Aer Lingus - 6

[Cyrano]

The Daily Telegraph seems to feel sure that Aer Lingus will be bidding for the LHR slots which IAG is giving up, in order to start services from Heathrow to Edinburgh/Aberdeen and perhaps Nice. This is presumably based on Christoph Mueller's earlier comments to ATW. (The slots have to be used for specific routes - EDI/ABZ/NCE/CAI/RUH/MOW - and as a non-UK carrier EI would probably not have the bilateral rights (nor the interest) to serve the last three).

Obviously Virgin is also bidding, but if EI were to win slots at LHR for non-Irish services, that would be an interesting development...

[jdcg]

As BA is gaining the BD services to DUB and BHD, would it make any sense for EI to end its codeshare with BA (in fact, should that not be an obligation) and instead feed VS and / or others from LHR, including domestic services to EDI / ABZ?
Or would they stand to lose too much revenue?

[840]

Look at it from BA's point of view.

If they pull out of Dublin and Belfast, Aer Lingus can still feed their hub and they can use the slots for more profitable services.

Plus, pulling out of the arrangement with Aer Lingus would see them lose codeshares to Cork and Shannon, which probably feed a respectable amount of passengers to their services.

[skyways1452]

The only thing I could see which could indicate what could happen with Belfast at least, is that right around the same time Walsh guaranteed the link would be kept, BA flight numbers started showing on the BFS arrival and departure boards where they didn't before on Aer Lingus flights. I reckon that he'll pass it off as 'yes, the link is with Aer Lingus our codeshare partners' or whatever possibly with increased frequency.

[Jack1985]

Aer Lingus could definately put these 12 new slots to good use extra flights to Belfast, Cork, Dublin plus a new route to Knock.

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by Jack1985

Aer Lingus could definately put these 12 new slots to good use extra flights to Belfast, Cork, Dublin plus a new route to Knock.

Er...no. I think you're missing the point fairly totally. The slots are being released in order to maintain competition on the key routes out of LHR which would otherwise become a BA monopoly. I repeat what I wrote above:

The slots have to be used for specific routes - EDI/ABZ/NCE/CAI/RUH/MOW

The condition of using the slots is that they are used to operate services on those specific routes, not just for whatever any airline might fancy doing with them.

[Mlinnie]

Aer Lingus Regional

Have Aer Lingus Regional/Aer Araan took order of 2 new ATRS ?

[Jack1985]

The condition of using the slots is that they are used to operate services on those specific routes, not just for whatever any airline might fancy doing with them.

Ah I see appoligies, surely though Aer Lingus would have no intrest in operating services from Heathrow to EDI/ABZ etc... Id personally love to see Virgin launch a new domestic carrier similar to Virgin America from Heathrow

[PPRuNeUser0176]

Incident: Aer Lingus A320 at Barcelona on Mar 14th 2012, fuel emergency

Can't beleave how Spanish ATC handled the suituation.

[Noxegon]

Quite scary. It's also quite interesting to see the load factor...

[racedo]

Quite scary. It's also quite interesting to see the load factor...

Had read this a couple of days ago and felt similar .......

[Tom the Tenor]

And what was the Dublin Barcelona load of the same day, I wonder?

I would bet that it was not that much higher but because it was ex Cork it gets a dig.

Well, not on my watch, folks!

There are now two treads going on the event in the ATC Forum.

Looks like grubby parish pump politics may have been in play?

[EI-A330-300]

Tom you must admit a very poor LF for March. It may just happen to be low that day but if a LF like that in March what were they in Dec and Jan.

[mart901]

Of course mainland spain is the place everyone heads in March - not! Judging by EI's load factors generally I would imagine its either a one off or seasonal demand being poor, they just wouldn't fly the route if it didn't pay.

[Noxegon]

And what was the Dublin Barcelona load of the same day, I wonder? I would bet that it was not that much higher but because it was ex Cork it gets a dig.

I was only pointing out the low load factor, not where the flight originated from. But since you mention it, maybe there isn't the demand for BCN from ORK at this time of year.

[Stevek]

I really do reckon the DUB-BCN L/F was a lot higher. Sure they use the 321 on the route quite a bit!

[Jack1985]

Considering it was Paddy's Day that weekend, also that it was on a Wednesday (Highest LF's on ORK/BCN/ORK on Fridays, Sundays) I would have expected it be low, Cork/Barcelona is a money maker for Aer Lingus.

[CabinCrewe]

you have access to the financial figure for Aer Lingus routes ?

[Jack1985]

you have access to the financial figure for Aer Lingus routes ?

Nope, but the fact I work on the ramp at Cork and have seen first hand flights on Friday and Sunday to Barcelona depart pretty full is my main reason for saying that

[Mlinnie]

Barcelona

Well I flew DUB-BCN twice and BFS-BCN and all three times the planes were 85-90% full