UPDATE: October passenger figures
 

BLK-BFS 5015 55%

Not too good a load but an extremely profitable route for the airline.

anybody have any thoughts on what will happen in blk for 2008?, seems especially interesting that many posters reckon jet2 along with bmibaby, will go under/ taken over by easy next year, where would that leave blk, what with easy flying out of lpl, and possibly soon to have man base, more appealing would be the merger of jet2 and bmibaby, be nice to see some babes in blk:}:ok::ok::E

What can we see new for the S08? - LON! Coming from a vry reliable source (same as the one where Jetstream Express and IBZ route came from) that the LON route will be returning next summer with a new airline!;) Not sure who but most definately a return to one of the major airports in the South East.

My bet is on BA who seem to have dropped many of their LGW routes and with the ABZ dropped, perfect flight times are available for a three times daily route to the capital. The difference between LGW and STN is that BA frequentflyer points re available and routes across the globe are on offer. The best you could get from the FR STN service was connections with EZY and FR and not many long haul routes. I'm not knocking the FR attempt, they believed in the airport and the route for as long as possible.

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P.S. Would like to be in the airport between 11:10 and 13:30 tomorrow! GRO full outbound and only 10 seats left on DUB! TFS and IOMs are also quite busy! Check-in and departure lounge will be a nightmare!

Also, as the schedule stands, GRO, DUB and TFS are to depart within 20 mins of each other, does this mean that IF the TFS was to be a 752 like last summer (obviously it's not!) would they all be able to fit on the apron? I know the airport can hold 4 737s butwould they have to use Stand 1 over by th hangers?

Cheers.

MUFC Fan

I know the airport would desperately like a link to LON but with the BAA planning to increase charges quite significantly next year at LGW & LHR in particular I wouldn't hold out for them. And if it does happen there is almost zero chance of it being BA!!!
ABZ has become a marginal route due to the movement of IAH to LHR for summer 08. Why in the world would they replace it with a route to BLK???? The LGW slots freed up by halting the ABZ (& other routes discussed on the BA forum) will be used to compete with EZY on the ex GB routes.
I hate to dampen your enthusiasm but no way will it be BA!!

Your right about Fridays tho - I understand that only 2 stands are currently useable - the concrete is still setting on the other 2 following recent repairs!!! :ugh:

Stand 4 (the one furthest east) is the only one that's been repaired. Stand 2 (the only 757 size stand) appears to have been built on crackerbread and is still awaiting repair. :(

How about BD to LHR on the Embraer or A319?
Don't they already do a similar thing to Durham Tees?
Any more info would be great so we can put a bit of pressure on the airport PR bods get it in the paper!

BD to LHR
 

Err - no!

Fiirst the Durham Tees route is believed to be on borrowed time. If you look at the LBA thread there is an insight into how airlines apply pressure to airports to try and reduce fees to enable a route to continue. SMB points out that its Use it or Lose it time there too!
With the continuing improvements on the rail network it is arguable that anywhere south of NCL will struggle to justify an airlink to London. Both BLK & LPL have lost them recently and MAN whilst seeing increased competition from the train survives due to the high number of services offered.
Businessmen pay the high fares that support these links and they want flexibility. 2 flights a day vs a train service almost every half hour just isn't good enough. The leisure market and onward connecting traffic alone will not underpin the service.
Throw in increased security, airport fees & charges, ATC delays etc and the appeal of short domestic flights to the capital gets further dented.
Before you shoot me, I work in avaition and want to see a strong industry for all of us but I think we have to be realistic about where the business will come from.

If the economic situation tightens further then city breaks and weekends away will continue to be cut back. T-Fly and others are cutting the likes of PRG / BCN from their schedules from many regional airports and Jet2 cut many of their city break routes from BLK last winter. However people don't view their 2 weeks in the sun as a luxury any more so these destinations are probably where the UKs smaller regional airports will see most growth & stability.
Also Flybe are doing a good job offering alternatives to the woeful train services on long distance cross country routes so maybe some opportunities there for BLK as well????

