Belfast City Airport-2
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KEF-BHD axed
Air Iceland Connect is closing its Keflavik base and disposing of its Q400s, meaning KEF-BHD will be axed on 13th May. ABZ will also be cancelled, as well as domestic services from KEF. The average load factor since July is about 50%, so the route was already on the rocks. This leaves Belfast with only winter seasonal flights to KEF with easyJet.
The only positive is that so few passengers used the service that its cancellation will have almost no impact on BHD passenger figures.
The use of the Q400 will definitely have had a negative impact on the route's success. It will be interesting to see however if Icelandair do eventually return to the Belfast market, be it from BHD or BFS using their B737 MAX fleet. I also wonder if WOW Air will give the route a go, as Icelandir's prices from BHD were rather extortionate.
https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/n...-fleet-quit-uk
https://worldairlinenews.com/2018/02...luding-the-uk/
The only positive is that so few passengers used the service that its cancellation will have almost no impact on BHD passenger figures.
The use of the Q400 will definitely have had a negative impact on the route's success. It will be interesting to see however if Icelandair do eventually return to the Belfast market, be it from BHD or BFS using their B737 MAX fleet. I also wonder if WOW Air will give the route a go, as Icelandir's prices from BHD were rather extortionate.
https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/n...-fleet-quit-uk
https://worldairlinenews.com/2018/02...luding-the-uk/
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Belfast, UK
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Icelandair to end their Belfast service. Last flight to be on 15th May.
Such a shame after the UA withdrawal, that FI could've offered the one-stop service to many destinations in North America. Customers with bookings after that date can opt to fly from Dublin, or refund.
Poor advertising, poor scheduling, wrong aircraft from BHD, lack of demand??
Such a shame after the UA withdrawal, that FI could've offered the one-stop service to many destinations in North America. Customers with bookings after that date can opt to fly from Dublin, or refund.
Poor advertising, poor scheduling, wrong aircraft from BHD, lack of demand??
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Belfast
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Blue Chip
As Mr A and Ms B have been saying "our strong network of blue-chip airline partners"......that's 4 carriers gone in less than 3 years (Veuling, SN Brussels Citywing and now Icelandair). Not good for Northern Ireland if we keep losing airlines.
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Up There
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Another loss for Belfast with the airline basically transferring services to Dublin.
Is the KLM BHD operation sound, or will that end up floundering at the dead hand of DUB expansion too?
Surely the air tax burden in Northern Ireland has to get sorted soon?
Is the KLM BHD operation sound, or will that end up floundering at the dead hand of DUB expansion too?
Surely the air tax burden in Northern Ireland has to get sorted soon?
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NI
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The Dublin services are nothing to do with Air Iceland but Icelandair are underwriting any tickets that people want to transfer.
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: liverpool
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Nothing to do with easyJet trouncing them on route also. Don't worry though as Ms Best will put a positive spin by announcing the new route from Belfast s favourite airport to Carlisle International. 3 weekly with fares from was it £69 or £79 one way. That's according to someone called Alteagod who also claimes BA,s most profitable route is LHR to BHD. Obviously wasent around in the days of up to 3 Tristrars 4 757s and 8 DC9s daily to LHR and Dan Airs BAC 1-11s 4daily to LGW
Last edited by DC9_10; 17th Feb 2018 at 10:27.
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DC9_10 air Iceland connect are cutting a number of routes as has been said its the airline more than anything. The route was aimed at North America and Canada connections not people wanting an alternative to Krakow for the weekend. Reality is it was overpriced, price is the big driver and the US/Canada is becoming more and more competitive. I don't suppose they ever believed they would damage EZY in any way. And also, the lack of willingness of people in NI to use anything other than DUB for transatlantic whether direct or otherwise is a big factor. Its exactly the same mentality on a different scale that affects BHX, people get on the motorway to LHR because they feel they need to fly from a major airport to get to the US etc, regardless of price in some cases. I was discussing with someone recently in work Norwegian and their Stewart flight, the argument being landing and taking off too far from New York so instead spend 2.5hrs to get to Dublin airport and save 20 minutes using pre-clearance but have to queue for 1hr for the privilege. However that aside back in BHD the combination of LHR and AMS are still popular for connections.
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easyJet initially operated BFS-KEF year round, but even before Icelandair entered the market, they cut it to winter seasonal due to a lack of point-to-point demand. WOW Air might find the route more appealing, and given their low fares they would be a more attractive option for both point-to-point and connecting passengers.
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: liverpool
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Norwegian have also had an impact. FI ain't cheap and the two times we have used Nowegian last summer from BFS, the service was fantastic. On time all 4 flights out and early return. Me and Mrs DC9-10 even managed a full fry up at Isobeals in High Street after an early return from Stewart. Granted we had lifts with fambo to drive us. I'm sure Cutters would have something negative to say as I live in Liverpool, but o no, he's banned.
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Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Belfast
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Brussels - Changing of the fleet
Iceland- changing of the fleet
Vueling- throw darts at map and see what works
Whoosh- strange name. not getting on that
City jet- London city ? not near heathrow ?
Easyjet- ok we forgive you
anything that used "That j31"- its that J31
Airwales- its Wales
The list goes on
Iceland- changing of the fleet
Vueling- throw darts at map and see what works
Whoosh- strange name. not getting on that
City jet- London city ? not near heathrow ?
Easyjet- ok we forgive you
anything that used "That j31"- its that J31
Airwales- its Wales
The list goes on
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: liverpool
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No lad Neither did Bmi, bmi baby,Manx, Gill air, Capitol, Loganair, Air UK Brymon,Air Berlin ext. Lingus next for the chopping board after Eastern. EI Sun routes chartered to ASL on a clapped out 737 300. Tech all the way. Oh are Jetxtra sill starting who are not bonded by ABTA/ATOL also.
Last edited by DC9_10; 17th Feb 2018 at 16:28.
Join Date: May 2017
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Fun packed summer abead then. KLM well I think jury still out on that one. They really could do with second or third flight. I take it from all the who ha that the routes conference did fiddly squat for either BHD or BFS!