Just stumbled across this article, looks like Chester will be focusing in on airlines selling up to 50 seats on a London route.

Bid to establish air-link between North Wales and London | Wales Air Forum

With trains from London Euston to Chester doing the journey in 2 hours, I don't see much time gain in an air service from anywhere other than LGW, avoiding the time consuming London transit.

My thinking is that it might be more suited for low volume leisure traffic to/from Europe. How important is North Wales in terms of business traffic to LCY? That's a genuine question.

Reading this together with the Dundee thread, wonder if there would be a synergy to be had by 'teaming' with London through the newly-resurgent London-Southend Airport, rather than the (expensive) 'usual suspects'. Could be a better, and mutually beneficial, arrangement all round?

"Welsh Secretary David Jones is urging potential carriers to take a serious look at operating a service to London City in particular."

Two-faced politicians at it again: his other face will be sprouting off about the evils of air travel and all the 'environmental harm' it does and how we should be using the trains instead.

Sheffield (SZD) - LCY was a flop; CEG - LCY would be a flop too.

CEG would have a very limited, 'elite' leisure market and it would be very surprising to see that supporting any scheduled services; the business market, other than the existing Airbus services, would be very small. Ad hoc charters and biz-jets would be quite adequate for the markets there, much as is already provided but the improved passenger (new terminal) facilities should help increase this a bit. It would be nice to see another airport developing its services but this needs to be done realistically. SZD airport management went chasing after 'pie in the sky' (excuse the puns again!) ideas like routes to London and took their eyes off the real ball (AMS and BRU) and a good airport has now disappeared.

This terminal will be used by BAe/EADS contractors on the bmiR shuttles to Bristol/Hamburg/Toulouse/Farnborough and perhaps a Wales PSO connection to Cardiff.

Right now none of those are offered to the public however capacity on the first three and last could be available.

Could see Edinburgh at a push but a service to London ( that covers costs) not a chance.

City was pulled from LPL/MAN under VLM when the West Coast upgrade completed as uneconomic and both those cities have substantial numbers going into the City and across London every day.

As for holiday charters that market is in terminal decline at the UKs main base for these just 35 miles away.

The flexible fares operators already have split presences in the region and the chance of a hub carrier is next to none existent.

As said even KLM couldn't make Speke work and they operate into almost every other field with a shed (Terminal) across the land.

Unfortunately I agree with the 'never going to happen' camp.

The airport is a pain to operate from. Limited hours, especially weekends. Over zealous ramp management. Commercial aviation and Airbus owned facilities wouldn't mix well. It's health and safety gone mad.

Back when Highland Airways did the Anglesey run they looked at tying in a lunchtime Hawarden run but were told by the airport in no uncertain terms they weren't interested in commercial traffic. Though that's obviously changed perhaps.

I've seen the terminal, forget A319/737 Chris. And I doubt it would work like you envisage. More like Airbus would see it as an opportunity to cover their overheads completely.

If anything were to go ahead it would need to be another heavily subsidised assembly member transportation service. Mind you they need to do something with CWL so you never know!

Does anybody have the 7 day schedules out of Chester, Airbus shuttles, Beluga etc.

Also how many movements are handled per day with GA etc ?

Just seen the Beluga coming in low across the city and landing at Hawarden, quite a sight.

Hi navpi,
I work at Airbus Broughton and can tell you the Beluga timings vary from day to day and can sometimes change last minute so it's a case of if your in the right area near Chester/North East Wales you will see it. As for the BMI shuttles, these operate Mon-Fri but the times have recently changed and some of the flights now operate directly to Toulouse rather than stopping at Bristol.
I expect the A350 to make another appearance before the end of the year and maybe an A320neo!!
Hope is is useful!!

But Harwadden CEG is actually in Wales (Flintshire).


Wouldn't be LGW: its management no longer wants small aircraft and will price them out, as shown by the demise of BE at LGW.

I'd love to see commercial scheduled passenger flights at Chester - I really would. In the last 2 years I've bought tickets out of Oxford, Cambridge, Manston and Shoreham to show some support and have a ticket booked later this month on Links Air. I henuinely believe the UK is too London centric for the country's own good

However I just can't quite see Chester - IoM working; the only big financial I can think of are the back office and IT for Barclays and Bank of America - mainly behind the scenes and not customer facing. I don't see how wealthy suburban exiles from Liverpool and Manchester living onshore in the UK would need offshore services on the IoM
With Liverpool and Manchester airports close by and offering frequency, can a Chester - IoM route really compete ?

I spend quite a bit of time in Chester and talk to a lot of people there. I don't get the feeling there's much of a market for services from there, least of all to IOM. It would be good though if it did happen.