BRISTOL - 4

[Kazamb]

Taken from this mornings Travel Daily Press


Bristol on the block?

SPECULATION is mounting that Australian Investment group, Macquarie Airports, is set to sell its 35.5 per cent stake in BristolAirport. Reports cite a number of
analysts saying Macquarie is likely to sell soon, following the third
consecutive month of declining passenger numbers over its entire
airport portfolio. Luke McNab, a Royal Bank of Scotland analyst, said that
Macquarie was willing to offload Bristol “For the right price”. “It has been rumoured around the market that pretty much all of the assets in the listed vehicles have been up for sale if there were reasonable offers on
the table,” McNab added. The 2006 boom times saw over 6 million people pass through Bristol’s doors, and at the time it was valued at around £283
million, however it is now expected to fetch far below this.

[WATABENCH]

Good news - Tui group continue with SFB and CUN in summer 2010 weekly (no CWL longhaul with tui)

Bad news - Pax figs down 22% in march

[flyerboy]

Bit more good news for us and the pax is that the TOM 763 to SFB is now going direct with no tech stop in MAN

[airvanman]

Flyerboy
Is it just Sundays flight or all year? I must be tight on a hot day using 09!

[Baron buzz]

It will only be going direct on the first one because the load is probably quite light. Sadly the rest are planned via MAN.

[riasivres]

Flyerboy is correct the BRS-SFB is now planned to operate direct for the whole summer, the MAN tech stop has been removed.

[Baron buzz]

No, i'm afraid it hasn't!

[cyfarthfa]

Watabench says traffic down 22% in March, another thread says March down 26%. Which is right and who is hurting? Is is accross the board or are scheduled flights and airlines the main losers?

[a bristolian]

BRS_SFB on TOM258 is now scheduled to ops non stop with B767-300ER full season.

NO MAN tech stop.

Revised slot request received by airport authority this week.

MAGIC!!

[MerchantVenturer]

BRS-SFB

I think we can accept a bristolian's post as the definitive answer - he knows what he is talking about on such matters.

Watabench says traffic down 22% in March, another thread says March down 26%. Which is right and who is hurting? Is is accross the board or are scheduled flights and airlines the main losers?

CAA provisional stats show BRS passenger numbers decreased by 22.5% compared with March 2008.

The airport's website broke this down as a huge 45% decrease in charter passenger numbers. No doubt this was due to a large extent to the loss of XL but there were fewer flights to such destinations as the Canaries as well.

Sched international passenger numbers were down 21% and sched domestic down 10% - mainly due to fewer rotations flown by easyJet on many routes.

Also bear in mind that all airports suffered because Easter was in April this year whereas in 2008 it was in March.

Put into overall context for the rolling 12 months ending 31 March 2009, BRS's passenger numbers were down 1.5% compared with a year ago. By this measure BRS is the fourth best performer of the UK's top twenty airports with Belfast City, London City and Birmingham doing better.

[WATABENCH]

BRS-SFB definatly now ops direct, by all accounts some obstruction on the side of runway has been removed allowing the 767 to use more runway??? How true or even what this was i do not know, anyway crew have definatly confirmed it will now ops direct.
CUN still via somewhere this summer at the moment(or at least when it resumes after the swine flu situation), however in next years brochure it is not printed saying via anywhere, although BHX is apparently via MAN and NCL via MAN so figure that one out.

[andrew1968]

Today flight to Sanford took 8 hrs 44 mins so definately direct!

[Baron buzz]

[QUOTE]Today flight to Sanford took 8 hrs 44 mins so definately direct!/QUOTE]

First flight of the summer 09 season. Wasn't a full load. :ok:

I am 99% sure that sadly these flights are still going to operate via MAN. I know this because I fly this aircraft, and also have seen the operating pattern involving a crew change (pilot, not cabin crew) on someones roster later in May.

Not totally 100% sure of course because one has not yet appeared on my roster!!

There are many occasions however when this aircraft could operate direct, performance wise, but it sure isn't most of the time. You would need good pressure, not too warm and a fair headwind to achieve performance good enough to get across the pond, me thinks. :ugh:

I wish though, that BRS runway was just 1000ft longer, then think what routes we could achieve direct.....:D

[Welsh Bobby]

I wish though, that BRS runway was just 1000ft longer, then think what routes we could achieve direct.....

You always got CWL a few miles down the road for your nonstop long haul....we are all still scratching our heads as to why TOM have completely stopped long haul there! Demand was definitely there for SFB at least.

[Baron buzz]

TOM did try that a couple of summers ago. They can't have done too well because they never restarted again, except for the odd cruise charter.

I'm sure Emirates would come to BRS if the runway was longer, but that is just a hunch!!:ok:

I think airlines reckon there is a larger catchment area around the BRS area.

[MerchantVenturer]

Baron buzz,

There is also a school of thought that First Choice (initially) and now the Tui Group is working up the route to await the B 787 which, according to Boeing, will be able to operate this sort of route from the existing BRS runway without load penalty - see BRS Master Plan.

If the route is to be considered a non-stop route but, for the technical reasons you have highlighted, will still have to often tech-stop at MAN won't this mean the flight crews will have to be rostered to fly the whole route from BRS in case conditions do permit a non-stop routing on occasions?

If, on the other hand, TOM perpetually roster a crew change at MAN it would mean the flight would never be non-stop which will fly in the face of the information provided by a bristolian.

Please don't take this as a challenge to your statement - I have no aviation qualifications whatever. It is merely a question from an interested customer of the airport/several airlines based there.

[Baron buzz]

It would seem I was incorrect before - sorry:ugh:

The BRS-SFB flights are rostered to operate via MAN for the next few weeks, however it would seem that previous posters are correct in that the company is intending to operate where possible directly. The S09 plan was to operate via MAN, and this is a change fairly late in the day. I think the passengers are still being told its via MAN, and then get a pleasant surprise should they get to go directly.

The performance is close though, and there will be days when ops direct is not possible. Since the flight is only once weekly, hopefully these occasions will not be frequent.

MV, you raise interesting points. There was a school of thought that involving no crew swop and planning the flight via Shannon or something like that would work. Shannon is in the right direction and a fuel stop would be quicker than MAN.

I think MAN is chosen simply because it is an operating base, and problems/crew changes can be solved easily there (relatively). Then, should weather not be a factor flight could be planned to go directly to SFB, rather than stopping in Shannon. This would prevent the problem you raise.

It would seem though, that the company is confident enough in operating directly, and that should performance be an issue, there is enough operating hours available for a stop in MAN, without a crew change. We will see though....:ok:

I don't think FCA/TOM are specifically route testing the SFB/CUN routes for the arrival of the 787. They are just operating them because money can be made! They is much hype that the 787 will be able to operate from BRS to various places, but lets not forget the plane hasn't actually flown yet!!:mad: Out of the 787 orders that TOM gets, you can be sure the first few will go to the big bases like LGW or MAN. It will be some time before BRS sees one I would imagine...

[brs planespotter]

i had a quick chat with a captain whilse on the coach too his a/c on stand 30,g-byaa ops brs/bgi. heb had only 150 pax on board,byaa and byab have upgraded engines along with the relative low load he went non stop via full power!he said full load no chance!hope this sheds some help!rgds brs planespotter:ok:

[WATABENCH]

That was the cruise flights, they often go out without a full load in winter months as the fares that the cruise pax pay often make up for it, SFB also 1 - 1.5 hrs shorter flight than BGI so would need less fuel.

[andrewg1000]

I have tried to access biagrouponline for a few days now but with no success. Anyone know what's going on???

[skiptoit]

Does anyone know anything about the new Blue Islands service down to Guernsey. It's supposed to start on June 1st but doesn't even appear to be bookable on their web site!

[MerchantVenturer]

Blue Islands to Guernsey

# 567 of 5 May in the Blue Islands thread suggests this has been shelved.

Biagrouponline

Their website does appear to have been down for several days. Don't know the reason. If I find out I will PM you.

[danielhobbs]

Hi everybody.

The website has been down for a few days as we have had some problems with the hosting company.

Hopefully the website will be back up this evening or tomorrow evening.

Thanks
BISON

[WATABENCH]

Bristol Airport celebrates four years of US flights
20.05.09

Bristol Airport is celebrating the fourth anniversary of its connection to New York operated by Continental Airlines. The airport will mark the anniversary today by offering outbound passengers on the flights a variety of refreshments at the Seafood Bar, including Manhattan cocktails.

Continental's flights from Bristol to New York operate on a daily basis and have carried over 320,000 passengers since they were launched on May 20, 2005. The service is the only direct link to the US from south-west England and Wales, and as well as providing a connection to New York, it offer travellers the ability to catch onward flights across North America via Continental's hub at Newark Liberty Airport.

"Fingers crossed for many more years"

[fredtheanorak]

I hear stories of a new ASW ex BRS. Any info out there:confused:

[WATABENCH]

Just wandering if anyone has any news on how the airports "project middle east" or what ever it was called is going?
Obviously the pax numbers have declined this year but there are positives that would help the airport in securing a service, obviously 4 years successful service with CO daily EWR service, and now TOM operating SFB direct on 767, and higher pax throughput that NCL who have daily DXB, so if an airline had the right equipment we know the runway can provide for an 8.5-9 hour direct flight which would more than cover DXB. I'm guessing that EK with a B787 or A350 is looking more likely in a few years?
I dont believe EK have any B757s, was there a loco being set up in DXB I read about somewhere? flydubai.com or something??

[MUFC_fan]

The 787 would be the only a/c in the EK future fleet that would be able to fly the route due to the length of the runway.

I am even thinking a 757 may be pushed in the summer months from DXB as the heat would use a lot of fuel! Please correct me if I am wrong.

I doubt EK will be around any time soon. If the SFB flights are on a 767 I cannot see why an A330 wouldn't be able to make the trip but I am not very technologically informed about a/c performance and you may have just seen!:}

Would think it would work from BRS though!

