BELFAST AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL

[El Bunto]

Norwegian is 'only' scheduled to receive six transatlantic-capable 737 MAX this year, all by June, so unless some incentives have been offered to jump up the priority queue I don't see them coming to Belfast before 2018.

[josechung]

I'm not going to get into justifying a US flight from BFS, the numbers speak for themselves.

It will be interesting to see who the airport are talking to.

[AerRyan]

Yet the service is gone!

[SecondDog]

Originally Posted by AerRyan

Yet the service is gone!

For the reasons given above. There is a market there and it will be up to the respective airlines if they want to come in.

[AerRyan]

Originally Posted by SecondDog

For the reasons given above. There is a market there and it will be up to the respective airlines if they want to come in.

I don't see any valid reasons.

Birmingham is a far larger airport and yield is a deciding factor.

The service likely did make money in the peak summer season, but did it make enough money.

[A320.b744]

UA gave the Executive an ultimatum - give us more money or we will leave. The Executive were unable to deliver so UA had no option but to leave. If they had stayed in spite of this then they'd have lost a lot of bargaining credibility with other regional airports. UA would have been unable to milk the funds of other regions where their Newark service is the only transatlantic link.

[owenc]

Well what airline is likely to provide a self sustaining route from Belfast? I can't see it being an American airline, wouldn't they just go along the same path as United has?

*It's also probably going to be quite a long time before we get the route replaced, let's not kid ourselves*

[OltonPete]

United/Norwegian/easyjet

Surely has to be Norwegian they are on about.

6 738 MAX due this year and Belfast without any APD and figures of 9000 pax a month in peak. Norwegian would be daft not to talk to Belfast let alone the other way round. Of course winter is totally different but if it is a US based aircraft they could send it elsewhere as they already have US 737 flights in winter.

Also imagine the headline base fare and how they could milk it in publicity much more so than EDI.

A320.b744

Obviously BHX are in a weak position at the moment with AA leaving but I can't imagine they have done much of a deal with United up until now but I suppose you can never be sure.

easyjet

Still nothing rumoured from the BHX re the BFS route about it ending all very quiet.

Pete

[BFS BHD]

Was there not talk of Norwegian using the B737-800NG as well for some USA routes? Not meant to cap seats to 150 instead of 189?

[BHD2BFS]

Jet2 New York

Not sure if already been mentioned but jet2 doing a one off flight on 14th Dec to NY
only 1 date for a 4 day trip

[BFS BHD]

Not sure if already been mentioned but jet2 doing a one off flight on 14th Dec to NY
only 1 date for a 4 day trip

Yes I posted about it a page back.

[SecondDog]

Originally Posted by A320.b744

UA gave the Executive an ultimatum - give us more money or we will leave. (No they didnt.) The Executive were unable to deliver (no they weren't) so UA had no option but to leave.(yes, they did) If they had stayed in spite of this then they'd have lost a lot of bargaining credibility with other regional airports (The deal at BFS would have been a good bargaining tool to put to other airports). UA would have been unable to milk the funds of other regions where their Newark service is the only transatlantic link (not if they had a template ironed out at BFS).

See my notes in brackets

[BHD2BFS]

Would jet2 invest in a New York route?
Maybe 4-5 times a week with it doing canaries in between?

[AerRyan]

Norwegian are interested in attacking current markets, of course the exception is Cork for obivous reasons (political bait).

United have not only cut Belfast, they've made several cuts in the UK including cutting Newcastle completely.

Let the economy and currency settle first, I've no doubt that Belfast will not see a Transatlantic service in 2017.

Maybe again once the A320 NEO family and the 737 MAX become widespread. When this happens I can see more than just New York being added.

[SecondDog]

Originally Posted by BHD2BFS

Would jet2 invest in a New York route?
Maybe 4-5 times a week with it doing canaries in between?

Jet2 are very much concentrating on their package holidays, not sure if regular transatlantic and the logistics involved with it would fit that direction of development. But they could surprise people I suppose....

[pwalhx]

If Jet2 were to enter the transatlantic market with a regular service I suspect it is more likely from one of their English bases initially do you not think?

[SecondDog]

Originally Posted by pwalhx

If Jet2 were to enter the transatlantic market with a regular service I suspect it is more likely from one of their English bases initially do you not think?

NI has the lack of long haul APD in its favour and a market just vacated that was relatively busy if not high yield enough for United.

I don't think they will go outside of the occasional charter like this but I hope I am wrong.

[josechung]

Originally Posted by AerRyan

Yet the service is gone!

Troll alert.

[AerRyan]

Originally Posted by josechung

Troll alert.

Well if the route is as lucrative as seems to be made out here, how come it's gone?

You can't just call an opinion you don't like a troll in an effort to discount it, you have to ask yourself, is the person who doesn't make any argument the real troll?

[canberra97]

People who immediately call someone a 'troll' just because they do not agree with opinion of that person have to be the most immature people out there who do not exactly understand the meaning of the said word.

Pathetic springs to mind!