Hi,i was wondering if the Bacon base in Bristol will become a Flybe base ie same routes different airline?What plans do Flybe have for Bristol?Thanks.

Thanks.Interesting times for Flybe then.You would think early promotion of routes would be taking place before the pax start using other carriers.Thanks again:)

The nightstop plan on the next generation airline site suggests two based 145’s through until at least October 2007. Not sure when that was published though or if it still is the plan. Rumour suggests the based aircraft would do some European flying while the EDI/GLA routes would be retained but using EDI/GLA based aircraft.

New Luxor route announced today with TOM, maybe they're guna stay put for a bit and not leave as per recent rumours, whoever put the advert on the BRS website should be shot though.... Pictures of the Pyramids to announce a Luxor route???? Where are the Pyramids......Cairo! Doh Schoolboy error :}

Was thinking of the TCX/MYT come together, which i assume will mean a TCX base for BRS. I wonder how this will effect FCA? cant imagine the new TCX will sub out flying if they are going to have a base. And if TCX take back their flying from FCA, will they go tit-for-tat and take back their flying at NCL?

Centrefix - Its definatly going to be interesting times ahead for both FCA/TCX, FC shops have already de-racked all Thomas cook, Airtours and Thomson brochures and replaced them with Olympic, Cosmos and Kosmar!
I imagine its a bit late to do anything for sharing on flights for this summer, BRS is a strong base for FC so I imagine they'll keep the same 2x757s in summer, and the 767 wouldn't be effected as it's only FC hols passangers on there anyway.
Maybe a cheeky little 320 at NCL for FCA, who knows, what will be interesting though is to see if FCA's leasing of a/c with Skyservice Canada in both directions continues or not?

Interesting to see that the BA/GB flight to TFS today is operating with Airbus A321 G-TTID. Loads must be excellent for them to upsize for today.

SAM-EMA

I see that BBC local TV news (Points West) are reporting an Easyjet aborted a landing yesterday due to the slippery runway issue having reappeared....

Alledgedly the captain said that he had to delay landing until the runway was a little drier.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/6379213.stm

Runway in news again
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/6379213.stm

The above links to a BBC report concerning the easyJet flight from BFS to BRS last night.

It circled before landing and an MP on board asserts that pax were told the reason was the wet runway condition.

The MP told the press, ".........then the captain came on and said 'you've obviously heard about the difficulties they've had in Bristol. We've been advised it wouldn't be safe to land if it's too wet and as there's been a bit of a very heavy downpour, we can't land just yet as we have to wait for the runway to dry off.' "

This story was given the main lead on the Bristol BBC and ITV local televison news shows this evening.

The MP was interviewed live at his home and maintained his story despite rebuttals from the airport and airline who say the aircraft circled before landing because of strong winds and rain. easyJet suggested the MP may have misunderstood what was said by the captain.

In one of the local tv interviews the MP said he believed this showed the runway was not safe and pax lives may be being put in danger.

One of the tv interviewers said that easyJet had cautioned the MP to be very careful about what he was saying.

BBC Bristol Tv News said another pax had contacted them to support the MP's version of what the pax were told by the pilot.

Seems odd because since the airport re-opened there have been a number of days when it has rained hard and, AFAIK, this has not prevented any aircraft landing. Obviously, strong cross winds are a different matter.

Some of the local Conservative MPs are against expansion and I don't know whether this Tory MP has joined the bandwaggon on the day when the airport's master plan is being debated by the local authority, amidst a groundswell of opposition from a consortium of disparate groups.

However, I would be very surprised if even an MP would go so far as to issue blatant lies in this manner.

Just had a look through the TOM website timetable. Shows at least one flight a day through W07/08, and flight times show a base.

Had a look at LBA and STN too
LBA's base appears to end before S07 starts, so thats the end for them it seems,
but STN is still showing a based a/c through S07.
So who knows whats going on in the fantastic 'World' of TUI!

Well, it does come naturally to them, but it's quite possible the pilot's comments were just misunderstood because they weren't actually in clear enough grammar.

Put it this way, I'm flying from BRS - BFS on Saturday and back again on Monday, both with Easyjet. If I thought there was a problem with the runway I wouldn't be going from Britol, I'd be off up to Brum or Eefrow.