[WATABENCH]

Last A330 in BRS was Aer Lingus about 2006 for a rugby charter, had to back track a tad after landing due to taxiway obstacles if i remember correctly, obviously had no performance issues as it only came and went DUB with no luggage. I would think any small obsatcles could be dealt with and moved for wing tip clearence purposes, not sure how it would deal with a full pax load fuel and bags and BRS short runway, i'm sure one of the regular BRS techies might shed some light, do EK have any 767's? If TOM can manage SFB then DXB would be fine on 767 I'd guess?

[Invicta DC4]

EK don't have any 767s. The "smallest" aircraft they operate is the 330. Also, I understand that hold cargo is a big earner for them and given the runway limitations at BRS, this would probably make it non-starter with their current equipment.

[aeulad]

I am surprised about the EK 330, I thought Bristol's runway would be fine for a flight to Dubai? The 330 has excellent performance, can someone clear up whether or not it would be feasible for an EK 330 service at Bristol. I would expect Edinburgh and Stansted to be higher on EK's list of UK priorities, but you never know.

Regards

Mike

[MUFC_fan]

I think Stansted would be nearer the bottom of their list. Currently I think an unofficial list of top 3 would be LTN, EDI and DUB with the latter being the more likely.

I like how EK nearly always seem to start a route with the A330, dependant on the range etc. and then build it up. MAN started with 3x weekly A310 and now has twice daily 77Ws.

I'm not trying to rub it in to BRS users :} but I am just saying that EK seem to know what they are doing and it is a shame that unless the runway is extended and EK make a large expansion in the UK, it will probably never grace the slippery runway down in the South West...

[MerchantVenturer]

I think the BRS management team is one of the most able from a commercial standpoint with realistic expectations and in their master plan (detailed until 2015 and in outline until 2030) they say that there are about four long haul scheduled routes they consider viable from Bristol - New York (already flown), Washington, another US destination which they think would probably be Atlanta and Dubai.

The master plan makes great play about the B 787 being capable of flying these routes without load penalty, but that presumes an airline will fly to Dubai with a 787 sometime in the future and that it will also choose to fly from Bristol. BRS management says a runway extension is not necessary because it is believed the cost and environmental disruption would far outweigh any operational benefit given the type of aircraft likely to come into service over the next decade.

The master plan forecasts 120,000 passengers per annum to Dubai at 2015 growing to 140,000 at 2030.

Clearly Emirates would be near the top of their list because of its interlining capability but as Dubai's hedonistic attractions multiply who is to say it will not eventually become a destination with direct links from around the UK and elsewhere?

BTW, is the runway still slippery then? I thought that had mainly to do with the time it was being resurfaced.

[cornishsimon]

I hear stories of a new ASW ex BRS. Any info out therehttp://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/confused.gif



it really wouldnt surprise me to be honest, i know for a fact from press articles from the time of the NQY/PLH-LCY launch that they are looking to expand so new routes for PLH, NQY and BRS i would guess would be coming sooner rather than later.

i cant however suggest if any new BRS routes would be a direct BRS - xxx route or another of the current routes ie NQY-BRS-MAN etc etc ?

however BRS no longer has a based dh8-300 as these are now PLH x3 and NQY x2

more rumours on this and other sites of fleet expansion, they are currently using a s2000 to cover for mx on the dash and again the rumours are doing the rounds of an easten s2000 joining the fleet but who knows till it happens!

cs

[Skipness One Echo]

Emirates have been badly hit by the downturn and have a rather large fleet of A380s to fill somehow. Not sure if fragmenting the UK market by serving STN and BRS as well is in tune with the current issues.

[AirLCY]

I agree that BRS has a good commercial plannng team, although I dont think Washington would work as it doesnt even work from Manchester and is only served from London. Maybe one of the Middle Eastern carriers could try BRS via XXX to either AUH / DOH or DXB in the next few years

[bristolflyer]

The airport has finally submitted the full planning application to BANES Council. The airport now aims to finish the work by 2019, as that is now the year they predict 10 million pax per annum. Glad to see things are moving forward!

[WATABENCH]

Bristolflyer, I believe the airport as far as i know is under North Somerset council, Banes is next door(Bath, Radstock, Keynsham areas).

Air France have recently upgraded aircraft size to AT72 from ATR42, route must be doing nicely for them, good to see.

[MerchantVenturer]

It is North Somerset Council, although you'd be pushed to tell the difference as neither they nor B&NES are particularly supportive of the airport.

As bristolflyer points out, the planning applications have finally been submitted - over three years later than the timetable in the original master plan that was published in early 2006.

The computer generated graphics video of the proposals show a superb facility that I believe is estimated at around £150 million to build.

Press reports say the plans are designed to enable the airport to handle 10mppa by 2016, although a local tv report I saw suggested that the airport now believes that 2019 is more likely which confirms bristolflyer's post. The aim is to build in stages as passenger numbers increase.

It seems certain that North Somerset will not have the final say. If the planning applications are not called in for a public enquiry there will undoubtedly be appeals against the council's decision, whether by the airport or the objectors, depending which way the council comes down. There could also be applications for a judicial review on any decision the secretary of state might make after a public enquiry.

A planning expert on the local telly news this evening reckons the planning process might drag out for up to four years.

At least the current drop in passenger numbers will give a bit more breathing space and the western walkway should be completed by next March (general permitted development) which will also help the passenger experience a bit. I note some of the stands on the western apron have been re-positioned to face north, presumably to fit in with the walkway. I read a report that the walkway is to cost over £7 million.

So the whistle has been blown and the game finally started...........................

[Standard Noise]

All the Western Apron stands will be facing north before long although from what I believe, they are temporary markings and when the walkway is finished, they will be re-marked.

[MerchantVenturer]

Air France have recently upgraded aircraft size to AT72 from ATR42, route must be doing nicely for them, good to see.

Hi there, WATABENCH

Tonight F 100, F-GNLG, is slumbering quietly on stand 12, having operated the last inbound GDG of the day, enjoying a good night's rest in the mountain air in preparation for taking the first outbound in the morning, according to the BRS apron website.

Route can't be doing that well, can it? ;)

[Morrihell]

MV F-GNLG belongs to Blue Line (AMCI/Charter operator) so likely filling for a non available Airlinair ATR. ATR72 F-GVZM has flown most of this weeks Air France flights.

Cheers MH.

(Mountain Air LOL!)

[Bristol_Traveller]

having operated the last inbound GDG of the day

Crikey, when did someone start flying to Magdagachi in Russia? And in a F-100 - that's a bit of a punishment.

I must admit, I haven't been up to the mountainous heights of Lulsgate recently. I've been having to lean heavily on my *A status at the moment to use award flights/upgrades and give myself at least some modicum of comfort, plus generally seeming to spend more time in London (a trend I will be reversing...). LHR T1 is still relatively comfortable at the moment, even having done a flight out the day that LH moved in. We'll see how long it lasts though...

[MerchantVenturer]

Thanks MH.

I guessed it might have been a stand-in because the CDG passenger figures for May don't suggest the route has begun to burst at the seams with would-be travellers clamouring for tickets.

B_T

I fear this may have been a Freudian slip. I had heard rumours of the BRS management seeking to establish a route to the Russian Far East to accommodate all those gold prospectors currently seeking their fortunes along the northern slopes of Dundry Hill.:cool:

Does show how bags can easily be mis-directed with a slip of one letter. I should know. Some years ago we came back from Phoenix, Az on a circuitous route via Minneapolis and Amsterdam to Bristol. On arrival at BRS - no hold bags. I was blaming the notorious AMS baggage black hole (it was then anyway) but it was not Schipol's fault that time. They turned up a day or two later and I discovered the check-in agent at Phoenix had inserted BRU as final destination instead of BRS. I don't think he was taking the Manekin.

It seems the FRA went out with a bit of a bang in April, so far as passenger volume was concerned.

8,700 used the route, more than in both September and October last year when there were three rotations every day of the week.

It's likely that April's load factor was the highest month of the route's short history. As usual, I add the rider that yield is the important thing but as this route often had high fares and was a feeder into LH's world-wide network, I doubt that giveaway fares in April were the reason.

I haven't used BRS for a while either, but that's down to personal circumstances. However, I am booked to Glasgow soon so will be interested to see how the place is ticking over.

[Bristol_Traveller]

M_V

Those FRA stats due tend to lend weight to the theory that dropping BRS-FRA was more political, and more about protecting LHR loads, than it was about the standalone performance of the route. I was led to believe that forward bookings on the route were also healthy.

(And your point about yields is also true. I can vouch that there was little availability of E, L, T fares on BRS-FRA, so everyone was paying good money).

Ironically, I think LH's tactic may have misfired, certainly in my experience.

My *A status is quite valuable to me (and Mrs. B_T at times). Flying ex-BRS meant every trip started BRS(LH)FRA-xxx, and because of fare combinations, the long-haul would nearly always be on LH too. (Exception - madness fares to SYD, probably driven by the SIN(SQ)SYD section).

But if I'm going to have to go to LHR, I'll chose any of the many *A carriers flying from there. So ironically, none of my flying ex-LHR has been on LH at all. I've flown SQ, LX (also ex-LCY), BD - but not LH, and not through FRA.

So by pulling BRS-FRA, it's meant I've spent no money with them at all since. Probably not quite the effect they were looking for.

[WATABENCH]

Found this site the other day....


www.bristol-airfield.co.uk (http://www.bristol-airfield.co.uk)

[birdscarer]

If anyone is interested in showing support to the BRS Expansion Plans, then there is an online petition on their website. It is HERE (http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/about_us/our_future/expansion-pledge.aspx) and wont take more than 15 seconds to complete.

[Bristol based Taffy]

I see that S.B.A.E. are up to their tricks again, now suggesting that night flights will increase due to the on going expansion plans at Bristol, despite airport mangement denying this would be the case.

Isn't it time they all came out of the woodwork, and solomely pledged that they would not only stop using Bristol, but would never set foot aboard another Devils chariot until they pased away!!!!!! Oh and at the same time bought horse and cart!!!!!

