecting to A330 for the transatlantic portion. Would this be more viable, if at all, than bringing up an A330 with SNN based crew?? But as perviously mentioned, is there really any benefit of this, over connecting with CO in Newark?? Direct would be excellent, but we already have a good one-stop options from BFS / BHD.

[gate 22]

BFS-ALC - 5x week (Sun, Mon,Wed,Fri,Sat)
BFS-AMS - 7x week (Daily)
BFS-BCN - 4x week (Sun, Mon,Wed,Fri)
BFS-BRS - 16x week (1x Daily Sat, 2x Daily - Sun,Tues,Wed, 3x Daily - Mon,Thurs,Fri)
BFS-EDI - 18x week (3x Daily Sun,Mon,Thur,Fri, 2x Daily - Tues,Wed,Sat)
BFS-FAO - 2x week (Tues, Sat)
BFS-GVA - 6x week (Mon,Wed,Thurs,Fri,Sun. 2x Daily - Sat) *From 18th December, some weeks run an additional flights due to Christmas
BFS-KRK - 3x week (Sun,Tues,Thurs)#
BFS-LPL - 36x week (6x Daily - Mon, Fri .5x Daily - Sun,Tues,Wed,Thurs. 4x Daily - Sat)
BFS-LGW - 26x week (4x Daily - Sun-Fri, 2x Daily Sat)
BFS-LTN - 29x week (4x Daily - Mon,Tues,Wed,Thur,Fri. 3x Daily - Sun, 2x Daily - Sat)
BFS-STN - 27x week (4x Daily - Sun,Mon,Tues,Wed,Thurs,Fri - 3x Daily - Sat)
BFS-AGP - 4x week (Sun,Mon,Wed,Fri)
BFS-NCL - 19x week (3x Daily - Sun-Fri, 1x Sat)
BFS-CDG - 7x week (Daily)

Am I missing Glasgow or is it for the chop

When EI originally operated JFK / BOS from Belfast via Shannon, they used an A330, though didn't this change to B737. Basically from what I can remember, the BFS - SNN leg was changed to a B737

Don't remember this, they used an L10 for a period.

[BFS101]

Glasgow is not for the chop, maybe just oversight by tigger2k8:

BFS-GLA - 18x week (3x Daily Sun,Mon,Thur,Fri, 2x Daily - Tues,Wed,Sat)

Same as EDI, and the flights use a GLA based aircraft

[tigger2k8]

yep, ill hold my hands up missed GLA lol... edited the post now

edit - BFS-GLA is actually 17x week, Thurs operates 2 flights, not 3

[gate 22]

If EI don't do cdg/ams, could EZY not operate double daily on say M,F. They did operate 2 on a Fri to Paris just before EI started operations. Paris is quite popular.

[BELHold]

"So what I'm saying is that should EI wish to offer connections from BFS, to potentially destinations in the US, the initial leg could be on the A320, with BFS crew"

I'm thinking they already do albeit with different carriers via LHR, might be time for a bit of market research as I think a lot of the NI traveling public still utilize LHR and LGW to get to the US.

[tigger2k8]

If EI don't do cdg/ams, could EZY not operate double daily on say M,F. They did operate 2 on a Fri to Paris just before EI started operations. Paris is quite popular.

they easily could, EZY released their schedule before EI made their annoucement about dropping BCN and CDG... EZY could easily increase their capacity on the 3 routes they now have a monopoly on in N.I (AMS,BCN and CDG) maybe not for November as thats a quiet month, but say starting December time on Friday's and Sundays

all depends i guess on the airports fee's, i know the increase of fee's led to EZY dropping more flights than they had planned

[BFS101]

edit - BFS-GLA is actually 17x week, Thurs operates 2 flights, not 3

Didn't check that myself when put in random dates, though from 28 Jan 10 through to the end of the winter timetable, it would seem thursday is 3 flights per day; up to the 21 Jan 10, its 2.

I'm thinking they already do albeit with different carriers via LHR, might be time for a bit of market research as I think a lot of the NI traveling public still utilize LHR and LGW to get to the US.

When EI operated from BFS though it wasn't a connecting flight, it had the same flight number from BFS right through to final US destination via SNN, (to JFK). SNN was simply a stop to pick up some more passengers and clear US immigration and customs. Initially an A330 for the entire route, then I believe towards the end of its operation the BFS - SNN leg was B737. It was sold as a direct, but not a non-stop flight, thats what I was suggesting with EI to operate to SNN now with a BFS based aircraft, but with the same flight number as the continuing service to US. Connecting in LON are two seperate flights albeit maybe with through checked baggage on the one ticket.

My point was that with decent one-stop services to the US already from BFS / BHD, either via London or Newark, would a service that went via SNN instead really be much of a benefit?? You could be pedantic and mention the clearance of US formalities, but for the average joe in the street would this really matter?? If EI were to offer direct service to new long haul destinations, then excellent, but to offer just another one-stop via SNN, would it really be much of a benefit?