BELFAST CITY AIRPORT (BHD)
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Belfast, Ireland
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Tis almost the end of the summer schedule but the load on the Vueling flight to Barcelona today was appalling. It was like a private jet service with no more than 30 aboard an A320!
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: dodging CB clouds
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Vueling has scraped by this summer with minimal advertising of the route, but more what's more strange is that when recent local radio channels ran competitions to win free Vueling flights, they were out of Dublin. The loads were pretty good in the middle of the summer though.
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Antrim
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There has however been a lot of billboard advertising around Belfast, or at least there was earlier in the year. They are now sitting cheaper than U2 on a lot of 2016 summer dates, hopefully that will pay off.
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Up There
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The old guy writing the Belfast mergers article above has long since had a one-sided view on these matters. He has written for many years as a columnist for the BT but has also long-term held a position as a director of the PR company which represented British Midland in NI for years, and his view on the subject of what might benefit the air service sector in the north seldom extends outside lets only concern ourselves about access to Heathrow, which nowadays translates to keeping everything as it is and supporting the ongoing independence and development of city airport.
What is interesting is that he saw or was guided to the need to write an article like this.
No one is openly talking about putting the Belfast airports into a common group IMO. However the financial facts speak for themselves in his own article. There are two sets of massive operating and capital costs in running the two airports in Belfast and a free run for Dublin Government backed Dublin Airport to spend their public money trailing as much value out of the aviation sector as they can manage.
Perhaps the light bulb is finally flickering on in some parts of the establishment around Belfast that this situation is really not able to be sustained going forward???? And so - hey presto - the 'facts' needed to be set out in print, in case anyone would be contemplating looking at shifting the goalposts and doing things a little different here with a view to actually stalling the Dublin juggernaut.
Just sayin - maybe...???
Anyways. Don't believe everything you read, especially in the "Belfast" Telegraph which is owned and controlled and lifts much of its editorial input directly from its headquarters in.........Dublin!!
What is interesting is that he saw or was guided to the need to write an article like this.
No one is openly talking about putting the Belfast airports into a common group IMO. However the financial facts speak for themselves in his own article. There are two sets of massive operating and capital costs in running the two airports in Belfast and a free run for Dublin Government backed Dublin Airport to spend their public money trailing as much value out of the aviation sector as they can manage.
Perhaps the light bulb is finally flickering on in some parts of the establishment around Belfast that this situation is really not able to be sustained going forward???? And so - hey presto - the 'facts' needed to be set out in print, in case anyone would be contemplating looking at shifting the goalposts and doing things a little different here with a view to actually stalling the Dublin juggernaut.
Just sayin - maybe...???
Anyways. Don't believe everything you read, especially in the "Belfast" Telegraph which is owned and controlled and lifts much of its editorial input directly from its headquarters in.........Dublin!!
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NI
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and a free run for Dublin Government backed Dublin Airport to spend their public money trailing as much value out of the aviation sector as they can manage.
Funding
The Group is funded through a combination of
its own resources and borrowings, receiving no
income or support from the State.
Hard as it is to accept, Dublin Airport is a commercial venture.
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Belfast, Ireland
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To try to compare Belfast with Dublin is ridiculous. It is not in the same league.
It would be more useful being realistic and compare Belfast`s airports with other similar sized airports (pax wise) in Cork or Shannon. Indeed Cork and Shannon airports are more modern and far superior than either Belfast airport.
It would be more useful being realistic and compare Belfast`s airports with other similar sized airports (pax wise) in Cork or Shannon. Indeed Cork and Shannon airports are more modern and far superior than either Belfast airport.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: N Ireland
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Not exactly.
SNN = 1.6m pax pa
ORK = 2.1m pax pa
Total BFS+BHD now heading towards 7m. Belfast is a very substantial market nearly a third the size of DUB and deserves more than the scraps from their table. We are still underserved in many areas with similar sized airports on the UK mainland having significantly more routes. Question is how would we be most competitive . Telegraph article didn't address that at all but seemed more interested in telling us how good DUB is and that it is somehow "just down the road". Rivalling LHR or AMS for connections? Seriously? MAN maybe, but not even sure about that.
I apologise for the rant. This thread is about BHD.