RANT OVER :ugh:

[yeo valley]

they all cant come out of woodwork just now. as some possably on holiday?. i wonder how many fly, and do they fly from bristol?? always a case of have things elsewhere, but not here. pollution or climate change issues are not the point, its a case of not on my door step, or people just sticking their nose in where it dont belong.

[WATABENCH]

They do fly from BRS and have been spotted quite often, BIA management are aware they do, infact I was told of one of these lovely awkward ladies who's daughter is or was at university in GLA or may of been EDI, she often pops up making use of the ease and cheapness of EZY instead of 8 hours on a train!
I'm sure she's not the only one to make use of an international airport on their door step.
Theres a big S.B.A.E board gone up at the roundabout by Winford garage, I'll give a tenner to who ever paintballs it first :}

[MerchantVenturer]

Ownership

Bristol International Airport is 100% owned by South West Airports Limited (SWAL), a joint venture holding company owned by Bristol Airport (Bermuda) Limited (BABL) and Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund (MEIF). BABL is 71% owned by Macquarie Airports, a fund listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange, and 29% owned by Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, a major infrastructure investor. Both BABL and MEIF are managed by Macquarie Capital Funds (Europe) Limited (MCFEL), a subsidiary of Macquarie Group Limited. - BRS official website.

In recent months there have been suggestions that the airport, or a major stake in it, may be sold.

It will be seen that ownership is somewhat complex and a change is now in the offing.

The Australian Macquarie Group has had to write down the value of its listed funds including Macquarie Airports (MAp) and has decided to forego future management and performance fees from MAp in return for A$345 million worth of shares in MAp. MAp has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for Macquarie down the years but the write-down means the bank has decided to change its approach. The change will result in Macquarie increasing its stake in MAp from 21% to 27.3%

In future MAp will manage itself, with Macquarie adopting an advisory role.

There are doubts in the financial press that this move will improve the value and stability of MAp going forward.

It still appears that MAp may decide to divest itself of some of its assets so the ownership of BRS could change at some point in the forseeable future.

Ryanair Base

Ryanair increased the number of based aircraft at BRS from two to four at the beginning of this month.

I've compared the schedule for this July with July 2008 and discovered that the one hundred per cent increase in based aircraft has only resulted in an increase of just over 40% more weekly rotations.

In July 2008 there were 81 weekly rotations and this July there are 114.

The reason is that daily routes such as Girona, Shannon and one Dublin rotation are now operated by BRS-based aircraft and the fourth daily DUB rotation that used to operate on some days of the week using DUB-based aircraft has been axed, although one of the two daily BHD rotations is operated by a non-BRS based aircraft from Mon to Fri.

According to a comment from a Ryanair spokeswoman in the local evening newspaper at the time of the launch of the expanded base the full winter programme from BRS will be announced in September.

[Bristol_Traveller]

Ownership

A complicated web they wove. My initial thought is what happens to the funding for the expansion if there are such relatively dramatic changes happening (and still to come) in respect of the airport's ownership?

Ryanair

Mr. O'Leary and his band of merry (?) men are saying some interesting things recently. His polemic about STN, and the drama of the "40%" fleet reduction was somewhat undermined when it transpired he was comparing Summer 08 with Winter 09, and that the true like-on-like reduction was 4 aircraft (about 14%). So the difficulty is that I generally assume that whatever Ryanair say is probably misleading, bordering on untruth.

I do wonder if Mr. O'Leary's fleet is now bigger than the middle-of-nowhere destinations he can fly to? It sounds like the extra planes coming to BRS are in fact just freeing up some planes at other bases to try and work other routes. And it will be strange if the winter programme shows greater lineup of destinations than the summer. But Ryanair is home of the strange, and the blatant headline grabbing.

I won't be disappointed if Bristol turns out to be Ryanair's Waterloo.....

[MerchantVenturer]

Ownership

There must be a question mark over the expansion plans in their current form, assuming they are eventually approved (by no means a foregone conclusion), given the possibility that MAp may dispose of some of its assets, but MAp is not the only shareholder in the airport. If the airport changes hands a new owner would be sure to have its own ideas, priorities and possibly an emptier (or, with luck, a fuller) pocket.

Ryanair

Ryanair do seem to make contradictory noises at times. From giving the impression there would be no more growth at its UK bases, at least for this year, MOL told a gathering in Manchester a couple of weeks ago that BRS was one of its UK bases that would see further growth in the future.

Four 189-seat aircraft seems a lot to deploy from BRS this winter, given the current economic climate. Last winter the two they had weren't fully utilised with Budapest and Rzeszow temporarily axed in November and December (as these routes were from all FR bases at that time) and Riga dropped in January, February and March.

Out of interest I had a look at the passenger figures for the FR routes from BRS in June, showing destination, total passengers carried, average load and load factor to the nearest whole percentage. I know this doesn't say any more than there were people ready to use these routes, or not as the case may have been, and that we can't judge whether the airline made or lost money on them.

Dublin 23550/137/72%
Belfast City 6022/100/53%
Shannon 6871/115/61%
Knock 3064/90/48%
Riga 2981/165/88%
Poznan 3201/178/94%
Wroclaw 3075/171/90%
Rzeszow 2894/161/85%
Bratislava 2896/161/85%
Porto 2261/141/75%
Budapest 2570/160/84%
Bergamo 7541/126/66%
Girona 9420/157/83%
Eindhoven 2184/84/44%
Bergerac 3182/132/70%
Beziers 4579/133/70%
Pau 1862/116/61%

The Eastern European routes seem to have fared well, very well in one or two cases, and the average loads are higher in general than in June 2008.

Belfast City seems a bit disappointing and they have increase this to double daily for much of the week from this month.

Knock has always seen poor loads except that last August it went up to 83%, otherwise it seems to hover between 40% and 60% but it is kept going at 4 x weekly throughout the year.

Shannon used to be better than this, a lot better at times.

The French routes are better than June 2008.

Eindhoven is a bit of a disaster but I expect there will be a dud or two in the new routes that started this month.

Re your Waterloo comment, I can't say this is my favourite airline and the aviation demise of MOL and his senior cohorts would not concern me, but I think of all the jobs of the employees at risk if it, or any other airline, goes to the wall.

[Standard Noise]

Two things affected the Belfast City, firstly, it's one of the few routes with close competition from Easyjet and secondly the flight times were awful, useless for business and not much better for the 'trip to see the family and friends.' Getting into Belfast at 2115 with a return at 1830 the next day was a bit restrictive (half a day at home and one night in a hotel as against two full days and a hotel if flying with Easy). New flight times should see this improve. There is also the restriction on loads for the route so it will never look great.

As for Knock, it's time they had another sighting, that'd have the pilgrims filling up the planes.

[anna_list]

Hi,

Here are a few more stats for the first half of the year, for those that are interested in that kind of thing.

For Jan-Jun 09 Ryanair pax at Bristol were down over 10% on the same period last year with about 9% fewer movements, hence overall loads slightly down. Compared to other bases in the UK, Bristol is near the bottom of the league, with only Bournemouth producing worse average loads. As usual, this carries the standard health warning about loads and yields.

As MerchantVenturer mentioned above, the stars in terms of loads are Poznan, Wroclaw and Riga.

The stagglers are Eindhoven (46% average flown LF so far this year) and Knock, which seems to be taking an absolute hammering (38% average flown LF so far this year, compared to 48% for the same period last year). This surely can't be sustainable? Knock seems to be suffering on all the regional UK routes (EMA 49% this year, LPL 47%, BHX 57%, MAN 67%).

@Standard Noise: That's a brilliant idea, but please don't tell Mo'L. I could just imagine him staging a sighting.

Bristol - Shannon has carried roughly the same number of passengers as in the first half of last year, but the number of flights was up by over 25%, resulting in a fall in loads from 66% to 52%.

Of the routes that have already been dropped, loads were poor on Szczecin, but Gdansk was up with Riga and Wroclaw in the first quarter. I guess yields were a bit rubbish.

Another route to watch is Bergamo where Ryanair are fighting with Easyjet over the Milan market. In the first half of the year, Ryanair's loads were down slightly (about 55%) with capacity virtually unchanged. Easyjet trimmed capacity by about 10% and improved their loads from 64% to 67%. Ryanair have a slightly higher market share (just over 51%), but there's not much between the two carriers. I would be hugely surprised if this situation is profitable for either of them. Surely something will have to give?

[WOWBOY]

Any news on the air southwest expansion from bristol? Any rumours that have been mentioned?

Also the Blue Islands services? When do they get expected for the route applications?

[MerchantVenturer]

Ryanair

The major Canary Islands expansion of routes announced today by FR gives BRS 2 weekly flights to each of Gran Canaria, Tenerife (South) and Lanzarote this coming winter.

Gran Canaria: Tue and Sat, dep BRS 1345 and arrive back at 2240

Tenerife (South): Wed 0700-1550 Sun 0745-1635

Lanzarote: Wed 1255-2135 Fri 0645-1525

WOWBOY,

I think the Blue Islands idea was shelved. Have heard no rumours about an ASW expansion.

[sam1993]

Looking on the Kiss Flights website, it seems that Viking Airlines will base an aircraft at Bristol for at least the 1st half of the week from next summer. Current destinations are Corfu, Heraklion and Kos. This is probably filling the void left by the collapse of XL! :ok:

[Charlie Roy]

New Ryanair route:
Malaga (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday)

[WATABENCH]

10.08.09

A new image shows flight paths of aircraft taking off from Bristol Airport. It was produced by a campaign group that is fighting the airport's expansion plans. They claim it shows how far flight paths have deviated from regular routes and the extent of the Bristol area where planes fly. But it has been described by the airport as ‘an amateur approach to a complex issue’.

Campaigners used a tracking device to monitor flights from the airport during a week in May. The device picked up radio signals broadcast by planes. Jeremy Birch, spokesman for Stop Bristol Airport Expansion (SBAE) said: ‘This data confirms beyond a doubt just how far afield planes from Bristol airport are flying. The regular flight paths have been planned to minimise flights over populated areas, but more planes travelling wide of these will cause more suffering for local residents. Plans for 10m passengers, and 13.8m by 2030 can only mean that things are going to get much worse.’

