Stansted-4
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With the flurry of announcements at LGW over the last week concerning new airline deals and route launches, MAG must be furiously wringing their hands together that they have not managed to tempt some of this away from LGW towards STN. The news that Emirates will be reinstating double daily 77W flights to DXB this summer is of course welcome, however, it is a shame that MAG haven't been able to expand long haul beyond this - will they ever be able to, after all of the investment they've put into Stansted since taking over in 2013? No doubt they must be especially annoyed with the fact that Air India have chosen not to return to STN in favour of an expanded operation at LGW.
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Some of what LGW has picked up I don’t think would have come to STN anyway, I doubt for example Sky Express would have gone up against FR.
Air India has already been discussed. Saudi was a bit of a surprise and it’s disappointing they couldn’t have been tempted given they already operate to MAN.
Air India has already been discussed. Saudi was a bit of a surprise and it’s disappointing they couldn’t have been tempted given they already operate to MAN.
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Some of what LGW has picked up I don’t think would have come to STN anyway, I doubt for example Sky Express would have gone up against FR.
Air India has already been discussed. Saudi was a bit of a surprise and it’s disappointing they couldn’t have been tempted given they already operate to MAN.
Air India has already been discussed. Saudi was a bit of a surprise and it’s disappointing they couldn’t have been tempted given they already operate to MAN.
If so I believe any announcement might be made on Saturday 01 April 2023.
Last edited by Sotonsean; 22nd Mar 2023 at 03:27.
With the flurry of announcements at LGW over the last week concerning new airline deals and route launches, MAG must be furiously wringing their hands together that they have not managed to tempt some of this away from LGW towards STN. The news that Emirates will be reinstating double daily 77W flights to DXB this summer is of course welcome, however, it is a shame that MAG haven't been able to expand long haul beyond this - will they ever be able to, after all of the investment they've put into Stansted since taking over in 2013? No doubt they must be especially annoyed with the fact that Air India have chosen not to return to STN in favour of an expanded operation at LGW.
MAG could come to a deal and persuade Singapore Airlines to operate from London Stansted. My personal opinion would be for Singapore Airlines to operate Singapore to Houston via London Stansted rather than via Manchester. London Stansted would have two major carriers with Emirates and Singapore Airlines and this could persuade other long haul airlines to consider London Stansted for future expansion possibilities.
The US carrier Frontier Airlines are receiving the first of a fleet of Airbus A321neoXLR in 2024 and have recently stated on various aviation and travel outlets that they are considering flying transatlantic routes, initially from their Philadelphia hub. With London Stansted currently lacking any transatlantic connections then Frontier Airlines could be a possibility. Frontier Airlines might prefer to have the market to themselves rather than try and fight it out with other carriers at London Gatwick.
I wouldn't totally overlook American Airlines in resuming London Stansted again some time in the future, for a third attempt I may add. I can easily forsee a possible New York JFK flight with their incoming fleet of A321neoLXR.
Hopefully London Stansted can be successful in regaining service from El Al again at some point in the future. The Israeli airline Israir are looking to expand their European presence, perhaps they could be a future possibility.
With the success of Emirates at STN and the ever expanding Qatar Airways perhaps they might consider a DOH-STN service sometime in the future to compliment it's current freighter operation at the airport. Both airlines could then claim that they offer flights to Dubai and Doha from all of London's three major airports.
Turkish Airlines are hopeful of spinning of it's short haul brand Anadolujet as a stand alone company. If and when this occurs it would be good to see Turkish Airlines operate their own flights to London Stansted from IST to compliment it's current freighter operation at the airport.
In recent weeks we have seen the recent expansion from Saudia to the UK. The airline is expanding service to London Heathrow as well as opening up service to Birmingham and London Gatwick.
With the new national carrier for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia commencing operations within the next two years there might be an opportunity for the Saudi low cost operator Flynas to resume operations to London.
Flynas previously served JED-LGW and a very brief RUH-LGW service several years ago. With a modern fleet of a mix of A320neo and A321neoXLR on order and with the airline recently expanding operations further into Europe perhaps Flynas could be a future possibility for London Stansted.
The privately owned Tajikistan airline Somon Air have previously ordered and cancelled wide body orders for Boeing 767 (2016) and Boeing 787 (2019). The airline has recently announced that they are again considering ordering wide body aircraft with a potential order for three Boeing 787 aircraft. Somon Air have expansion plans and have recently expanded into Europe with a connection between the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe and Munich in Germany.
With Turkmenistan Airlines recently commencing flights to London Stansted from the region, flying from the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat, perhaps there could be a possibility that Somon Air could announce a Dushanbe to London Stansted route at some point in the future.
Before the pandemic Air Senegal announced a Daker to London Stansted route. This never occurred for obvious reasons but perhaps they might take another look at the airport if they do eventually decide in serving London. Although I suspect that if Air Senegal do finally get around to announce Dakar to London again it'll more than likely be to Gatwick rather than to Stansted.
I'm sure at some point TUI will resume long haul leisure flights again from London Stansted. A huge market that is now totally overlooked from the airport. The most obvious destination being Melbourne (Orlando), possibly Cancun and a long shot a return to Las Vegas and Montego Bay. As well as a winter series of flights to Barbados in connection with P&O Cruises fly cruise operations based in the region.
If TUI don't resume long haul from London Stansted in the coming years I'm sure that Jet2 will probably announce something similar in the future.
I would love to see the airport secure more long haul airlines destinations and most importantly regain a transatlantic link to North America. But in the short term I can't think of how long haul could really expand at London Stansted other than from what I have mentioned above.
Although I'm not local to London Stansted but I've always had a very close affection for the airport along with London Gatwick. It's for that reason that I want both to be successful airports especially when it comes to gaining long haul airlines.
Last edited by Sotonsean; 22nd Mar 2023 at 04:17.
I am dubious about any airline flying between Tajikistan and the UK... it seems like a significant security risk. I would expect any aircraft, cargo and passengers flying from Dushanbe to the UK to be required to be rescreened somewhere en route.
Iran and Tajikistan are two countries that are under the control of authoritarianism governance and both are conceived as a security risk. Even Turkmenistan is classed as a high security risk and the country is under the control of a totalitarian hereditary dictatorship. But Turkmenistan Airlines have just commenced a direct flight between Ashgabat and London Stansted. Iran Air are able to fly direct from Tehran to London Heathrow so I can't see why Somon Air couldn't be able to do the same flying between Dushanbe and London Stansted.
Iran has a highly effective security apparatus able to deal with threats from neighbouring Afghanistan. While the Tajik-Afghan border is officially closed, I am not sure the Tajik Govt is able to deal with groups based in Afghanistan that wish to make trouble. Turkmenistan has buckets of cash from gas reserves; Tajikistan is poor and relies on opium/heroin smuggling from Afghanistan
The UK Govt has additional security controls for some flights from Antalya in Turkey to the UK. I just can't see the UK Govt allowing nonstop flights from Dushanbe to any UK airport, whatever Somon Air may promise.
Stansted's business development team need to look at other airlines.
The UK Govt has additional security controls for some flights from Antalya in Turkey to the UK. I just can't see the UK Govt allowing nonstop flights from Dushanbe to any UK airport, whatever Somon Air may promise.
Stansted's business development team need to look at other airlines.
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 22nd Mar 2023 at 14:29.
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I'm sure at some point TUI will resume long haul leisure flights again from London Stansted. A huge market that is now totally overlooked from the airport. The most obvious destination being Melbourne (Orlando), possibly Cancun and a long shot a return to Las Vegas and Montego Bay. As well as a winter series of flights to Barbados in connection with P&O Cruises fly cruise operations based in the region.
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There are massive gaps in Tui’s short haul offering from STN that needs addressing before any long haul considerations. Routes not currently featured include some of the most popular tourist destinations; Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Faro, Agadir, Cape Verde, Enfidha (Tunisia), Hurghada, Larnaca, Bodrum, Santorini, Skiathos, Kos, Dubrovnik and Naples. They don’t even feature any mainland Spanish airports such as Reus, Alicante or Malaga. A third based short haul aircraft is desperately needed in the summer months for a more diverse offering. Their current offering is very limited to say the least.
Jet2 and Ryanair have the pretty much covered.
in the future I see Jet2 launching Orlando, and a few other transatlantic holiday routes, but not in the next few years.
Im also thinking Aer Lingus may mirror the Manchester routes once they launch a few more from Manchester.
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I don’t think there is much room for TUI short Haul, Bucket and Spade flights.
Jet2 and Ryanair have the pretty much covered.
in the future I see Jet2 launching Orlando, and a few other transatlantic holiday routes, but not in the next few years.
