Well 4.30 million people flew to/from UK airports to ALC last year, an increase of around 9.9% on 2012. I would not say that there's not really much of a demand.

An increase by other airlines, while easyJet continues to lose passengers in Alicante.

easyJet: Weekly frequencies at ALC Airport

Winter season 2014-2015 vs 2013-2014

http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8c168615.png

Source: www.aeropuerto-alicante.net

LONDON (Reuters) - British low-cost carrier easyJet said it would be the first airline to use drones to help maintain its fleet to keep a lid on its costs.

The airline said drones - aircraft that do not have a pilot on board - would be used to carry out aircraft checks, cutting down on the time it takes to make inspections, and it would also replace printed charts and log books with electronic ones to cut onboard weight and save on fuel costs.

"We are applying a range of new technologies to the aviation sector for the first time to help us run our fleet of aircraft more effectively, efficiently and safely," the FTSE 100 airline's Chief Executive Carolyn McCall said in a statement on Wednesday.

I can understand why U2 are reducing ALC. Why waste capacity on the shell suit brigade when you can get better yields on other routes.

Luckily, a consistently profitable airline takes a slightly less stereotypical and simplistic view of its customer profiles.

Given the Euro exchange rate, I would imagine easyJet has bargained on more people heading to beach destinations where people can get more bang for their buck.

And how do you know? Where do you have this information from?

Anyway let them do whatever they want, while other airlines are gaining ground in Alicante.

So will this be called a U2 Drone or U2 Spy Plane ?

@chris789 The Euro exchange rate remains similar to the past 5-6 years or has even improved.

http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/...psdbf904f7.png

http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/...ps958845c9.png

According to your chart, the Pound was much stronger in 2007, hence you'd have more Euros to spend when you're in Alicante. There was a mini peak in mid 2012, but it's dropped off again.The Pound is much weaker now and you'd get less Euros to spend when you're in sunny Alicante. You're getting less bang for your bucks if you want to spend in Europe, having exchanged your sterling for less Euros. Although, it's good if you're coming from Europe to holiday in the UK.

GnRdl - doesn't the chart showing weekly U2 Alicante frequencies show capacity on the increase again in Feb?

In peak season, Easyjet operates 10 round trips between London and Alicante. How many more flights should Easyjet operate on this city pair ?

I imagine Alicante is probably quite a peaky market - great on Saturdays in August, but not quite so in demand on a Wednesday in May. Perhaps better to deploy aircraft, crew and slots on routes which have more stable demand throughout the summer ?

Yes, but we should compare 2014 with 2013. In 2007 the economic bubble was about to explode.

In 2014 there seems to be a slow but steady recovery of the Pound (vs Euro).

In the chart two valleys are observed in periods when demand falls. But it is a reduction that overlaps previous seasons. The number of frequencies in February 2015 are equated to February 2014.

8 daily flights with a peak of 10 on saturdays.

But I'm not talking only about London. Other British cities like Belfast, Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle are going to see reduced its offer during the coming winter.

As regards the Pound-Euro ratio I can tell you that the rate today here in southern Spain at a bank is 1.18. At a Cambio (change) it is 1.16 and has been around the 1.14-1.18 for some months. If you can get the inter-bank rate it is just short of 1.22.
Alicante Airport had an increase of 7.6 per cent on its passenger figures for April compared to last year with all the main Spanish airports showing major increases including Malaga 13 per cent and Barcelona 11 per cent.
The idiot who mentioned shell suits please grow up if you can they went out many years ago and don´t grace us with your presence we have enough trouble with idiotic Brits, just last week someone decided it might be a good idea to cross the main A7 Marbella road by walking - did not make it unfortunately!

Not sure what the issue is with UK-ALC, if U2 can use their aircraft on more profitable routes then that is the role of management to decide to do so.

I travel to alicante every month and i am disapointed at easyjets lack of flights in the winter months. I visit for the weekend and have found it impossible to visit my flat at weekends as i work on sat. I cant understand why they cave in to ba and norwegian, i like easyjet and want to be loyal but it is imposible now for me to use my appartment as their are no evening flights on sat

9,6% and not 7,6%.

April 2014:
− Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas: +7,6% (3,4 million passengers).
− Barcelona-El Prat: +10,8% (3,1 million passengers).
− Canarias: +17,1% (3,0 million passengers).
− Baleares: +6,1% (2,1 million passengers). +5,5% Palma de Mallorca.
− Málaga-Costa del Sol: +12,8% (1,2 million passengers).
− Alicante-Elche: +9,6% (0,9 million passengers).

Quit your moaning...

easyJet are not a public service, they will fly where/when the demand deems it, and where they can get maximum profitability of their planes.

How many flights do you want? They operate 14 a week from the London airports, 5 from Bristol, 4 from Liverpool, 2 from Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh and 3 a week from Newcastle and Glasgow!

The UK to Alicante market is saturated and easyJet have obviously decided to adjust their schedules accordingly. They clearly don't want to enter price war!

A simple answer is, if easyJet do not fly on the day you want, choose another carrier that does!

The mainland Spain resorts in winter are depressing place, and surprised there is even that demand! The weather barely gets above 15'C in December and January and regularly rains, its barely a Winter Sun destination! I would much rather fly over Spain and continue on south for another two hours and arrive in the Canaries, as would many other people, hence why carriers focus a lot of capacity on these routes.

I notice Thomson don't even operate an ALC flight from Luton anymore, at anytime of the year. Shows they have better places to fly to than that hell hole called Benidorm, and the English enclave of Torrevieja where Brits go to live and refuse to learn the local language or way of life!

Sorry Giles wrong again, Spain in winter or anytime for that matter is not depressing it is rather nice I can asure you. That is why millions of north Europeans travel to the southern parts of the country and spend the winter months here - equivalent of the Canadian snow bunnies moving to the southern US. Granted it can get get cold (lowest on the Costa del Sol 5 deg at night) but no frost or ice to contend with.
Agree if you really want almost guaranteed good weather go on to the Canaries or Egypt is a much better bet but I know where I would rather be on a November morning - not in Milton Keynes, Canterbury or Walsall!

Thomson? I don't remember this airline operating the route.

In any case, the charter traffic in Alicante is a minority. Most tourists organize their holiday on their own, in addition to a large number of foreign residents (120.000 British residents in 2013).

They will know, of course. But sun destinations like ALC, AGP, PMI, etc. are core routes for many European airlines. One step back and another airline will gain ground fidelizing passengers...

Some of them are ridiculous. 2xw to MAN? Come on baby...

Alicante
 

BFS has 12 weekly flights to ALC during peak summer (7 EZY, 4 LS and 1 TCX) and winter 13/14 just passed 5 flights per week.

Quite sufficient for a population of least than two million

Maybe this should be on an ALC thread

Yes. And next winter season 2xw (-1xw EZY and -2xw EXS)... enough?

pd. TCX doesn't operate anymore.