‘This image just shows data from departures in one week in May and, in fact, isn't the complete story as it's based on the radio signals we were able to pick up from one location. It also only has half the flights as no arrivals are shown. Even so it is clear that flights to and from the airport fly over many local communities. We will continue to monitor flight paths and use this to show all concerned the impacts of the airport's operations.’

Airport spokesman James Gore said: ‘The map used falls some way short of the accuracy required. No scale is provided and no indication of where the tracking device was located is given.
There is no attempt to identify individual aircraft, and clearly noise impacts will vary between, for example, light aircraft and commercial airliners.'

‘There is no indication of whether the easterly or westerly runway was in use, which would have a significant influence on the results. Finally, aircraft transiting through the airspace are not differentiated from those arriving or departing from Bristol International. Quite frankly, this is an amateur approach to a complex issue, and the results are no more valid than a 'back-of-a-fag-packet' sketch. As a result, it is impossible to draw any conclusions from this graphic.’

Bristol Airport is investing £400,000 over five years in Tracker – a system which will monitor aircraft departure noise and produce a graphic record of where aircraft using the airport fly relative to the ground.

[WATABENCH]

Bristol Airport mobility service helps 33,000 passengers

A mobility service introduced at Bristol International Airport has helped improve accessibility for 33,000 passengers since its launch.

Provided by OCS, the service is available for both outbound and incoming passengers, offering a seamless service through the airport for people with reduced mobility.

OCS was chosen from a shortlist of 12 candidates to provide the service in anticipation of new EU regulations which hand airports sole responsibility for developing support services for people with mobility difficulties.

Marshall Beach, regional operations director for OCS, said that the service is most efficient when travellers request assistance in advance.

"They will then be met by OCS staff in the car parks or the terminal building and accompanied through check-in and security into the departure lounge, before receiving assistance boarding their flight," he commented.

In other recent developments, Bristol International has also announced that 11 new Ryanair routes have been added to the south-west airport's departures boards.

[sam1993]

Further to my last post, Viking Airlines will now base an aircraft at Bristol all week from next summer! The schedule is as follows:
Monday - Corfu
Tuesday - Heraklion (w leg to East Midlands)
Wednesday - Kos (w leg to East Midlands)
Thursday - Arrecife
Friday - Skiathos, Tenerife
Saturday - Kefalonia (w leg to East Midlands)
Sunday - Zante (w leg to East Midlands)

They have room to add extra flights after the Monday Corfu flight and the Thursday Arrecife flight...

[globetrotter79]

...subject to getting UK AOC and, hence, traffic permits to serve BRS-Turkey one assumes? BRS-DLM or suchlike would operate Mondays and Thursdays I'd guess...

[Bristol_Traveller]

I've just had the shock of my life after flipping open the LH inflight magazine today (my first flight this month on LH metal).

The first article in the magazine (and 10 pages long) is about Bristol, and what a great city it is. (But we know that - we live here). 10 Bristolians are featured showing cool things about the city (docks, suspension bridge, floating harbour, clubs, music etc.).

So that's weird, isn't it, given that they pulled the plug on flights 4 months ago? I suspect that the editorial lead time may have caught them out.

The most interesting bit is the inevitable "Lufthansa Tip" with details on how to fly to Bristol. And I quote.

Lufthansa and future Star Alliance member Brussels Airlines operate a Monday-to-Friday code-share service to Bristol (BRS) from the German cities of Berlin, Frankfurt and, starting August 31st, Munich.

So either they're being highly economical with the truth (the truth being that they're rather badly scheduled connecting flights through Brussels) or something is about to happen that nobody here knew about. Sadly, I favour the first explanation....

(Link to the content listing - Lufthansa - Lufthansa Magazin (http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/uk/info_and_services/on_board?nodeid=1771539&l=en&cid=1000243#ancN65539) - but it's not the actual magazine).

[Standard Noise]

Ah SBAE and their mad campaign, isn't it sweet?
These people have completely taken leave of their senses. I suppose they do a good line in nuclear physics and heart surgery in their spare time. One of the videos on their website shows an interview with some bloke in a garden, allegedly in Felton. It must have escaped their notice that while they were talking to him their was what sounded like a cracking party going on nearby (at the local pub?), it was so flipping loud I could hardly hear the planes in the background!:}

It's nice to see their latest press release doesn't let the truth get in the way of a good campaign, still, I don't suppose they'd believe anyone who actually knows the truth about how flights are handled in and out of Bristol. Wonder if it's worth infiltrating their ranks?:E

[Welshtraveller]

Have Viking definitely announced new routes from Bristol next summer? There is nothing on their website, cannot find any information. Thanks.

[bristolflyer]

You can certainly use SBAE's very handy direct web link to comment upon the planning application. I chose not to use the suggested template and sent my own more positive comments!!

[Bristol_Traveller]

I took the time to write a decent-length letter in respect of the planning application, making the point that SBAE (and others) appear to be using the airport as a proxy in some wider campaign on environmental issues. Whilst we all hear/see their rage/frustration/concern about the environment, levelling all the blame at Bristol Airport seems somewhat fruitless. It's probably because actually tackling the really big environmental problems is harder than circulating pre-printed forms for people to tick and linking to websites for people to register planning objections.

I did make the point that I hoped that the review process would take into account the difference between a hastily ticked-and-returned form, and a more diligent response that required some research and deeper understanding of the complex issues involved.

I suspect that some of the people involved in SBAE are trapped by their own rhetoric - if they have painted themselves as ardent campaigners, it's awfully difficult for them to appear to be anything but violently opposed to any change, regardless how small, even though we're aware they're also users of the airport. Extremism and hypocrisy often go hand in hand.

Let's hope the first rule of analysis applies; disregard the results at the extremes, and interpret the data (or lack of it) from the mainstream.

[bristolflyer]

I agree. The airport is an easy target rather than addressing the 40% of emissions from UK homes and the massive increase in China and India which frankly dwarf this country. I attended one of the weekend planning open days in the old terminal and during the 2 hours I was there, there were surprisingly few people present. In my view the vast majority are voting with their feet and using the airport rather than the small minority (some of whom have been seen using the airport!) who feel they have the right impose their will on that majority. In any event I think the Planners and the Council will bottle it and send the whole application off to a Planning Inquiry so that they can absolve themselves of the responsibility of making a decision.

[sam1993]

Welshtraveller,
The flights are bookable on the kiss flights website who are the agents for Viking Airlines. Viking's website doesnt have any flights for summer 2010 loaded yet, but the flights will operate!

[Bristol_Traveller]

In any event I think the Planners and the Council will bottle it and send the whole application off to a Planning Inquiry so that they can absolve themselves of the responsibility of making a decision.

It seems likely. And then they'll be the very same people who complain that power has been taken away from the "elected representatives of the people". With power comes responsibility. If you don't have the balls to make tough and unpopular decisions, don't seek the power to do so.

[derelicte]

Can these comments be from the same Bristolians that were so desperate to keep an airport out of Filton, the obvious home for it?

Look closer to home for the NIMBYs next time chaps.

[Bristol_Traveller]

Can these comments be from the same Bristolians that were so desperate to keep an airport out of Filton, the obvious home for it?

Look closer to home for the NIMBYs next time chaps.

Not me. Why don't you make that less of a generalisation and more of a proper accusation so that it can be properly countered?

[derelicte]

It already is a proper accusation.

[Bristol_Traveller]

It already is a proper accusation.

Goodness, I hope you're not in the legal business. A proper accusation has names and facts to substantiate it. Not some general "Oh, I'm a bit grumpy and annoyed".

Have another go.

[derelicte]

What would you like me to clarify BT?

[Welshtraveller]

Thank you Sam.

[MerchantVenturer]

SBAE is composed of basically three disparate groups: the 'professional' campaigners such as Friends of the Earth and the Protect Rural England people who will use any weapon that comes to hand to further their causes, including expansion of airports; some local elected representatives who for whatever reason(s) are against expansion; nimbys - some of these may also be found within the other groups of course.

The members sometimes make uneasy bedfellows, with the professionals' planet-saving (in their view) moral high ground not infrequently compromised by some nimbys' unashamed desire to prevent expansion because they don't want a biggish airport as a neighbour, and are content if flights and passengers are displaced to other airports which will still produce the same amount of the planet-savers' dreaded emissions.

SBAE has been issuing window and car stickers and posters since it came into existence but when I strolled round part of Wrington (the largest of the airport's neighbouring villages and the parish in which BRS is situated) a few weeks ago I saw only one anti-expansion poster displayed and I passed about two hundred houses . It wasn't a a scientific count but, nonetheless, may be more indicative of the general local view rather than the noise emanating from the committed anti-expansionists.

Indeed, as one who grew up in and around Wrington in the late 40s and 50s I have seen it turn into a near small town since then where people have moved onto new estates, some built on green field sites. Some of the very people who have been responsible for this significant village expansion who commute daily to and from Bristol emitting their own carbon gasses (but that's all right because it's only other people who have to be kept in check), and by commuting ensure the A 38 is at its busiest at those times, are the most vocal when it comes to opposing airport expansion and an extension of its boundary into adjacent Green Belt land.

The spokesman for SBAE seems to be a character called Jeremy Birch. He was on the local telly this week asserting there is no need for expansion because passenger numbers are falling and will never again reach the previous peak. Why should this concern him? The airport owners are taking the financial risk, not him.

Another one who loves the local media spotlight is local parish councillor Hilary Burn. It was only last year that she complained at an airport consultative committee meeting that the airport's passenger figures had got ahead of its master plan projections. The airport is damned for losing passengers and damned for gaining them so far as SBAE is concerned.

I'm not sure who is the intended target of the remarks concerning Filton.

With hindsight it can easily be argued that Bristol City Council made a hash of moving its airport when the celebrated wartime Whitchurch became too small in the 1950s.

