Belfast City Airport-2

[Startledgrapefruit]

Originally Posted by True Blue

Tell me more about the financial strength of these airlines to to set up a bunch of new routes and maintain them until they are profitable, in the current climate?

I think they would have quite a bit of experience flying 45 seaters with 7 empty seats rather than 150 seaters with 110 empty seats for a start.

[Alteagod]

Yes I agree a spread of airlines is more helpful than one dominant calling the shots.

[ECR]

Originally Posted by allan1987

BA has not announced this Belfast City to London City yet but only added on Sell, I sure we might hear something next with Stobart Air with LGW, BHX, MAN, EDI.
Not sure if this with franchise operator Aer Lingus or could be also new franchise with British Airways?

The wikipedia page for Stobart Air says "it operates scheduled services under the brands Aer Lingus Regional, BA CityFlyer and KLM Cityhopper on behalf of their respective owners". It would be crazy to start an operation under their own Stobart Air name in the present climate, so I think they would be likely to operate under an existing well known brand.

Personally I would love it to be BA Cityflyer as I think BA is probably the widest known worldwide of those and would open up good opportunities for using avios. (I know you can collect and spend avios on Aer Lingus but they are generally very poor value for European flights, as indeed were Flybe when they used avios).

I think there is a very outside chance they could do a deal with Virgin to use their brand and booking platform as per the original intention when part of the Connect takeover of Flybe, but realistically I very much expect to see them using the Aer Lingus Regional brand.

[allan1987]

It is More likely to Aer Lingus Regional brand, but at same time I would like to see BA Cityflyer expanded with Stobart Air using ATR 72-600 or DHC-8-400 to do UK regional flying.

Bookings more likely to be on Aer Lingus website I Wonder will the flights be on the BA Website as well.

[ECR]

Originally Posted by allan1987

It is More likely to Aer Lingus Regional brand, but at same time I would like to see BA Cityflyer expanded with Stobart Air using ATR 72-600 or DHC-8-400 to do UK regional flying.

Bookings more likely to be on Aer Lingus website I Wonder will the flights be on the BA Website as well.

I would expect that they would be as current Aer Lingus Regional flights are normally also bookable as stand alone flights on the BA website under a BA code. Unfortunately though they normally seem to be priced so substantially higher as to not make them worthwhile booking on BA.

[FQTLSteve]

ECR From an earlier post I would suggest that KLM is as equally if not better well known global brand as BA.

[Alteagod]

Very tru but a once a day service impacts considerably on inbound and outbound connectivity

[SWBKCB]

I'm getting confused - I thought we were looking at BACF doing LCY, then expecting Stobart Air to operate LGW, BHX, MAN, EDI under the Aer Lingus Regional franchise, with maybe something additional to come from Eastern.

Don't think Stobart having done ACMI leases for KLM or BACF is relevant?

[Alteagod]

That was my understanding of a possible future for BHD

[tigertanaka]

Originally Posted by FQTLSteve

ECR From an earlier post I would suggest that KLM is as equally if not better well known global brand as BA.

It certainly serves the whole of the UK better than BA do! However if Stobart run a service for KLM it will only be to AMS.

I'm struggling to see who would codeshare on a Stobart Air service to a domestic service ex-BHD. Aer Lingus only operate one other route out of Belfast and the existing relationship with Stobart is mainly about providing feed into DUB. BA are not really interested in anything unless it starts/ends in London or provides a tag on to a remote place.

[SWBKCB]

Originally Posted by tigertanaka

It certainly serves the whole of the UK better than BA do! However if Stobart run a service for KLM it will only be to AMS.

I'm struggling to see who would codeshare on a Stobart Air service to a domestic service ex-BHD. Aer Lingus only operate one other route out of Belfast and the existing relationship with Stobart is mainly about providing feed into DUB. BA are not really interested in anything unless it starts/ends in London or provides a tag on to a remote place.

See post #1041

[Startledgrapefruit]

I don't think Virgin will show up on any domestic shape or form. Little red were good but stopped too soon So in the public eye they were a failure
Virgin connect........
Anyhow
Once Simon the expert speaks his mind we will all know what the correct decision is.

[JSCL]

Let's not forget folk, that Flybe miraculously still own a hefty amount of slots at Heathrow.

[SWBKCB]

Originally Posted by JSCL

Let's not forget folk, that Flybe miraculously still own a hefty amount of slots at Heathrow.

Thought they were remedy slots that will have to be handed back?

[allan1987]

Originally Posted by Startledgrapefruit

I don't think Virgin will show up on any domestic shape or form. Little red were good but stopped too soon So in the public eye they were a failure
Virgin connect........
Anyhow
Once Simon the expert speaks his mind we will all know what the correct decision is.

Virgin will not show up now

Im sure now its to do with Stobart and Cyrus capital and keeping Flybe’s existing OL and AOC then see what happens after that...

summer remedy slots was handed back to BA
but winter slots for flybe still there at LHR, MAN, LCY, BHX, and DUB

[tigertanaka]

Originally Posted by SWBKCB

See post #1041

I saw that but I don't get how the business case stacks up. Stobart operate for Aer Lingus on many routes from UK regional airports to DUB, these are primarily about providing LH feed as they can't compete with Ryanair on cost (and FR go head to head on virtually all these routes anyway).

As for O&D, business passengers may pay for the convenience of BHD over BFS but are there enough people like that, especially in the post covd world, to go toe-to-toe with the LCCs on Belfast-EDI (Easyjet 2-4 flights a day), Belfast-BHX (Easyjet 4-6 flights a day), Belfast-MAN (Easyjet 3-5 flights a day plus the odd Ryanair flight) and Belfast-LGW (Easyjet 6-7 flights a day)?

LGW could be an outlier (BA might want to codeshare on that one as well for some feed and could provide the slots) but do Aer Lingus really want to compete with BA on another Belfast-London route now that BA is about to launch BHD-LCY?

Or maybe there is a big pot of cash to subsidise routes out of BHD following the collapse of FlyBe?

[Flightrider]

Flybe does not hold any slots at LHR for Winter 2020. The remedy slots were returned to BA on 1 June.

[inOban]

There were enough to sustain both EZY and Flybe between Belfast and EDI for several years. Whether there still are, we'll see.

[Startledgrapefruit]

Originally Posted by inOban

There were enough to sustain both EZY and Flybe between Belfast and EDI for several years. Whether there still are, we'll see.

Feel a Harry hill which is better moment coming on

[Startledgrapefruit]

KLM back 3rd August
On ​ facebake