BELFAST CITY AIRPORT (BHD)

[keep_er_lit]

How do you know EI WILL divert to dub and not bfs?

[BHD2BFS]

With the arrival of EI tomorrow does anyone know what business lounge they will use or if they will even have one? They obviously won't use flybe's and with them now competing with BA on heathrow route will they want EI in their lounge?

[ILS25]

They are using BA's lounge.

[BHD2BFS]

I wonder with all this new investment by them at BHD if they will get their own lounge, but is there any room? Last time I was in BMI lounge it seemed bigger than what they really needed, maybe they could split it in 2 give all 3 airlines their separate lounges

[Straightahead]

The worst aviation decision taken in years.This is the start of the beginning of the end for EI in Northern Ireland.As for diversions EI first alternate is Dub as stated earlier another crazy decision.Iask what madmen is running this company.Answers on a postcard please.

[BHD2BFS]

I think if EI don't stick around but I really do think they won't be leaving anytime soon, EIR will make an appearance in the next 12 months

[dublinaviator]

Originally Posted by Straightahead

As for diversions EI first alternate is Dub as stated earlier another crazy decision.Iask what madmen is running this company.Answers on a postcard please.

Their first alternate for Dublin is Belfast, so what's your point? It makes perfect sense. If the weather is bad enough in BHD to force a diversion, why would you put BFS as your first alternate when the weather there will more than likely be just as bad?

[eastern wiseguy]

why would you put BFS as your first alternate when the weather there will more than likely be just as bad?

Choice of FOUR runway directions,ALL runways longer than 22/04,CAT3 ILS,RNAV 24 hour service.......that's a good start no?

[GAZMO]

Anybody know how many onEI flights to LHR and LGW this morning

[SecondDog]

Their first alternate for Dublin is Belfast, so what's your point? It makes perfect sense. If the weather is bad enough in BHD to force a diversion, why would you put BFS as your first alternate when the weather there will more than likely be just as bad?

The weather in BHD rarely mimics that at BFS or vice versa (lough Neagh tends to give BFS its own micro-climate as it is separated from BHD by the high ground) plus the ILS at BFS is IIIb (25) with a permanent 24h winter ops team to ready the runway. This is why BFS is first alt for DUB (they have gone with the airport with best facilities outside their own)

To me the decision is strange, when you could deposit your pax only 25 mins up the road as opposed to 2 hours away. I think it would be naive to imagine that there were no office politics involved (i.e. why would they openly display that there was a more suitable local airport available than BHD, specially given that they had just moved their base from there)

[dantheflyboy]

BFS may be better for the pax as a divert but there are other things to consider operationaly. Dub has full engineering support and ground staff. I have diverted into dub with flybe for the same reasons. Again BFS is better mostly but not in all situations. Lets try not to read too much political stuff into this decision.

[BHD2BFS]

Looking at the arrivals board today for BFS and it is just a covering of orange, I must say it must put management in a very weak position now, ezy can pretty much call the shots now
On the other side down at BHD the first flights out this morning were all 3 airlines fighting for the London market, ok I know it's a Sunday morning so relatively quiet but can there honestly be enough market for this rush of flights, especially where there schedules pretty much mimic each other

[redED]

Flybe:

116/118
115/118
116/118

[BHD2BFS]

These are for which flights reded

[dantheflyboy]

Those would be todays LGW x3 Tomorrow same story.

[BHD2BFS]

How do you get access to these figures? Do you work for flybe? Or are they on CAA website?

[irishlad06]

Also remember Flybe 3rd based e195 starts operation today, the be365 east mids now operated by it on a Sunday followed by Manchester. During the week it will operate mon-fri
Bhd-man-bhd-bhx-bhd-man-bhd-man-bhd

[BHD2BFS]

So now there is 3 a319 based ( 4 from summer when EIs summer schedule starts ) 3 E jets and 5 dash. Correct me if I'm wrong but is there not only 10 gates? And I count 11 ac

[Stewart28]

I don't think EI will last to long at BHD given the curfew of night flights.

[airbud12]

EI Flight bookings are quite strong, all todays flights as follows.

LGW
EI20/21 - 123/133
EI24/25 - 125/135
EI28/29 - 135/119

LHR
EI30/31- 117/95
EI34/35 - 119/115
EI36/37 - 122/80

Forward bookings are quite good and the facilites are much improved at BHD, check in and the whole airport looks a lot more professional and was welcomed by all who used it this morning!