I think they will build up slowly until they get at least 3 departures a day

Impact of Aer Lingus takeover by IAG on BHD.
 

As part of the guarantees given to Irish Govt by IAG , it mentions a 5 year guarantee to EI services from LHR to the Island of Ireland ( excl DUB,ORK,SNN which are guaranteed for 7 yrs ).

Presume this means LHR/BHD .?

I assume there is nothing to prevent BA reducing their LHR/BHD , at least at OFFPEAK times of Day ,Week or Year ?

BCAL BOY




There are absolutely no mention of services ex BHD, it says ex DUB ORK AND SNN - only republic of Ireland.







The issue will be are the Sun routes making good returns? Vueling could easily take these up and BA could fill the London rotations, or consolidate the overall capacity on LHR and make greater yield.. but I am hoping the future for EI at BHD is good...


EI-BUD

EI-BUD.

If you read the RTE website , in the article there is a sentence which says

" It added that other services from LHR to the Island of Ireland ,would be guaranteed for 5 years " .

Good to know BCALBOY!

From what I hear the plan is, BA increase frequency on LHR, and EI drop it
BA introduce LGW for connecting passengers, EI drop it
Vueling introduce new flights to Europe. Both city and leisure flights. EI drop Europe from Belfast

outcome? Excuse for leaving belfast is the fact they want to concentrate on Dublin and the costs incurred from having to go to court with BFS

I am not Yoda
 

I have watched his situation and just decided I do not know what is going on.... but this is the most believable guess in my humble opinion...

Sadly, that seems a feasible and likely outcome.

As usual, airline consolidation will negatively affect the average traveller as a result of reduced competition.

What's saying BA wouldn't pull out of LHR-DUB, give EI a free run on that and EI removed from LHR-BHD. The slots guarantee nothing for BHD other than they will be used for services to the island of Ireland - that may be because they are not under the control of the Dublin government but either way it doesn't look like EI's future here is long term. Vueling could quite easily pick up the European routes and free up EI aircraft for more DUB routes. I would welcome more Vueling routes but removing flights/competition is never a positive in my opinion.

I find it incredible that posters on this thread suggest to have information on what the plan for Aer Lingus at Belfast City is. The announcement only came out and it would appear that the granular detail of the strategy is already known. BHD2BFS, I'd be interested to know your source.

Equally, I'd imagine the expansion of frequency on all London routes ex BFS by easyJet is cause for some concern.

May be worth considering, that there would be cost advantage for BA exiting BHD LHR and leaving Aer Lingus to it, who have a base already established, whereas BA must fund hotels every night for crew, and should they launch a Gatwick, more costs in this area. If the sun routes are paying their way, I can see this being a very logical scenario....

So IAG have to look after the profits at BHD in all this EI take-over. What if they don't ? What if BA decided slots are more value to them than what Belfast Airport they operate from? Would it not be prudent for BA management to look at reducing rotations, using larger aircraft, maybe later flights thus saving loads of slots but maintaining a service at Belfast? Is Belfast that crictical in the bigger picture that Vuelling would come in and take-over bucket and spade routes at Bhd if EI left? I think satisfying the Irish Government is higher up the list than a handful of flights out of Belfast.

E175 operating LPL BHD just now enroute... where is this based surely on a W pattern as no 175 based at BHD?

It is Birmingham based, operated on the early morning flight from there, then went to LPL, according to Flight Radar

I would say bhd2bfs has just about hit nail on the head. I would agree with the Vueling notion. As interestingly only theLondon routes have been talked about.

One thing is certain about this development..higher fares from BHD to Heathrow.

I disagree.
Explain your reasons.

I also disagree

only is one reason, monopoly to Lhr.

Look at SNN and ORK. They have a monopoly to LHR, yet no higher prices to LHR than DUB. Ryanair them on their heel, just as Flybe and Easy jet will do in Belfast. (Even Ryanair to an extent at LDY)

Flybe don't really have anything to offer in competition to London for transfer passengers; City - City flights are timed and priced for business travel to that part of London.

Easyjet may mop-up casual traffic that doesn't care which London terminus but I don't know many people who would book them as the first sector of a long-haul flight, particularly if it involves schlepping from Gatwick to Heathrow.

