New Egyptian destination from Bristol

[airmemphis]

It seems the Sharm El Sheikh flights launched November 2004 have proven to be a success and now BRS will get a new weekly flight to Taba (TCP) this winter (05/06) with Astraeus. Anyone know what aircraft they'll use? I would have thought a B73G but the airline have recently started replacing their B73Gs with B752s on Egyptian flights.

Also their 'Find a Holiday' section shows Luxor (Egypt) as a destination, however I can't see any flights there. Is there a plan to start a BRS-LXR flight?

On a side note, I'm surprised TCP flights will be launched when there isn't a connection to Hurghada (HRG).

[GrahamK]

Excel starting flights to HRG this winter as well

[airmemphis]

Ok, I was unaware that HRG was on the cards (well its not on the BRS website).

Apparently an unspecified Egyptian charter airline will begin flights to the UK (NCL, MAN and GLA) this winter.

[GrahamK]

Where did you hear or read about that?

[terrier21]

Taba was announced a while ago on the bia website. Hurghada has been bookable for a while on the Freedomflights website. It will be announced shortly on the Bia website im sure. They probably don't want to flood the market with loads of eqypt flights at once

[airmemphis]

terrier21 weren't the Sharm El Sheikh flights only meant to run from November 04-April 05?

[terrier21]

They were so popular they have got 1 in the summer on thursdays with XL. 3 in the winter

[airmemphis]

3 BRS-SSH flights winter 05/06?

So November 2004 there was a weekly SSH flight and from November 2005 there will be 3 to SSH, 1 to TCP and 1 to HRG. That's impressive growth considering BRS is a regional airport.

Would you happen to know why Luxor is offered as a holiday destination out of BRS. Are there any plans for LXR flights?

Thank you for the information

[DELTABOY]

Looks like Egypt has now become the new Tenerife for the Brits ...next it will be LPL-SSH & BFS-SSH. Shame...it used to be a nice place to holiday once upon a time. I went there again in January to see if its changed much..:eek: ...never again! I guess I should have realised when our Monarch aircraft parked up next to what looked like the entire UK charter airline fleet at SSH & an Air Atlanta B-747 spewing out hoards of tired, pasty Brits with their sticky children in tow. Next was the one & a half hour wait queuing just to get through passport control as due to the sudden trend for this resort the airport clearly can not cope...what fun! But on the positive side it is genuinely great value for money & a super place for families as the Egyptians love kids . Think i'll stick to Marsa Alam & make the most of it before that too becomes another Sharm el Sh**e.:ugh:

[a bristolian]

I Make it 4 SSH (3 XL/KM) + last years TUI B757 plus HRG and TCP - total 6 per week!!!!!

On ski we should get around 17 weekly ski charters with new flights to SOF/VRN and GNB

Not bad for us carrot crunchers!

[terrier21]

Right you are a bristolian - miscounted.

Can't find the LXR flight anywhere?

I know we are regional but with the size of the terminal it makes us feel hugh!!! the more flights and passengers the better.

[MerchantVenturer]

a b,

They carrot crunchers be crafty as well.

The following is a brief extract from a Financial Times report of last July about 'the most economically successful regional capital outside the south east'.

Bristol's economy is throbbing, with gross domestic product per head higher than any English city except London.
Bristol, thanks to a handsome city centre.....has become a highly attractive relocation destination for professionals.
Bristol's economy is founded on high grade manufacturing such as defence and...financial services'.

Interested to learn the TUI Britannia (or Tsetsefly or whatever they now call it) flight to SSH is returning next winter. A few months ago when CWL announced they were getting one from next winter the blurb was (from them and TUI) that it was marvellous that Welsh and South West travellers would now be able to fly to Egypt. I assumed TUI had either forgotten they already had a flight from BRS or were not continuing it next winter.

[airmemphis]

DELTABOY

Yes, I guess Egypt is becoming popular with Brits and with GB Airways starting scheduled flights to SSH and HRG its only bound to increase. According to a statement 2 weeks ago by the British consulate in Cairo, Egypt will see the biggest increase in British holidaymakers out of any other country in terms of numbers and percentage increase in 2005!

