Belfast International-2
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Oh the crocodile tears from people in this thread complaining that CO ‘dumped us’, when these same people flew long haul from Dublin.
The route was losing money in 2011 - so it’s unfair to say that United didn’t try and maintain the connectivity.
https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/tra...-28655745.html
With Norwegian unsurprisingly failing to make it work, I can’t see anyone else taking up the route until perhaps EI get the 321LR, and a subsidy. A big subsidy. Oh and a cherry on top of that subsidy. Their Jet blue connectivity in JFK could help the viability.
The route was losing money in 2011 - so it’s unfair to say that United didn’t try and maintain the connectivity.
https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/tra...-28655745.html
With Norwegian unsurprisingly failing to make it work, I can’t see anyone else taking up the route until perhaps EI get the 321LR, and a subsidy. A big subsidy. Oh and a cherry on top of that subsidy. Their Jet blue connectivity in JFK could help the viability.
Join Date: Feb 2015
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The route was losing money in 2011 - so it’s unfair to say that United didn’t try and maintain the connectivity.
Swings and roundabouts, when an airline sees a chance to make its route more viable in can cry fowl. Hence a reduction in APD. Sure we were told the BA shuttle service to LHR was losing millions for years, reason so as BA could scale it back!
Swings and roundabouts, when an airline sees a chance to make its route more viable in can cry fowl. Hence a reduction in APD. Sure we were told the BA shuttle service to LHR was losing millions for years, reason so as BA could scale it back!
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Good grief, there is no mistique here, airlines are commercial enterprises, they maximise revenue and need to make a sustainable return. They are accountable to shareholders. Simples. Whether United made a profit or not, the reality is that the profit / yield was not to their liking, and they exited. The market is to leisure focused and extremely seasonal. That's it in a nutshell.
Norwegian while it can stimulate demand, it only is point to point. So in a sense not exactly what the airport needs.
Virgin have been acutely aware of the seasonal factor and as a result been building the service to be in a limited basis and now it has been extended. Hopefully they can earn a sustainable return across all months.
Norwegian while it can stimulate demand, it only is point to point. So in a sense not exactly what the airport needs.
Virgin have been acutely aware of the seasonal factor and as a result been building the service to be in a limited basis and now it has been extended. Hopefully they can earn a sustainable return across all months.
Join Date: Aug 2001
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MAN has a hybrid operation: "hoilday routes" to MCO (10 weekly or thereabouts) with BGI & LAS both 2 weekly. "Business routes" to JFK and ATL daily (both appear to be 4 weekly in winter) with summer seasonal on MAN-SFO 3 weekly and MAN-BOS 2 weekly (though the primary focus for SFO and BOS may be holiday traffic, the hope is that hi-tech links between SFO and MAN based compnanies can get it to also become year-round as they are attempting to garner corporate traffic).
Join Date: Feb 2001
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Belfast - North America is a predominantly outbound market, and Jet Blue have zero brand recognition in Northern Ireland. They will struggle to make the route work without significant investment.
They would be more likely to launch a Dublin, Edinburgh and Amsterdam, which have strong inbound, year round flows.
Norwegian had low brand recognition on both sides of the BFS - North America market, and with unknown secondary airport choices and no feed, meant that the route was going to fail from day one.
The only semi semi viable options are United returning, or a DL/VS 752 operation. Anyone else will only work with a huge incentive guarantee.
They would be more likely to launch a Dublin, Edinburgh and Amsterdam, which have strong inbound, year round flows.
Norwegian had low brand recognition on both sides of the BFS - North America market, and with unknown secondary airport choices and no feed, meant that the route was going to fail from day one.
The only semi semi viable options are United returning, or a DL/VS 752 operation. Anyone else will only work with a huge incentive guarantee.
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The 321LR is clearly the right sort of aircraft for a transatlantic from Belfast. The JetBlue product is ready to go, they just need the aircraft. With Level also touting the 321’s - would they (IAG) be any less well known than Level?
Join Date: Dec 2013
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Belfast - North America is a predominantly outbound market, and Jet Blue have zero brand recognition in Northern Ireland. They will struggle to make the route work without significant investment.
They would be more likely to launch a Dublin, Edinburgh and Amsterdam, which have strong inbound, year round flows.
Norwegian had low brand recognition on both sides of the BFS - North America market, and with unknown secondary airport choices and no feed, meant that the route was going to fail from day one.
The only semi semi viable options are United returning, or a DL/VS 752 operation. Anyone else will only work with a huge incentive guarantee.
They would be more likely to launch a Dublin, Edinburgh and Amsterdam, which have strong inbound, year round flows.
Norwegian had low brand recognition on both sides of the BFS - North America market, and with unknown secondary airport choices and no feed, meant that the route was going to fail from day one.
The only semi semi viable options are United returning, or a DL/VS 752 operation. Anyone else will only work with a huge incentive guarantee.
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Clearly the route didn't work given that United axed the service last year. BFS-EWR was also one of United's cheapest UK/Ireland routes, with economy fares regularly £150-£200 below United's services from BHX, MAN and other airports. I know of several people who self-connected at BFS as it was cheaper than flying direct from MAN or BHX.
From 2006-2011 Continental carried over 100,000 annual pax on the route. From 2012-2016 United carried approx 80,000 annual pax.
To some extent perhaps, but there were multiple daily flights from DUB throughout the route's existence.
The route was only seasonal in 2015; United resumed year-round flights in 2016, showing United couldn't make the route work year-long without the additional funding promised by Stormont.
Continental stated at the time that the route was only viable in the long term with a load factor of over 80% (which is approx 98,000 pax), meaning passenger figures suggest BFS-EWR was viable from the route's inception in 2005 until 2011. However, the route's financial performance was likely marginal during this period, given that Continental were planning to axe the route in 2011 unless APD was cut.
From 2012 to 2014, the route carried on average 83,000 pax, and fell to 69,258 when the route went seasonal in 2015. When the route returned to year-round in 2016, United handled 79,042 pax. United went to Stormont in 2016 to request additional funding, meaning that the route was clearly still marginal in 2016 despite 2011 APD reductions and other funding from Stormont throughout the route's existence.
Aer Lingus will not be operating transatlantic flights from BFS, unless of course they completely tear up their current business strategy.
From 2006-2011 Continental carried over 100,000 annual pax on the route. From 2012-2016 United carried approx 80,000 annual pax.
To some extent perhaps, but there were multiple daily flights from DUB throughout the route's existence.
The route was only seasonal in 2015; United resumed year-round flights in 2016, showing United couldn't make the route work year-long without the additional funding promised by Stormont.
Continental stated at the time that the route was only viable in the long term with a load factor of over 80% (which is approx 98,000 pax), meaning passenger figures suggest BFS-EWR was viable from the route's inception in 2005 until 2011. However, the route's financial performance was likely marginal during this period, given that Continental were planning to axe the route in 2011 unless APD was cut.
From 2012 to 2014, the route carried on average 83,000 pax, and fell to 69,258 when the route went seasonal in 2015. When the route returned to year-round in 2016, United handled 79,042 pax. United went to Stormont in 2016 to request additional funding, meaning that the route was clearly still marginal in 2016 despite 2011 APD reductions and other funding from Stormont throughout the route's existence.
Aer Lingus will not be operating transatlantic flights from BFS, unless of course they completely tear up their current business strategy.
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Originally Posted by Speedhawk 
The route was only seasonal in 2015; United resumed year-round flights in 2016, showing United couldn't make the route work year-long without the additional funding promised by Stormont.
The route was only seasonal in 2015; United resumed year-round flights in 2016, showing United couldn't make the route work year-long without the additional funding promised by Stormont.
Join Date: Mar 2018
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a321lr would be just the same level as the 73 max, albeit 30 more bums, no buisness or frieght, no mainstream carrier will startup on pax alone these days, ua into and out of bfs regularly had business well filled and cargo in and out
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Belfast to Doha in future? See final paragraph.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-q...source=twitter
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-q...source=twitter
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Belfast to Doha in future? See final paragraph.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-q...source=twitter
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-q...source=twitter
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Transatlantic and Middle East are completely different just look at Newcastle as an example of an airport losing USA but having a very good ME3 route. It'll probably be a case of when and not if Qatar turn up in Northern Ireland.