If a passenger wants to fly from Newcastle via a much larger airport for an onward long haul connection, how would Manchester compete against the existing hubs (with much greater frequency long haul) of Dublin, Heathrow, Brussels, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris and Dubai ? If there was an airline with a sizeable hub at MAN then maybe but when long haul at MAN is a bunch of airlines in different alliances and each with their own agenda...
Furthermore, apart from those specifically connecting to another flight, the train probably has far too good a frequency for a flight to compete - meaning that Flybe would likely really struggle on revenue given that they see so little cash from those connecting to long haul flights

EK777 - I don't mean to be nasty, and it's gratifying to see someone so keen and coming up with ideas, but I just don't see a NCL-MAN route happening. If on the other hand you could persuade LH that there is a case for NCL-FRA...

You say that, but in a different model, LH operate really short sectors, such as NUE-FRA and STR-FRA feeding their hub. It is amazing considering the ICE rail connections from FRA's front door to both cities, but for whatever reason it fits LH's model, and LH make money.

I am however inclined to agree in the case of NCL-MAN as FlyBe wouldn't be feeding their own network, but a variety of code share airlines, so wouldn't be able to allocate long haul revenue to the domestic to massage the numbers, and make the STR-FRA leg look profitable - if indeed that's what they do, or what they want to do.

I believe that at present there aren't direct trains from Newcastle to MAN, but within the next 12-18 months there will be an hourly service. There is no way an infrequent Flybe service could compete.

There are direct train services from Newcastle to Manchester Airport.
It maybe that it's quicker to catch the fast train to Darlington, Northallerton or York and change.

There may be through trains from Newcastle to Manchester Airport, but they are not strictly direct, as they take a side trip into central Manchester on the way. A direct service would cut out Manchester and use instead the Stalybridge-Stockport line (a "ghost" line with, currently one train a week in one direction) and a link off the Stockport-Altrincham line into the airport. Absence of that last link means that an air service might just be viable.

I believe that there have been NCL-MAN services in the past, using sub-20 seaters, but I'm not sure if they lasted long. With today's increased flyer numbers and a few well-advertised codeshares Flybe might just be able to make a go of it.

From next year they will go round by Victoria and Oxford Re to Pic. May seem a long way round but will actually be quicker and more reliable.

To be fair MAN-NCL would help out those of us that don't have a direct NCL flight.

I had a need to be in Newcastle last year for work and the quickest way was NQY-MAN-EDI and the train down

I suspect a limited well timed Newcastle option from Manchester would be well patronized with connecting traffic.


cs

Shame you couldn't do a NQY-LHR-NCL..............

MAN-NCL was served for many years by Dan Air 748s & the Nord 262- then later Gill Air with Short 330/360 aircraft (30-36 seats) always used to have reasonable loads & 2-3 times a day at one time.
After Gill went under, I don't recall another operator. Certainly would be good to see it back on the boards.

on the 08:30 NCL-SOU today, loads looked healthy, pushing 75% or more I'd have said at a rough glance, 19:20 SOU-NCL, probably about 30 pax so not so good, although it has just gone 4 daily recently so might be slow to pick up

I ended up talking to the gentleman next to me and it turned out he was connecting to Nantes, I think he made his connection... We landed 10:25 and the Nantes flight was scheduled for 10:40... But still said "proceed departures" when we landed, fingers crossed for him.

I know it's a thin market but if people are using SOU as a connection to smaller European cities, surely there would be more that would do (as mentioned above) the likes of NQY-MAN-NCL (it used to support a direct flight year round with Air Southwest, a well timed connection might suit some) or NCL-MAN-HAN, NCL-MAN-NOC, NCL-MAN-LUX... Routes that probably couldn't be supported direct from Newcastle.

MAN might be thin on the ground compared to some hubs, but a lot of people drive to Manchester, and getting travel agents on board could work wonders. If Virgin could offer "direct" flights to NYC, LAX, SFO etc. from Newcastle, with a short refreshment break in Manchester...

I know where you're all coming from, I see why airlines aren't fighting over it, but I also see why it could work. It might not be such a hit for O&D but I really think it could be a viable and convenient hub as it goes from strength to strength, and NCL might regret not pursuing it. Better to have a few thousand passengers pass through the airport on their way to MAN, than just to disappear off down the A1

Or alternatively passengers from Cornwall could just travel to Exeter airport and get a direct flight to Newcastle...

NewquayJacob: Be careful, you cannot talk sense when it comes to NQY and cornishsimon. Every single thread must be concerned with NQY and that's the end of it.

Actually it's perfectly sensible. However the EXT timings didn't work

Sorry
cs

Rivet Joint, as opposed to everything you post that slags off Flybe? Stop being an annoying little hypocrite.

Reversethrustset: I do not see the problem with having an opinion or a particular point of view. It's the crux of any forum. Railroading the topic of conversation of every thread (and for a sustained period of time) is obsessive and irritating. Thread drifting is something that is picked up all the time and cornishsimon is possibly the worst perpetrator.

Let's get back to discussing the 195s and a number of q400s that are shortly coming to the end of their leases. Does this spell the end of the summer routes/the subsidised bases in BE's network? Will BE order the c-series?

River Joint
It's interesting that Southampton are largely dependent on Flybe continuing with aircraft to operate the summer routes. What's the chances of anyone else furfilling this operation, bearing in mind Volotea are limited in there operation from Southampton with there introduction of A319s.

Just checked on great circle mapper, remarkably short sectors, similar to MAN-NCL, but also LHR-NWI and LHR-BHX. The latter was a BD route back in the day (1990s?).

I'm no train expert, but there are only 6 trains a day from MAN Airport to Newcastle, at irregular intervals, journey time 2hr 35m to 3hr 15m, walk up fare is £76 single standard class.
The last time i flew MAN-NCL (1991)was on a Gill Air Shorts 330 which took 45 minutes. In those days there were alot of corporate bookings on Gill, not sure those companies are around now.
If I were in NCL I certainly wouldn't want to connect via LHR or FRA, & MAN is no picnic either.
Nonetheless given the slow train & fares, a Flybe service isn't beyond a possibility.

The BD route to BHX was operated by a Sh360,Occassionally by Sh330 in the mid to late 80s possibly into the 90s.
We also had Brymon operating a LGW link roughly at the same time using DHC6 Twin Otter.
I think that was taken over for a short time by BCal commuter using Sh330/360.

British Midland also had ATP on LHRBHX in the early 90's.