SOUTHAMPTON

[Rivet Joint]

The point about it being business is valid but it is hard to argue how this move is anything but spite. They have a long history of it at SOU. They have made numerous attempts to drive T3 off the LBA and ABZ routes only to drop the routes a few months after succeeding. In order to over saturate the AMS route they are cutting back the Paris route. How is that helping their customers? What's that expression, cut your nose to spite your face?

The C-series is the answer to all of SOU's problems and I still suspect that EZY will order it at some point. The runway would no longer be a restricting factor on what destinations are reachable, the airside infrastructure would be though. They should be building new stands to the north east and improving the taxiways. I just hope the grinning goon has the airport prepared for when EZY do come calling but I suspect he won't. If he did then we could finally say goodbye to the underwhelming and nasty little airline that have treated us all with nothing but contempt all these years.

[Rivet Joint]

Cloud1: As Adfly has pointed out, the increase means that there are now three departures within 2 hours. In your 'professional opinion' can you please tell us the business case for this frequency? We are all ears to your 'professional opinion'.

If you don't mind me asking, do you live in the vicinity of SOU? You cannot underestimate what the arrival of KLM means for SOU, the world has literally been unlocked. A lot of visitors to SOU (chiefly the Asian students) will be more likely to rely on an internationally known airline like KLM than they would BE. This will over time build a reputation for SOU to international travellers. If BE drives KLM away then SOU is back to square one.

[RW20]

river Joint
Surely the airport management can see through Flybe Amsterdam actions,and as such will want to do everything to keep KLM.Without some form of support KLM could stop operations from Southampton,which would be a heavy blow to the airport ambitions.

[SWBKCB]

What about BE's codeshare partners like Emirates, Etihad, Cathay? Hardly small fry

[Reversethrustset]

You didn't call them a nasty little airline when they gave you your first job did you, Rivet Joint.
The only business case you need to hear from cloud1 is that it's survival of the fittest and no doubt the "little airline" you're now working for would do exactly the same. If you can't see this as business then you need to go back to school.
You know as well as I do that if Flybe pulled out of Southampton then one of two things would happen, it would either become another little GA airfield or it'll become real estate. Grow up.

[The Nutts Mutts]

Rivet mate, you seriously need to relax. Reading your posts gives the impression of a red-faced, spitting mad keyboard warrior child. You make such assertions without any evidence, and usually resort to childish insults of companies and key members of the airport management. Is it really worth getting so worked up about?
No offence meant, I just felt the need to post a friendly word of advice before you go and hurt yourself.

Anyway, don't forget that a few short years ago the SOU-AMD route was operated by Scot Airways on a Dornier 328. Not exactly a lot of capacity. Fast forward and it's now operated by two large airlines multiple times per day with presumably a lot of transit pax as well as point to point. It's a very successful route, just look at the number of people it carries and think of how that has grown since the aforementioned D328 operation.

My point is, the Flybe frequency increase may purely be down to increased capacity during the peak season, and not solely as a dig at KLM. I think KLM are holding their own on the route from what I've seen, and I believe the city pair can support both carriers.

[The Nutts Mutts]

*SOU-AMS. Typo. D'oh.

[_aax1]

I wouldn't worry about EZY coming to SOU. EZY would never order the C-series, it goes against the simple LCC principle of having one type of aircraft. Also both EZY and FR are increasing capacity on their aircraft to continue to bring costs down so ordering small aircraft would not happen. Whenever EZY open new bases in the future it will be at airports such as FRA, MUC, LHR, ZUR to compete with the flags on business routes, not regional airports.

[EI-BUD]

EZY would never order the C-series, it goes against the simple LCC principle of having one type of aircraft

To a large extent the rule book has gone out the window in relation to LCC's, or their precise definition. Take JetBlue for example, it has a second type commensurate with the markets that it wants to access that would not suit A320 family. Another ingredient would be the use of secondary airports, but that is clearly now not the case. Ryanair even now go to FRA, which they said they never would. Norwegian now have long haul, a step change in terms of operating model, and as a result a operating a wide body.

