Aer Lingus pulling out of GLA/EDI/LCY
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MarkD - I completely agree, FR use Ireland purely as a flag of convenience inside the EU. As soon as they can relocate that AOC they will be gone like a flash. The point I was trying to make is that regardless of how profitable the DUB routes are, the next logical expansion for shorthaul in EI is to start looking at routes ex-UK a la FR. And why not? If you can operate on a route with a lower cost base than your comptetitors, you're going to generate profit more quickly! Witness the battle on DUB-STN, EI were never going to be able to compete. The routes you refer to out of ORK etc; most of those are served by low capacity aircraft, very few of those aircraft have more than 100 seats. Clearly this is not the type of operation EI is moving towards.
There was never that much connecting traffic from UK regionals through DUB to the states, I just don't think that people ever thought that they were really able to (or ever thought that transitting DUB was a lot easier than LHR!)
As for oneworld, I think that you'll find that on a global basis, carriers will pull off the more marginal routes (which may have been historically really only for connecting traffic) and concentrate on those point-to-point services which probably make up the core of their business and concentrate on sustaining that. oneworld promised greater flexibility in changing between carriers' networks, rather than promising a standard level of service. Anyone travelling internally in the US will know that the level of service in Y class is not that far away from what EI offer right now!
There was never that much connecting traffic from UK regionals through DUB to the states, I just don't think that people ever thought that they were really able to (or ever thought that transitting DUB was a lot easier than LHR!)
As for oneworld, I think that you'll find that on a global basis, carriers will pull off the more marginal routes (which may have been historically really only for connecting traffic) and concentrate on those point-to-point services which probably make up the core of their business and concentrate on sustaining that. oneworld promised greater flexibility in changing between carriers' networks, rather than promising a standard level of service. Anyone travelling internally in the US will know that the level of service in Y class is not that far away from what EI offer right now!
Join Date: Aug 1999
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Still there this winter!
Getting back to the original thread.
Looking at the advance IATA slot allocation for winter 03/04, it would appear that EI are still planning on operating 4 flights per day Mon-Fri, 1 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday.
Things might of course change.
Looking at the advance IATA slot allocation for winter 03/04, it would appear that EI are still planning on operating 4 flights per day Mon-Fri, 1 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday.
Things might of course change.
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But if you look at the EI website they have pulled one of the EDI flights already (comes into effect at Xmas time). I think EI are getting ready to pull out. A disgrace that the Irish national carrier can't maintain a decent service between two capital cities.
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I disagree, Hail1967. The importance of direct links being maintained by national carriers has long gone. What does matter is that routes are served, that people use them and that traffic increases. This is what is happening now. Bums on seats!
FR operates this route; my feeling is that it doesn't make sense for two low cost carriers to be on the same route. Much better to use resources to open new routes and I hope that this is what EI does when it axes EDI and LGW.
It looks like the 146s will indeed by ditched by the end of the Summer - and not before time!
FR operates this route; my feeling is that it doesn't make sense for two low cost carriers to be on the same route. Much better to use resources to open new routes and I hope that this is what EI does when it axes EDI and LGW.
It looks like the 146s will indeed by ditched by the end of the Summer - and not before time!
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This morning's Indo reports that EI is indeed ditching the 146 - and not a moment too soon; the aircraft will be leaving the fleet by the end of the Summer. LGW - but not EDI/GLA - will be dropped and the airline will be getting three 32x/737 aircraft to replace the 146s, on short term leases.
The airline's major focus now is on the t/a routes. It has (as Seamus B. acknowledged in Dail questions) been in contact with the government on numerous occasions and while the initial focus is on Florida (principally MCO, but EI officials have been in touch with MIA airport) and California, sixteen airports have been indentified.
Presuambly, efforts are also under way to get hold of more 332s for the Winter season. My bet is on TAM, the Brazilian carrier, which recently tried (but failed, due to SARS), to place 2 332s with China Airlines. While those acft were PW powered, it has around five GE powered 332s, which would also be equipped with crew bunks, getting over the issue which stopped the CPT route last year.
The airline's major focus now is on the t/a routes. It has (as Seamus B. acknowledged in Dail questions) been in contact with the government on numerous occasions and while the initial focus is on Florida (principally MCO, but EI officials have been in touch with MIA airport) and California, sixteen airports have been indentified.
Presuambly, efforts are also under way to get hold of more 332s for the Winter season. My bet is on TAM, the Brazilian carrier, which recently tried (but failed, due to SARS), to place 2 332s with China Airlines. While those acft were PW powered, it has around five GE powered 332s, which would also be equipped with crew bunks, getting over the issue which stopped the CPT route last year.
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One of those "do bears do their business in the woods?" questions, MarkD. Do they what!! ;-))
MIA would be an ideal destination for getting access to AA's huge central and south American network. However, until the whole bilateral issue is sorted out, there might be problems with EI getting access to "main" US ports like MIA, SFO, DFW etc and they may have to use the same methods they used before, when they went into BWI - i.e. second line airports. However, even if they can't get into MIA immediately, they can still get into MCO and SJC, which I believe are their main targets, initially.
MIA would be an ideal destination for getting access to AA's huge central and south American network. However, until the whole bilateral issue is sorted out, there might be problems with EI getting access to "main" US ports like MIA, SFO, DFW etc and they may have to use the same methods they used before, when they went into BWI - i.e. second line airports. However, even if they can't get into MIA immediately, they can still get into MCO and SJC, which I believe are their main targets, initially.
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From an Aer Lingus newsletter:
"Aer Lingus is to cease services to London City and London Gatwick Airports
This move is part of our preparations for a decision on our fleet in September 2003
London Gatwick services will operate until 14 July and London City services will operate until the end of the Summer schedule"
"Aer Lingus is to cease services to London City and London Gatwick Airports
This move is part of our preparations for a decision on our fleet in September 2003
London Gatwick services will operate until 14 July and London City services will operate until the end of the Summer schedule"
