Yes Belfast City is likely......

Still not sure about when the new a/c are coming, its just a case of waiting for Penny and MAG to say yes to building a new low cost terminal extension to the east of the control tower. MOL was over a few weeks ago and liked the airport, and wants to place upto 11 a/c

This is from the EMA thread, a worker at Ryanair he is refering to reports about LDY-EMA being axed. The last paragraph, is that refering to EMA or BHD, don't know the relevance of 'penny' or 'MAG'.

penny and mag is meant for peolpe at ema only,,,,,, penny is the airport md, and mag is manchester airport group which owns ema.

Well it looks as though the totally rediculous is going to happen

Why on earth does anyone think FR coming to BHD would mark the end of BE at the city?

Just how many of the BE routes from BHD would FR compete on? Answer: hardly any, and especially not with the kinds of loads which these routes attract. FR are primarily a European operator, not short domestic routes, and it is utter nonsense to think they would happily chug around the Flybe network with barely a 25% load. O'Leary might be an arse, but he isn't a dummy.

As for using the old terminal, same problem as using the new one - the apron just isn't big enough for a 738.

Didn't there used to be a passenger number limit at BHD and has that gone?

There is a passenger cap.It is being challenged I believe.

maud charlie the reson i said flybe would have to go is because off the passanger cap if ryan air arrive some one will have to go as they are all ready busting there limit ei directors at belfast yesterday walking around with the md

Representatives of Ryanair were indeed present at BHD yesterday.

ei directors at belfast yesterday walking around with the md

cessnarocket,

Which belfast airport were they walking around. On a different note all we hear from MOL is charges at dublin, BRS etc. How would he deal with a late arrival having to pay £500 per hour to keep BHD open plus a soon to be introduced community contribution of the same.
Also when are the planners going to get their act together and allow BFS to be 'the main airport for Belfast'. If FR do start and the routes ring true, every uk and ROI airport bar Luton, Coventry, Shannon, Teeside and Bournemouth will be covered from BHD. Next carve up Europe. This is despite that passengers prefer to use BFS, compromising safety and environmental issues for the East Belfast area. We hear all the time from the planners about yes there is expansion at BHD but BFS will always be the main airport. BHD is attractive to civil servants etc in North down and thats why the planners are letting it expand. The same applies to the Bangor railway line, Larne line carries far more passengers (the busiest in the network, Where did the investment/new trains go 'Bangor'). At this up and coming review they must either 1. keep the cap and enforce it, and or 2. put an environmental levi on every arriving and departing passenger who find it 'convenient to use BHD. This will allow investment to take place at BFS where it is required.

lisdoonvarna,

The 2 airports are here to stay but one of them is a restricted airport, for obvious reasons. The restricted one should remain that way as is the intention of the government or so they say. This is an aviation forum, I don't use offensive language and if you can't cope with a persons view on an issue, then maybe you should stick to the Beano. As for safety Q. if an aircraft is most likely to have an accident during take-off and landing, which airport do you think is statistically going to have more casualties BHD or BFS? maybe I should answer that for you, BHD beacause its in an area of high density housing.
Finally the choice is still there in Dublin (only one airport) how do they cope, its generally the airlines that provide the choice.

BFS is a vile place. The lounges are awful, the food is rediculously overpriced and there's a load of package 'lets look like tramps and get wasted' holiday idiots drinking in the pubs too a lot of the time.

BHD is a much nicer enviroment. The seats in the lounge could do with being replaced as they're getting a bit grotty but aside from that I've no complaints. The water is a rip off in the shop but thats the same in any airport.

The advantage of BFS is that normally it's cheaper to fly with easyjet than flybe from the city but im getting to the point where i'd rather just fly from the city when I can regardless of price (within reason).

OH! Now there's a rational argument for you, 'if an aircraft is most likely to have an accident during take off or landing....':D

BFS is still 'a vile place' as wingman says. I was there last week and it reminded me of how nice City (and many others) is compared to it. A lack of investment in facilities points to the owners not giving a toss about it, not because of competition from an 'unsafe' airport down the road.

The old argument from the City's opponents still doesn't hold water. The only reason some people want it to close is because they want to see those pax have to trudge up to Muckamore on unsuitable roads to fill Easyjet's coffers, not to improve anything for the travelling public. The 'choice is still there in Dublin' statement is a red herring trotted out by the doom mongers, always has been.

