Bristol twice daily was dropped to free up space for the extra East Mids flights. Bristol loads were usually quite good, but with the loss of Bmibaby, the figures for the Midlands have shot up for Flybe, so probably a good move in the end.

As for Flybe, and its missed opportunities for European expansion, I think they are more than happy to feed people through the Midlands, Gatwick and Southampton, where endless connections exist. I believe they tried Paris direct, which didnt work very well, and even current Paris figures, via Flybe HQ arent usually that great. Perhaps that'll change in the future (new planes etc), but as ive maintained before, you dont want to be flying 3 hours in a noisy prop to Frankfurt.

I say again...bolleaux....

Not at all riled - just poking!! ;)

It's great that Aer Lingus is finally flying to and from Belfast.

Does anyone know what the business lounge arrangements will be?

Well its not the Jack Walker lounge !

They've been flying to/from Belfast for the last 5 years...

If Crumlin/Antrim counts, I suppose they have.

Any idea which lounge it'll be? Either will be a massive step up from the BoI lounge so, in addition to the much more polite security staff, better location (Belfast) and the place generally not being a dump, that's me happy!

More lax security, worse location for aircraft techincally and the place not making any money that will then turn into a dump.... And one more Tool such as yerself. Good luck in the crosswinds/fog/night time/snow.

The extent to which people take criticism of an airport so personally never ceases to amaze me! That said, if it's going to be that way anywhere, it'll be that way in NI.

M1 vs M2 anyone?! Try not to shoot at eachother...

You can't seriously be saying that security at Belfast City is somehow lax, purely because the staff are less rude than the staff elsewhere. Can you? Really?

The crosswinds and snow issue does trouble me but there's always that other place in the countryside to divert to! And flying to Antrim isn't nearly as bad as departing as you don't have to endure the security staff and all the people getting hammered at 8am on their way to Spain.

If BHD continues to try and attract leisure routes Im afraid you will find that becoming an issue in time, part of the baggage that comes with offering our typical destinations

I honestly don't see why there are so many complaints about security at our airports, I agree its strict, but I would rather have people enforcing and being strict with passengers over rules than push overs. The only time I have witnessed a different tone of voice in any security area has been when passengers kick off about something that shouldn't be in their bag.

second dog
 

Be interested to see this proof of BHD's lax security. Perhaps DFT regulations are non applicable at The City..

Give it time, you'll get over this...:8

Well, your critique of BFS' failings is hardly impersonal now is it? You can't choose to be magnanimous in your reply

Possibly, they certainly look after VIPs in a much different way (that is why Eurojet have moved 95% of their business down there) but one plane poses as much risk as another so there should be no difference (yet there is)

Look, it is 20 minutes up the road from the capital city, when you fly to Heathrow/Gatwick how long does it take you to get into London? It is just the way of the world that the Major airport is not in the city that names it, whereas the small business airport is and has to accept the restrictions that come with it.

As for people getting hammered at 8am, well that is up to them and I'm sure when the bucket and spades go from BHD you will see the same thing from there. You can't really be saying that people flying from one place are more refined than those elsewhere, can you, really?

I agree. Strict security is what we should expect and regular flyers (should) have no problem with this. However, the staff at Antrim are, in my own experience, just really rude.

It's an issue of poor manners and barking orders more than anything else but voting with your feet makes the bullet of enduring it an easy one to dodge.

Of course that is your right, out of interest, who is the security contractor at BHD? is it G4S?

Also, the reason the staff at Antrim are wound up tighter than a coiled spring is because of their management. If you think the punters get a raw deal, it is nothing to the detailed scrutiny they get.

yes its G4S that does the security at BHD

My initial criticism was entirely impersonal. That you responded by calling me a Tool (capital T, no less) does, I think you'll agree, say it all. We're talking about pieces of infrastructure, not your favourite aunt.

Long may people not get smashed at 8am at Belfast City. If that means that the 'drunk by 9 crew' fly from Antrim then the place serves a brilliant purpose in addition to being there in the event of wind and snow.

I agree that many cities have airports far outside them which people use to get to said cities. If there's a more convenient option, I'll go for it.

And.... drumroll... there is! Horray! I will go for the more convenient airport. Aer Lingus have too.

BHD v BFS
 

This degenerating back into Aldergrove v. Harbour. It's good that a city the size and importance of Belfast (and surrounding area) can maintain two fully functioning airports. It's not common in the UK, so don't Knock it!

There was a time when these forums were visited by professionals in the aviation business, and keen enthusiasts (like myself), who respectfully acknowledged the superior understanding of said professionals. We had representation from pilots, engineers and ATC...and many interesting and enlightening discussions were had.

Sadly, this has changed. It seems that some of the non-professionals now visiting are happy to trade insults, and bring what should be a professional discussion down to a sniping level. Sad. There are things in life to become emotional about...what airport Aer Lingus choose to fly from is probably not one of them. A little more respect fot the real professionals wouldn't go amiss either.

For the record, BFS is easier for me to get to, so I prefer to fly from it. BHD used to be frustrating to get through, but in recent times it has become a much more pleasant experience. As for security staff, I have seen mostly good, and occasionally poor at both airports. As for whether or not we need two airports? Of course we don't, but that's what we've got, and it would be naive in the extreme to believe that the airlines won't use that to their commercial advantage.

BFS is closer for me and I welcomed the decision by EI to start the LHR route from there. However over the last five years I have moved more and more of my flights to BD, when the price was right which given BD's yield management wasn't that often. Main reason for preferring BHD is the penny pinching feel to Aldergrove. The final straw was the charging to drop of and pick-up.

The different in security was not that much - but the lack of a fast track is annoying. Also the one piece of hand luggage at BFS was a killer if one wants to make a quick connection at LHR and neede both an overnight bag and a laptop bag. The BOI lounge is on par with the BE lounge so that is even. It will be interesting to see which lounge EI uses at BHD. If it is BA then at least OW status passengers most probably will be able to use the lounge if travelling on EI metal on a BA codeshare.

As to ease of access, what seems to be missing from the discussion is that unless one is accessing Aldergrove by car it is only easy to get to from Belfast. Catch the last flight back from LHR and from BHD you can still use public transport to get to the NW but from BFS you are stuck with an expense taxi ride.

For non point to point passengers EI and BA both using BHD will make it much easier. Consider the visitor who arrives into Belfast with BA on BA metal but departs out on a BA codeshare with EI.

The airline industry is complex and the economic environment is very different now from when EI established their base at Aldergrove. Leisure travel and VFR is much lower now than it was. They didn't get the codeshare arrangement they were hoping for with KLM on the BFS-AMS. In the LCC section long flight sectors are not as profitable as short etc. .

I don't know where you are in the UK, Legallooptheloop, but I wouldn't take the use of the term "Tool" too personally. It's often used in friendly banter in Northern Ireland and you would recognise it as such if someone was talking to you in a Belfast accent. It's all part of the "craic" as they say locally. People sometimes forget the tongue in cheek aspect of the spoken word doesn't transcribe into the written word.
As far as the BHD v BFS argument is concerned, I still maintain BFS was the wrong location for the Nutts Corner replacement.
The administration considered Long Kesh (Maze) at the time. This location is right beside the main railway line south from Belfast, as well as the M1. It's 10 miles at the most from Great Victoria Street, and would have offered easy access by train, bus and car. Why they didn't choose it, I'll never know.