KLM would be the main competition offering connections through Amsterdam.

So I foresee IAG levelling against KLM and ignoring the others.

Dear help us if KLM ever pull-out and leave IAG as the sole hub-connector.

I've just seen a Brussels Airline plane landing at BHD ... does anybody know why it's here?

It isn't a Brussels Airlines aircraft. It is a Flybe aircraft painted in the SN colour scheme. The aircraft you seen was GECOI which is operating the BHX-BHD-LPL-BHD-BHX rotations today. Flybe have two of these, GECOK is the other. They operate flights on behalf of SN.

Thank you. :ok:

At Shannon, Aer Lingus are the sole airline for transfers, yet the prices are not skyhigh.

A Rouge 767 arrived from YUL and departed for YYZ in the small hours, was there a diversion in that they were picking the pax up from?

A B767 @ City? Blimey.....

Bloody hell, I thought I put that in the Shannon thread. I think it's time to retire...

Apron/runway work
 

I hear more concrete being pumped in to fix the apron and runway from sinking.

As in subsiding gradually or sink-holing!?

BHD-SOU appears to be reduced to ~2 daily from ~3 this coming winter, at least according to the 'partial' winter timetable.

Extra contact parking stands is what's needed

Old rumour, thought I'd put it here anyway.

Is Dublin pondering a cheeky move for George Best Belfast City Airport? - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Just to add a little to the ongoing debate about the merits of the various airports on this island, the following random check today is typical of where the Belfast airports find themselves relative to Dublin.

Hypothetical trip to the US in March/April 2016, using two options - the first starting in DUB, the second in BHD. Source is Expedia.co.uk, and is based simply on 1 pax travelling. Ireland-UK/trans-Atlantic flights are with BA using AA flight codes, and all internal flights are with AA in order to maximise savings.

1. DUB-SFO (via LHR)
2. SFO-LAS (via LAX)
3. LAS-DFW
4. DFW-IAD
5. IAD-DUB (via LHR)
Price £749


But start and end instead at BHD, using exactly the same flights everywhere else, and the price rockets by £406 to a whopping £1155 !!!!! :sad:

Now don't tell me that it's better to support my local airports if I want to be able to see BFS/BHD grow and prosper. I'm sorry, but at a premium of £406 per person, that's a luxury I can't afford. I know I've got to get to Dublin and back to North Down, but that's a cinch these days and I don't even consider it an inconvenience any longer.

If I was in a position to actually do this trip (if only !!) I know where I'd be heading ..... :ok:

I notice also KLM's euro connections from BHD are priced at a rather healthy premium over other UK airports, I think they are aiming for margin rather than volume! To get to BUD with KLM from BHD it averages double that of a direct EI flight from DUB, yet from say BHX-BUD via AMS you would find KLM one of the most competitive at times. The fare differential equates to a lot more than just APD.

Flybe winter schedule
 

Just wondering how flybe schedule looks for W16?
Any increase? Decreases or just the same?

Thanks

I think they have announced an extra LPL service

Good if LPL is increasing. Seems to have done brilliantly this time, along with LCY. BCN didn't seem to do well in May but maybe Vueling is fairly unknown here, KLM however doing better than WW ever did! AGP and FAO in growth, small decline on PMI. I do notice however Vueling have seats on sale as late as May 2016 now so they seem a certain carrier, forward bookings must be better.

Yes gazmo, just looking, there is 5 flights to LPL from winter, looks like one aircraft dedicated to the LPL route. EDI going from 5 to 6 daily and GLA going from 4 to 6 daily.

Cseries cs300 is heading across England may arrive in Belfast about 6 pm
Due in Belfast for factory your Friday pm, may be arriving early.
flight radar bba507
plane type bcs

Winter a mixed bag, I think. BE up on LPL, GLA, EDI, but down on MAN, EMA, SOU - and NCL binned completely.


KL on sale into 2016, but down to 5 weekly in winter (no Tue / Sat), and see no evidence of VY on sale for BHD beyond Summer 15.


With IAG / Aer Lingus pending, an interesting period ahead.