EasyJet is more of a value carrier than a pure LCC and with its European peers operating at a lower cost it will need to have a point of difference. A type with lower costs to operate at a reasonable frequency may be a USP.

If the business case stacks up, such C Series coming to the market with a lower cost to get scale of orders or visibility with particular carriers, the likes of easyJet or any airline should consider looking at it. Building such business cases naturally is about more than the purchase price, it will need to look at type rating costs of pilots, maintenance, and a host of other nuances and costs. Again if it stacks up....

EI-BUD

[Buster the Bear]

C-Series was hangared with easyJet after the last Farnborough Air Show, so they must have expressed a high level interest in the airframe.

[SWBKCB]

Rather than operating a smaller a/c themselves, maybe EZY might go down the franchise route - with, say, somebody like flyBe....

[Heathrow Harry]

well if Bombardier are giving C-series away......................

[Rivet Joint]

C-Series

Many in the industry have confirmed it to be the most technically advanced aircraft currently in the air. Not sure why airlines are not queuing up to take it to be honest. I guess all the uncertainty currently around Bombardier is stopping airlines from committing. I may be wrong but it would appear that the C-Series is perfectly suited to serve a relatively untapped market (long thin routes between 2nd cities). The LCC market is oversaturated with FR, EZY, etc all serving the centre ground with 737s/A320s. Does anyone else think that there is an opportunity for one of the LCCs to make a move into the long thin market between 2nd cities? With the C-series high economics and long range this could be the next battle ground?

[inOban]

Agree, but also to sustain frequency on AYRound 'business' routes at times of low demand, such as Nov and Jan. I would have thought that the best way would be for Easy to wet-lease some from Cityjet or other owners.

[adfly]

Looks like there may be a Ski flight to Sion in Switzerland next winter if this operation gets off the ground.

Where to Ski And Snowboard - PowdAir to fly from UK regions to Sion

[Severn]

From CH-Aviation:

PowdAir (Sion) is a virtual carrier looking to offer direct flights from various UK, Dutch, and Belgian airports to Sion located in the heart of Switzerland’s most popular winter sports region, the Valais.

The start-up said in a statement that effective December 17 onwards, it will offer flights from Sion to each of London Southend, Bournemouth, Southampton, Bristol Int'l, Manchester Int'l and Edinburgh in the UK as well as Brussels in Belgium, and Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Operations are on-board two Fokker 100s chartered from Croatia's Trade Air (C3, Zagreb).

Transfers from Sion to the ski resorts of Verbier, Zermatt, Crans-Montana, Zinal-Grimentz, Leukerbad and Anzčre will be available.

[Flitefone]

EZY fleet and route strategy is well articulated in their annual report, in a nutshell for fleets, its larger aircraft and lower seat costs, dumping the 319 in favour of 186 seat 320 and 320 neo:

"Efficient fleet management. We operate an exclusively Airbus A320 family fleet. This delivers operational flexibility as well as efficiencies in engineering and maintenance, crew, ownership and fuel. As the second largest operator of Airbus A320 family aircraft in the world we also benefit from significant economies of scale on acquisition. Between 2016 and 2021 we will derive a major benefit from up-gauging our fleet, from a majority 156-seat A319 composition to a fleet that is over 70% 186-seat A320s. The 186-seat A320neo aircraft are expected to have a 13% to 14% cost per seat benefit(6) compared to the 156-seat A319s."

[SOUSpotter96]

Another E175 from KLM. Is this them increasing capacity against FlyBe maybe?, or is the demand there.

[RW20]

SOU spotter96
Isn't it a fact the the e175 is replacing the f70 which is being phased out by end of year,in capacity terms it's a 8 pax increase,hardly a squeeze on Flybe,now if they operated the e190 with the 100 seat layout then this would be a significant event.

[canberra97]

But the KLM EMB 190 has made several appearances at SOU, I would think it's more about aircraft utilisation than anything else plus the F70 will be totally withdrawn from service with KLM from October 2017 so we're regularly see EMB 170 on SOU to AMS with probably the odd EMB 190.