On just one point to note Tour operators block book a percentage af the FAO/AGP ex BHD so w ready market exists for those. When VY did BCN it was very badly marketed BUT a lot of the VY business they did get was onward connections from BCN so I don't think the door is totally shut on VY as for the rest of your post it is more or less spot on.

I would agree. Its a hefty chunk of business for IAG to let go of, highly lucrative. Both routes daily for several months and quite often full. Vuelling have a lower cost base than Aer Lingus, as had been said they did state they would look at a return to BHD in the future.

mart901,
VY lower cost base? Source of info?
And don't need to tell you full planes don't equate highly lucrative. The transfer pax through BCN were low as were VY pax August 2015 there were 2784 pax on the BCN route or in return terms approx 1392.. weekly aversge based on that metric is 696 per week in total..

Vuelling are not the child of IAG they were bought by them as an independent low cost carrier. At the time they were bought out IAG stated they had a lower cost base than EZY but not as low as FR.
EI, despite having pruned a lot over the years are heavily unionised and crewed from DUB as were ASL with DUB style wage bill, compare that to Spanish crew wages and you'll automatically find cost saving.

BHD crew don't exist. The route is crewed from DUB, they start each day there and are ferried up.

This is an over simplified view. Not necessarily the case. Besides we are not comparing apples with apples.

​​​​​​In relation the the subsequent comment about EI crew at BHD, there is no crew base but many of the crew flying ex BHD live in the north, and fly from there.
​​​​​​

VY has not had much success in the UK outside London

It has at Cardiff.

GLA has daily FRA and MUC with LH. What's not 'proper hub-feed' about that?

For Info

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/b...-38507447.html

When Heathrow extension ever gets completed!!!

Sounds remarkably similar to the Plan easyJet have for expanding at LHR - When the third runway is completed! Only this time with turboprops ..

Ones breath will not be held on this one just yet. But interesting article all the same.

Doesn't work like that, EI employ everyone from DUB since they closed the BHD base, they start work at DUB and are ferried up. They are paid from Dublin and NI stamp is paid separately.
In relation to Vuelling Spanish wages are much lower, Vuelling pay some of the lowest in the industry, way lower than Irish salary scales, just a quick look on Google will tell you how poorly paid Vuelling crew are. Additionally Vuelling don't have the historic costs of being a flag carrier and have not had the trade union battles like EI have, the very reason for them being in the Belfast market in the first place was them threatening to run the operation from Belfast and or Gatwick to cut the union stranglehold.
When EI set up the two UK bases crew were employed on salary scales and terms similar to that of their biggest rival in the market EZY - they were subsequently employed from DUB on the same terms as everyone , trade unions wouldn't have people on inferior terms at the same base.

Nope. BHD based cabin crew do exist. Dublin CCMs cover the weekends and sickness/leave etc. Engineers are based locally as well. Flight deck do a mix of taxis and fly ins/outs through LHR. It varies depending on the time of year and even day of the week. Some of the flight deck overnight certain days of the week to cover the additional BHD-LHR flight.

Again an over simplified view of the situation.

On the DSA thread that DSA-BHD-DSA now non op for winter

They did get a nice seating area opposite House of Ireland