EasyJet plan to base a 17th A320 at Bristol in Summer 22

17 was also the base size in summer 2019 - ten A320s and seven A319s.

Currently peak summer 2022 seems to be two A321s, twelve A320s and three A319s - so no more aircraft than in summer 2019 but more seats.

Three planning inspectors have allowed Bristol Airport's appeal against North Somerset Council's rejection of the airport's planning application to increase its planning cap to 12 mppa with associated infrastructure development.

This follows a 36-day planning enquiry held last year.

Cue wailing and gnashing of teeth from the ecoloons infesting North Somerset Council.

They have said that they'll look at grounds for appealing the decision.

As expected one of the opposition groups has launched a legal challenge in the High Court against the Planning Inspectorate's decision to allow Bristol Airport's appeal against North Somerset Council's decision to reject the airport's planning application to increase its annual passenger cap to 12 mppa with related infrastructure expansion. The group believes the three planning inspectors erred in law in coming to their decision.

North Somerset Council will not challenge the decision. The leader of the council said that a legal challenge would carry 'a high level of risk' and result in 'significant further costs'.

He went on to say, 'A legal challenge through the High Court can only be successful if the inspectors can be shown to have erred in law. Unfortunately our disagreement with the inspectors' conclusions on the planning merits is not a relevant ground for challenge'.

Bristol
 

Flying from BRS on Tuesday. With easyJet! What could possibly go wrong?

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2022-09-06/chaos-at-bristol-airport-as-passengers-face-massive-queues-to-board-flights


https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/bristol-airport-apologises-for-frustrating-long-security-queues/ar-AA11vDAD

Not all doom and gloom in this article...

Aegean to Athens, 2 x weekly A320neo from 27th March!!!

Unexpected addition! Along with Corendon, SunExpress and Swiss added to the portfolio.

Kind Regards

BristolexFlyer

https://www.travelmole.com/news/jet2...ight-schedule/

including a seventh based aircraft

Bristol Airport expansion granted at High Court

Good news for the airport today, hopefully the end of a long-running saga.

Nice to see a bit of premium at BRS for a change with new 1903 and Escape lounges opening later in the year. Can actually be sometimes good value. Wonder if airlines will use for J pax?
Interesting 1903 brand is ‘adults only’

And they are being run by a Manchester Airport subsidiary company

Disappointing to discover TUI are pulling long haul flights in 2024. No reasons given beyond ‘we’ve reviewed our programme’, but we’ve had to swap to Gatwick.

XC to AYT
 

Looks like Corendon are reducing their AYT service from BRS just 1 x per week from 3rd June (currently 2 x per week)

Bristol seems to be getting their act together

https://www.business-live.co.uk/port...d-50668988309a

Wizz
 

Wizz-Looks like Wizz Air are leaving BRS as the last Katowice is on the 5th November. I wonder if they will be back?

Apparently they're pulling all services from EDI as well. Wonder if BHX and LPL will see cuts or Wizz disappear?

Ryanair to base a 5th aircraft at Bristol this winter with new routes to Porto and Venice.

kind regards

BristolexFlyer

These are new for winter - not totally new

They have been operating all this summer

:ok:

They dropped Gdansk and Warsaw Modlin though

Gdańsk resumes mid March as does Warsaw for a short pre Easter series once a week

EZY will base a 18th aircraft next summer
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/b...es-two-8941323

Fire at Bristol Airport Car Park
 

Not a Multistorey like Luton so put out quickly.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-67674897

LH @ BRS
 

Lufthansa are ending their FRA service from 3 Feb with all flights off sale (LPL is also off sale from 2 Feb)

Source: SeanM1997 (X)

FR changes for S24
 

Some Ryanair changes for S24 are;

- FR to CGN ~ last flight 30 March
- FR to RIX ~ last flight 30 March
- FR to SOF ~ continues year round
- FR to CPH ~ begins 31 March (3 weekly)
- FR to FUE ~ begins 1 July (2 weekly)
- FR to PRG ~ begins 4 July (2 weekly)
- FR to TIA ~ beings 2 April (2 weekly)

It’s a multi story exactly like Luton’s. Hope the insurance is topped up!

