looking at the aer lingus flights to Gatwick for winter 2014. Still the same 3 rotations. Surely they could fit a fourth one in if the 06:45 changed to 06:30 departure and one arriving later than the current 19:25 from gatwick. After all when flybe go thats approx 400 seats lost in each direction. Still seems to be on a 319 thought they would maybe have put a 320 on the route.?!

Belfastmark

The timings may be a lot to do with what slots they have a LGW. Maybe no options. Regarding frequency possibly the same arguement, though EI will take a very cautious approach . BE we're flying 20k a month on the route pre Aer Lingus entry to the market. It's now 30k plus, and as hight as 42+ In summer . I would suggest neither airline profiting on the route, and the numbers are driven by the low fares which gives quite an artificial result. The new level will be much more realistic post BE withdrawl

Heathrow frequency slashed in April
 

I note that BA are reducing frequency on LHR for the first month of the summer schedule. From the last weekend in March the weekday frequency drops from 6 to 4 each day with the exception of Fridays which is 5 .

There is no lunchtime departure , so a large gap from 0945 to after 1500 and no late departure at 2000 .

Bit surprising as Easter falls during this period with normally heavy loads.

Does anyone know if this is commercially or operationally driven ?

On top of the withdrawal of the BE frequencies on LGW , there is a fairly significant reduction in capacity.

I presume fares are going to rise !

BCALBOY

Aside from debates on yield management, EI and BA overall loads in the region of 60%, I sense April could manage reduced frequency. LGW capacity has been way over requirements .... Looks like a much more profitable season lies ahead for the airlines on BHD London

Anyone picking up on speculation BE looking at setting up some Bfs ops?

That rumour seems to come around every couple of years. So who knows....

I certainly don't .

Flybe are trying to save money and cut down bases, making BHD a main one so they are definitely not gona split operations or move their entire operations including maintainance dept up the road, the reason they have been successful with business pax is due to their locations
Simply can not see it happen they would be crazy

Indeed! But when has anything in Belfast ever followed logic?? Smoke, fire and all that..

Can they operate the rumoured ams,gva,fra flights from bhd then with no runway issues?

Its contract renewal time again perhaps? If Harbour don`t give us what we want then we`ll go up over the hill to Aldergrove. One of the benefits of competition I would suggest.:hmm: Something so many posters on here seem determined should be squashed.

Stabby, are those flights rumoured to be from FlyBe with the clockwork Dash??:eek: If Flybe had fulfilled all the rumours and speculation over new routes over the years then they would be bigger than Easy, as it is they are at best stagnant, not going backwards is a bonus for them.:sad:

Except the result is two semi decent facilities scrabbling for the short term as the pie is split between them. The only winner in the longer game is Dublin. City being so constrained is badly limiting the wider economy, Aldergrove cannot invest and improve as a result. So while Belfast remains steadfastly local, Dublin becomes a national focus for passengers going to places BHD can never offer.

Skipness, that is one view and while it may be valid there is another viewpoint as well. City is constrained and has been held back in potential growth, by Aldergrove objecting to any expansion! Seats for sale, runway extension to name but 2 official ones. How would it look if Aldergrove were attempting to invest and grow and City were to object at every turn? No doubt there would be uproar yet City seems to have taken a back seat to any slanging matches over the years.

The fact remains that even if City and Eglinton didnt exist Aldergrove would still be unable to compete with Dublin, if anyone thinks otherwise they are deluded.:\

Whats with the CAX thread talking bout Eddis Stobard getting involved in BHD. Anyone any ideas?

Your right panpanpanpan, DUB is the main hub for the island, and there just isn't sufficient demand for masses of European routes from all over, FR may very well be able to produce a short term result out of somewhere like SNN with masses of cheap seats, but long term these type of ideas aren't viable. I do think NI airports could offer more though and a lot of the issue is the size of aircraft used by the low cost operators which dominate the airspace. As for the argument (and boy is it boring) about one airport for NI it just doesn't stack up in my eyes, there will always be a cat fight over UK traffic in particular LON, its where the majority of people emigrated to over the years and there's rich pickings to be had through all major holiday periods, put LDY, BHD and BFS together and what have you got - a load of domestic routes and a smattering of sunshine and an odd euro city or US flight, what would all this investment that would apparently happen do to encourage more routes if the demand isn't there anyway, if anything it could drive more people through Dublin by restricting choice. Granted BHD and BFS are close but I'm sure people landing in LDY to get to Donegal etc have no wish do do so via Belfast somehow, regardless of how much investment there has been in an airport. What NI needs is lasting, real peace to drive tourism and thats what will grow routes.

Any idea why BHD didn't let G-JECG Dash8 BEE3UN land at BHD tonight had to go to BFS landed at 23:44 yet i have seen traffic land up to 23:59 at BHD!

Perhaps.....just perhaps no one would pay the overtime for ATC of the Fire Service. Maybe they didn't want to stay. Maybe someone will be along to tell us.

Poor weather up at Big Airport this morning, UAL inbound had to circle for 30 mins and some traffic now diverting to City.

This is when the much-maligned 'two airports' is handy to have.

Update: ILS at EGAA was inop until around 11:00

Good to see EI stepping up BHD LHR to 320's on a number of occasions this week. Might be warranted especially with BA lighter April schedule. It looks like it will be a good season for EI ex BHD ...

I wouldn't read anything into that at all.

Maybe the A319 is in for Maintenance? :)