BELFAST AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL

[mart901]

Huskey One - the same BFS that lost one and gained two, one of Europe's leading low cost airlines......

[Husky One]

....that connect to nowhere and charge for bags, seat allocation, food, use slow narrowbodies and will leave you hanging if it's cancelled. I'll pass thanks.

[A320.b744]

Originally Posted by Husky One

According to Icelandair's website BHD-SEA doesn't connect outbound. Instead it requires 1x Flybe and 2x icelandair. It does connect inbound and costs £££. It's not even an option on many search engines.

Clearly you didn't search hard enough.

Icelandair 7911 (Q400) BHD-KEF 13:40-15:45
Icelandair 681 (B752) KEF-SEA 17:00-17:45
Total flight time 12hr05

Icelandair 680 (B752) SEA-KEF 16:30-06:45
Icelandair 7910 (Q400) KEF-BHD 07:45-11:15
Total flight time 11hr10

I managed to find this schedule on the airline's website and three search engines, costing £731 for 6th July - 12th July. The next cheapest fare was KLM on £838, followed by British Airways on £960.

[Husky One]

I used Iceair's website on several dates after 10th July and it did not offer the connection outbound... probably because 1hr 15 is deemed too short for interline. 3 other sites also failed to offer that connection (sensibly) including an industry one. I'm off out now. There's a few people around here should do the same

[EI-BUD]

This prob should be on BHD thread - apologies.
If Icelandair does not provide a connection to TA destinations this route will be another BRU ...

[PPRuNeUser0176]

I used Iceair's website on several dates after 10th July and it did not offer the connection outbound... probably because 1hr 15 is deemed too short for interline. 3 other sites also failed to offer that connection (sensibly) including an industry one. I'm off out now. There's a few people around here should do the same

11 July an example...

[Refuellerman]

Originally Posted by Startledgrapefruit

Size is not everything

Lol, when youre sailing down a runway without enough length im afraid size IS everything lol

[West Brit]

Marks and Sparks for airport filling station. Another feather in the cap for BFS. Basically fly drive inbound traffic can hit the road running from the airport. Fuel and decent food for the road, straight out onto traffic free roads!

[A320.b744]

BFS-LGW Passenger Numbers

83,658 people used BFS-LGW in February; 9,000 more than the second most popular domestic route EDI-LHR.

The rolling year passenger figure is 944,896 - looks like it'll surpass 1 million given this only includes 11 months of Ryanair operations.

[GAZMO]

Yes a good month in February, and hopefully March figures will be similar.......when caa publishes them

[GAZMO]

Another Norweigan sale
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articl...in-easter-sale

[mart901]

Originally Posted by GAZMO

Another Norweigan sale
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articl...in-easter-sale

Some dates I've looked at for a party of 3 it takes about £100 off the party price. Have to say full price fares have remained very competitive right the way through summer, they have inched downwards after an initial surge after the launch offers sold out so quickly.

[BHD2BFS]

Routes Europe 2017

With Routes Europe 2017 arriving to NI in a weeks time. Northern Ireland will have a key opportunity to really display itself for the first time to Airlines.... will we see any big route announcements or new airline arrivals after next weekend?
Most cities which host this conference walk away smiling

[SecondDog]

Originally Posted by BHD2BFS

With Routes Europe 2017 arriving to NI in a weeks time. Northern Ireland will have a key opportunity to really display itself for the first time to Airlines.... will we see any big route announcements or new airline arrivals after next weekend?
Most cities which host this conference walk away smiling

Bfs certainly putting in the work to try and make progress. Unfortunately with the folks on the hill faffing everything up in terms of not making a strategy for the inevitable startup/marketing support/removal of APD,I think everything is a bit of a battle.

[A320.b744]

Originally Posted by BHD2BFS

With Routes Europe 2017 arriving to NI in a weeks time. Northern Ireland will have a key opportunity to really display itself for the first time to Airlines.... will we see any big route announcements or new airline arrivals after next weekend?
Most cities which host this conference walk away smiling

Here are the number of new routes announced from host cities within 12 months of hosting Routes Europe.

Marseille 2014: 7 new routes - 2 new airlines (Eurowings, Etihad Regional)
Aberdeen 2015: 3 new routes - 1 new airline (Icelandair)
Krakow 2016: 23 new routes (18 Ryanair) - no new airlines

I don't know how many of these routes commenced as a result of hosting Routes Europe.

Regarding new routes from Belfast, I'd say these are our best bets;

Belfast Intl;
Ryanair: 2-3 new routes
Norwegian: Copenhagen or Oslo or Stockholm
Wizz Air: Budapest

Belfast City;
Eurowings: Dusseldorf
Iberia Express: Madrid

Of course I'd be shocked if even half of these actually came into fruition, but given the UK expansion plans of various airlines, these seem to be the most likely.

Even if Belfast doesn't get any new routes, hosting the event will be great publicity for the city.

[BHD2BFS]

Skyscanner now works closely with Anna.aero with regards to most searched routes that currently are not being served. I would say any routes to be announced have already been negotiated.
The fact that no new route announcements has been leaked before next weekend is quite strange as word does get around quickly in this industry.

I do agree with the above list. Although I could see FR commencing a Madrid service.
With BHD figures expected to drop this summer with a large reduction in flights by BE and EI, a reduction in IOM seats and also the loss of SN
BHD will need to come out with results from this aviation meeting.

With regards to Eurowings I could see them equally going to BFS

It will be interesting to see what Virgin decide to do with the S18 schedule. Perhaps they will announce plans next week as they do usually have nexts years on sale before this season has finished

Perhaps Blue Air could make an appearance?

For those interested this is the list of attendees
http://www.routesonline.com/events/188/routes-europe-2017/attending-delegates/all/?list_order=#attendeeList

[BFS BHD]

Anyone heard if Jet2 will be starting any new routes for S18? I'm surpised BFS isn't on sale yet its normally one of the first airports to go on sale. Wonder if we will see a B738 based soon??

[SecondDog]

Originally Posted by BFS BHD

Anyone heard if Jet2 will be starting any new routes for S18? I'm surpised BFS isn't on sale yet its normally one of the first airports to go on sale. Wonder if we will see a B738 based soon??

They have been steadily increasing over the last few years. Surely 1 new airframe could make it to BFS? If they had an 800 they could do something a bit further out? Eastern Med maybe or shore up their Canary runs. Has the Watcher heard anything?

[A320.b744]

Originally Posted by BFS BHD

Anyone heard if Jet2 will be starting any new routes for S18? I'm surpised BFS isn't on sale yet its normally one of the first airports to go on sale. Wonder if we will see a B738 based soon??

Honestly I think Jet2 have peaked their operations at BFS and don't seem to have plans to expand from the airport. Since 2003, Jet2 have operated 28 routes from Belfast - 14 of those operate in 2017. 18 destinations, including 4 being operated this year, have been axed at least once.

Here is roughly how Jet2 have added and axed routes at Belfast over the last 14 years;

2003: Leeds/Bradford
2004: Barcelona, Bournemouth, Prague
2005: Pisa
2006: Blackpool, Tenerife, Murcia (Bournemouth axed)
2007: Ibiza, Malaga, Milan, Toulouse, Palma, Chambery, Gran Canaria
2008: (Barcelona, Prague, Tenerife, Malaga, Milan axed)
2009: Dubrovnik, Jersey, Menorca, Newquay, Tenerife (Ibiza, Gran Canaria axed)
2010: Ibiza, Geneva (Chambery, Newquay axed)
2011: Alicante (Tenerife, Toulouse axed)
2012: Tenerife, Faro, Lanzarote
2013: Reus (Leeds/Bradford, Blackpool, Jersey axed)
2014: Malaga
2015: Prague, Gran Canaria, Zakynthos, Rome
2016: Fuerteventura (Prague, Pisa, Murcia, Geneva, Rome axed)
2017: Girona

I can see them adding maybe one or two new routes in 2018 - Heraklion, Paphos, Madeira come to mind - but probably at the expense of Dubrovnik and maybe Girona. Jet2 have a tendency to add new routes at the expense of some of their older routes (Pisa was axed despite a 19% growth over 2015). I would be shocked if they announced any genuine expansion - new aircraft and multiple new routes - given that they've pretty much abandoned what is now their smallest base in favour of Stansted and Birmingham.

Originally Posted by SecondDog

They have been steadily increasing over the last few years.

In 2017 they will operate 14 routes, the same number that they operated back in 2007. Over the last 10 years, Jet2 haven't really expanded their Belfast operations, and have axed routes during 6 of those 10 years. The only true expansion over the last 10 years is the increase in frequencies on their Spanish routes, though this has come at the expense of their thinner routes. A B738 could come in handy to boost capacity, but given that Jet2 are using their B738s to expand Stansted and Birmingham, as well as replace B733s from other bases, it is more probable that Belfast would be landed with a fourth B733 to boost capacity instead.

[BFS watcher]

Originally Posted by SecondDog

They have been steadily increasing over the last few years. Surely 1 new airframe could make it to BFS? If they had an 800 they could do something a bit further out? Eastern Med maybe or shore up their Canary runs. Has the Watcher heard anything?

Dog my sources telling me big Jet2 announcement before end of the month but what it is being kept close to the chest. Will do some more digging but airport being very secretive.

On another subject arrivals looking good with all the Routes advertising.