I've been looking at CAA airport data.. and keep getting the message that BRS is going through something of a growth spurt in passenger numbers.

I know Easyjet, Jet2 and Ryanair all have substantial operations at Bristol, and that LHR isn't *that* far away. However, I'm puzzled as to why the AF-KL group considers KL flights to Amsterdam as sufficient but is not flying AF to Paris as well.

I get that going up against (up to) 5x daily Easyjet is formidable, but there is clearly a sizeable point-to-point demand to Paris and there is relatively little network carrier capacity at Bristol for long-haul connections given Bristol saw 10 million pax in the last 12 months.

Anyone able to say why AF have not re-opened or should not re-open a route to CDG ?
Answers on a postcard...

Shortage of aircraft/crew at Hop would be my guess

Leeds Bradford has enjoyed a continuous multi-daily service to Amsterdam since 1976, when Air Anglia took on the route from British Airways. Effectively , LBA-AMS has been flown by the same operator since then, from Air Anglia, Air UK, KLM UK and now KLM City hopper, now a part of the same KLM-Air France empire. 48 years in and LBA doesn't see the Air France side of the partnership either! Jet2 fly to Paris a few times a week, no multiple daily flights and not daily. I'm not sure Jet2 are that serious about the route. It's not that many years since British Midland flew LBA-CDG up to three times a day. And Brussels too.

In 2023, Leeds had 4 million passengers, while Bristol had 10 million.
Easyjet have demonstrated FAR more people currently fly point-to-point or self-connect between BRS and Paris compared to between LBA and Paris. If Jet2 were seeing super-strong demand for LBA-CDG flights, they would likely do something about it. Maybe there is latent unfulfilled demand from Leeds to Paris... but it's quantity is somewhat unknown.
Remember, CURRENT market demand, verified by what people actually pay and not what they just say. Not what it was 17 years ago - bmi cut their LBA-CDG route in February 2007
In the last 10 years, LBA pax has grown by 20 % while BRS pax has grown 62 %

If you were a network planner working for Air France....out of BRS and LBA, which new UK route would you consider a safer bet ?

Just my two penny worth, but I would go as far as to say neither is particularly attractive. EasyJet competition makes BRS-CDG a bit of a basket case for Air France in respect of local yields and for long haul too many people still prefer to go to Heathrow for a direct flight to their destination. Air France have had a long on-off relationship with Bristol but re-establishing the route is clearly a challenge for the airport. In respect of LBA-CDG, the Air France planners are probably more interested in frequency and capacity increases on MAN-CDG. If Transpennine trains are working well and the M62 is behaving itself Manchester is readily accessible from a large part of West Yorkshire. Now if road access to LBA could be improved and it did not have some issues with weather, it might be a different matter. It is far lower risk for AF/KL to add frequency and capacity on LBA-AMS than start LBA-CDG. AF only serve CDG from LHR, BHX, MAN, NCL and EDI so perhaps, with their Dutch partners serving many, many more, that is all they feel they need.

There seems to be a decline in connecting traffic at BRS overall. BMI to MUC and FRA, recently replaced by LH who have since dropped the route. AF to CDG and Brussels Airlines to BRU, all no longer. BRS is probably seeing the same issue with traffic leakage to LHR as CWL is with BRS. I would imagine a middle eastern carrier would do quite well out of BRS, or Turkish being the main suspect.

Capacity to Paris from Leeds this summer is quite big compared to previous years.

Jet2 are actually increasing frequency of its Leeds - Paris CDG route from 4x to 5x weekly Boeing 737-300's.
​​​​​​Ryanair will be operating between 3x & 5x weekly on the Leeds to Paris Beauvais route using Boeing 737-MAX8's