Maybe if there hadn't been two airports you'd have flown out of one and landed in Dublin, slightly further away than where you'd parked your car?

Two things about this remark.
1. the use of the word spotter as a term of denigration.
2. That having an airport big enough to have the economies of scale to sustain routes and infrastructure is not a "Fantasy". It is something to which a lot of people aspire.

It's true that too much money was paid for the City. The proposed (Imagined) return on investment that supported that ridiculous valuation will not be recouped in my lifetime. Companies cut their losses, they don't pour good money after bad.

I don't think the solution for NI is one airport. I think the solution for the Belfast itself is one airport serving the UK, and different European regions, and serving as the international portal of Northern Ireland.

I think there is potential to make money out of selling BHD by selling land when the economy picks up.

A strong single Belfast airport could then offer a wide range of destinations at a sustainable profit, with BE remaining there to operate smaller routes. Whilst attracting new transatlantic routes and middle eastern routes.

LDY would not affect a strong Belfast airport, but I believe it would continue to grow modestly to eventually turn a profit and perhaps offer a real low cost alternative for the likes of FR in NI. And if the North West economy ever became strong, be there for a route to LHR. Ask any rate payer in the North West, I'm sure they're happy to continue subsidising the airport until it becomes self sustainable. It is a net contributor to the region after all.

Why do people think the land the airport is on could be used for building on? It may be reclaimed but in many parts dig a hole and you can watch the tide come in and out!
The general feeling is EI is coming.

Heard that about Aer Lingus, also. Would tick a lot of the boxes. An airline operating both domestic and European routes, and fit in with the codeshare LHR issue. The only thing, would EI's timetable be able to be condensed to still offer the same amount of rotations per day especially with an aircraft currently able to do a mainland Europe and a Canary Island flight per day. Also heard recent rumours again mentioning KLM to AMS, which would provide an alternative hub to LHR for long-haul connections.

Was flying out to heathrow today and seen that the airbridge has had the ulster bank logo taken off it so you can see outside now as you walk down. I assume this will be replaced with HSBC as most BA airbridges have this.
In relation to EI moving down it seems more and more likely as they still haven't released their winter schedule yet

Its going to be TAYTO!

Thanks for the info dog,
Just out of curiosity does BFS airbridge have a sponsor?

The airbridge at BFS has no sponsor.

Remember this anyone? ;)

Belfast City Airport - AIRPORT CHIEF LABELS AER LINGUS REMARKS ARROGANT AND ILL-INFORMED

Not sure to what extent this involves BHD but had an advertising email from BA regarding new routes and it states Belfast flights may be operated by bmi or aer lingus aircraft.

Aer Lingus moving to BHD, I think as I said way back that LHR BHD is a possibility and BA exit the market:

I cant help but feel that this latest rumour of Aer Lingus coming to BHD has no substance

Pro's for a move to BHD:

• Airport offer attractive deal to get the business
• EI could also bring LHR and consolidate LHR route for NI at BHD
• Some routes on baby showed good numbers and this may attract EI to the party as a differentiation from EZY proposition at BFS
• With 319s EI could comfortably serve its current network include Canary Islands
• Likely that a good yield on LHR could be achieved

Con's for a move to BHD:

• Short opening hours, no room to do a 2330 arrival from Tenerife or Lanzarote
• No opportunity to move to a 6am departure on any day
• Cap on aircraft/seats (probably wont be an issue)
• Now well established at BFS, have invested heavily in developing the base
• No future potential to facilitate a flight to USA or Canada should EI wish to operate same, especially with talk of A321 NEO coming onto the Atlantic
• Parking not as easy for long stay or as competitively priced.

I simply cannot see why Aer Lingus would move lock stock and barrel over to BHD though I can see them taking advantage of such a negotiation between BFS and BHD to lower the cost base. Yes I could see a 4 daily LHR route in addition to BFS at say 3 (3x320 BFS and 4x319 BHD). The 3rd winter Aircraft could take up residence at BHD instead of going to Dublin.

What becomes of the whole LHR EDI and ABZ routes is relevent here, I feel that that this is relevant.

Does anybody know when the new carrier is to be chosen for LHR ABZ and EDI, or how is this being sorted, who sorts it, is it BAA?

EI-BUD

• The brand attracts a lot of customers from cross border areas and border counties, such as Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Fermanagh... who in the main view BFS as closer with better parking facilities

At the minute, Ei has 3 routes on sale to Tfs etc, which for all 3 is approx a 10 hour duty, all scheduled to arrive back in Bfs around midnight. So if they move to Bhd, how does this work? Assume they move all 3 to a 6.30am departure, back to Bhd around 4.30ishpm. Only time left for a return to Lhr, assuming no delays. At the minute, Ei use the same aircraft all day to Lhr, I believe. So would this work?