SNN = 1.6m pax pa
ORK = 2.1m pax pa
Total BFS+BHD now heading towards 7m. Belfast is a very substantial market nearly a third the size of DUB and deserves more than the scraps from their table. We are still underserved in many areas with similar sized airports on the UK mainland having significantly more routes. Question is how would we be most competitive . Telegraph article didn't address that at all but seemed more interested in telling us how good DUB is and that it is somehow "just down the road". Rivalling LHR or AMS for connections? Seriously? MAN maybe, but not even sure about that.
I apologise for the rant. This thread is about BHD.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: N Ireland
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Well Vueling were sufficiently happy with the route's performance to return next year. One poor load at the very end of the season doesn't tell us much. Average loads were reported to be around 60% which for a relatively unknown brand in a market dominated by EZY for quite a few years (and with EZY's loads pretty much unaffected) maybe isn't too bad. Hope they do well next year 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: South Wales
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Have faith in Vueling it is a new brand to the area and passenger numbers will increase. If Belfast City Airport managers work well with Vueling then a good relationship could be had.
Look at Cardiff Vueling have been here for several years and all 4 routes were over 90% this Summer.
Steady growth has been seen too and the airport have worked well with the airline so that local passengers become aware of the Vueling brand.
Look at Cardiff Vueling have been here for several years and all 4 routes were over 90% this Summer.
Steady growth has been seen too and the airport have worked well with the airline so that local passengers become aware of the Vueling brand.
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
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Before we all start hating though, I happen to think fair play to the Free State, they make our (Jobs for the) Boyos up here in (or out?) of Stormont look like complete plonkers in terms of vision and planning. DUB is a beautiful airport and we can only hope to take a wee bit of market share back again.
Join Date: Jul 2011
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No harm to anyone but if you believe that then you'll be waiting for Pink Pig Airways to start a route out of there. The above statement on funding has enough wiggle room to be completely true yet not representative of the real situation.
Before we all start hating though, I happen to think fair play to the Free State, they make our (Jobs for the) Boyos up here in (or out?) of Stormont look like complete plonkers in terms of vision and planning. DUB is a beautiful airport and we can only hope to take a wee bit of market share back again.
Before we all start hating though, I happen to think fair play to the Free State, they make our (Jobs for the) Boyos up here in (or out?) of Stormont look like complete plonkers in terms of vision and planning. DUB is a beautiful airport and we can only hope to take a wee bit of market share back again.
I will agree about the last part!
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Belfast
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Leprechauns, Nessie and Sasquatch all exist
No political influence in DAA, are you having a laugh......look who the shareholder is! At least they use that influence for the best advantage of the Free State. Next you will be telling me that Bertie had a bank account and that the Fine Faile tent that the Galway races was a mirage.
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No political influence in DAA, are you having a laugh......look who the shareholder is! At least they use that influence for the best advantage of the Free State. Next you will be telling me that Bertie had a bank account and that the Fine Faile tent that the Galway races was a mirage.
BFS is failing miserably in competitiveness and ability to attract new carriers, look here at BHD, KLM. Bussels and Vueling all arrived so if anything DUB is not the problem but BFS as the city is doing a good job recently.
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Antrim
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I wouldn't agree that BFS is struggling so much, they have attracted wizz and a big increase in easyJet albeit mainly domestic. They've had a really strong summer, virgin, TCX transatlantic. Some new carriers would be good but I don't think they are anywhere near failing miserably.
Join Date: Nov 2011
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BFSwatcher
I can see EZY are doing well to BCN by the fares. I've just booked some flights one way BCN-BHD with SN, 112 euro in July including luggage and free seat selection. The alternatives;
EZY wrong date, 304 euro excluding luggage etc (don't fly on day I needed)
VY 179 euro excluding everything
BA 171 euro including luggage, inflight catering.
Even flying back from REU with LS or charter was over 300 euro without luggage.
I can see EZY are doing well to BCN by the fares. I've just booked some flights one way BCN-BHD with SN, 112 euro in July including luggage and free seat selection. The alternatives;
EZY wrong date, 304 euro excluding luggage etc (don't fly on day I needed)
VY 179 euro excluding everything
BA 171 euro including luggage, inflight catering.
Even flying back from REU with LS or charter was over 300 euro without luggage.