Eastern has a Bentley???
I gotta get me a move to that safe ole airport up at Muckamore!:}

BFS could be a lot better, BHD before the airport moved was an absolute disgrace, the only way they would attract the likes of Bd, and then sell it on was to replace it. The terminal itself its plush and new, a pleasant place to travel through. But you are missing the point. BHD and BFS can work side by side. The problem is that with the threat of BHD becoming the main airport, would you as manager of BFS invest heavily in the airport. What we need is a cap in place that is upheld, the curfew to remain, and then most people will be happy. If this was the case then I am quite sure BFS would substantially upgrade its facility.
Also should a substantial built up area be close to landing and taking off zones at airports, on paper I would say no-for safety and noise. Now obviously we have to live with what we have got.

I'm not from Belfast, but looking at it as two airports competing, I would hope that BFS would invest to retain and grow its passengers. If BHD wasn't there it would know that as Ulster's only significant airport it could do what it liked and passengers and airlines would still be forced to use it.

I came through Belfast City last Sunday night, same problem as there has been there for years - no taxis. Long queue outside the terminal (which on past history would make 30 minutes or more waiting time). Thank goodness I had a rental car. Business colleague joined us on Monday morning and had the same thing happen to him on arrival there.

Why are the City Airport airport management unable to get to grips with this ? It can completely cancel out the advantage of close proximity to the city centre.

Grrrr don't get me started on those taxis :mad:

To answer your questions EI managment walking around BFS with the MD

cessnarocket,

Go on spill the beans

Gate 22

The 412 from Birmingham today was G-JEBG. Two cabin-crew fainted and were taking to hospital and are now believed to have Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Apparently fumes from the APU leaked into the Back Galley. No passengers affected as yet. Aircraft was on Stand 2 and the emergency services were rushed to the rear door.

Thats All I know of this so far. Anyone know about the crew or the aircraft. Suppose to have been problems before with BG about the APU. Will keep eyes and ears open for any more info.

Cityjet
 

I have just tried to book city jet flights leaving belfast late october then coming back to belfast early november. It seems you can only book flights up to the last fri of october. Do you think this means the end of the route, although passenger numbers are now starting to increase, or the scotairways do38 is returning to them and a different aircraft will be deployed on this route?

bhd-lonFLYer

Jetstream Express stop BHD service
 

Notice on Jetstrem Express website today:
"With immediate effect, Jetstream Express have ceased operating the routes to Blackpool, Aberdeen, Southampton and Belfast.
All unused portions of the tickets will be refunded shortly and you will be contacted regarding this using the contact details provided to us.We regret this action and the inconvenience it may cause but these routes have not proved viable"

See also: http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...=272762&page=5

Gate 22

Really should do your homework!!
The City is required to ensure that a bias of flightpaths must be over Belfast lough and this is achieved every month without fail. This means that the majority of flights have nothing below them but water for the initial part of the climb out and inbound a/c often don`t fly over any land at all untill on short final.
As for Bfs not investing in infrastructure because of Bhd come on you can`t be serious. Bhd will never be Ni`s number one airport but it has had a significant effect on reducing the airfares for Ni pax regardless of which airport they chose. Competition is a good thing in such a small market as a monopoly will only cost us all more money. Airlines are not operated for the benefit of the passengers and to restrict growth at Bhd just to help Bfs would be ridiculous.

Of course thats only my opinion and what would i know.

Ps Welcome back CF !!

Could we finally stop the bhd/bfs argument it seems to be progressing
nowhere. I think everyone realises that BFS will always be the main ni airport with bhd being a convienient city airport. I hope aer lingus comes to bfs but also hope that there will be further expansion at bhd. I also hope their will be another lhr service from bfs by either aer lingus or ba to increase competition, making bmi finally lower prices, and boost the economy of northern ireland. I hope their will be a rail link to bfs to help belfast passengers who need to get bfs fast and easily. I will welcome all developments to aviation in ni. The possibility of fr operating at bhd is extreamly unlikely but strange things like this have happened before.

bhd-lonFLYer

bhd-lonFLYer,

Well said agree 100%, but what else can we talk about until EI or FR make an announcement. BE or running themselves into the ground with delays etc, BD are pricing themselves out of NI, EZY/WW sitting quietly. Jet 2 seem to be the only airline moving forward at Belfast now, although at a snails pace. The long haul market seems hot at the moment. I was checking out flights to Vancouver with zoom recently and most of their up-graded seats always seemed to be sold-out a couple of weeks ahead. Lets see, flights per week across the pond EWR - 7, Toronto (Including Halifax/hamilton) 2 TS, 2 OOM, 1 GSM, Sanford 2 MYT, 1 TCX, 1 GSM, Vancouver 1, Cancun 1, Just counting up in my head open to corrections/ommissions (of course this is the busy 12th.)

The plot thickens. Have you seen page 39 of this morning's Belfast Telegraph? The headline on the page lead is 'Flybe may be about to quit City Airport for Aldergrove'.
Apparently, the airline had a three hour briefing with BFS Chief Executive John Doran and senior management yesterday.
Anyone know anything about this?