I am one the council's biggest critics (on many things) but it must be said that few people if anyone could then have predicted BRS's rise into a significant mid-ranking UK regional airport. Indeed, as late as the mid 90s I doubt that many would have said BRS would be handling over 6 mppa by 2008. I have the airport's ten-year plan issued in 1993 when its aim was to double its then 1 mppa by 2003, and that looked ambitious in 1993.

I have read that the city council could have had Filton instead of Lulgate when Whitchurch was closed. However, they would have been tenants of the resident aircraft manufacturers instead of owners and who knows how that might have worked out down the ensuing years?

That wonderful gift on hindsight now tells us that Filton would have been a much better bet than Lulgate with nearby motorway and rail connectivity, a bigger site (though about to be made smaller with housing development), a longer runway, better weather and situated nearer much more of Greater Bristol's industry and commerce than rural Lulsgate.

However, so far as I am aware the only time a serious bid was made to turn Filton into a civil airport was in the mid 1990s when Bae applied to develop it as a city airport. After a public enquiry the then relevant government minister rejected the application.

I don't think the citizens of Bristol (in its wider sense because Filton is not actually in municipal Bristol although it is in the contiguous urban area) opposed the application in huge numbers. The BRS management did so, for obvious commercial reasons, as did the usual crop of objectors whose type we are seeing now in regard to the BRS expansion.

There may have been more nimbys because Filton sits near many thousands of people's homes whereas Lulsgate is neighbour to villages.

I hope the expansion applications will be decided on their merits rather than aligned to the views of those who make the most noise. We know that life is not like that though, especially with politicians (local or national) involved.

[Bristol based Taffy]

Yet again MV you present such a composed reply to the arguements, have you every thought of a career in politics :E :E

[yeo valley]

very well put mv on youre last post. Im in IOWA and read about things going on in bristol. I am amazed that the airport here in quad cities has air bridges and they dont seem to have any planning problems here like in england. Keep up the good posts as always like to read them. yv.

[WATABENCH]

Thomson adds third weekly flight to Egypt
(20/08/09)
From 20th December, Thomson will add a third weekly flight to Sharm El Sheikh direct from Bristol. Operating on a Sunday afternoon until the end of April, the service offers a weekend alternative to existing flights that depart on Mondays and Thursdays

[yeo valley]

with the extra egypt flight in winter. will it mean a extra tom plane.? if so will it mean flights to other destinations.also would it be a based unit.

[tocamak]

The economic impact of expansion of BRS is forecast to have dire effects elsewhere:-

The tourism deficit will be losing jobs from elsewhere in the South West tourism industry and other service sectors, e.g. more weekends are being spent abroad and less gardening hence less money will be spent at garden centres(source: SBAE website)

Obviously further damage to aviations green credentials

[bristolflyer]

That is genius!! The weight of their argument is overwhelming!

[2J&D]

Talk about clutching at straws!!

How or who on earth came up with the idea that just because the airport may be expanded it means more people are going to spend less time in the garden???!!!

The way things are at present they would do best at pointing the finger at good old Mother Nature first! It isn't the expansion at the airport that is going to drive more people to go on holiday!

And whilst we are talking about it, is there mention of the possible ££'s that inbound tourism is going to bring to the area??..Thought not...

[yeo valley]

not looked. but is there garden centres around other major airports in the uk.?? and if so are they doing ok trade wise.??

[Standard Noise]

There are too many Garden Centres within a 20 mile radius of Bristol Airport. Thinning out the herd can only be a good thing ( and the quicker the better, before my wife drags me to all of them!).

Seriously though, SBAE really are barking if they think two weeks away each year and the odd weekend break is going to keep people out of their gardens for the other 48 weekends of the year.

(sniff.......sniff) Is that the smell of desperation?

[MerchantVenturer]

SBAE

I always think that the barking can be divided into the dafty and the crafty dafty. SBAE are certainly barking but probably in the second category as their usually baseless arguments can seem convincing to many people who accept them at face value. Then again, some of the SBAErs probably do believe their own rhetoric.

Tom to Sharm

Last winter there were three weekly flights to Sharm - two TOM and one Jet2. Is the the third TOM flight announced this week an addition or a replacement for the Jet2?

Consultative Committee

The minutes for the July meeting have been published on the airport website and a few items caught my eye:


immigration desks have been increased from five to seven - but will there be sufficient personnel to man them all?


office space in the Admin building has been reconfigured to accommodate all airport staff on one floor including the CEO, with his former office suite being developed as a staff gym - you up for that, Standard?


a discussion took place about decreased passenger numbers in the first part of year with the CEO stating that a recovery was in place with some days in July busier than in July 2008, and an outline was given of the many ways in which the airport and partners are working to increase the number of inbound passengers - in the event CAA stats show 3.4% fewer passengers used the airport in July compared with July 2008.


the meeting was told how well the Flyer Coach was performing with passenger numbers increasing markedly - I read elsewhere the Flyer now carries nearly 12% of all airport passengers.


As part of the expansion planning applications it is envisaged a significant growth will occur in passengers using public transport with the introduction of express services to Bath and Weston-super-Mare, and in the longer term to Devon and Wales.


Continental to Newark

Looking at the CO booking page it seems the Tuesday/Wednesday overnight inbound and reciprocal Wednesday morning outbound will cease as of 15/16 September.

The winter period appears to remain at 5 x weekly as it has since the service began in 2005, although it seems that at the fag end of the year and in January there may be reductions in rotations on some weeks as there were at the same period last winter.

Can anyone confirm (or deny) any of this?

[Confirmed Must Ride]

CO77
Sept/Oct - x6
Nov/Dec - x5
Jan/Feb - x4

plus other days taken out over Thanksgiving/Christmas

[Standard Noise]

office space in the Admin building has been reconfigured to accommodate all airport staff on one floor including the CEO, with his former office suite being developed as a staff gym - you up for that, Standard?


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
You haven't seen my picture on the Photo thread in JB have you?
Only gym I go near is my brother but he spells it differently.

[santito]

Seems to be a very quiet thread compared to LBA/ NCL/ EMA/ Baadiff/ MAN/ BHX...

Anyway, just wondered if SAS had any plans to come back next year? Also I wonder if anyone would come in (FlyBE maybe? Why do they operate just one route from BRS compared to pretty much every other regional where they do a fistfull?) to fill the gap in flights to Germany? We have no connections to any of the big 3 German business destinations (Frankfurt/ Munich/ Düsseldorf), although I would not be surprised to see LH come back in a year or two...

[mathers_wales_uk]

Why would BE want to go into BRS with the likes of Ryanair and EasyJet there? They obviously have choosen CWL to operate their flights as it is much easier to compete against Eastern & Baby at CWL. Flybe haven't a single aircraft based at CWL and all routes are operated on a W pattern via CWL or from other bases.

CWL

JER (Bmibaby)
GLA (Bmibaby)
BHD (Bmibaby operate into BFS)
NCL (Eastern Airways)
CDG (No Competition)
ABZ - loganair (No Competition)
EDI - (Bmibaby)

How much competition would they have on same routes our of BRS and who would their competitors be?

When the economy picks up or if the BD/LH situation results in no more Bmibaby then Flybe will be in the excellent position of having being in CWL for a number of years with an established brand. There is also room for expansion at CWL with more flights from other bases along with based aircraft at CWL.

Why Flybe only operate a JER to/from BRS maybe some kind of charter or is it a year round route?

Mathers

[airhumberside]

JER is year round, and I think daily. Been around for a few years now

[ConstantFlyer]

Doesn't flybe avoid Bristol 'cause it's based in Exeter? Too close and a bit of local rivalry, maybe?

[WATABENCH]

Great low fly past by A380 today, bet it made some good piccies for the spotters. :ok:

[MerchantVenturer]

A380

WATABENCH,

I saw the 380 pass almost over my house and slot into the landing queue. I posted on the Spectators Balcony that it would be delicious if some of the antis living under the flight path thought the 380 was actually going to land at BRS as it passed overhead, fearing it was some Machiavellian scheme hatched up by the airport as a regular route, although I have to say the aircraft was very quiet.

Flybe

Flybe, in its various incarnations, operated into BRS on scheduled routes for a number of years and by 2004 it had five routes from the airport – Belfast City, Bergerac, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Jersey. Incidentally, in summer 2004 BRS had four carriers on the JER route - Aurigny, Flybe, BACx and Air Southwest.

However, easyJet gradually began to compete on some of the Flybe routes and by the end of 2006 the airline had pulled them all except Jersey, presumably because it was unable to compete on the others. Its rival to Jersey was Air Southwest which it could apparently cope with. In fact ASW has reduced its own BRS-JER operation in the past year.

Flybe's decision now seems sensible because the other four routes are currently operated by easyJet or Ryanair.

In 2007 Flybe bought BAConnect that had eight routes from BRS and a five aircraft (ERJ145) base there. The routes were Frankfurt, Milan Malpensa, Zurich, Munich, Dusseldorf, Paris CDG, Edinburgh and Glasgow, the last two both 5 x daily in competition with easyJet's 3 x daily on both. Very quickly Flybe decided it would close the BRS base and axe all the former BACon routes.

I recently discovered a Competition Commission report on the internet relating to an enquiry into the effects of competition at BAA airports.

One of their case studies was a comparison of the airports of BRS, CWL and EXT to see how neighbouring airports under separate ownership affected competition. They took evidence from representatives of these airports and, amongst other things, the relationship of BRS with Flybe was highlighted.

The case study points out that by 2004 Exeter Airport was beginning to grow and BRS approached Flybe about moving its operations to Bristol, offering substantial inducements. Flybe declined, saying the advantage of keeping its home base at EXT was significant. Instead, the airline expanded its BRS operations (which brought routes to Bergerac, Toulouse and Bordeaux) but retained its EXT operations.

When it took over BACon in 2007 and decided to axe all the BACon BRS routes the airport tried to get them to stay but Flybe said they had better deals at Manchester and Birmingham airports.

The case study was told by BRS that they understood Flybe's 'strategic decision' but it was a surprise to them that Flybe had pulled off some key routes at BRS 'where they (Flybe) knew, and BA had admitted, they were making money'.

