One thing I'm quite confident on is the aircraft choice was not a factor in 99.999% of passenger bookings. Without starting yet another 757 TATL debate, the aircraft provided seats, with TVs and food attached to them and all of those seats went non stop Newcastle to New York. Nobody cares. A plane really is a plane particularly when we are talking a relatively short flight. I can imagine the amount of people who choose not to fly the route because it was a 757 could be counted on one hand. Anyway they best get used to narrow body TATL with the 321NEO and the 737MAX only going to make it more common.

A lot is made on here regarding the pricing. However I must say that the fares down the back were in line with expectations as to what should be charged for a peak time fare and the Atlantic.

Airlines have been charging more for one ways than they have for return flights for decades. It was only a year or so that KLM started offering discounted one ways. Before that a single was twice the price of a return fare. BA domestics were the same years ago.

It was a use it or loose it. Nobody used it and now NCL has lost it. I don't think the 787 or the new UA Polaris product would have saved it. Yes there were cheaper one stop alternatives but the direct flight factor should mean better yields were chargeable.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/...astle-11856208

Yesterdays TOM to ZTH diverted to ATH due to electrical storms over Zakynthos

One passenger described it as "Hell" Im sure some people would rather have an accident than be safe , I remember when a BY757 skidded off the runway at GRO all those years back.

Another top class piece of reporting from the comical...


Brilliant free advertising for Jet2 though, great photo! :ok:

Just saw that American Airlines are pulling the BHX-JFK from next year.
I'm sure that route started the same time as our seasonal flight.

If all of this is being blamed on the price of the pound I expect to see more flights being lost around the UK

An interesting article on anna.aero looking at Newcastle Airport, comparing seats in November this year with November last year.

One interesting point was that Thomas Cook Airlines seat capacity appears to be down by 31.5%. I realise that it is coming from a fairly low number, but is this all down to the loss of Egypt flights ? (I assume there were a few departures last year before the suspension came into place ?) It seems a fair few less flights in November this year (a loss of over 2,000 departing seats over the month is what the article appears to suggest)

There was no SSH departures in November 2015. There was also no TCX Wednesday flight for a few months over last winter.

Ryanair adds more flights

Madrid starts end of Marcch 2017

2 x weekly so squarely aimed at the city break market, FR building up a decent sized presence at NCL now

Ryanair I've heard will be launching a few more before the summer starts

Wouldn't surprise me at all, rumours of a base had also been floating around, but I suspect that the brexit vote has put that one on the back burner.

You know for someone who will 'pivot' growth away from the UK, MOL sure is launching a lot if UK routes. Brexit would seem to be a perfect excuse for him to launch routes with what it essentially cheap foreign labour.

Another HUGE tick in the Brexit box in my view if it keeps his base away from NCL. To my fellow Britons, I say thank you and well done for deciding to leave the EUSSR.

Mind if I was Micky O I'd still feel a bit of a fool for sending out an email to millions congratulating the UK for remaining in the EUSSR. Akward!!

So NCL has its MAD link. Yes, it's operated by FR but even I'm not shortsighted enough to think this is a good thing.

I'm glad to see we have a link to Madrid now, nice one, will be great to see how it goes, but I'd much rather have seen Iberia Express do it, with better schedule and connecting flights...

I hope easyjet step up and do something for S17, Failing IB express I would have preferred to see EZY do it, I'd much rather see EZY serve routes like Milan, which is probably high up on their list for a new route

I'll keep my fingers crossed, I want to see more FR, but I want them, and NCL to be careful exactly what, and how much more

Anyway, positive move! Most pax from NCL are leisure anyway, and it's nice to see EU cities! Hopefully this means the 3 polish routes are selling well

@EK77WNCL - Why would you prefer EZY or Iberia to cover the route? Ryanair seem to have more commitment towards NCL by expanding its operations up from only 1 route this time last year to now 12. IB Express wouldn't necessarily have a better schedule, higher fares for sure though.


It's either we have a direct link to MAD or not. A lot more people seem to be trusting Ryanair these days over their improved customer service.


Don't forget we have quite a substantial amount of hub airports including LHR, DUB, CDG, AMS, CPH, DUS, BCN, BRU (in the EU) and finally DXB.


The only gripe I have with Ryanair is their return flight times from certain destinations such as AGP are a tad early.


NE

The August statistics are on the airport website, showing an increase in pax of 27,560 over Aug. 2015 and for the first time in ages an increase in total movements at 5040 against 4951 in Aug. 2015. Domestic and IT and other pax numbers fell again with the main rise in International pax.

CAA figures for June are out, DXB down again by 7%. EWR was 5073, giving a roghly 60% load for the month. Dbai also roughly 60% for June. No chance of that ever going doble daily at that rate (thogh I do understand May-June are generally the quieter months for EK anyway)

Wow, lots of growth from FR. What are the rumoured new routes?

Friday's now see 9 flights by Ryanair

Today's EZY6433 to CFU has diverted to SKG, anyone know why?

Just found out its due to bad weather in CFU

Electrical storms over CFU

From the NIA website: