BELFAST (BHD) - 3

[sealink]

bring on the runway extension at BHD i say !! the airport is there , has been there and always will be there so get on with the job of operating not just an airport but a business and keeping people ( including those living under the flight path ) in a job and bringing in visitors and business people to our city. if anyone does not like BHD then drive on up the road to BFS and fly from there !!! BHD is a business and like any business will do what it needs to do to stay in business. Be proud of BHD and welcome EZY, another carrier offering their services. The new departure lounge is fab and the when the new security channel opens before xmas followed by the world duty free in the new year the terminal will be something to be proud of!!!

[SKY's4ME]

Sealink I agree the terminal is more user friendly/welcoming at BHD than the deteriorating state of Aldegrove. After arriving at BFS recently even with the current ''improvement'' works the terminal feels still stuck in the 20th century! The terminal is also dirty cold and poorly laid out No wonder Easyjet and possibly others are reviewing a move.

However the Stormont Assembly have there prorities wrong as the most sensiible expansion should be ex BFS with infastructure improvments to both transport to the airport and off course kick the spanish out to improve the airport buildings once and for all!

Both airports should remain but only one should expand.

[gate 22]

Sealink I agree the terminal will be and is more user friendly and welcoming and BHD than the deteriorating state of Aldegrove. After arriving at BFS recently even with the current ''improvement'' works the terminal feels still stuck in the 20th century! The terminal is also dirty cold and poorly laid out No wonder Easyjet and possibly others are reviewing a move.

The thing is pre-2001 BHD's terminal was third world, it had to be up graded, so the only option was a rebuild, there is no excuse for it not to be a good design. The problem with BFS is that since 2001 BHD has been slowly but surely pinching it's clients. Without a coherent policy from the government on local aviation, it is no surprise that the owners are slow to invest at BFS. Why would you as an owner invest ££££millions if there was the potential for a constrained airport next door to become unconstrained. The fact that the substantial part of BFS is existing means that they are going to work around whats there so no big new clean modern looking fancy finishes. You generally only get that feel when you start from scratch.

[BFS101]

"Belfast City Airport is Expanding by "By Stealth""

BBC News - Belfast City airport is expanding 'by stealth'

[ALLMCC]

Can't see what is "stealthy" about openly and publicly requesting removal of the passenger cap.

[gate 22]

Can't see what is "stealthy" about openly and publicly requesting removal of the passenger cap.

Yeah but technically they are over it already, so when Poots says not lifting at the moment, and EZY start after Christmas with 12000 extra pax per month Where is the transparency? What is going to happen, are EZY going to have to cancel their operation?

[Rinty]

They may not be over the 'seats for sale' limit. If BHD carries 2.5M pax this year and its allowed to offer 4M (2M each way) then thats only a load factor of 62% average. Probably not too far out.

[super737]

ILS25, what a childish response "" I'll take it by your username your very much in favour of BFS. Following that response can I assume that there is no valid point nor evidence to support "No they won't"?????

[eastern wiseguy]

Posting here over the years leads me to realise that this thread is just one big willy waving fest. If one is to take a cool impartial look,one would say that there are two airports seperated by 12 miles as the crow flies serving a small population and both are fundamentally looking to go to the same places with little or nothing to choose between them. In this new world of climate change and government(central not the fools on the hill)announcing that airline passenger numbers must be REDUCED there has to be a case which can be argued for CO-OPERATION rather than competition. BFS has the perfect set up for H24 ops and BHD has the perfect location for business travellers to the central Belfast area. I remain to be persuaded that RYR aren't just leading a race to the bottom and that they by dint of having deeper pockets will survive whilst other less cash rich operations will implode. Thats life you may say but what will happen when choice is extinguished? Will there still be the headline 1p fares? Will there be a choice of destinations at all?

I truly believe that the status quo should prevail. Whether it will and how soon we see the detrimental effects if it doesn't remains to be seen.

[eastconsbrook]

Easyjet at BCA

B737-700 to start with and then on to Airbus a319
Is this the start of a new base for EZY ?

[Thad Jarvis]

oh no it's not.

[BFS101]

Two more stories regarding the runway row this morning:

FlyBE ask Peter Robinson to step in

Flybe asks Peter Robinson to step in - Local & National, News - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Health Claims questioned as airport runway row deepens

Health claims questioned as airport runway row deepens - Local & National, News - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk

[tigger2k8]

B737-700 to start with and then on to Airbus a319
Is this the start of a new base for EZY

dont get ahead of yourself now the 737 is a LTN base aircraft so technically they have no base aircraft at BHD, however if they want their "business" routes to be successful then... they need to have an aircraft that can leave around 0600-0700... i would nearly put a bet on that we see LTN back at BFS

[q1W2e3R4t5]

Flybe are simply trying to make themselves look good to the residents opposed to the extension when in fact all they really care about is loss of business and money.

But why should they be worried if as they claim they have no intention of ever flying the european routes.

I will tell you, booked on the website Belfast to Alicante

Flight No. BE985 Depart Belfast City Mon 04 Jan 10 06:45 Economy
Operated by Flybe Arrive Southampton Mon 04 Jan 10 08:10 Fare rules

Flight No. BE1715 Depart Southampton Mon 04 Jan 10 12:10 Economy
Operated by Flybe Arrive Alicante Mon 04 Jan 10 15:35 Fare rules


Total Journey time - 7 hours 50 minutes

as you can see they are quite happy to provide all the destinations in the network albeit with connecting flights. So HQ will be worried about losing out.

And to have a journey time of nearly 8 hours is a joke, I could be halfway across the states by then. Bring on the proper low cost flights direct and give up a few valuable stands for aircraft that intend on actually doing more than just parking up on them.

[gate 22]

Is it true that last week there was a near-miss at BHD, and that the pro-BHD media machine is passing it off as not serious enough to publish?

[q1W2e3R4t5]

near miss go on.........do tell

[gate 22]

near miss go on.........do tell

Could be an over reaction, but I did hear it from somebody who I am sure did not make it up.
You see this is a forum where people ask questions and maybe somebody who knows something can respond. So I was asking a question. If I knew the answer then I wouldn't have asked the question.

[q1W2e3R4t5]

So someone who would not make it up told you of a near miss but mentioned no details.

Probably started out from someone mentioning they NEARly MISSed their flight...........................

[gate 22]

Probably started out from someone mentioning they NEARly MISSed their flight...........................

Thanks for clearing that up

[q1W2e3R4t5]

ok then you start off and we'll all try and fill in the blanks.

On dd/mm/yyyy a xxx departed bhd destined for xxx, after being instructed to ...................