Anyone know whay the Budapest flights isn't daily after March 26th? Doesn't go on Tuesday or Thursday according to the Easy website.

BRS-BUD is only operating M W F and Sun during this winter as well and will continue on these days in summer 06.

NCL-BUD has similarly been reduced to 4 rotations per week this winter and next summer.

I wonder whether easyJet anticipate starting BRS-MAH earlier in summer 06 than they did last summer. To accommodate MAH then they had to reduce BRS-BUD and BRS-MAD from daily to 6 rotations per week (as I'm sure you are aware), but MAH only ran from the end of July until early September (the main school holidays).

Can't think of any other reason, the loads last summer on the BRS-BUD seemed pretty good, although I appreciate that the yield may not have been all the airline desired. Who knows?.

Whilst on easyJet and BRS, did anyone else notice that when, a few weeks ago, easyJet published on its website the initial list of routes to go on sale next summer, they showed a BRS-CDG. It only stayed in the list for two or three days though.

Whether it was a complete mistake or whether someone mistakenly and prematurely put the route 'on display' is intriguing.

At the time someone posted on this thread that he/she thought it spelt the death knell for BACx on BRS-CDG, but that post seems to have disappeared (understandably I suppose).

Very intriguing! What about CDG and Krakow for the 9th aircraft when it arrives (if it arrives) after the new stands are completed on the W apron? Wonder how WOW would react if EZY started BRS-MAN!!! :uhoh:

I would hate to see Air Southwest sidelined. I think it is a super little airline that is growing steadily. I note it is to base one aircraft at BRS in the summer and I would hope for more routes from them in the future. However, they would probably have to branch out into mainland Europe if they intended developing more routes out of BRS because I can’t think of another realistic UK destination not covered at present by them or other airlines.

Perhaps they might be interested in some French holiday-home routes, especially now that Flybe is reducing its Bergerac and Bordeaux operations from BRS this coming summer, apparently to concentrate on its base at EXT as far as the West Country/South West is concerned.

As for easyJet and BRS, the BRS website contains the minutes of the AGM of the Airport Consultative Committee that took place last July. MD Andrew Skipp told the meeting that, “easyJet was committed to introducing an additional aircraft (at BRS) each year.” I note the use of the past tense although I suspect it is intended to convey the current situation. However, he did not qualify how many years this arrangement would last.

I was very disappointed when the CPH route was chopped (having used it and would have done again), seemingly because of the Danish government’s insistence on levying a charge of £7 per passenger at Copenhagen Airport. The route built up nicely and carried over seven and a half thousand passengers in both July and August last year (CAA stats), a percentage load factor in the low 80s, but presumably the yield was not good enough, perhaps mainly because of the passenger levy.

I know there is a Polish community in Bristol but am not sure how big it is, although a lot of bus drivers have been recruited from that country to drive the buses in Bristol and Bath. Perhaps they would like regular trips home on a different sort of bus. :)

I may be biased, but Humberside

All the Nordic countries are a gaping hole for BRS. Since EZY dropped CPH, there's not a single Nordic destination except a couple of Santa Claus flights.

I used CPH at least half a dozen times during the year it operated & it was always close to full. I'm amazed no one else has moved in to the fill the gap. And how about ARN & HEL? Good connections through AMS, but surely big enough to support a direct flight?

Did BRS ever have direct Nordic flights, EZY CPH excepted?

Red Snake,

I've been flying out of BRS for 25 years or more (as a pax I hasten to add) and there was never a scheduled carrier nor even regular charters to any Nordic country in that time.

There was a limited charter programme to Bergen this summer (05) but as far as I am aware, apart from odd day trip flights, that has been it.

Sweden might be a contender for Ryanair visiting BRS on a 'W' as they do from DUB and SNN.

When easyJet pulled out of the CPH route I was informed by the BRS management that they were very confident of getting a replacement carrier. Perhaps things are still moving behind the scenes in this regard and it's taking longer than they believed.

You mentioned the Santa flights. This seems to be a burgeoning industry from many UK airports. BRS alone must have had at least a dozen flights to Lapland in the lead-up to this Christmas, which when you consider the fares (and holiday costs of those staying in Santaland for a few days) shows how much disposable cash there is around.

airhumberside,

I hadn't forgotten HUY but I was thinking specifically of Air Southwest.

BRS-HUY seems a bit unlikely but so did BRS-MME but Eastern are trying it 3 times a day with J31s, so perhaps if it was to be operated Eastern might be a more likely carrier with their smaller a/c and particular business model.

I thought you Bristol guys would have been boasting about the pax figure for the airport mentioned in an aviation related article in the TIMES yesterday. "Bristol traffic has doubled to 55m in 2005"

Eat your heart out HRW.

Air Southwest would be the perfect carrier for a Bristol-Humberside route. I am sure Norwich will be a success and, with no competition from HUY the South of England at all, a similar route to HUY would surely prosper. Once daily, akin to BRS-NWI.

Regards

Mike

Jamesair

Not interested in taking over HRW.

More interested in re-taking our position as the UK's 8th busiest
airport - which i think should have done right about now - if not a bit sooner!!

Happy Xmas everyone!

Ryanair timteable now published for summer 06.

DUB-BRS remains at 3 daily rotations with 2 on Sats and 2 on Suns.

Given that the 738 will be on the route permanently this represents around an extra 350 FR seats each weekday compared to when the 732 mainly operated the route - a lot of seats to try to fill.

