NEWCASTLE - 8

[Jamesair]

Thanks for the replies.....maybe somebody needs to look into re-introducing an OSLO link...previously Braathens. (once the economy starts recovering)

[mmeteesside]

Oslo is available via Aberdeen with Eastern, if they had many people wanting it I'm sure they would introduce a direct link.

[Jamesair]

Eastern fares would probably be too high. I was thinking more of someone like Flybe or Norwegian going for the tourist market that the ferry used to carry

[Richard Taylor]

Oslo is available via Aberdeen with Eastern, if they had many people wanting it I'm sure they would introduce a direct link.


T3 axing this, I thought.

[CentreFix25]

Thanks for the replies.....maybe somebody needs to look into re-introducing an OSLO link...previously Braathens. (once the economy starts recovering)

I flew to Oslo with Braathens many moons ago - there was 3 passengers on the 737-500. The service ended not long after.

[ncleflights]

Scandinavian Links

The NE has traditionally done very well with regard to tourist traffic from Scandinavia.

While I don't know about the actual yield didn't Jet2 have decent load factors when they operated the Bergen route and for that matter didn't Ryanair on the Oslo route?

Thanks

[HH6702]

New routes/Airlines

Ok so what can newcastle expect as new routes/airlines this year and next??
Defo no jfk/ewr or extra dxb

Turkey is selling very well again. We dont seem to do well during the winter months to turkey.
Surely there could be least a weekly flight to Antalya?
at the monment i think it stops early december and starts again end of march?

Could Turkish or Pegasus not try a 2x weekly YEAR ROUND flight to Antalya??

I know the answer before i see the replys but its more likely that hoping for long haul?

[Jamesair]

If Flybe does well with Hannover maybe we will see other German routes. They publicly stated they were interested in routes to Germany and Scandinavia from NCL.

LH said it may look at other German routes.

Jet 2 usually comes up with a few new routes each year.

[ReadyToGo]

Hannover has been an established route from NCL for a while, previously operated on the 737 by Tuifly, I think its essentially military pax, but could be wrong. Flybe ought to do well on the Dash.

But wether there are any other German options out of the airport well...

Frankfurt would be the icing on the cake, but probably only for LH/Eurowings
Munich - Surely with business, leisure, (Military too?) traffic it could work a few days a week?
Cologne - (Been tried I think?)
Hamburg?
Berlin - EZY to SXF perhaps? Maybe 3 times weekly?


But then I wake up and realise that these airlines aren't daft. They can see theres not good connections to Germany, and will no doubt have done research and realised its not worth it.
More bucket-and-spade routes i suspect. Can see a jet2 Hurghada on the horizon, perhaps a scheduled Mahon with EZY or LS... Much more likely IMO.

But then again, maybe there is some thinking outside the box... even if its shortlived... did anyone see Newcastle to Edinburgh and Oxford on the horizon????

RTG!

[SWBKCB]

Just an update on German routes:

• Munich - tried (albeit briefly - one season?) and dropped by HLX;
  
• Cologne - tried and dropped by HLX;
  
• Berlin - EZY to Berlin (can't remember which airport) has been operated and dropped.

[apaul]

The past history of the German routes has been discussed before, so it's probably not worth going over the same ground. But in general the fact that a route has been dropped in the past does not mean it cannot work in different circumstances. Presumbly Flybe is happy with the Gatwick route as it has increased frequencies to four a day, yet this was a route that had just been dropped by BA and Jet2 in rapid succession.

[HH6702]

Those HLX routes were over 5 years ago. The market has changed a lot since then.
HLX I think had the wrong aircraft type for the routes also lack of advertising!
Any new route should be given at least 12-18 months to build up not 6!!!

[skyman771]

EZY Performance issues

I am surprised that there has not been any comment of late on this thread as to the current performance of EZY. It was noted some weeks ago that there were crew issues and that some previously based had been moved overseas. Now I am no insider to operations but when aircraft are away doing "W"s or whatever then punctuality and servicability issues become more frequent, particularly towards the end of the day. As a case in point I noted whilst in GVA several weeks ago that the later NCL inbound was running several hours late but thought no more.
However I was astounded to hear from those holding reservations, the horror tale surrounding the EZY NCL-GVA on Sat 13/2. Apparantly being half term it was fully booked with pax who had paid "well over the odds" and having been messed about most of day then EZY simply cancelled the flight leaving 170 individuals with a ruined holiday.
I was informed that when seeking alternative travel ex NCL then the following Wednesday was first available. As an aside EZY blamed an aircraft going tech., but then they would
In my view not a way to run an airline and in being cynical then not a course of action to be taken should the cameras have been present!
A sign of the times to come I fear !!

[ReadyToGo]

I am not entirely 100% on this, so bear with me. But I think the scheduling on some (maybe not all) of the NCL-GVA routes is a W pattern with Bournemouth (NCL-GVA-BOH-GVA-NCL). Now I could be wrong, but thats probably cutting quite fine into crew hours. A bit of bad weather, or a minor tech delay and suddenly EZY have a problem with crewing.

I think since EZY started laying off staff at NCL they have really been trying to get everything they can out of those that are left. Theres only so many times that crews are happy to go into discretion, and the result is that flights get cancelled.

Again, this is opinion, and based on what I have heard rather than what I know, but it doesn't look great.

That said, every airline has horror stories like you quote skyman, and I am sure this isn't a regular occurance, nor is it unique to NCL. I agree its not good, but the majority of times, I am sure EZY flights get away on time

RTG!

[Flightlevel001]

With regard to Flybe at Newcastle, I believe that the commercial department are waiting in the wings to see how the Hannover performs. I can't see it being a failure given that NCL has been somewhat lacking in German routes of late.

Flybe has often been reported as saying it would like to expand into Europe a little further from NCL and everyone knows there is great potential from NCL for an airline with BE's business model. The main problem for them is simply aircraft availability. They don't have enough Q400s to go round! 4 are being used up in ATH with Olympic and the rest are either deferred orders or sold on. Whilst a shrude move financially for BE, it means that the airline can't be very quick off the mark when it comes to expansion again... There are a few underused Embraer 195s kicking around but whether one will come to NCL in the near future is an unlikely moot point.

The SOU is a very popular route and the LGW services Flybe have managed to re-establish very well and is a great money spinner I'm told; that's Flybe's bread and butter route from NCL and will be here to stay.

I believe in the coming year, maybe the start of 2011, Flybe will put another Dash up there and then the expansion will start for BE. The reason why NCL seems to have stalled for them is that it opened at the beginning of a downturn!

[flybar]

Presumbly Flybe is happy with the Gatwick route as it has increased frequencies to four a day, yet this was a route that had just been dropped by BA and Jet2 in rapid succession.

Jet2 did a deal with Flybe on the NCL-LGW route, in fact both airlines advertised flights for the each other to ensure a smooth changeover!!

The capacity of Flybe's aircraft is more suited to this route.

Jet2 & Flybe do not compete on any route from any airport

[fl dutchman]

New route

Ryanair to Oslo 3x weekly from May I think.

[HH6702]

Ryanair can we please have our milan route back too since u have pulled out of manchester!!

[Jamesair]

aahhhh they must have read my post about Oslo

[apaul]

The Ryanair press release can be read here Luchtzak Aviation • View topic - Ryanair announces new route from Newcastle to Oslo

It's to Rygge rather than Torp that they flew to before from Newcastle.