BRS on a Dash 8 would be sustainable. As would EDI. However, BE don't seem keen. Who does that leave........?

Great to see the airport growing as well as it is

I totally agree with BRS & EDI on a Dash 8 but it aint gonna happen unless we see Aer Lingus Regional which of course is doubtful. I think LGW is the only domestic that could be sustained using a Airbus or Boeing aircraft.

If EDI is a goer why aren't they talking to Loganair. And before someone says it I know they have an interline with Flybe.

20% growth over the past year is fantastic, I remember when we were predicting early last year that it might just be under the 400k mark but it's beat our expectations!

Regarding this year, I can't see any new routes domestically, I think we'll just have to put our hopes on increased rotations. Glad the capacity increases on LPL over the winter were there and probably provided more seats than if rotations remained the same and MAN was still operating.

Regarding LGW, I'd like to see FR go completely double daily on Stansted first. Perhaps that might finally happen this year (as for the summer, Wed and Thurs flights are scheduled late evening and Sat early morning), so could be done, but who knows. It's a shame the runway wasn't slightly longer so Canary routes could operate completely unrestricted, but it's the same story to different extents across the Island... BHD, DUB, ORK etc. I hope we do see another sun route if TFS remains unbookable.

Finally, with regards to BE, I don't know what they're at! MAN had developed over the months and was stronger LF-wise than many other routes they operated including from NOC, yet they developed the market, left it, and let FR realise extra capacity. By now they should have been operating EDI, MAN and perhaps LGW from LDY, but alas no, we won't see them for another decade probably. I hope in the year ahead we see a lot of frequency increases and should 2013 provide new routes, I hope they're sustainable afterwards!

November CAA stats are as follows:

Total: 31021 +11%

Stansted & Birmingham: As above

Liverpool: 9356, +23%; 123/flight, LF: 65%

Prestwick: 6041, -8%; 101/flight; LF: 53%

PIK isn't looking great, but as it's such a short sector, it may still be profitable.

Summer 2012
 

CoDA has responded to someone on Face Book regarding Summer Sun 2012 destinations. They stated the schedule is still being finalised but they can confirm ALC, FAO, TFS, REU & PMI will be there. A little strange as LDY-TFS appeared on air db as cancelled?

The airport are unable to provide an accurate timetable on their website for the current WINTER schedule (STN listed incorrectly as once daily Monday and Fridays; there was no mention at all of the additional STN flights over the Christmas period; additional LPL rotation missed off), so I'll believe TFS is back when it appears on the FR website.

TFS back for July & August only. Has just appeared on the RYR website. I don't understand why RYR are cutting successful routes down to operate only 2 months of the Summer? Could TFS be reduced as they are gonna add another route to somewhere like AGP?

I'm just pleased to see it back Carn. I am still surprised however that FR has never commenced a route to Barcelona from LDY. Just this week more routes were announced from Girona, yet LDY still isn't served. Am I being overly optimistic to think this route would be workable, and even more, workable alongside a successful chartered service?

Ryanair have announced a new route from LDY for each of the past 3 years.

There is no reason why they would not announce Malaga or Barcelona for this summer, they've still plenty of time and are still finalising their summer schedule.

Great to see ALC and TFS back. :)

Hi Carn,

Can you tell me were you got the figure for 2011, can't find it on the CAA website, just want to update the airports wiki page... pax number and graph.

Could you reply with the link,

Cheers
NC

Northern,

It was posted on the airports WIKI page. It is stated above the busiest routes section.

Ahright, cheers Carn. Wiki page now been updated. Put a new graph on too... And made sure there was no typos on it this time.

I'm delighted that both Alicante and Tenerife are back.

I do agree with Carnmanorlad's comments though. With such a large fleet, why are RYR bothering with the routes for two months? How much revenue will they get from roughly sixteen flights from LDY to TFS for instance? All very strange!

Also, I wonder where the person who edited the CODA wikipage got the pax stats for Dec from. The CAA doesn't issue these until tomorrow. Were they released in the news or something?

Lastly, for the potential future route development of the airport (i.e. 2013 and having "thinner" routes), and more importantly than the return of Alicante and Tenerife, I think it's essential BE come back with MAN for at least the summer. If they don't return, I can't see any other airline starting from CODA anytime soon, and as such this rules out routes like EDI, BRS, NCL etc, as a 189 seat plane is waaaaay to big to sustain these.

So I messaged Flybe on twitter last night and they replied today saying that all flights that will operate up to October are now uploaded, apparently.

So not much hope of them returning in the near future.

My question is why does CoDA not seem appealing to airlines? Flybe are expanding again at NOC with adding Leeds + they are getting the double STN on Fri & Sun.

NC,

Flybe said that last week and they are about to announce 5 or 6 new routes tomorrow.

The person behind their twitter account must be a moron then. Congrats to IWAK with their new route and extended services. I to Carn, can't see why LDY isn't attracting the operators. I doubt that customers flying from NOC spend significantly more or purchase significantly more plus tickets than those from LDY do.

BE were achieving good load factors by the end of their service and within just 5 months and whilst they were up against FR to LPL. I could only imagine how strong the route be operating now. It is a bit frustrating. :uhoh:

Does anyone remember however when BE announced MAN last year, was it Jan or Feb? Any sign of ANY, I'll take ANY good news for LDY in the coming months?

Dec stats.

Total: 28354.

STN: 10680 +52%

BHX: 4113 +12%

LPL: 8041 +31%

PIK 5492 +23%

Rolling total for the year 2011: 405568 +19.8%

Naturally the bad weather last year means the figures are slightly inflated this December. I'll do a detailed breakdown if I get a chance later.

Dec Stats
 

I have worked out Dec Stats but they may be marginally out as there were quite a few additional rotations etc over the month.

Flight/Sectors/PAX/LF
STN/80/133/70.2%
BHX/32/129/68%
LPL/76/106/56%
PIK/58/95/50.1%

The extra LPL rotations on the Mon & Sat have clearly done damage to Dec loads. PIK seems to always be the worst performing route from LDY, will it last?