FlyBe coming to Norwich???

[J32/41]

Hello

Just heard that FlyBe may be coming to Norwich around Sept/Oct just wondered if anyone knows anything and where they are planning flying to and using what A/c.

Thanks

[EGAC_Ramper]

Possible ,as quite a while it was mentioned that FlyBe wanted to start a service between either Norwich/Cambridge to Belfast City.Most likely using the Dash-8 I'd presume.

Regards

[LGS6753]

East Anglia's about the only area without a lo-co presence (if you ignore that little aerodrome just outside Bishops Stortford).

Norwich is a medium sized city (like Exeter), fairly distant from other cities (like Exeter) with a large rural catchment area (like Exeter).

Exeter is home to a fairly significant FlyBE network, so why shouldn't they operate a similar network from Norwich?

The FlyBE destinations are similar from several of their hubs, so a look at their website will probably offer an indication of likely routes.

But then again, I may just be thinking too logically:hmm:

[Godfroi]

J32/41,

flybe. have been operating in and out of NWI throughou the summer program, they fly BHX - NWI - SPU and return. This will continue until mid October.

You make it sound like something new?

Bye for now

[niknak]

There have been recent press releases from airport management about the imminent start of a NWI - Paris service, although it has to be said that the last time this was tried it was hardly a resounding success.

However, the other service "der management" have been banging on about for ages is a NWI - DUB service, which I am sure would be a lucrative route if the price was below £100 return.

[dada]

Well NWI used to be a very busy place for air anglia in the 70's. god i'm old.

[tailchase]

Being a local resident and having made several of the dreaded trips south to Heathrow and Stansted et al for business and holiday trips, I would have thought that Norwich is crying out for some competition for KLM with a service to feed into Frankfurt and the Star Alliance Network. Numbers and frequency versus profit maybe, but a real alternative to the A11/M11!

[Cyrano]

Tailchase:

Slots in Frankfurt are like hen's teeth. Any carrier that can get some is going to use them for more lucrative purposes than an NWI service. Sorry...

[LGS6753]

Just a thought....

FR have stated a wish to reduce their STN operations
FR are in dispute with BAA about STN fuel installation charges
STN fees will be increased to pay for massive development
FR's agreement with STN ends in 2007

FR have already started by transferring some routes out of STN into LTN. They could perhaps move some of the frequencies on their bigger routes to NWI as well as LTN. Perhaps a couple of DUB, a HHN, a BGY, a CIA?

There isn't really much difference in frequency between 12 a day and 14 (DUB), or 6 and 7 (CIA), and they are opening up a new catchment, securing their Eastern flank, and removing some of their exposure to STN/BAA.

As I said, just a thought...

[ALLMCC]

Looks as if Air Wales have pipped Flybe (and FR!) to the post - announced today new services from Norwich to Dublin and Cardiff with fares from £39.99 one way - www.norwichairport.co.uk

[no, no, no]

how right you are - now that Air Wales have announced 3x weekly flights to Dublin (2 via CWL), Ryanair will be put off. They aren't the sort of airline who relishes competition - especially by the mighty Air Wales.

Never mind, I'm sure they can look elsewhere now!!:rolleyes:

[jetstream7]

Seems a little half hearted to start, but if it proves successful, maybe some thing more?

http://www.norwichairport.co.uk/news_detail.asp?id=115&archive=0

In summary, not much use for business or leisure imho, and a weekly CWL-NWI service too which seems nothing more than a positioning flight in effect.

Hopefully not another Air Wales route debacle...

no,no,no

AFAIK all the Dublin flights are direct, the suggestion is that you can travel from NWI to CWL via DUB on the Tues/Weds flights...

By the way, Air Wales launched DUB flights from CWL long after Ryanair did, and perhaps suprisingly, Ryanair haven't driven them off the route?

[MarkD]

If AW can't fly and get traffic from CWL, even with FR, it might as well forget about anywhere else - bit of a waste of a paintjob!

Interesting to compare neighbouring ATR ops, Arann going great guns (albeit with a few PSOs for stable cashflow) and Wales who seem to hop from strategy to strategy.

[FLYboh]

Jersey European, which I beleive is still the trading name of FlyBe, have just applied for a licence to fly a scheduled service between Norwich and Jersey. Application would be effective from 1st Feb 2005. They've also applied for Liverpool-Jersey.

