To date growth has been achieved through working existing airframes harder and finding efficiencies in the schedule. IAG undertook a review over a year ago and the result was a lot of very early starts and late finishes which has netted additional rotations on the existing short haul fleet. Hence they haven't needed any additional airframes for the past summer.

I read somewhere that BA are looking to improve yields by fitting an additional row of seats to their shorthaul aircraft and refitting rather than replacing airframes. Looks like capital is being invested in long haul across the group rather than in shorthaul unless a definitive business case exists.

Would have thought its a common sense approach within the group. Won't leep the spotters happy though looking for new registrations.

All grandstanding from EI. Yes there are some issues but I really don't think DY getting T2 access helped things at all.

EI still have a lot of work to get SH loads north or 85% year round and even 90% during peak summer. They don't need more seats at the minute.

Was driving around the back of the airport today where the hangers are and noticed two Monarch a321s , could aer lingus have bought them on the cheap ? What's the reason for them there ?

Returned to lessors. Liquidators would not be selling off the monarch owned aircraft so fast!

These would not be suitable for EI; those it has on order are A321NeoLR aircraft - different engines and longer range. The Monarch ones are also IAE V2500 powered, whereas the EI ones are CFM 56 powered, so they'd be unsuitable for the short haul fleet either.

Plenty of CFM56 powered aircraft out there, if they want them, but I believe that the plan is to operate DUB-European hub-DUB sectors (e.g. LHR, AMS, BRU, CDG) svces with the new A320s from next year/2019 and that will maximise utilisation and connectivity.

A mix of IAE and CFM hasn't held Vueling back, nor BA who operate mixed CFM (A318) and IAE fleets. Off the top of my head AA and LH both operate mixed IAE/CFM fleets. Given the size of the IAG A320 fleet and the in-house facilities for maintenance I don't think an IAE engined aircraft would be overlooked, if it were really required.

Over 2.7 million in September up 6%.

Europe 1.5 m up 8%
UK 813,000 down 1%
Transatlantic 377,000 up 19%
Middle East and North Africa 76,000 up 15%
Domestic 7,700 down 2%

Year to date over 22.7 million up 6%

https://www.dublinairport.com/latest...ion-passengers

Suggested elsewhere HU have applied for twice weekly Shenzhen service from June.

Clearly not impressed by Cathy Pacific starting!

Any info on the new security procedures for the US. Are they in place in Dublin? Slowing things up? Read elsewhere that US legacies are not affected. Is that true?

They have been in place at DUB for a couple of months now so most will see no difference. Can't say about US based carriers and the rules but suspect they will pay more attention to particular carriers.

Haven't been to the US since July. Are they interviewing everyone? Is it the check in people doing it? Getting everyone to turn on laptops? Doesn't seem to be delaying flights.

Aware of least 2 businesses that now prevent execs taking work laptops / tablets onto US bound planes when travelling on business.

IT Dept in US sets them up when get their with new ones which wiped when they leave.

These US owned Multi Nationals as well and viewing travelling with laptops etc as big risk. Comments of well people work on the plane met by they travelling so let them have down time.

They had enhanced measures introduced in July which did cause some disruption for a few weeks.

With TSA checks the level of security at DUB has always been a bit more stricter that others. I believe it's the US staff who question passengers not airlines here. After all, it's what they are there for....

That's what I would have thought. Preclearance would take care of most things. And now you say it they did seem a bit more intense in July than when I had traveled in April. Wasn't asked to produce the lap top or iPad though.

Anyway, no harm or foul. Won't be heading Stateside again till next summer and God knows what they'll have dreamt up by then :}

Will be doing what the Aliens apparently do to all the humans they alledgedly pick up :E

I got the SSSS boarding pass to Newark last week but not so bad... extra scan and a few questions then on to the gate

Is that a random thing?

Anybody know when Air Canada Concierge service started at DUB?

Notice they brought in their B789 in place of A333 this week Had to wait for crew to come from London to operate the return leg.

Sunday, when mainline returned.

When do the cheap Summer Business Class fares come out? I seem to remember some £800 to the USA last year.

To where? Any particular month?

I got out to LA and back from SFO for €1,800 with EI in early July this year. It can help if you're flexible.

Early June next year out to BOS and back from JFK is currently €1850 return with EI.

California in July.

Ethiopian to LA might be your best best for a bargain.

I booked the DUB/LAX/SFO/DUB flight mentioned above in the week of Christmas last year so I don't know if that's when they start to load up promotional business fares. I noticed that an eight night stay made a huge difference in price compared to a seven night stay.

