BELFAST AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Just noted it turning back and looking to be decending towards BFS
UPDATE: Looks to be headed to Dublin
UPDATE: Looks to be headed to Dublin
Join Date: Jul 2009
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The captain didn't "decide" to cause fly an extra 150 miles just to inconvenience the medical emergency, you do realise there's several factors in the mix right?
Also a Heathrow-bound BA B744 diverted into Dublin yesterday due to crew running out of hours. There have been instances where BA crews were heard to say that they were under company instructions not to divert to Belfast. Why? Is Belfast excessively expensive? I'm trying to understand why Shannon and, more perplexingly, Dublin are preferred.
Last edited by El Bunto; 17th Aug 2016 at 08:04.
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I think you will find the diverts have a lot to do with ground handling. Delta do not fly to BFS, so imagine the situation of emergency landing in BFS, ambulance waiting, and no one to attach stairs to the aircraft? (YES this does happen, you would be amazed!) Let alone re-fueling aircraft, new loadsheet, removal of bags, god forbid the crew go out of hours....etc etc etc
If you know you have all of these within 200nm then DUB was a good call.
Again with BA?!? Crew going out of hours, whats your best chance of making most of the delay to your passengers? Go to an airport where you or your partners do not operate to (BFS) or where you + partners have 19 daily flights to your crew base (DUB)
If you know you have all of these within 200nm then DUB was a good call.
Again with BA?!? Crew going out of hours, whats your best chance of making most of the delay to your passengers? Go to an airport where you or your partners do not operate to (BFS) or where you + partners have 19 daily flights to your crew base (DUB)
Join Date: Oct 2011
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If it was a serious emergency such as risk to life Belfast would of been chosen but when it's not the airline will pick where is best.
The BA routing was to the south of DUB/SNN so BFS would never of been considered.
As for airlines not wanting to use a particular airport as Gulf Julliet Papa is correct but cost may also play a role as the chances are a diversion by BA to Belfast would cost a lot more as they are not regular operations but it's likely they will be charged normal fees at DUB applicable to B747.
The BA routing was to the south of DUB/SNN so BFS would never of been considered.
As for airlines not wanting to use a particular airport as Gulf Julliet Papa is correct but cost may also play a role as the chances are a diversion by BA to Belfast would cost a lot more as they are not regular operations but it's likely they will be charged normal fees at DUB applicable to B747.
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Belfast
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Southern hypocrisy
Oh yeah I see the Southerners are now complaining about the subsidies! What about the £7 billion they got from UK taxpayers (this equates to £1600 for every Southerner) or the US$9M Aer Lingus got from US taxpayers to operate Hartford or all the subsidies they have been throwing about for years......what a bunch of hypocrites.
Join Date: Oct 2011
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Oh yeah I see the Southerners are now complaining about the subsidies! What about the £7 billion they got from UK taxpayers (this equates to £1600 for every Southerner) or the US$9M Aer Lingus got from US taxpayers to operate Hartford or all the subsidies they have been throwing about for years......what a bunch of hypocrites.
The UK gets the money back, NI Goverment gets nothing from UA
UK didn't have to give the money but it was because of NI they did, would also use the words stones in glass houses as the English have been bailing you for for decades.
Take the divide aside 140 pounds per passenger is outrageous considering United will probally still charge another 250 odd on top so they could be banking 390 pounds each way, passengers flying out of Belfast are probally paying highest UK-NYC fares.
UA may have a point about making more on the B752's elsewhere however it very questionable. Question needs to be asked where should NI draw the line if they come back in 3 years. Would people support more money going to it? It won't stop the flow to Dublin.
And the media were reporting EI could get up to 19 million dollars for Hartford depending on performance.
Now let's stop the Willy waving eh? I personally couldn't care less if your government are spending that much subsidising UA, I just hope you're getting value for money
BFS-watcher. Cobblers. I'm a Northerner and I certainly don't support this waste of money. In fact an online poll carried out by one of the local rags (or was it Slugger O'Toole?) found 75% of people don't support the subsidy.
Setting aside the stupidly of wasting so much money (£5.4m) on one route. Here's a question for the hypocrites: how can you justify the funding of this subsidy for the 48,000 seats a year the route offers, but simultaneously claim the subventions for CoDA is a waste of taxpayers' money, despite it being a quarter of the United subsidy, but supporting 275,000-300,000 pax a year?
Also, if this route was operating from BHD (theoretically), would there be the support offered for it by BFS-watcher and the rest of the Alderdump cabal?
Setting aside the stupidly of wasting so much money (£5.4m) on one route. Here's a question for the hypocrites: how can you justify the funding of this subsidy for the 48,000 seats a year the route offers, but simultaneously claim the subventions for CoDA is a waste of taxpayers' money, despite it being a quarter of the United subsidy, but supporting 275,000-300,000 pax a year?
Also, if this route was operating from BHD (theoretically), would there be the support offered for it by BFS-watcher and the rest of the Alderdump cabal?
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Well said EI-330...and Una due..
NI has a proud tradition of taking outrageous handouts from Westminster, the figures are eye watering and unsustainable. Nobody in NI can give a lecture to the south on handouts... And in ROI's defence they have bounced back amazingly from one is the worst banking crisis that any country has ever seen.
Sadly, and nor wishing to start a debate, if UA 's NI airport had some proper interlining facilties, ie a Flybe codeshare or the like, there would be a sporting opportunity to feed the UK regional airports..
EI-BUD
NI has a proud tradition of taking outrageous handouts from Westminster, the figures are eye watering and unsustainable. Nobody in NI can give a lecture to the south on handouts... And in ROI's defence they have bounced back amazingly from one is the worst banking crisis that any country has ever seen.
Sadly, and nor wishing to start a debate, if UA 's NI airport had some proper interlining facilties, ie a Flybe codeshare or the like, there would be a sporting opportunity to feed the UK regional airports..
EI-BUD
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FR are supposed to be looking at interlining with various long haul operators apparently. Maybe Star Alliance could be the choice in order to upset the IAG airlines at DUB. Possibly opening up an opportunity for UA at BFS. Unconfirmed but apparently three UK routes on the cards for FR at BFS. Not LPL but EMA is in the runners and riders list along with Stanstead. Also hearing Madrid and Charleroi thrice weekly.