CAA pax stats for FR's other BRS route are published for the first time. The SNN-BRS route carried 6525 pax in November, averaging 109 per flight. Not a huge load factor when one considers the equipment is the 738 but, given this is a brand new route that commenced at the beginning of winter with an early evening scheduling, it might be taken as a promising start.

a b,

Still 10th at present - 5,150,844 on CAA's rolling 12 months at end of November compared to NCL's 5,171,512, although BRS did have 13,000 more pax in November than Wor Jackie's airport.

Happy Christmas to you and to everyone else associated with PPRuNe.

A little birdy told me that apparently FCA now looking at bringing in 757 before next winter, poss as early as MAY and operate it alongside an A321 + new tix desk before summer and poss of more routes next winter on top of SSH/BJL/AGA announced a little while back, quite suprised BIA management haven't put a press statement out regarding AGA as it is a spanking new route for BRS, c'mon BIA, FCA treat you to a new route and you don't say owt about it!!.
Also heard that Flybe getting very arsey down in EXT demanding a hell of a lot, thought that was quite intresting as if they have fallen out with BRS and apparently falling out with EXT where they gona have left in the south west? Mind you its all rumours so we shouldnt take it to seriously.:ok:

Harry,

Could you kindly clarify the following? Many thanks.

Are First Choice going to do BJL in winter06/07 with their own aircraft or will they use the current (winter 05/06 and previous winters) twice a week to BJL operated by Astraeus on behalf of the Gambia Experience?

And if they do SSH next winter will they use one of the existing up to 3 times a week rotations by other airlines or use their own aircraft?

As for AGA, the minutes of the BRS Consultative Committee AGM back in July show Andrew Skipp saying the AGA route was commencing this year (05/06), although no tour operator or airline was mentioned.

AFIK it isn't operating this winter. Maybe BRS are holding back until they are sure.

Quite a few UK airports getting AGA charters now.
LGW, MAN, BHX (?) and NCL have them for this winter.
Good to see Morrocco market expanding :)

Morrocco is certainly booming. They have a low cost airline, operating to Europe (including LGW) - Atlas Blue. Also the TUI group are investing in a new Morrocan low cost airline. Part of this boom may be down an EU-Morrocco open skies deal

Re: BRISTOL
 

MV - BJL and SSH to be operated by FCA on a part week based 757, unsure on crewing details at the moment, believe crew management in BRS are aiming to get BRS crews operating it, Not sure on Flight deck crew yet, suppose depends on whats happening this summer re 757 as obviously the current FCA Airbus pilots would probably need line training or something on the Boeing.
AGA also to be operated by FCA on their current based A321.
If you read press releases from First Choice Holidays over recent years then you can see they're very keen on doing more mid-long range routes and stepping away from the crowded LOCO areas like mainland spain, good idea if you ask me.:ok:

Re: BRISTOL
 

Harry,

Thanks for the clarification.

As you say First Choice, along with the other major tour operators, are keen to expand into routes that the locos would not find expedient to operate.

BRS has a decent clutch of mid-range charter/IT routes already with five flights to three Egyptian destinations at various times this winter, as well as the continuation of the seemingly successful twice a week to Banjul.

As an outsider I can only conclude that the runway prevents regular holiday flights to the likes of Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico.

Tui seem to have decided to concentrate more of their efforts in this part of the world at CWL, with regular charters this coming summer to the destinations I mentioned in the last paragraph.

It seems the best hope for BRS in this sector might be First Choice, a company that is very strong out of BRS, although people who know more about technical matters than I do suggest that non-stop flights may have to await the Boeing 787, of which I believe FCA has ordered six at present with first deliveries expected in 2009. I don't know whether FCA's re-configured Boeing 767s (with more leg room and thus fewer passengers) would still be unable to use the BRS runway for Florida/Caribbean-type flights.

On another subject, it was announced this week that a government planning inspector has recommended that no incursion into the green belt at the south side of the airport be allowed in the next five years. This might impact on BRS's plans to expand car parking in this area as part of its master plan looking to 2015 and up to 9 million annual pax.

Better news is the same inspector recommended that the north side of the airport be removed from the green belt, which would allow the airport to develop such things in its draft master plan as an on-site hotel, multi-storey car parks, extended terminal building, office block and expanded eastern apron.

However, if the northside was taken out of the green belt, many of these things would still require planning permission of course but the planning inspector's recommendation is a step in the right direction, but no more than that: there will undoubtedly be opponents popping up every step of the way along the green belt and planning legal processes.

Re: BRISTOL
 

I have heard talk of a Florida flight for Summer 06. In total I think theres supposed to be 3 transatlantic routes, 2 of which I think are COA. So whats the 3rd? Could it be Florida? Or is all what Ive heard just a complete load of twoddle? :).

Talking of biggies, OHY A300 expected this summer too.

Dan.

Re: BRISTOL
 

ATCO

I'm not heard of any Florida charters for summer 06. I know some posters on here last summer thought that FCA might start at least one transatlantic this coming summer but AFAIK they haven't announced anything and I would have thought it is now too late.

I can't think where else CO would want to fly to in the USA from BRS. They have a huge hub at EWR and part of the BRS-EWR raison d'etre seems to be utilising this hub for onward travel to other parts of North America.

Your mentioning the A300 reminds me that Iberia used to operate this type from BRS to TFS around twenty years ago, and it was one of these that aqua-planed off the end of runway 27.

Re: BRISTOL
 

Sorry didnt make myself clear; 2 are COA to KEWR as far as I know; they are supposed to be starting twice daily.

As for the 3rd, again, still no confirmation.

Aye Ive seen a pic of the A300, woops! <G>.

Dan.