Im also thinking Aer Lingus may mirror the Manchester routes once they launch a few more from Manchester.
Jet2 and Ryanair have the pretty much covered.
in the future I see Jet2 launching Orlando, and a few other transatlantic holiday routes, but not in the next few years.
Im also thinking Aer Lingus may mirror the Manchester routes once they launch a few more from Manchester.
Tunisair has completely abandoned Stansted now they have picked up more slots at Gatwick. Im sorry but if your airports biggest airline is Ryanair your not going to attract the renowned airlines apart from when Heathrow and Gatwick are completely full which they both were precovid which is why air india announced flights there. As soon as turkmenistan airlines get slots at these two airports they will be gone too.
At this moment of time I don't see any other longhaul carrier staying permanently at Stansted apart from Emirates which if anything goes wrong will ditch it too. I would be hugely surprised if TUI ever did any longhaul route from Stansted.
I might be wrong of course but that just seems the trend at this moment of time.
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I don’t think there is much room for TUI short Haul, Bucket and Spade flights.
Jet2 and Ryanair have the pretty much covered.
in the future I see Jet2 launching Orlando, and a few other transatlantic holiday routes, but not in the next few years.
Im also thinking Aer Lingus may mirror the Manchester routes once they launch a few more from Manchester.
Jet2 and Ryanair have the pretty much covered.
in the future I see Jet2 launching Orlando, and a few other transatlantic holiday routes, but not in the next few years.
Im also thinking Aer Lingus may mirror the Manchester routes once they launch a few more from Manchester.
Don’t forget that before Jet2 turned up, people on here said the same back then about them showing up on Ryanair’s turf. Look at how that’s turned out.
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Not quite. Hurghada, Tunisia and Cape Verde would have no competition whatsoever. Dubrovnik could connect with their cruises programme, like it does from other U.K. airports. All the destinations they currently feature are up against Jet2 and Ryanair and appear to hold their own, most likely helped by their exclusive products/branding such as Sensatori, Robinson and Tui Blue etc. Definitely scope for improvement, but with Tui it does seem their focus is on the big three; LGW/BHX/MAN and to a degree BRS which actually supports a pretty good offering from all four; TUI, Jet2, Easy & Ryanair. So there’s definitely room for three at STN with an expanded offering.
I also heard a last week that Tunisair may be coming to STN in the very near future.
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TUI have operated at STN with 2 aircraft I think going all the way back to 2009. Before that it was First Choice Airways. I'm not sure Thomsonfly as was had a base at STN, only the odd W-pattern, but Britannia had a couple of 757's based prior to that. The regular long-haul programme only operated for Summer 2016 and 17.
Until Covid at least, TUI's growth at most regional UK bases like CWL, EMA, NCL, previously DSA, had been still fairly modest but all out-paced STN.
The clear change to the STN offering at least has been a reduction in destinations offered but better frequencies on those that have remained to allow 10 & 11 night durations to package holidays. Other than SSH (no competition) every destination is served at least 2x weekly during the summer. Until 2019 they were still serving I think BOJ, EFL, FAO, KGS, LCA, LPA, TFS and ZTH all with just 1 weekly flight.
STN would seem a prime place for at least a third aircraft to re-instate some of those destinations alongside the better frequencies. Whilst they've reduced LTN to just 1 aircraft it's clear their primary focus is LGW. That said they sell a lot of packages using EasyJet flights, so their package holidays offering from STN is comparitively limited.
As for long-haul, they've probably got about the right balance now, but EMA first, then probably STN would seem best placed for those.
Until Covid at least, TUI's growth at most regional UK bases like CWL, EMA, NCL, previously DSA, had been still fairly modest but all out-paced STN.
The clear change to the STN offering at least has been a reduction in destinations offered but better frequencies on those that have remained to allow 10 & 11 night durations to package holidays. Other than SSH (no competition) every destination is served at least 2x weekly during the summer. Until 2019 they were still serving I think BOJ, EFL, FAO, KGS, LCA, LPA, TFS and ZTH all with just 1 weekly flight.
STN would seem a prime place for at least a third aircraft to re-instate some of those destinations alongside the better frequencies. Whilst they've reduced LTN to just 1 aircraft it's clear their primary focus is LGW. That said they sell a lot of packages using EasyJet flights, so their package holidays offering from STN is comparitively limited.
As for long-haul, they've probably got about the right balance now, but EMA first, then probably STN would seem best placed for those.