ASH666 There is a separate domestic arrivals channel at NCL as there has to be as Border Agency do not perform immigration controls on passengers flying domestic routes. In the case of a connection through LHR then immigration is undertaken at LHR. Formal Customs clearance is at Newcastle once bags have been collected as at LHR you remain airside unless you choose to do otherwise. I hope this addresses your question.

Great, thanks :D

Plus Irish routes arrive there too!

Quite!
I did Dublin a couple of years ago and can't remember getting out of NCL, and nothing to do with Guinness!

I do remember the awful Stobart return flight with overhead lockers that would struggle to hold a matchbox.

When did it change? The last time I arrived at NCL from DUB we walked into the terminal at the international side but bypassed the UK border control and went straight into the luggage collection area.

Every time I've landed over the past few years I arrive in the domestic area, near the metro station.

All flights depart and arrive into the domestic gates, so maybe there was a shortage of them someday?

Arrivals
 

All Irish routes including Northern and Republic of Ireland arrive via Domestic channels as would a normal UK domestic flight would do. This is due to the CTA agreement in place.

Jersey arrives via international arrivals but bypassing border control, as passengers must clear customs.

and of course all other international flights such as from continental EU, USA, Middle East arrive through standard international arrivals, going through immigration/border control and customs.

Regarding CPH - If another airline were to set up for the route, it would be hard for Ryanair or FlyBe to do so since both airports are not Ryanair or FlyBe bases, unless an FR aircraft goes on W pattern from either NCL or CPH. easyJet could easily go on as could BMI (if SVG is dropped or base another A/C).

Traffic seems to be improving steadily on the BMI Stavanger route and it has always been assumed it might be extended to Bergen so not sure if they would close it and take on Copenhagen. However, they do seem a logical choice to operate the route.

3rd ZTH now dropped for S18 so it remains x2 Weekly

Isle of Man will no longer be served from 1st Sept, once the new Eastern NCL - Belfast City route begins.

I've just done a dummy booking for October and there's one flight number all the way through and a half hour stop in Belfast, so it looks like it's just a change of routing (intermediate stop at Belfast rather than on the island). Flights only operate 4 or 5 days a week though. I'd rather be able to get there direct but one way fares still start at £56 so not too much of a disaster.

As jensdad points out above IOM will still be served, they have just changed the routing from NCL-IOM-BHD-IOM-NCL to NCL-BHD-IOM-BHD-NCL

Interesting to see we now have an Etihad SAAB-2000 based plane until October operating for eastern.

Not sure if it was already mentioned but Jet2 doing Sofia run from 18th December till 1st April - every Saturday.

Saab 2000 is is a mixture of Flybe and Etihad crew. No Eastern crew unless that changes.
Etihad here to stay until end of October.

Eastern is now linked with Flybe, so under the franchise scheme. Flight numbers will now be BE I believe but no rebranding.

Will be skiing charters like Turin, Geneva, Innsbruck and Salzburg with TUI.

Not sure if your referring just to the Swiss Saab when you say there will be no rebranding, but there will be for at least some of the main fleet - see this link from the Eastern thread (for those of a nervous disposition, look away now - it's hideous)

http://skyliner-aviation.de/viewphot...v2&picid=10024

Jet 2 operate the Sofia charters on behalf of Balkan Holidays

The link doesn't work.

No - I was referring to the main fleet. To what I've heard from various crew of T3, only around 4-5 Eastern aircraft will be rebranded as Flybe for the Scottish routes.

However the venture / franchise is so confusing that it is difficult for some to keep up with, including myself, various crew and no doubt other departments.

Has the 10 year anniversary of the Emirates service passed by without any mention?

Sure it was 01/09/2007 when the route started but never heard anything said about it.