Flybe-9
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Ireland
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We can't really know who potential suitors might be without knowing what the strong parts of their network are. If Belfast or London City; IAG? If the SW of England, the European routes, or the Scottish Routes... Sector? If it is a mish-mash of random stuff across the network; either Eastern or nobody? And potential matches for the SAS flying... I guess that's CityJet or Nordica?
Overall the network seems enough of a mixed bag that I'd agree with some other posters: I don't see the attraction for another airline in buying the company, warts and all, when it could just cherry-pick the routes or bases it wanted.
Incidentally here is flyBE's results presentation from 2 days ago which gives an overview of the financials.
Join Date: Nov 2014
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People don't want to pay a bloody fortune to fly these days not only because of APD but because of the state of the average persons pockets and the fact that you can now fly to the US with Norwegian for the price of a return flight to Scotland with Flybe. There has to be a sort of cleansing and adjustment to reality. If Flybe cannot make their monopoly work - who the H*LL can?
easyJet could apply for the LHR domestic slots to operate ABZ and EDI if that happens and I think they would be a far better operator than Flybe with their ridiculous Q400's on such a route!
easyJet could apply for the LHR domestic slots to operate ABZ and EDI if that happens and I think they would be a far better operator than Flybe with their ridiculous Q400's on such a route!
Last edited by Sharklet_321; 16th Nov 2018 at 09:53.
with their ridiculous Q400's on such a route!
Join Date: Nov 1999
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What's so ridiculous? - these are exactly the type of sector lengths the Q400 was optimised for. Probably only 10-15 mins longer sector time than a jet and much more economical. Some routes that BEE use the Dash on do push the envelope a bit more, but not this one (or any other UK domestic sector).
Join Date: Mar 2011
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You have to blame the EU "commission" for why the slots can't be used for somewhere else, but that's a whole different story.
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Given the expense of operating into LHR, operating your smallest type of aircraft into the airport is going to put you at a serious disadvantage in terms of cost per seat when compared with competitors. External analysis on linkedin shoes that the BE flights LHR-ABZ/EDI are poor and generating negative 5% margin consistently based on air-fare analysis.
LHR-ABZ/EDI are poor and generating negative 5% margin consistently based on air-fare analysis
Join Date: May 2005
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I have already stated on the Norwich post that they won't apart from oil related (helis and Eastern) and the TUI flights they currently have. It is very difficult to make money flying even BHX-GLA etc.
There are/have been many airports that have no hope of sensible levels of traffic. DTV,NWI,DSA ( while LBA exist anyway), EXT, CWL ( while Bristol exists) HUY etc. They can only survive by diversification ( maintenance, aircraft parking etc. or local or government subsidy ( which PIK does along with many others e.g. INV, SYY). Especially with BREXIT and rising fuel costs.
There are/have been many airports that have no hope of sensible levels of traffic. DTV,NWI,DSA ( while LBA exist anyway), EXT, CWL ( while Bristol exists) HUY etc. They can only survive by diversification ( maintenance, aircraft parking etc. or local or government subsidy ( which PIK does along with many others e.g. INV, SYY). Especially with BREXIT and rising fuel costs.
Last edited by 22/04; 16th Nov 2018 at 14:50.
Mike - the Norwich agenda sounds very reminiscent of JaySata. Given that Flybe is a very small part of Norwich and doesn't even feature on the graph you've posted (because it's so small) then I think it's fairer to consider the implications where major bases like SOU, CWL etc are concerned rather than the obsessive focus on NWI?!
As has been previosuly posted, this base profitabilty analysis is skewed by AF/KL code shares.
Haven't they tried over the years?
seems strange to believe that they didn't try other routes from the north east airport
Flightrider
I no longer hide behind a nom de plume as Tracey Curtis Taylor outed me in the long running saga elsewhere.
I agree that CWL is a major base and have some pretty strong connections with Rhoose as I soloed there back in 1981 and was one of the founders of the Cardiff Wales Flying Club.
I also spent many happy hours using Norwich both as a pilot and passenger before the disastrous sale by the local authorities to private investors who have turned it in to little more than a shed with a runway.
In the case of the latter their attitude and so called ‘airport development fee’ has not helped airlines such as Flybe gain regular passengers.
I see the same commercial suicide on UK city streets where a combination of business rates and anti car philosophies has led to a disaster for retailers.
Agreed.
I no longer hide behind a nom de plume as Tracey Curtis Taylor outed me in the long running saga elsewhere.
I agree that CWL is a major base and have some pretty strong connections with Rhoose as I soloed there back in 1981 and was one of the founders of the Cardiff Wales Flying Club.
I also spent many happy hours using Norwich both as a pilot and passenger before the disastrous sale by the local authorities to private investors who have turned it in to little more than a shed with a runway.
In the case of the latter their attitude and so called ‘airport development fee’ has not helped airlines such as Flybe gain regular passengers.
I see the same commercial suicide on UK city streets where a combination of business rates and anti car philosophies has led to a disaster for retailers.
22/04 There are/have been many airports that have no hope of sensible levels of traffic. DTV,NOR,DSA ( while LBA exist anyway), EXT, CWL ( while Bristol exists) HUY etc. They can only survive by diversification ( maintenance, aircraft parking etc. or local or government subsidy ( which PIK does along with many others e.g. INV, SYY). Especially with BREXIT and rising fuel costs.
Last edited by Mike Flynn; 16th Nov 2018 at 14:58.
Join Date: Feb 2005
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You can for the moment but Norwegian are loss making, don’t let the Q2 results with their reappraisal of shares in banks and moves in forward currency transactions fool you, net yields are less than net costs. They’re bleeding cash. Sooner or later they’re going to have to start making real profits and that will not be by selling seats below cost as they’re doing right now.
Join Date: Jul 2006
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SEN has eight trains an hour to London.45 minutes to Stratford.
Cardiff and Norwich are in the stone age by comparison with taxis and public transport being poor.
Flybe should have stuck to the profitable routes and dumped the rest.
Cardiff and Norwich are in the stone age by comparison with taxis and public transport being poor.
Flybe should have stuck to the profitable routes and dumped the rest.
Join Date: Nov 1999
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A key reason for the low yields is that Stobart were underwriting some fundamentally unsustainable operations, in order to put SEN on the map (which they are entitled to do, but this is where the result is visible!)
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Let’s be honest here.
The purpose of the STK/BE tie up was to open up SEN and prove it was viable and that people would use it
they proved that routes were viable and that people wanted to use SEN, the franchise served its purpose and STk can take a loss from it because they have now attracted FR to operate along side U2, all of which will pay STK for the use of SEN and ground handling and fuel etc
job done. I don’t think STK are stupid with the way this has played out
cs
The purpose of the STK/BE tie up was to open up SEN and prove it was viable and that people would use it
they proved that routes were viable and that people wanted to use SEN, the franchise served its purpose and STk can take a loss from it because they have now attracted FR to operate along side U2, all of which will pay STK for the use of SEN and ground handling and fuel etc
job done. I don’t think STK are stupid with the way this has played out
cs