Hope you pick up something nice.

Hello, i'd be going for a few weeks so I would be staying past the eight day threshold. With regards to the cheap flights, I follow a site on Flyertalk which is called 'Premium Fare Deals', I haven't seen any popping up for Dublin but it does seem to happen on a yearly basis so I'm waiting.

I just commented because I had seen other members discussing this on previous years, so I was curious to find out if there was a sort of pattern.

Ideally, I want to get on the American Airlines 787 and connect via ORD. At the moment, that's £1660, I'd want that to be no more than £1200.

Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport reached almost 2.6 million in October, which was a 4% increase on the same month last year. The increase in passenger numbers made it the busiest October in Dublin Airport’s 77-year history.

So far this year, Dublin Airport has welcomed more than 25.3 million passengers, which is a 6% increase over the same period in 2016.

The number of passengers flying to and from continental Europe increased by 5%, as more than 1.3 million passengers travelled to and from continental European destinations in October.

Almost 841,000 passengers travelled to and from UK destinations last month, a 2% decrease when compared to October last year.

Transatlantic traffic to North America increased by 14%, with more than 333,000 passengers travelling on this route sector last month.

The number of passengers travelling to other international destinations in the Middle East and North Africa increased by 16%, with over 69,000 passengers flying to these routes in October.

Almost 8,000 passengers travelled on domestic routes last month, which was a 6% increase over the same month last year.

So far this year, the number of passengers using Dublin Airport as a hub to connect to other destinations has increased by 36%, with more than 1.3 million passengers connecting at the airport between January and October.

More than 1.4 million extra passengers have travelled through the airport between January and October.


Good growth again when coming back from L.A. I noticed a lot of Korean and Mexicans on board so it's certainly doing well as a hub.

The legal challanges to the works for the northern runway have been dismissed by the High Court.

From The Irish Times, 21st Nov 2017

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crim...fail-1.3299585

Over 2.1 million passengers in November up 7%.

Europe 992k +8%
UK 833k -- (less than 0.5% change +/-)
Transatlantic 238k +23%
Other int 64k +17%
Domestic 7k +3%

Year to date 27.4 million (27.9 in 2016). 2017 will likely end with just between 29.5-6 million.

https://www.dublinairport.com/latest...senger-numbers

Notice they plan to extend auto docking and slot countdown to pier 4 after launching it on 3 back in January when EY moved. Will they add it to 1 as well?

Annual thing for the last 7 years and still waiting....

Did Westjet move back to T1 last year? They had moved to T2 for 2015 I think?

Westjet were always in Terminal 1

I think all will eventually get it, also final preparations to bring underground fuel system into operation at T2 and not sure but think eventually add them elsewhere.

Auto system at T2 will allow an extra wide body stand to be used which isn't allowed currently. New transfer facility has also started construction.

That’s good, capacity is sorely lacking at certain times.

Where is the new transfer facility? Is this an EI facility or similar to the Floght Connections Centre at the Heathrow Terminals and for all airlines?

Not EI exclusive but it will be located on Pier 4 next to gate 409-411 area so all transfer passengers arriving on the pier and EIR will be rerouted and avoid the standard security screening which the current set up requires and allow quick connections.

Large crane being erected at Dublin airport as the construction of the new Air Traffic Control Tower enters the next phase, the majority of it is coming pre-cast so should have a good idea of the height of it within the next 6-8 weeks, from what I understand it'll be the tallest building in the country at 23 stories or 87m/285' tall.

M East
 

Appears to be a lot of talk about how bad QR loads are from a lot of UK airports, here are the states available to date since they started:

Qatar
June 55%
July 76%
August 77%
September 62%

Etihad restoring x2 daily also did pretty good (assumes larger A332 capacity):
May 66%
June 79%
July 88%
August 93%
September 78%

Emirates (assumes 1x364 and 1x428 B777)
May 62%
June 76%
July 90%
August 91%
September 78%

EK/EY appear to be 75+ year round (looking at last years data) apart from quieter period in ME. The QR fall off in September and if it continues could be a concern but they are mulling over extra capacity and with EK returning to 2x3 class it would probally be filled if EK don't add a seasonal 3rd daily as muted by them.

Looks like 29,582,321 was the final 2017 figure up 6%. Takes it to 14 (+1) in Europe for anyone watching those stats.

Rumours that EI will add a 3rd A330 next summer with a new x4 weekly service to Denver + others getting extra freq. Might apparently hear next week.