Newcastle-10
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: UK
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CabinCrewe
Can you quantify why you think this is an odd route? Given most other UK airports have a direct link to BCN.
Barcelona is Spain's 2nd busiest airport handling (pre covid) 52 million passengers a year, which is more than Gatwick, Rome FCO or Moscow SVO. For context Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris CDG carried circa 70 million
It had seen rising passenger numbers of 2.6 million year on year.
Can you quantify why you think this is an odd route? Given most other UK airports have a direct link to BCN.
Barcelona is Spain's 2nd busiest airport handling (pre covid) 52 million passengers a year, which is more than Gatwick, Rome FCO or Moscow SVO. For context Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris CDG carried circa 70 million
It had seen rising passenger numbers of 2.6 million year on year.
Join Date: Sep 2012
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One thing seems for sure in that NCL has always seemed reluctant to go hellbent for a big LCC to dominate the market. 15 regular operators is pretty good going even for pre-covid standards for an airport of NCL's size. I do think NCL has long been capable though of driving greater pax volumes with a big LCC. Wonder if it is a management approach or simply lack of interest with competition from MAN and EDI/GLA?
Join Date: Jun 2010
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Good news, and - sorry to join in with the pile in on CabinCrewe! - not a strange route at all. Not the expected operator, sure, but in the absence of any competition I don't see any reason this won't succeed, regardless of flight times. BCN's a big city break destination as well as a lot of other bobbins: second largest city in Spain; large business and industrial centre; cruise port...
Look at it from the other end as well: Spaniards like travelling to places these days. The Newcastlegatesheadalloneword people seem to think that Newcastle and Gateshead are world class tourist destinations. Hmm, not sure, but it all helps. The UK might even be more attractive to European folks as a Covid-safe destination in the near future but let's not count our chickens.
Look at it from the other end as well: Spaniards like travelling to places these days. The Newcastlegatesheadalloneword people seem to think that Newcastle and Gateshead are world class tourist destinations. Hmm, not sure, but it all helps. The UK might even be more attractive to European folks as a Covid-safe destination in the near future but let's not count our chickens.
Last edited by jensdad; 27th Apr 2021 at 00:48.
"I do think NCL has long been capable though of driving greater pax volumes with a big LCC"
Problem isn't the size of the operators it's the size of the home market. 2.66 million people on less than average income can only generate a limited number of trips per year
NCL does very well considering - far better than a lot of other UK regions
Problem isn't the size of the operators it's the size of the home market. 2.66 million people on less than average income can only generate a limited number of trips per year
NCL does very well considering - far better than a lot of other UK regions
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Newcastle
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Asturias56
Absolutely. NCL definitely punches above its weight when you look at all the factors involved. I've mentioned on here before (or was it on a Newcastle United forum?
) about the strange expectations here in the North East. A couple of years ago there was someone on here saying that it was poor how NCL had 'only' one flight a day to Dubai, and that it landed at an inconvenient time!
But I'd better not start a discussion about North East mentality. Or Newcastle United.
Absolutely. NCL definitely punches above its weight when you look at all the factors involved. I've mentioned on here before (or was it on a Newcastle United forum?
) about the strange expectations here in the North East. A couple of years ago there was someone on here saying that it was poor how NCL had 'only' one flight a day to Dubai, and that it landed at an inconvenient time!But I'd better not start a discussion about North East mentality. Or Newcastle United.
I was brought up not to mock the afflicted............................. 
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Nobody in here in the loop with easyJet and whether they plan to operate some of the based routes that were pulled from other bases?
These routes are still in the destination drop downs on the easyJet app but obviously no dates available. Wishful thinking maybe 🤔.
These routes are still in the destination drop downs on the easyJet app but obviously no dates available. Wishful thinking maybe 🤔.