There you go....lots of stands for RYR:hmm::hmm::hmm:

Is that the bizz tele of yesterday, if this is true sounds like a warning to BCA about Ryanair. Who is this feeder of info to the tele. Why does he not contribute to this forum, mind you if he did would you believe him-Ryanair setting up at city, BE moving to BFS......

Maybe they are going to split their services between both. International flights at BFS (no restrictions) base a couple of aircraft to carry out a few continental destinations. Can't see them switching GLA/ EDI/ MAN/ BHX/ LGW/ CWL/ NCL. If they did switch all operations to bfs the bmi group may switch WW flights to bhd-all operations in one airport. Bad news for residents as BHD would be an almost all jet operation.

I still doubt ryanairs entrance to bhd this is due to 2 reasons:

1. even if flybe leave bhd there will be no more 738 stands except bmi 4 and ab 5 (although they could change the stand sizes and amount of them, how long does this take and how much would it cost?)
2. Ryanair would like a paralell taxiway the whole length of the runway for quicker taxying

although it could still happen i however doubt flybes exit from bhd but if they do i am sure bmi baby would arrive (smaller 737, would these fit in the current stands?) maybe even bmi regional.

It seems crazy that BE would move to BFS. They're primarily a business airline so to move 20 miles from the city centre would make them much less attractive to business travellers. When you say they had a 3 hr breifing, was that a 3 hr briefing from management to BE telling them to bugger off or was it from BE to management saying they might leave?

Flybe at BFS!!
 

Another idea, maybe Flybe were up at Aldergrove trying to negotiate a regular parking spot at BFS... For all the aircraft that end up at BFS nearly every night of the week now due to the long, long delays being taken by Flybe at the mo... Dont you just hate paying a fortune for a Flybe flight to the city centre, only to end up 20 miles away :ugh: If I wanted to fly to BFS, I'd have given the orange machine my money!!

The article was headlined 'Flybe may be about to quit City Airport for Aldergrove'.
It quoted Mike Rutter, Flybe's Chief Commercial Officer as saying it would 'be wrong to read too much' into the three hour meeting.
However, he also said: "I must say I was very impressed by the improvements that have been made at Belfast International in recent years.
"It is one of only a few airports in the UK that could accommodate a major expansion of services without having to invest in vast building work."
A spokesperson for BFS said: "It is not unusual for airports and airlines to have discussions and we are always looking at business opportunities."
A spokesperson for BHD said: "We never comment on speculation."
There's certainly no denial in any of these statements although Mr. Rutter did say Flybe are 'negotiating' with BHD about starting new direct services to Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels.
All of this also comes at the time of year when Flybe traditionally conduct their landing charge negotiations.
Could it be the case that Flybe are saying 'maintain the status quo and we'll expand our services from BHD but let in Ryanair and we'll move lock, stock and barrel up the road'? - we'll have to wait and see.

Ha ha ha, what a load of nonsense about BE moving to BFS! Oh sure, that'll solve all their crewing issues. More than half the crew in the base would live over a 1 hour drive from home to Aldergrove. Attempting to force anyone to accept the required relocation would count as constructive dismissal, as the affected crews would give a sharp 2-fingered salute and leave. Also bear in mind, the company seniority list is massively biased in favour of the senior jet crews at BHD. It would cost them a small fortune in tribunal payouts.

Now Cityjet are mumbling about doing a direct CDG from BHD amongst other ideas. More press speculation.
Most amusing of all is how BFS can cope with major expansion without building work? Not that long ago they were trying to get the great orange empire to give up check-in desks to give to Wizzair. Its about time all these guys put their money where their mouth is. Then we will see who is to take over the reigns as NI's biggest operator.

chec tunset Tell us more about the cityjet rumors you said 'amongst other ideas' what are these other ideas?

bhd-lonFLYer

Aer Lingus
 

Was chatting to a senior guy at BFS at the weekend who felt it was probable that EI was coming and according to the newspaper yesterday Aer Lingus are having AGM this week so should we hear an announcement???Would be nice to see an end to all the speculation.

As regards the rumours of BE moving to BFS from BHD that in my opinion would be highly unlikely they must be jumping up and down with the prospect of FR coming in.. If it happens and all that!

I would have thought that BE would want jump at the chance to get out of BHD if FR are to move in there.

Also, what is the latest in the FR/BHD story. It was said, at the time, the BHD base will be announced within two weeks.

Check this out

http://www.uk-airport-news.info/belf...ews-030707.htm

The long awaited apology!

The Cityjet stuff was briefly on the news yesterday. No details on the other routes..which probably means they havn't thought of any yet.