Easyjet are prolly just blaming the recent events to justify the delay to the pax. It's possible that their pilots are not capable of using any runway of that length if it's been assessed as 'wet/wet/wet' or they have changed their SOPs since December because of what happened, just to try and show that they are safer than safe. If so, it doesn't show any confidence in the airport even though Easyjet's own Ops people assessed the runway as perfectly safe.

TOM Luxor
 

The TOM winter 07/08 programme has been on sale for months, including Luxor.

I would expect Thomson to take into account the likely impact of the MYT TCX merger as part of thier base review. They may smell Firch Choice blood and decide to expand at BRS - TCX buy a lot of seats off FCA. On the other hand they may well move the 757 to CWL, which is doing quite nicely for them, and buy seats of other carriers - FCA will have a few going spare!

Those of us who aren't senior managers at TOM will ahve to wait a while to find out.

MB

Wonder why the airport have just put LXR as a new destination when its been on sale for a while? maybe they and TOM were waiting to see how well it sold, I remember reading a few weeks ago in a trade paper that Cosmos were very keen to expand services BRS, as they hardly have any at the moment, perhaps if FC shops already have their brochures on shelves in place of TC brochures, and they're keen to expand in BRS a nice little tie up with FCA for seats could be just what Cosmos are looking for!

On Saturday there were two diversions on Saturday from BRS to CWL for BA Connect i was told by a colleague today. The 1st one had landed without calling up and no notification from BA. Captain called on the ground and was pretty p'd off after sitting on ground for 10 mins without anyone approching the a/c. All appologies were given from Aviance ops and explained that he wasn't expected and that somone would be with him as soon as possible.

Aviance ops then contacted BA to ask why wasn't they informed of the diversion, the reply was 'Didn't BRS phone you to let you know?' ' Well that was very naughty of them.' He then went on to say theres another one on the way to you. Aviance ops then went on to say that there were problems with Tech a/c at CWL and were not able to handle it as there were no facilities or staff available. Thats ok he said tell him to divert to BHX as thats where the a/c was going next.

Aviance operations contacted ATC to tell them to inform the BA Connect a/c to go to BHX instead because of the probs at CWL. Captains reply was 'Sod that im 5 minutes away and i'm coming in.'

Apparently he had all but praise for CWL for friendlyness of staff and that they had allready ordered the busses by the time the passengers were in the terminal.

Is this signs of BA Connect being frustrated with insecurity of their future?
And what were the reason of the diverts to CWL from BRS?

FCA Longhaul must be selling ok, SFB and POP on sale for next winter, again starting in FEB, with the POP moving to weekly :D

Just been talking to some passangers in the terminal this morning who've travelled from Mansfield (nr EMA) to get on the SFB flight, they said they needed to fly on a weekend, couldn't get anything available from the Midlands and didn't want the hassle of MAN/LGW, just shows how far people are prepared to travel to go longhaul, and that BRS is now maybe being considered as an alternative to other larger airports by both travel agents and passangers in other areas of the country.

EASY add Milan and double Paris
 

EasyJet is to start daily Bristol-Milan Malpensa service from 23rd April. It is forecasting carrying up to 100,000 passengers on the route in the first 12 months of operation. The carrier has also announced it will increase frequency on its Bristol-Paris service to double daily from October.
Air Transport Intelligence, 26 February

Is BRS getting an extra based aircraft or will these extra flights be fitted into the existing schedule?

airhumberside,

Looking at the flight schedule it seems the MXP flights will be operated by Italian-based machines - dep MXP 0715, arr BRS 0825, dep BRS 0850, arr MXP 1155, slightly different timings at weekends (all times local).

The second CDG does not start until the winter season.

BRS is to get another based 319 this summer (the tenth) but there are already additional flights/extra rotations compared to last summer so it may be the new 319 is already fully utilised in the timetable.

Some of us wondered how long it would be before someone stepped in to replace the rumoured to-be-axed BACon routes, assuming the Flybe takeover goes ahead, and it hasn't taken easyJet long to get in on the MXP.

They may have done anyway of course because they have rained on Flybe's BRS parade in the past leading to BE pulling routes from Lulsgate in the face of Orange competition.

A tad early as a departure from MXP if you're doing a quick break but easier than flying into Pisa and out of Venice or Rome with TrenItalia filling in the missing bits. Milan's well worth a visit and the route's a welcome addition to the EZY route network at BRS. BA to MXP was never "cheap" when looking 3/4 weeks ahead to book a flight.
MH.