Allan, this doesn’t make any sense. Stobart wouldn’t need a UK AOC for Aer Lingus transatlantic operations. Aer Lingus has applied for one and that’s all that’s needed.

What Stobart does need a UK licence for is to continue operating ex BHD to the likes of Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and others. They haven’t got one yet but apparently have got some contingency plan ready.

From 1st Jan, the Stobart operated EI flight from BHD will be operated on behalf of British Airways. Seems just a paperwork exercise as the flights will still be ‘EI’ numbers and using EI systems and procedures.

Is that why all the Stobarts in BHD that are operating are the white airframes?

So far operating today is one white and one green. Yesterday it looked like it was one white and two green.

IOM flights and times now on Loganair website for sale. Looks like an early afternoon dep from BHD.

From this mornings BT Belfast City Airport chief quitting role - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Best wishes to him! In what could've been an abysmal year the airport have built back a really strong domestic network, the likes of which haven't been seen for well over a decade I'd say. In the process enhancing the airline portfolio to remove a great deal of reliance on one sole carrier for almost all services. Whilst capacity may never return to the dizzy heights once offered, it's certainly a more balanced offering which is something the domestic market in the UK really needed for a long time I feel.

Agree 100%. Much better spread across the various carriers

Any news of who is buying Stobart next month? Was the sale not to have been done by end of Feb.

Irish Independant are today reporting Ian Woodley, ex Business Air, Bmi Regional & Sector Aviation Holdings is involved.

https://www.independent.ie/business/...-40121228.html

Interesting development indeed 👍

Massive win for them there, some going daily from July too.

This day last year was the day that the final Flybe service arrived in Belfast City. The progress over the last year has been beyond remarkable and fantastic for them down in the harbour. A true sign that grit and determination gets you places.

Well done to the team at City. I hear that AL will shortly announce a new LGW service and that FR will add three domestic routes in the coming weeks to start before the Winter. Can't think of any other airport that has had such a positive story in quite some time.

From ni travel news

Ryanair Returns to Belfast City Airport and Launches 8 News Routes for Summer 2021 | Northern Ireland Travel News (nitravelnews.com)

Moo Driver

Neither BHD/BFS are bases (or will be) anyways.

I wonder what kind of financial package if any they got from BCA. Bizarre that they seem to be keeping both BFS flights but doubt you could do TFS etc from BHD.

It is a bit odd that FR have chosen to launch these flights from BHD's relatively restricted runway instead of their existing airport station at BFS. I guess BHD offered too good a deal. You'd have thought Aer Lingus might have operated these flights, but looks like they weren't interested or FR got in there first.
Ryanair might be able to reduce confusion between BHD and BFS by operating Buzz and Malta Air into BFS (for example) and Ryanair/Ryanair UK into the other? Im sure some people will end up at the wrong airport.

They play GLA off against PIK too whilst operating out of both.

Looks quite a coup for Belfast City to get Ryanair back in, but the set-up of operating BHD and keeping flts in BFS looks a bit cumbersome from the airlines point of view, particularly flying the same routes from both airports which - if the flights to Spain etc actually get to take off this summer - will cause massive customer confusion. Has to be a couple of the usual reasons for Ryanair doing this, likely sending a message of their derision to the Irish Gov for their handling of travel in COVID by moving activity off their patch and almost certainly a money issue with airport charges. And it must be a Big one coz they’ll likely lose at least thirty seats on their 737s to these destinations off BHD’s Rwy as a standard before weather, extra holiday bags and the like get factored in. So maybe the reason there sticking in at BFS is for fear that the whole experiment goes completely Pete tong at BHD.

I guess 30 empty seats is better than an empty plane sitting doing nothing.