Time will tell but be assured the only constant is change!! :)

Tom winter 08/09
 

Tried looking on website again for next winter from blk, and nothing is showing, so does this mean this winter is the last we'll see of Thomson? When searching just gives lpl flights instead. while it is only 1 flight a week , at least it gave the airport a foot in the charter door, leaves a lot to rely on jet2 and with other threads reporting jet2 moving away from low-cost model to charter/long haul, could we see some new destinations from blk? At least a year round canaries pleeeeze:ok:

In the Gazzette LON route looks promising
 

Got an e-mail from Blackpoolinternational a couple of weeks ago with a link to survey for a 'feel' into demand for a London route.
Good to see the local 'rag' covering it with the article.
Have yourselves a read,click on the survey link and give Blackpool airport some support .
Link for Gazette
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/bl...hts.3547835.jp

Shame they cut out the rumours from PPrune!

Place your bets now!;)

thomson
 

Anybody wanting to spt a thomson have just over a month left, seems there are no flights after 8 jan,if you go by their website. have jet 2 affected sales that much, theyve seen off monarch and now thomson, but arent really giving the airport much back, especially this winter.

I think you maybe right.

2 years ago BY operated the B752 on the route. The next year TOM used the 733/735 and this year it has been the 735 only so maybe LS has got to them!

Also, the W08/09 flights aren't availbale either when they were afew weeks ago!

Anyway, a month later and LS increase their flights to 4 times weekly anyway and introduce the AGP. MJV, IBZ, FAO and PMI to follow from early April.

Shortsighted developer should be stopped
 

Reading article in the Blackpool gazette a developer wants to build upto 1,150homes on the site on queensway.
For those that dont know qweensway is the back road that links Blackpool to St.Annes and Lytham immediatly to the west is RW28.So this now means no chance of Runway extension and of course brings new residents to push for airport closure.
I do hope I'm reading it wrong and that the plans do'nt interfere with any chance of a runway extension.
Link
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/bl...n39.3575126.jp
ps you can see the piano keys on RW28 to the left of picture

From what I can see, the runway would not be effected if the houses were built. Don't think it would disrupt housing estate either.

The only problem is the road at the end of 28.

A well organised public campaign stopped Kensington's ridiculous 'Lytham Quays' project. The same may be needed in this case.

Ask the residents of Cypress Point about the boggy ground their houses have been built on.

I thort there were rumours that once the new link road was opened, that queensway could close if the runway needed to be extended obviously at the moment it can't as its a busy route into lytham st annes, otherwise it would push traffic onto the prom, until link was built, quite why people would want to buy a house built on marsh land and under a growing flight path, is beyond me, probably explains why it said in local rag that a large percentage is to be affordable housing!!!:}:}
would certainly think it could hold the airport back interms that early am/late pm flights would get curbed, i think for any expansion they certainly need to start opening past midnight. A large house building program would put a stop to this, before it even got chance to take-off!!!:ugh:

Potential Runway Incursion
 

Airport Runway Probe

Posted on the Blackpool gazette website. Sounds like a runway incursion. Anyone any details?

Airport runway probe

A PROBE has been launched after an incident involving a Manx2 flight from the Island.
Blackpool International Airport confirmed that an incident occurred on the runway today at approximately 8am in connection with an in-bound flight from the Isle of Man.
The matter has been reported to the Civil Aviation Authority and is currently being investigated.
The Blackpool Gazette reported that a Land Rover was on the air strip when the plane was trying to land.
Airport director of operations Steve Wiltshire said: 'Due to the nature of the incident, it was not necessary for the emergency services to attend and the aircraft landed safely. We would like to confirm that the airport is operating as normal.'

landy
 

:(Seems the driver of landrover Birdscarer 1 wasnt paying attention:\. Had his licence pulled pdq and a bit of rapid retraining in the green cross code was administered from on high.:ouch: