The BHD-MAN flights appear to drop down to x1/daily soon from the current 11/weekly. With loads picking up nicely - far higher than DUB/MAN flights, I would have thought keeping them at at least 11/weekly would be the better to service the route.

I think the MAN was expected to feed the EIUK TA flights. Possibly why its dropped not to mention the EI flights from DUB picking up so maybe not the crew to taxi up and down for every flight to and from BHD.

Ryanair appear to be ending the BHD routes on the 12th of September instead of the 30th of October. Flights beyond 12/09 are showing as sold out.

Thanks for highlighting this DUB19, I've got some tickets in Oct on some of these routes.
Be interesting to see if they reinstate them in 2021. The pricing has been extraordinary even up to the last minute. Says alot about the yield environment, the suggestion has been in the industry that the summer would be elongated to allow for the missing travel opportunities pre June etc and pent up demand etc.

Hardly a shock with the barely double figure loads on some flights. Probably got the deal they wanted from BFS. Flights I'm sure will shift up the road.

Or maybe not bother with any Belfast?

Also possible and probable

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/...ator-1.4638629

Updated announcement including mention of Belfast

DUB19

BBC Radio Ulster are only just picking up on this now ... over two weeks later. :rolleyes:

Today Ryanair sent out cancellation notice on bookings held for travel after Sept 12.

Hardly a shock tbh. Wonder what spin MOL will put on this this time round.

More to the point, what spin will BHD put on it? A massive success I bet!

Undoubtedly a resounding success

It's a rough year to evaluate the success of these new services, a lot of what the airlines are doing is reaccomodating 2020 displaced passengers who had vouchers etc. Ryanair ex BHD has none of that.

All that said it's not encouraging that they are axing the routes early, and dates were incredibly cheap, like availability days prior to travel for under £10.
I can't see Ryanair coming back next year.

If this is the case it begs the question how can BHD develop an international flying programme at scale. The main players are unavailable and no low cost carrier will base at BHD due to curfew etc.
​​​​​​They need easyJet and I'd not be surprised if we can a major deal done to capture business from BFS.

IAG obviously are committed given how they stepped into the breach when Stobart closed. I expect the bulk of that business will be replaced by Emerald. The other unknown item is Flybe mark 2.
Option for growth seems very limited.

I doubt growth is on the cards for a long time tbh more replacement of lost business from STK collapse more likely I would suggest. I think the winter will just tick along and maybe an early boost from around Easter next year possibly naturally all covid dependent

How is the easyjet operation performing from BHD? Might they be willing to take on any of the FR routes?

Should we expect Wizz?

Would imagine Cityflyer with an extended summer programme

CFE most likely

I see Ryanair making a big play that APD was a major reason in their decision to leave both Belfast airports. When they announced the new BHD routes, they knew it was there and that it wasn't going to be changed that soon. But no journalist ever pins them down on these sorts of statements. As a company, they must be a nightmare to deal with. Nothing ever seems to please them. I wonder if they ever look at their own failings?

Its the same APD as they pay at all the mainland airports is it not? Can't/won't compete with easy at the international and can't get enough sectors in with the curfew or bums on seats with Runway length at city is my guess

Yes that same APD does not seem to be an issue at Stn or Man for example.

They didn't have any aircraft based at BHD so trying to squeeze in sectors within the opening times wasn't really an issue, and fairly certain they weren't restricted performance wise either.

Maybe operating flights barely in double figure passenger loads might have something to do with it.

Give it a year or two then they will re appear in a blaze of glory promising NI folk everything in terms of cheap flights / destinations................give them a year or two after that and they will find an excuse to leave again, naturally blaming airport, government or anybody else

The NI market on international routes is very seasonal and very leisure orientated. The vast majority of pasengers fly to the Med sun belt; Faro, Malaga, Alicante and Palma comprise circa 40% of the total demand on international routes. The array of routes to cities in Continental Europe is very limited, this has always been the case.

easyJet learned (during Carolyn McCall's time) to hold firm in their core markets and not cut and run in the face of Ryanair below cost selling. Ryanair needs to run the competitors out of town but based on easyJet approach achieve that in this core easyJet market. The international routes will therefore be unattractive with much greater opportunities available in Europe.

This leaves the domestic market where the biggest opportunities for volume exist. This won't work for Ryanair as we've seen time and time again. For these reasons both in equal measure;

• next to no ancillary revenue. Highly VFR and poor uptake on luggage and car hire etc.
• Very late booking market. Ryanair apply general approach, measure of success is fill the plane well in advance if departure date. Doesn't happen on domestics, hence they dump seats on the market at very low prices. They don't pick up late high fares* (*not like other routes). Proof is they surrendered valuable slots on BFS LGW. I'd suggest made nothing on this route.

For all of these reasons Belfast is not attractive.
My sources tell me that the deal at BHD was zero landing fees. The idea was to drive volume for BHD and they then collect car park revenue, support concessions too etc etc.

The flights by BA Cityflyer flights from BHD to GLA/LBA/EXT seem now to have a code share with Aer Lingus (BHD-LBA BA7313 / EI 8383) this may be with do with
Emerald Airlines starting soon.

I think it's been like that a while. The whole CFE program is ramped up from tomorrow at BHD. Great to see

Would any Emerald startup at BHD not require them to obtain a U.K AOC first ? Have they even acquired their Irish AOC yet ?

I think the critical thing is, with the former Stobart Air Belfast routes currently being operated in-house by Aer Lingus and Cityflyer, why would they be in any hurry to hand those routes over to a third party operator in Emerald?

IAG have excess capacity, spare aircraft and crew, so keeping those routes in house makes a lot of sense. The same would apply to the Dublin-UK network. From a group perspective it’s probably best to utilise your own assets before you bring in a third party.

Eventually as frequency demands the use of A320/E190 aircraft become sub optimal, but for now I think IAG would rather keep the cost and revenue in house. As alluded to above, there are some frequency increases currently kicking in on the Belfast flying and code shares back in operation. Why would you want to hand any of that money over to a non-IAG company at the moment?

BA Cityflyer, 16 times weekly Belfast-City to Birmingham from 31st October.

British Airways Media Centre

Is this the same company that had to pull the plug on flights to Majorca a couple of years ago?

Believe so yes.

On another note EZY - LGW is on sale into Nov now.

Is it not same company that doing the LDY flights as well. Did they ever happen anywhere. Was there not something about them mot being ATOL or ABTA or something.

My sources on the footbridge have said that EZY staying for winter

Vueling look to be ending BCN now on the 1st of October instead of the 29th. Disappointing to see them leave again.

Wasn't a year round service though. Yes it's disappointing to see them close the season early.

Alteagod

Yep. It's alba star operating the flights from LDY on behalf of this company.

Yes it's the same company, JetsGo Holidays, who were offering flights from LDY and other smakller airports. Don't think much if anything happened this year. They are bonded in Spain, not in the UK. That could make things interesting.