Belfast City Airport-3
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Londonderry
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I think we need to taper our expectations in regards to any further major announcements this side of the summer. At the end of the day the airport is in a really enviable position. Who could’ve visioned that this time last year? Don’t get me wrong we can all be wishful however right now I wouldn’t be expecting anything drastically above what is present now.
On SOU I certainly feel the same. Certainly not really Eastern’s fault given we were never a target market for them. After all we are one of the westernmost regions in the UK/ROI, a long way from core markets of years gone by. It is next to impossible to judge success for us however now. It’s going to take these published schedules to actually come into action and be given time to mature. I’ll hope for the best however!
On SOU I certainly feel the same. Certainly not really Eastern’s fault given we were never a target market for them. After all we are one of the westernmost regions in the UK/ROI, a long way from core markets of years gone by. It is next to impossible to judge success for us however now. It’s going to take these published schedules to actually come into action and be given time to mature. I’ll hope for the best however!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: UK
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EI-BUD
Personally I agree that a higher profile brand would generate extra traffic for Eastern, particularly if they were to operate as a British Airways or Aer Lingus Regional franchisee. Unfortunately British Airways don't seem too interested in franchising these days (although they do still have a couple in Sun Air and Comair), and I suppose the current Aer Lingus Regional franchise with Stobart might block that as an option. I guess Loganair would be a candidate, but is it really that much bigger and higher profile to be worth a franchise fee.
I notice that Loganair flights from Southampton To Edinburgh and Newcastle are available for sale on British Airways website and app under a BA codeshare (without need for a connecting flight). Maybe Eastern could agree a similar codeshare deal with BA to increase their profile.
Personally I agree that a higher profile brand would generate extra traffic for Eastern, particularly if they were to operate as a British Airways or Aer Lingus Regional franchisee. Unfortunately British Airways don't seem too interested in franchising these days (although they do still have a couple in Sun Air and Comair), and I suppose the current Aer Lingus Regional franchise with Stobart might block that as an option. I guess Loganair would be a candidate, but is it really that much bigger and higher profile to be worth a franchise fee.
I notice that Loganair flights from Southampton To Edinburgh and Newcastle are available for sale on British Airways website and app under a BA codeshare (without need for a connecting flight). Maybe Eastern could agree a similar codeshare deal with BA to increase their profile.
Join Date: Sep 2008
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I have the same opinion as you all but from the SOU end. I'm grateful to Eastern for stepping in when Flybe collapsed but they're just not as well known as some other carriers and so may not attract as many passengers. I guess the only consolation is that if they ever pull off the route or go out of business themselves (not that I wish to see that happen) one of the carriers already mentioned would undoubtedly take the route on.
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Southampton, U.K
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I think this one needs time. Eastern have a reasonable network from SOU planned for this summer, which will probably open them up to a number of customers (NI, ROI, regional France, Gibraltar) who've never used them before and hopefully get the name out there a little more. They have a reasonable product with two modern ATR's operating most flights so may be able to make a bit of a name for themselves at the SOU end at least. I believe they had taken on a few ex Flybe CC so there may be an element of word of mouth there.
Hopefully it is still going ahead but they also announced a codeshare with Aurigny late last year, which would theoretically allow easy connections to Guernsey and Alderney from Belfast and others or vice versa if timings get aligned.
Hopefully it is still going ahead but they also announced a codeshare with Aurigny late last year, which would theoretically allow easy connections to Guernsey and Alderney from Belfast and others or vice versa if timings get aligned.
Join Date: Nov 2011
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Northern Ireland
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Stobart Air did applied for BHD-LGW slots and got these but just can't as sold as EI or BA flights , but could fly as Ettyl or for another Airline
and as to be a jet though they dont have any.
Also seen that Eastern Airways is adding new routes at airports / hubs they already serve so could use their E170 or E190 to LGW
https://www.traveldailynews.com/post...ice-resumption
and as to be a jet though they dont have any.
Also seen that Eastern Airways is adding new routes at airports / hubs they already serve so could use their E170 or E190 to LGW
https://www.traveldailynews.com/post...ice-resumption
Join Date: May 2005
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What would be the reason that they could not operate under the EI brand ? That's something I have not heard of. There is also no block on using props either, just that the pricing regime would favour the use of larger aircraft and I'm sure that in these lean times, deals with airports can be made.
Join Date: Feb 2019
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allan1987
I believe Eastern's E190 will be operating their recently announced SOU-GIB-BHX-GIB-SOU flights.
Considering that U2 already serves BFS from LGW (and LTN & STN), and with BA & EI's flights serving both LCY & LHR, I personally can't see BHD-LGW working out, but I could be wrong.
I believe Eastern's E190 will be operating their recently announced SOU-GIB-BHX-GIB-SOU flights.
Considering that U2 already serves BFS from LGW (and LTN & STN), and with BA & EI's flights serving both LCY & LHR, I personally can't see BHD-LGW working out, but I could be wrong.
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Allan - that's complete tosh. Stobart applied for slots at Gatwick and withheld the destination for those slots when they did so. They had also talked about expansion plans at BHD around the same time. You - or whoever told you this - have added 2+2 and most probably got 5. They have never signalled flying BHD-LGW and it's an idea of someone's own creation. I'd heard that their LGW slot bid was for the Newquay PSO but I can't say for sure if that's true or not, so I won't pretend to know.
The franchise position is that any route has to be agreed by Aer Lingus to be a franchise service which is the same across pretty much every franchise. I understand they could not fly the E190s as Aer Lingus franchise aircraft but as they no longer have them, it's now irrelevant.
The franchise position is that any route has to be agreed by Aer Lingus to be a franchise service which is the same across pretty much every franchise. I understand they could not fly the E190s as Aer Lingus franchise aircraft but as they no longer have them, it's now irrelevant.
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Belfast
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Not selling probably or Stobart taking it over. Hasn't been running for a while. EMA is the same. I think stoll a lot bedding down to take place on routes but the new Stormount domestic route support scheme might help.
Join Date: Dec 2017
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I think the brutal truth is that a lot of these routes that were launched in the face of the pandemic simply will still have too much capacity for the foreseeable. I'd expect other airlines to keep optimising their offering as well, launching more leaner routes this summer as opposed to a strong focus on previous trunk routes. Hopefully this isn't the future post-2021 but we will just have to deal with these withdrawals up until the end of the year I'm afraid. LM have cut a vast amount of frequencies on GLA/EDI-SOU and ABZ-MAN/BHX amongst others today so it isn't an isolated issue and it will just take time.
Join Date: May 2017
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Agree probably see some contraction on some, growth on others as we really don't know what way people will travel when restrictions lifted or even if the business type travellers will return in any great numbers.
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Yeah that's the exact issue really. The re-emergence and attitudes are looking really inconsistent which is a shame, but perhaps not unexpected. I probably wouldn't have been travelling internationally this summer but I was planning on travelling BHD-GLA-LDY a fair bit which now can't happen. Out of all the routes which have seen the cuts I am a little feared GLA-BHD may not return in it's present form. No real other reason than out of all the routes that have been launched in the wake of this by LM, it has been one of the ones that hasn't operated for such a protracted period and been put back for numerous long stints which this one being another big one. It does funnily enough operate next week twice on an ER4/SF3 which I presume is for some sort of corporate customer but it looks liking BFS-GLA may be proving a little strong for LM. I'll hope for the best mind you!