[Trislander]

FlyBOH,

It's the other way around- 'flybe. british european' is the trading name of Jersey European Airways (UK) Ltd.

That route info is interesting. They got anything else in the pipeline that you know of? Also, where did you find out?!

Cheers, Tri:ok:

[ALLMCC]

Try this link www.caa.co.uk/docs/213/1658.pdf - hope this works. Liverpool certainly is an interesting one unless this is only a seasonal proposal.

[niknak]

Good news re the scheduled service NWI to JER, there used to be one alongside the summer charters until a couple of years ago, but until now its been exclusively BA charters on behalf of travel agents and almost impossible to get a seat only flight.
I've no doubt that the scheduled service will be very successful.

By the way, the CEO/MD of Flybe, (whoever they may be) and the the FLybe operation is the subject of a full 30 minutes of BBC2s "Working Lunch" programme sometime next week, I can't remeber the precise date, but it's shown at 1230pm each day, and usually is very objective and informative. (Even if it is presented by Adrian Chiles - a West Brom' supporter :p ).

[dwlpl]

The Liverpool/Jersey route with flyBE has been given the go ahead to start Feb 1st 2005.

[Powerjet1]

Air Wales are increasing NWI-DUB from 3 to 5 X weekly due to demand being about 40% higher than expected.

[J-Guy]

The Jersey to Norwich route has also been approved by the Jersey authorities. According to what I've read the services to Norwich and Liverpool from Jersey will be Saturday only services starting at the beginning of the summer season rather than February. However, there is the possibility of the flights starting early depending on demand.

[jabird]

This weeks TTG says Flybe is "expected to unveil Norwich within the next few weeks".

I think EDI & GLA could be taken as definite, following Rutter's quote of "there is a major market to Scotland because of the poor road and rail links". I would also assume BHD would be a strong contender.

Would NWI be the "fourth" UK city expected to be announced from LPL - their bases at SOU, EXT and BRS being the other 3?

Would they look at Spain for international routes, as they initially did from Exeter, as they wouldn't have the same competition they would with EZ and FR at LPL?

[aeulad]

I would expect to see Flybe. open Norwich with services to Jersey, Belfast BHD, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dublin, and when the 319/737 comes online, further afield like Alicante, Malaga etc.

Regards

Mike

[MerchantVenturer]

jabird

Please forgive me if I have misinterpreted your last post but BRS is not a Flybe base.

The routes flown by Flybe from BRS (BHD, JER, BOD, EGC and TLS) are operated by Flybe aircraft based elsewhere - BHD and BHX I think).

[jabird]

MV,

My apologies, I was referring to the fact it served a multitude of Flybe routes, but accept your point that a/c aren't based there.

Would you like to suggest a suitable term for such a location? Presumably hub would be just as wrong, especially as loco's don't like to do connections.

[MerchantVenturer]

jabird

I wasn't sure if I had missed some sort of announcement that Flybe were to open more UK bases and that you were speculating on whether BRS would be one.

When Flybe extended their flights from BRS last year they intimated it would be the start of a build-up of routes, presumably leading to base status. This hasn't really happened and there have been no local rumours that I have heard that they will increase their range of flights.

The French routes seem to have been successful from a load factor, and the JER is up against three other airlines and the BHD against easyJet into BFS. With this in mind I don't believe the latter routes have been disasters.

Trying to get back on topic, a NWI service from BRS might well work. BRS management have announced publicly in recent months that this route is one they are trying to set up. Why not Flybe?

Re your question, how about cuckoo's nest? :)

[FLYING-FODDER]

I would not be surprised if over the next year flybe pulled out of bhx and split west to liverpool and east to nwi. Rumour about baby management in ext could be they were putting in an offer for the flybe hangar in bhx. As a new hangar is being built in exeter. Especially as flybe can't even hope to compete with baby 737's on fares let alone capacity.

[aeulad]

Flybe. pulling out of BHX! are you mad man! Does your preiction carry the same weight as the ban on anything bigger than a 757 at Jersey!?! You are on a different planet mister:hmm:

Regards

MIke

[Jamesair]

I agree, I can see no possibility of Flybe pulling out of BHX in the forseeable future