I cannot see the benefit for Ei in moving to Bhd. Someone here mentioned better yield at Bhd. But if Lhr was all moved to Bfs, then this better yield will move to Bfs, as we will never have competition on the route to Lhr again, unless another runway is built. So Ei get the better yield, but with the freedom that comes with operating from Bfs.

TB

On the face of it it does sound an odd thing to have EI operating out of both Belfast airports, but perhaps no more so than operating out of numerous London airports (although obviously the geography is vastly more expansive). I can see BHD-LHR as being highly lucrative for them though especially in winning over business passengers which is such a big part of bmi's market, say a 6 or 7 times a day shuttle split over both.
The canaries do seem their forte though and are also very lucrative, and also they are very established and respected at BFS.

Time will tell.

According to timetable + booking engine TFS not on sale? Only thing onsale is LHR...

current summer season on sale, not winter

TB

There are all sorts of rumours going on, one I heard was that BFS management are talking to FR at the moment :ugh:

A friend who works at the airport said they seen someone out the other day measuring the stands

Jesus if FR come to BFS there will be a bloodbath between them and Easy.

Oh good Lord no!!! Please no!!!

BHD management stated that one of the airlines in question would operate both domestic and European routes. Now if Germanwings / Lufthansa / KLM arrive, they will not be operating domestically. So who would serve both the mainland AND Europe. My guess would be either FR or EI. What other airline would. MON I couldn't see domestically, so what other airlines would even be on the radar.

My monies on a virgin galactic space port.

There's enough "spacers" on here as it is.;)

Jesus if FR come to BFS there will be a bloodbath between them and Easy.

Not if Easy made a dramatic move to BHD. After all, they operate both domestic and European routes. Just a thought which is probably nonsense, and no doubt I'll be told this in no uncertain terms.

FF2, how exactly would Ezy fit their operation into Bhd, in terms of number of planes, pax numbers and operating hours?

TB

Haven't a clue, True Blue. As I said, it was a sudden thought that is probably nonsense and I can see exactly where you're coming from. It was just the suggestion that the much vaunted new airline will operate both European and domestic routes combined with the rumour that BFS is in discussion with Ryanair. Unless of course, it is Aer Lingus who are planning to move to the Co. Down side of the Lough, and BFS would like Ryanair to become their second biggest operator. Ryanair and Jet2 both operate from LBA. Why not easyJet and Ryanair at BFS?

AIRPORT66
 

All airports talk to all airlines from time to time a lot of the time nothing ever comes out of the talks the only time Ryanair will be in BFS is when they tell the airport they are going to pay there way like all other airlines that use the airport which is only fair,BFS management have told them before on a few occasions the only way your getting in here is when you pay your way.

But if Aer Lingus left, wouldn't that move the goalposts slightly. They'd need a replacement airline to keep passenger numbers up, and one which would at least offer the same routes as EI, if not even more destinations. Yes, the airport needs every airline to pay its way, but the passengers who use the airlines enable to retail and food outlets to pay their way. It's all swings and roundabouts as far as I can see.

Just what did Brian Ambrose ACTUALLY say?
 

Call me pedantic if you wish, but I'm not yet convinced by the subsequent views expressed here that we've all taken on board what Brian Ambrose actually said a fortnight ago.

I quote - "These airlines would service both domestic routes and a European network in 2013"

Now, does that mean both(?) airlines both serving domestically and on Euro routes? Or does it mean one of the airlines would serve domestic routes while the other served the Euro routes? Either interpretation can be taken from the words spoken.

To me it's an "Eats shoots and leaves" conundrum. Without the appropriate punctuation and inflection of the delivery (and without any other explanation being offered) the truth is still a mystery.

BHD
 

BFS101 says that Germanwings/Lufthansa/KLM will not operate domestically. Why not? Air Berlin did BHD, Man and perhaps others from Stansted. In addition, any airline could establish a UK subsiduary as KLM had at one time with KLMUK, the former Air UK or as Air France has with Cityjet

Bmibaby Q&A's

Belfast
Why is everything from Belfast being cancelled?
As a preliminary measure, the planned changes to our Belfast schedule have regrettably been made as a result of commercial and operational challenges. Belfast is in its first full year of operation, and still needs investment, and given the current situation we are unable to maintain the level of investment needed.

Why is Belfast facing all the cuts when other bmibaby routes are still operating?
There are planned cuts across the whole network, but regrettably a review of our operations has resulted in the preliminary measure to cancel services from Belfast.

You’ve only just started these routes from Belfast, why cancel them now?
The planned changes to our Belfast schedule have regrettably been made as a result of commercial and operational challenges. Belfast is in its first full year of operation, and still needs investment, and given the current situation we are unable to maintain the level of investment needed.

Can Belfast-Stansted passengers have the opportunity to transfer onto a bmi flight from Belfast-Heathrow?
Customers will not be transferred onto bmi or any other airline. Where possible we will re-book them on to an alternative bmibaby service or they will receive a refund from us.

Is it just the Belfast routes that are losing money?
As mentioned, the business continues to incur significant losses and we must review future options for our business. Regrettably any preliminary decisions we have made with regards to the network means a cancellation of our Belfast services. If anything changes during the consultation process we will update you.

OK. I know I've made a similar point before BUT IAG owns three airlines apart from Baby - bmi, BA and Iberia. It cancels all Baby services from BHD. Thousands of passengers are affected. Some of these people could be re-accommodated on flights operated by the other three airlines, but it IAG refuses to take this course of action. It's a refund or nothing. I'm sure this is legal - but it shouldn't be.

I was thinking about this statement from Bhd re 2 possible new airlines, we will know in June. Is there any airlines to replace WW at all? I am wondering if the statement might just be a bit of a holding statement with some spin, maybe some good news in a few weeks.

If nothing comes to pass over the next few weeks, who will notice apart from a few of us on this thread? The general public will not notice, they pay little attention to this sort of thing. The press have long forgotten and gone away. Result. Bhd was able to make a glossy statement at a very bad time for them that maybe took a little bit of the bad gloss off things at the time. Now most have forgotten what it was all about and if there is no replacement, nobody notices.

TB

It's a bit too specific for a holding statement. The story on the BHD website seems fairly definite.

It'll be Jet2 no doubt. They'll continue to run their cargo ops from BFS and run pax ops from BHD.

Better get a grip guys. I am fed-up with getting one complaint after another about abuse, swearing, digs, pokes and snide. Cut it out please or the thread will be closed until people can behave like gentlemen. Got it?

Thanks.

PPP

Unless Jet2 is prepared to do a 'Gill Air' and ferry an aircraft back and forth from the City to the Intl i cant see Jet2 happening (though happy days if they did jump ship). Or keep 1 aircraft in each airport? Either way it sounds a bit too messy and expensive to happen.

If the City Airport doesnt already have any airlines lined up to start soon, theyre certainly still trying to get them in. Quite a few big cheeses in recently, and the airport has been tidied/freshened up. Though the story from management is that the airport might also be going up for sale or looking for new investers.

As for airlines that may be starting, I can vouch for 2 that have declared interest in Sydenham, but we'll wait and see.

This thread has been an education! Always thought that BHD was domestic only and that BFS was both domestic and international.

Have been through BHD on BD's service to/from from LHR a few times
but never noticed a door in the main concourse part at the front saying "international arrivals - no entry", hence that impression.

How crazy is that!? Must pay more attention next time!

The new operator at City will be Aer Lingus, no surprise there. The surprise will be in the route network they are planning to operate, mainly domestic with a smattering of sun routes at some later stage. Don't think we'll hear offically until middle of next month but I am assured this is correct information. flybe will not be too happy.

larry the man, if you are correct, in terms of mainly domestic, if this is more than a London Heathrow route at high frequency, all that I can say is that suicide is painless. Aer Lingus only fly LGW, MAN, BHX, LHR and JER (in ther own rite) from Dublin and the others simply dont work with airbus size ac (and Dublin is strong territory for EI), and in Belfast not only do they have a strong easyJet to worry about, Flybe have the high frequency domestics covered and EI would be in very dangerous waters.

As regards European routes coming later on, this would be a huge mistake, ie to stop them now after spending so much time developing them. After so much investment etc.

Unless Easyjets 'new routes' are Tenerife and Lanzarote and Aer Lingus are already giving up the fight...

EI-BUD

The only other gap I can see coming up domestically is STN and its not exactly EI teritory. Moving european routes to BHD could I suppose be seen as retreating to a place of safety and filling the gap that never quite formed by WW. It would of course explain the purchase of A319 aircraft which didn't really seem to fit into any plan exactly.

The 319s do however allow them to run thinner routes at the quiet times of the year with reduced costs.. as the 319 requires 1 less cabin crew member..

Whatever their decision is, i wish them the best of luck.. it will be a considerable gamble for them if they move across... as we all know EZY will no doubt take the opportunity to replace their routes... I'm keeping my fingers crossed they continue BFS-LHR which could be possible as its the only destination loaded into the system