So it looks as though it is a strategic decision of Flybe to cut the ties with BRS, except for JER, even though some at least of the routes they inherited from BACon were making money, presumably on the basis that easyJet and/or Ryanair would trump anything significant they might come up with, as easyJet has done in the past.

Furthermore, the thought that some of their EXT routes might be diluted probably was a factor in virtually pulling out of BRS.

The case study is a fascinating document as it reveals some of the strategy behind the BRS management's method of attracting and keeping airlines.

It's the first time that I've seen the airport accept that 16% of its passenger numbers come from South Wales – the BRS master plan and other publications have usually put the figure between 10% and 12%.

The airport also says that with 'tweaking' the current facilities could handle 8mppa.

The link to the case study is here:

http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2007/airports/pdf/working_paper_bristol.pdf


I am surprised that some of the content has been put into the public domain.

[Bristol based Taffy]

Yes totally agree M V, there would have been some serious heart palpitations in tree huggers land :rolleyes:

Would have been interesting also to have listened to ATC communications - Easyjet you're number two to an A380!!!!! :eek:

[anna_list]

Are any local gardening centres still in business after yesterday's visit?

[santito]

Thanks for the brilliant post RE FlyBE... Real shame they can't/ won't do anything at Bristol.

Now that Lufthansa own BMI, I wonder if they have any plans to add in BRS (Perhaps as part of a W to make up for the lack of business connections at all?) For me German routes are very handy as you have probably worked out by now.

[Bristol_Traveller]

M_V

That *is* a fascinating read, and as you say, less redacted than I would have expected. Having been interviewed for a similar CC exercise a couple of years ago, I know how things said in interviews can look very different in the final report.

It's interesting that the document reveals that the published table of charges for BRS is merely guidance. As a passenger, the airport charge for BRS always appears on my tickets at around the £16 mark, so I would assume the negotiations involve feeding some of that fee back to the airline. The words "net yield" suggest that spend in shops is taken into account. (I'd hazard a guess that LCCs argue that their passengers spend more in shops, so deserve a better rate. Where does that fit with FR's "no duty free" bags policy, I wonder?).

Sanito

As German/*A connections from BRS also interest me greatly, I've been keeping a close eye on the bmi situation, and it doesn't look promising. The indications are, currently, that LH would like not to be having to deal with BD, and maybe be seeking to divest it. That reduces the likelyhood of a BD operated BRS-Germany route quite a lot, I would have thought.

Nevertheless, given the debacle last night at BRS with KL canxing the 1054 and making passengers wait 5 hours for overnighting, it does highlight that there has got to be a better alternative for business travel to Europe. I'm afraid to say that I'm sticking to my "no KL" rule, and as a result, flying from LHR pretty regularly now. (I did EZY in from SXF last night, and got caught up in the KL chaos). I've got a whole load of European flying in September, and long haul in Oct and Dec, and would gladly have paid more to fly from Bristol. But not on KL.

[santito]

Why, if you don't mind me asking are you anti- KL? I have not had any particularly bad experiences with them.

Thanks

[Bristol_Traveller]

That's a fair question.

I've had what I consider to be an appalling run with KL from BRS, with planes being cancelled (usually because they've gone tech on arrival), or delayed and causing me to miss connections at AMS. Essentially, all the value of their service comes from reliability and punctuality, and my experience of both has been truly awful. I've also found them very wanting of customer service when things go wrong, probably because they have no dedicated staff at BRS.

My personal experience seems to be echoed by colleagues and other people who travel from the airport. In particular, people seem to have exceptionally low expectations of bags connecting at AMS. I gave up checking in luggage with KL when they lost my bags at AMS *in both directions* (on a two day trip!).

So my choice is to de-risk my travel (considerably) by not using KL, and by taking the hit on my time travelling to Heathrow. (Incidentally, I *never* had a problem with the FRA service).

[terrier21]

Hello all, I haven't commented on here for a fair while as I now live a fair old distance away but a read this pahe on a regular basis. Just thought I'd drop some info in on the BE debate.

I worked at BRS for about 3 and a half years working for Servisair, BA and the BRS themselves. I Appologise in advance but can't remember exact dates (A lot has happened since I left!!!) Just before I left Servisair for BA I went on a training course held by BE with several BE big wigs over at the old terminal building and, immpression would not be the strongest word more like we were drilled and told that BE were about to release a major expansion at BRS. I left moving onto BA working for them at the time of Concorde's last flight and after a time moved on to work for BRS.

I was quite suprised when BE didn't introduce the routes they were informing they were going to do but at the time I thought nothing of it. Then we were briefed that the owners of BRS were planning to take over Exeter and it would be used as a second Bristol with regular flights and an increased operation from there which would complement the Bristol routes and destinations. This was also the reason, informed, why BE did not expand from BRS because they were at the time under the immpression that Exeter and BRS would effictivly be as one (all be it with the distance).

Then as you are probably aware the competition commission came in and ended that possibility and since then EZY have increased BA were bought out and Rip of Air have set up a base.

Quick rant while I'm here just tried to book FR tickets to SZG from my now local ish Standsted, mate booked tickets same flight etc for him and partner and payed £80 when I tried to book (I have my first baby due in 2 weeks) it cost the same for me and my wife but total price with baby was £327 and you get no seat, no luggage, no online check-in!!! So off to LGW now with BA for £220 all in!!! By the way checked FlyBe from Southampton and Exeter and it was £420+ still rather do that tan FR though who have just lost another customer for life!

Rant over and all the best to those I have left behind in and around Lulsgate Bottom

T21:ok:

[MerchantVenturer]

Hello terrier.

Good to know you're still around and many congrats on impending new arrival and to Mrs terrier.

I remember speaking to you some years ago when I rang the airport to say I had discovered a glitch in their website that gave me access to all sorts of things I shouldn't have seen. It was quickly put right.

I too remember the promises of Flybe when they brought in the French routes to BRS. Quotes appeared in the local press from (I think) Mike Rutter that BRS would quickly have a Flybe network like Southampton. They obviously hadn't reckoned on easyJet.

I thought Flybe was against BRS taking over EXT after the former became preferred bidders. As you say, after complaints to the EU the OFT became involved over possible competition issues and BRS withdrew its bid. Would have been intriguing to see effectively one airport with terminals and runways sixty or seventy miles apart.

Moving on to KLM Citihopper, some years ago I used them regularly and was quite content most of the time, although on three occasions luggage went walkabout at AMS (eventually turned up) although one incident was the fault of the originating airport in the USA who put the wrong final destination code on the luggage.

I believe the Fokkers are the main problem with reliability and the F 100 will all but be phased out next year - just five left by then?

Citihopper now has some Embraer 190s with I think more to come. Whilst we may not see them on the BRS route regularly in the immediate future it may be that in due course they will become frequent visitors. That ought to improve reliability.

[santito]

So what will be done about the Germany situation? NCL does well with Dusseldorf by all accounts and even smaller airports like Leeds have connections to the German business hubs. Do we think LH will resume their FR service? Given that loads were actually increasing, I can only assume they pulled out as they found a more lucractive use for the prime- time FRA slot?

[MerchantVenturer]

The load factor on the FRA did appear to improve after LH announced withdrawal.

I know companies, including airlines, can change their minds but I do remember the quote from the LH UK rep at the time they said they were pulling out, albeit there was some ambiguity as to whether it was a permanent move.

She said it was unlikely that things would change in 2010 to permit a return of the service.

Although the loads may have been improving they may still have been less than LH needed to ensure a yield that would sustain the route, albeit fares were often sky high as I'm sure Bristol_Traveller would confirm.

During its 13 months of operation the LH BRS-FRA route carried 99,000 passengers which at least shows there is a market. LH had a lot of passengers feeding into its long haul network - by the end of the first six months of operation passengers from BRS had flown to every worldwide LH destination - and it is unlikely that any other airline flying BRS-FRA would have that sort of advantage.

When one considers that BRS has sixteen French routes operated by Air France, easyJet and Ryanair between them Germany does look bare.

Apart from easyJet to Berlin there is only the niche OLT route to Bremen.

[bristolflyer]

MV do you know the total number of passengers who fly from BIA who connect at AMS, CDG and EWR? Aside from CDG the French routes must be holiday routes. Traditionally the British have always taken holidays and purchased second homes in France so the market must be there. Not many head off to Germany!! I'm surprised that easy haven't increased routes to Germany. Didn't they try Hamburg for a while a couple of years ago? Between AF, KL, CO and LH the transfer pot must be too small. If that is the case it is hard to see a middle eastern airline coming on board even if they had the right equipment. Nobody seems to mention using AF via Paris on this thread? Most seem to use KL. Any reasons?

[santito]

I've used both and I tend to go by the lowest fare and best times ( I used to do Johannesburg a lot and preferred the Air France timings).

Didn't Air France recently upgrade from an ATR42 to an ATR72? If so, must be doing well at BRS, as KL usually use the Fokker 70, meaning a 50/50 split of capacity and it's usually pretty full.

[santito]

Kiss Flights will operate a brand new comprehensive flying programme from Bristol next summer, with 10 exciting destinations including, new for Summer 2010 - a weekly Friday flight to Skiathos.

Kiss will be offering mainly day flights with convenient departure times and all-in prices including 15 kgs free Hold Baggage per seat.

The flight only services will operate between May and October and can be booked through your local Travel Agent now.

