Totally agree with above comments. Big investment, doubt it was to keep BE happy. All the chatter of new carriers or existing ones moving appears to have just been that chatter. At the very least I would have expected a second AMS flight or even ASL to continue FAO or AGP.

All said and done the improvements really make the terminal look so much fresher and good luck to them selling it to whom ever they are courting

ASL are continuing both.

I agree with the comments above. What was the business case for a £15M investment? Surely they had their sights set on something?

I the fact that KLM often use small Embraers says alot about the AMS route. If it was doing so well they'd be using 737 equipment. If AMS is not attractive, HOP won't come. For AFKLM it is only about connections, certainly not Disney, easyJet have that covered and it isn't even daily...

EI-BUD

No. Flybe operate the LGW-NQY route with their E175 and have just confirmed extension of their PSO operation. Aurigny only have a single E195 and it's used on their GCI-LGW route.

Sorry I read that as GCI! Please ignore me!

Flybe
 

Flybe accountants have rated the BHD base as marginal in relation to profit and loss. Would a smaller operator take on marginal operations with likely higher costs. I think contrition of services from the province is inevitable.

I think EZY could be interested in increasing frequency on some of the routes if Flybe go to the wall, EDI, GLA, MAN, BHX. Even LBA, as currently BEE have 4/5 daily flights to LBA and twice daily A319 would offer approx same number of seats

Pan, I dident say barely marginal. I said marginal as published by Flybe accountants. Get you facts right. As for troll " glass houses " spring to mind.

As do I Pan. Having been through the miss management at Midland, I feel for the uncertainty of the staff and contractors on the ground. I would not delight in the airline going under, however the guys at the top have questions to answer. Heathrow ops, Loganair spat etc. As for KLM, this came from their UK ticketing firm director and talks were definately had at BFS.

Challenging times ahead for all parties.

So radio Ulster gave a news report this morning from BHD on the opening of the €15m upgrade to the facility.

​​​​​​When asked what about the challenges facing Flybe Ms. Best replied by saying that Flybe are the largest customer at the airport, and that it is among Flybe's most profitable bases. She said no matter what happens at Flybe, that there will always be a large market and demand between there and Britain on domestic services. One assumes she realises that there is a very short list of airlines remaining to fill this competitive space, in the event of Flybe not being around, all loco in the main. I was expecting to hear instead something like, 'we have a strong partnership with Flybe and we are confident that they can work through their current difficulties..and we look forward to growing the business with them'.
Feels to me like that at any cost they need to get a slice of the easyJet business in the market.

I do genuinely wonder what would happen to BHD in the event of an untimely exit by Flybe. Will it survive with just a few BA/EI flights to London? Then again, perhaps it would be an opportunity to finally have just one good airport to serve the province rather than the time-honoured NI tradition of constantly working against ourselves with 2 substandard airports and sending trade off to DUB. BFS can't even cope with its current volume of passengers never mind if more people were headed its way.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/belfast-city-airport-to-invest-millions-in-car-park-upgrade-as-15m-facelift-of-terminal-is-unveiled-37548743.html

In the end the owners clearly have the view that investment will pay off.

Fire category drop
 

Wonder what happened? At least one divert to Aldergrove and lots of aircraft in the hold.

My goodness. A public request for information so that you can use it to get on your soap box.
it was a drop in category. It was resolved.

You are very generous.

It shouldn't have happened, and certainly not at 21:00 with eight inbounds due before curfew. Provision of an adequate fire category for the scheduled traffic is a primary requirement of a licensed aerodrome and I'd say that about any airport, Derry or Enniskillen or Heathrow.