As for LPL-SSH flights *shudders*, I hope the scoucers stay well away ;)

I guess Sharm El Sheikh has lost a bit of its 'uniqueness' with this increase in tourists but its meant an increase in development of new activites to suite the need of most holidaymakers more than at any other resort. Having said that Sharm El Sheikh is still dominated by Italians....unlike Hurghada which is like a mini-Moscow/Berlin with the large amount of East European, Russian and German tourists.

As for Marsa Alam, which i visit very frequently...its gorgeous for diving. But the authorities have a different plan for Marsa Alam compared to the other Red Sea resorts. The plan is to create a mini-city with residents, commerce, business and not simply a tourist resort....whether that materialises is another question.

The next big initiative in Egyptian tourism is to develop the north coust (Mediterranean sea) which has not seen any major tourist development (bar at Alexandria city). The new resort is located at Al-Alamein and Al-Alamein airport itself only opened last month and already gets a weekly flight from LGW (AEU B73G) and one each to MXP and FCO. Currently there's only one hotel (Movenpick) however its more of a mini-resort of its own, which 'has a more exclusive, up market feel to' (according to Peltours brochure).

a bristolian,

"I Make it 4 SSH (3 XL/KM) + last years TUI B757 plus HRG and TCP - total 6 per week!!!!!"

KM? Air Malta? sorry, I\'m lost now :confused:

[terrier21]

KM and XL offer flights under the header of freedomflights we have one based xl and 1 km

[GrahamK]

XL.com now only showing 1 weekly BRS-SSH for winter 05/06

[airmemphis]

Interesting terrier21...so KM will use their equipment on a BRS-SSH flight...will it be with a B733 or A319? I know KM are beginning a new MLA-SSH charter service this summer (first of its kind), so that'll mean 2 weekly KM flights to Sharm...nice

So an increase from 1 to 6 weekly flights from BRS to Egypt...now if there's a BRS-LXR flights, that'll be the icing on the cake. At the moment LHR, LGW, MAN and BHX have direct flights to Luxor.

[terrier21]

Grahamk

Think you will find Saturday, Sundays and Thursday rotations on the Freedom flights website!!!

Still can't see the Luxor flight.

AirM

Not sure whic Aircraft will be operating the route probably one of one type and two on other.

[airmemphis]

Thanks terrier21, you've been a great help!

Just one more question, a bristolian said:

"I Make it 4 SSH (3 XL/KM) + last years TUI B757 plus HRG and TCP - total 6 per week!!!!!

Wouldn't that make 7 fights not 6? 3 XL's to SSH, 1 KM to SSH, 1 TUI to SSH, 1 AEU to TCP and 1 (not sure which operator) HRG flight?


Sorry GrahamK, I missed your question about Egyptian charter airlines to the UK. If you PM me I'll try and help.

[terrier21]

airmemphis think you may have mis read the post.

I Make it 4 SSH (3 XL/KM) + last years TUI B757 plus HRG and TCP - total 6 per week!!!!!

4 SSH - 1 operated by TUI on a 757, 3 operated by Freedom flights on xl or km aircraft + plus 1 HRG and 1 Antiseptic, sorrry TCP

[airmemphis]

Thanks for clearing that up terrier21:ok:

Fingers crossed LXR becomes a reality...

[terrier21]

Where abouts did you see the LXR flights advertised. Can't see them anywhere. Can see 2 Hurghadas a week from 12 dec to 30th dec though!!!

[airmemphis]

terrier21, I didn't see any LXR flights advertised (sorry for the confusion)...it's just BRS's website offers Luxor as a holiday destination out of the airport so I was wondering whether there were plans for such a route.

If you go to http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/leisure/flightinfo/findaholiday.aspx

Then at the 'Holiday Type' choose 'Charter flights'

Next option is 'Destination', where you'll find 'Luxor (Egypt)' but when you come to search for such flights it just says 'No Holidays Matched Your Search Criteria. Please Try Again'

So my question is, are they planning such a flight or is it just an error on the website?


I guess that extra HRG flight is for the xmas holidays...