Flight Schedule: Destination Start Finish Day Outbound Inbound Price From
Corfu 3 May 4 Oct Mon Dep 0700
Arr 1220 Dep 1315
Arr 1435 £190 rtn
Dalaman 3 May 25 Oct Mon Dep 1445
Arr 2100 Dep 2150
Arr 0035+1 £210 rtn
Heraklion 4 May 26 Oct Tues Dep 0700
Arr 1310 Dep 0040
Arr 0305+1 £190 rtn
Kefalonia 1 May 2 Oct Sat Dep 0700
Arr 1235 Dep 2255
Arr 0045+1 £230 rtn
Kos 5 May 27 Oct Weds Dep 0700
Arr 1305 Dep 0020
Arr 0250+1 £190 rtn
Lanzarote 6 May 28 Oct Thurs Dep 0825
Arr 1230 Dep 1310
Arr 1710 £190 rtn
Sharm el Sheikh 6 May 28 Oct Thurs Dep 1140
Arr 1855 Dep 0700
Arr 1050 £294 rtn
New: Skiathos 7 May 1 Oct Fri Dep 0800
Arr 1335 Dep 1425
Arr 1740 £230 rtn
Tenerife 7 May 29 Oct Fri Dep 1855
Arr 2320 Dep 2355
Arr 0430+1 £190 rtn
Zante 2 May 3 Oct Sun Dep 0500
Arr 1040 Dep 2120
Arr 2315 £190 rtn

[MerchantVenturer]

Hello bristolflyer.

Haven't got any detailed information re number of passengers who connect at AMS, CDG, EWR or even at BRU. However, in the past it's often been reported that a high proportion of passengers fly on from AMS - I've seen some figures put it at 60% on occasions.

The AMS route has stood up well this summer after Cityhopper
reduced the number of weekday rotations from 4 to 3. Passenger numbers on the route as a whole for the four summer months so far reported (April to July) show a drop of only 3.1% - 81,521 passengers flown this year compared to 84,113 in the same period in 2008.

Unless easyJet's share has risen dramatically, it can be assumed that KLM has held on to a substantial number of the passengers even with one less daily rotation.

It also has to be noted that this summer for the first time Ryanair has flown 3 x weekly to Eindhoven and almost certainly taken some passengers who would have flown to AMS, although there can't be much scope for transfer traffic at Eindhoven.

BRS to CDG carried 56,567 passengers from April to July this year and 67,226 in summer 2008. Whilst AF's rotations remained the same easyJet was only single daily whereas last year it was double daily on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for much of the summer and single daily for the rest of the week. The loss of these rotations almost certainly accounts for the lower figure this summer.

Usual caveat re yields of course.

As for Hamburg, easyJet did the route for about a year in 2005-2006 but passenger numbers, though never an absolute disaster, were not up to the level of most of easyJet's other BRS routes then. I think the best months only had around 70% load factors.

I take the point about most of the French routes being leisure routes though CDG which you mentioned and Toulouse might be part exceptions, even though there is a daily TLS from Filton 'for the trade'. I note that for the coming winter Ryanair has suspended (hope that's what it is) nearly all the new summer routes brought in this year, with most being holiday routes to France and Italy.

As discussed in the Ryanair thread, that airline seems to have axed a susbstantial number of routes from several UK airports in the winter ahead, although BRS will have seven new winter Ryanair routes (some started in the summer) - Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Alicante, Malaga, Reus and Malta.

Although there are gaps in the current winter schedule all four based aircraft will be needed at least for part of every day and there are also 24 weekly rotations currently listed using non-based aircraft.

Part of the reduction in based unit rotation numbers is due to some of the new routes that take between seven and nine hours to complete there and back.

Unless there are more routes pulled Ryanair will still be busier than last winter when they had just the two based aircraft.

[yeo valley]

Reuters) - Australian investment firm Macquarie Airports (MAP) (MAP.AX (http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MAP.AX)) has agreed to sell its 35.5 percent stake in the UK's Bristol airport and will lift its stake in Copenhagen airport, it said on Wednesday.
MAP sold the Bristol stake to Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for 128 million pounds ($211 million). It will buy a further 3.9 percent of the Danish airport for 570 million Danish crowns ($112 million), taking its stake to 30.8 percent. "Bristol now represents just 4 percent of our portfolio by value, and we feel that our investors are better served deploying our resources elsewhere," MAP said in a statement. ($1=.6066 Pound) (Reporting by Jonathan Standing; Editing by Michael Urquhart)


it now wonders on investment and developement plans for the airport now.

http://www.reuters.com/resources/images/animatedLoader.gif

[MerchantVenturer]

it now wonders on investment and developement plans for the airport now.

It has been in the public domain for several months that Macquarie Airports was anxious to sell some of its assets to improve shareholder value with speculation that BRS would be on the sale sheet.

The airport is owned by South West Airports Limited which is a joint venture holding company owned jointly by Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund and Bristol Airport (Bermuda) Limited (BABL)

71% of BABL was previously owned by Macquarie Airports with the remaining 29% owned by Ontario Teachers Pension Plan.

Today's news means that the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan now owns 50% of the airport with Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund (a different branch of the Macquarie empire) the other 50%.

It's back to a similar situation that obtained before the Spanish Ferrovial Group bought BAA. Ferrovial, through its subsidiary Cintra, owned half the airport with Macquarie owning the other half. Ferrovial disposed of its half to avoid competition issues when it purchased BAA.

The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan is Canada's largest single professional pension plan with £50 billion of assets.

BRS's CEO Robert Sinclair said that Teachers, '…..........is fully supportive of the strategic direction of the business. It is committed to the long term development of the airport and the recent planning application in particular'.

So it looks as though the expansion plans are still on track. Just needs the planning authority to approve them – if that was only so simple.

[WATABENCH]

Airport hotel ready for take-off
(01/10/09)
Development to provide on-site accommodation for passengers

Bristol International Airport (BIA) has signed an agreement with Pedersen Airport Hotels for the development of an on-site hotel. The agreement, completed today (30th September), is the first step towards the construction of a hotel of up to 250 rooms adjacent to the terminal building.

The proposed hotel would be positioned approximately 100 metres from the terminal building, providing passengers departing on early morning flights or arriving late in the evening with a convenient location for an overnight stay. Facilities will include meeting rooms, a licensed bar and full service restaurant, as well as dedicated car parking. Pedersen expects to select an internationally recognised brand over the course of the next few months.

The £20m development will generate around 25 full time equivalent jobs in the construction industry, and lead to the creation of around 140 jobs in total.

The on-site hotel will also reduce car and minibus journeys, which are currently made between existing off-site facilities and the airport, and enable passengers with early morning check-in times to arrive the previous day using public transport.

BIA is currently the largest airport in the UK without an on-site hotel. The proposed development will meet existing demand from passengers and air crew and provide the airport with a much-needed facility for both the business and leisure markets.

The hotel development will also provide overseas visitors arriving on evening flights with convenient and stress-free accommodation on their first night in the UK, enabling them to continue their onward journey to destinations across the South West refreshed the following morning.

The agreement paves the way for the submission of a detailed planning application by the developer within the next six months (this will be submitted separately from the development plans currently with North Somerset Council). Dependent on receipt of the relevant approvals, it is anticipated that the hotel will open in 2012.

Pedersen already owns three hotels in Bristol: the Novotel in Victoria Street, the Mercure on Welsh Back and the Ibis at Temple Quay, all in conjunction with Accor.

[santito]

Great news, but I hope it is not an Accor Hotel.... I have stayed in all of the above, and my girlfriend used to work for them. We don't agree about much, but we do agree ALL Accor hotel brands (With the exception of a few pullmans) are terrible!

Hilton or Intercontinental branded (i.e. Holiday Inn) would be ideal I think

[GowerL7]

Don't Know If Holiday Inn Would, With Them Having One Just Down The Road

Gower

[MerchantVenturer]

The BHX thread reports the enthusiasm of Teresa Villiers, Tory shadow transport secretary, for BHX as a greener alternative to expanding Heathrow.

Villiers says that it would be better to use BHX saying, 'stuffing more and more flights into the same overcrowded corner of the south of England starts to impose an unacceptably high cost to our environment and to our quality of life'.

This is in stark contrast to her view on the expansion of BRS as reported in the Bristol Evening Post where Villiers is said to be not enthusiastic about BRS's major expansion plans. Furthermore, she will give no undertaking that the electrification of the main railway line from London to Bristol (recently promised by Labour) would go ahead under the Conservatives.

Rather an odd stance from someone who always seems so keen to get domestic air travellers out of the sky and into trains, and a graduate of Bristol University to boot. What did they do there to upset her?

Now that the South West Regional Development Agency has written to the planning authority at North Somerset Council expressing doubts about BRS's expansion plans, along with formal letters of objection from Bristol City Council (the former owners of the airport!) and Bath and Northeast Somerset Council, not to mention the opposition of nearly all the neighbouring parish councils and a number of local MPs (Tory and Lib Dem - most Labour MPs are getting splinters in their backsides wondering which way to jump following their government's White Paper of a few years ago, no doubt waiting for the result of the General Election), it might not be surprising that the Tories nationally don't want to rock boats with support.

So it may be that in the years ahead West Country aerial travellers will be heading north along the M5 rather than east along the M4 to lift their feet from terra firma.

[birdscarer]

Come on Merch-don't be too negative! This is exactly what the anti-lobbiests want from us! It is not too late to turn the tables. Go on to the Pro BIA Facebook group to get contact details to support the airport. CLICK HERE (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=6367512443)

Write to your MP, Write to the local rags! Tell your friends....
It is going to be an uphill struggle all of the way, but there is a lot to fight for!

[MerchantVenturer]

Done most of those things and am continuing to do so.

For example, one of my alter egos always responds when the local rag prints what I regard as inaccurate, biased or just plain wrong comments about the airport, and the airport now seems to feature in the paper several times a week. Each month, for instance, they publish the latest percentage drop in passenger figures with their own 'assessment', something they never did when passengers figures were rising month after month, year after year, as I have pointed out.

I don't always use the same monicker with these replies because people begin to say........oh, it's just him again, he would say that.

I've had ongoing dialogue with my MP, a Labour woman, but she seems unable to get down from the fence.

I've also written to the Tory Party, nationally and in Europe, but I received the expected nebulous political replies.

I sent Leader Janke (Lib Dem) of the Bristol City Council an email giving her the benefit of my views and what I thought of her council's decision to object formally to the expansion plans. She did reply though I think it was a standard letter. The major point seemed to be that the wellbeing of local residents affected by the airport's presence was more important than the continuing prosperity of the city region's economy.

I've written to my local city councillors (both Conservative) but neither has replied and they've had six weeks to do so.

I've always believed that one way or the other the final decision will rest with the secretary of state and it has concerned me that from the outset the Conservatives, the likely government-in-waiting, have never embraced with enthusiasm the Bristol expansion plans, seemingly confirmed by their shadow transport minister.

I'm still convinced that the majority of people in the Bristol region support expansion. Each time the local rag or local telly does a poll the figures seem always to be around 70% for and 30% against. The pity is most of those who want expansion are literally the silent majority. As you say, bird scarer, active support is now the order of the day.

[bristolflyer]

MV thanks for info on flights. Friday's Evening Post ran a two page article on the airport in which SBAE stated that if the airport is given planning passenger numbers should be limited to 8mppa until the road situation is sorted out. Somewhat of a concession given their stance until now. What I simply do not understand is the inactivity of all the South Bristol local authorities regarding access. There will be years of wrangling over the South Bristol ring road. Current plans seem to suggest a single carriage way road from the A370 at the Flax Borton Junction to the A38 at the Town and Country Inn and at some point continuing to the Hicks Gate roundabout at Keynsham (poss 2020+). this is little better than is currently in place save for the fact the Barrow bottleneck will be removed. The answer is blindingly obvious! Continue the current ring road duel carriage way from Keynsham to the M5 via the airport. When they do build these roads the access will still be poor especially for those coming from up or down the M5. Bristol is constantly ignored by Government when it comes to all forms of infrastructure projects. Out local representatives, of all political parties, are pathetic and weak.

[MerchantVenturer]

Hello flyer.

I read that report which the Post presented as a concession on the part of SBAE. I didn't read it that way at all. It seems to me that SBAE is still wholeheartedly pursuing its opposition but is trying to limit the damage if it ultimately fails by suggesting caps on passenger numbers.

That looks to me to be a win-near win situation for SBAE whatever happens.

I agree about the inadequacy of road access (there will never be rail access) and the little likelihood of much being done to improve it in the forseeable future at least.

A huge amount of public money has already been spent on the Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study that has come up with a series of suggestions on the way Bristol area transport (road and rail) could be improved over the next two decades and access to the airport features prominently.

Their maps are very impressive, if nothing else, including one suggestion for a transport interchange at Worle by the M5 and main rail line giving, inter alia, cross-country access to BRS. One idea is a road from that area to the airport bypassing Banwell and Wrington. That's gone down like a lead balloon with the movers and shakers at Wrington as you can imagine, though Banwell people might find it more acceptable as their village is perpetually blighted by traffic congestion as it was in the 1950s when I used to pass through en route to school at Weston and they were promised a bypass then.

The obvious answer for BRS is a direct link to the M5 about three miles away but that does not appear in the GBSTS repertoire.

The South Bristol Ring Road would be of limited value although the first part, if it is ever built, seems now to have been reduced to two of the suggested routes between the A370 and A38. At least this would take airport-bound traffic approaching from The Portway (A4) away from much of traffic-clogged south-west Bristol.

The irony is that one of the main points of those who object to expansion are the unsatisfactory road systems leading to the airport, yet these same people are the first to object when new roads are proposed, saying they ruin the virgin countryside and are an emissions-creating blot on the landscape.

That's why I feel SBAE's idea of limiting passenger numbers until road access is improved to be a hollow one because they will be in the forefront objecting to any new road that is proposed.

[santito]

I notice Dominican Republic is not on the BRS route map any more... Has this been dropped?

[Standard Noise]

Don't think they'll build a road link that far!:}

[MerchantVenturer]

Standard,

Can't disagree with that.

santito,

Dominican Republic (Puerto Plata) last flown in winter season 07/08.

[fyrefli]

Bristol is constantly ignored by Government when it comes to all forms of infrastructure projects.

Bristol has excellent infrastructure compared to many places. We just chose to develop the wrong airport. This has had at least as much to do with nimbyism as with local councils. You can blame the latter for repeatedly screwing up the light rail / tram options though.

How much more infrastructure do you need than two motorways, near direct access to the main trunk rail network and a **** off runway? You can hardly blame any government for not helping people who can't even use what's been given them on a plate.

The answer is blindingly obvious!

Indeed it is - develop the correct airport!

[MerchantVenturer]

The original blame lies with Bristol City Council or Bristol Corporation as it was then for deciding to buy Lulsgate instead of moving to Filton in the 1950s when Whitchurch became too small - we seem to have come full circle.

Tenancy of Filton was reputedly offered at a peppercorn rent but the council would have been tenants of the BAC as the owners and occupiers were in those days. Perhaps that's why they didn't want to move there though there were so few flights in the 1950s and 1960s from Lulsgate that being a tenant at Filton would not have been a problem, surely.

Bae were the owners of Filton by the 1990s and in the middle of that decade applied to use Filton as a city airport. A public enquiry was held after which the relevant government minister (it was a Conservative government and I believe the minister was one J S Gummer) rejected the application. I seem to remember an appeal, or at least a judicial review of the minister's decision, by Bae to the courts but that too was rejected.

It's true there are many more nimbys around Filton than around Lulsgate - the much larger population there makes this no surprise.

Lusgate is the only game in town now even though with hindsight, and certainly prescience on the part of the city councillors (something of an oxymoron when applied to Bristol councillors) all those years ago, Filton would now be the airport for Bristol - no environmentalists or professional objectors in those days.

[crackling jet]

i was under the impression that the Bristol Aircaft Corporation were approached by Bristol City Council about moving to Filton, but were refused on the grounds that an airport could not work with a manufacturing establisment !!!, what a mistake that was

[MerchantVenturer]

crackling jet,

That may be the correct version. I meant to type reportedly, not reputedly (would be a hopeless proof reader), because the peppercorn rent thing is the story that has appeared in the local press in the past, but I can no longer find a reference.

I suppose the only question would be whether a tenancy arrangement would have resulted in the necessary expensive infrastructure being put into place.

It's all what might have been now but I sometimes wonder what level a Filton-sited Bristol Airport would now have reached, always assuming the infrastructure kept pace with development.

[WATABENCH]

Anyone know why there was an Aviance van on the ramp today? bout lunchtime?

[MerchantVenturer]

The late afternoon cityhopper was operated by one of the new Embraer 190s today (PH-EZA according to the apron website). I was told a 190 operated this rotation yesterday as well.

Would be very pleasant if this became a regular occurrence though I believe the Fokkers are still scheduled for the AMS-BRS rotations at present.

[mathers_wales_uk]

I bet that was looking nice on the BRS ramp. We still yet to have seen it on the CWL ramp that i know of. The KL1060 have been operating out of CWL on a F100 ISO F70 so maybe one or two aircraft are out of action for maintenance etc.

[Standard Noise]

Stop wittering on about Filton, it'll be a housing estate before long!

I've been in the wider aviation industry for almost all of my working life and worked at several airports in different parts of the UK and I've never heard so much nonsense about an airport that isn't going to be. It's not a commercial player and never will be (at least not if the rumours are true) so let's get over it and support what we have got. It's a damn sight better than suffering the M4 to get to Hounslow International or a dreadful cross country hike to Gatport. You could also try Brum or Exeter of course, although that means using the M5 which is only possible if someone hasn't hit an electricity pylon or wants to swan dive off the Avon Bridge!

Not sure about that carbuncle being built in front of my office though.

[MerchantVenturer]

I don't think many people on here are saying that Filton will become an airport - it's more a case of should it have become one in the past?

It didn't, isn't and won't be, in my opinion anyway.

I agree about supporting what we've got and I've already listed at #1127 some of the things I've done in recent times to further this cause.

[allanmack]

Stuck at BRS and trying to get to GLA. Flights being cancelled / delayed / diverted to CWL. Causes seem to be weather and an 'airfield operational systems failure'. Person I spoke to couldn't elaborate. Anyone got any specific info?

[OltonPete]

allanmack

One of the diverted FR now at BHX mentioned the ILS was out.

Pete

[MerchantVenturer]

Another aviation message board reports this Notam.

RWY 27 ILS U/S. 09 NOV 17:43 2009 UNTIL 09 NOV 22:00 2009

Cat IIIb is on the westerly runway (27) only - not sure if the south-easterly wind would have permitted its use anyway but the wind is very light where I live about nine miles away - and the fog/mist has been around all day in the area even at heights below BRS's 600-plus feet elevation.

There have been turbo prop cancellations/diverts during the day according to the airport arrivals board and nothing at all has landed since 1656.

Cardiff and Birmingham seem to have taken most of the diversions with others going to Exeter and East Midlands.

I emphathise I have no weather, technical or aviation expertise and merely report this in good faith.

Addendum

It seems the airport is now accepting inbounds again. KL 1057 from AMS landed about ten minutes ago.

[extalex]

The ILS 27 had been operating close to tolerance for most of the afternoon, but the fault exceeded tolerance at about 5pm resulting in the loss of the 27 Glidepath. Aircraft were unable to make an approach to 09 as the visibility was beneath the absolute minima for the ILS approach on that runway.

Departures were still allowed, I believe. I know the SZ486 from Plymouth, bypassed Bristol and just went straight onto Leeds this evening.

[allanmack]

Thanks for the info guys. I have now arrived back in Ayrshire after EZY decided not to bus us to CWL but cancel the flight and put us on the 4pm today. I decided that even though it was 10pm last night to hire a car & drive and although it was not too bad and got to GLA in time for my lunchtime meeting I don't really want to do that again in a hurry.

[MerchantVenturer]

Ryanair

I noted today that new destinations from BRS are shown in both the booking engine and timetable drop down sections of the Ryanair website, but no availability is shown in the booking engine nor timings given in the timetable section.

The routes are Faro and Palma (against easyJet), Gdansk (back once again), Venice (Treviso) and Valencia. easyJet appear to have axed both Valencia and Venice (Marco Polo) from BRS next summer. In fact, Valencia and Venice (MP) have gone from the schedule this winter as well.

If this transpires it will be further competition with easyJet with both Alicante and Malaga now running against them year round.

easyJet

easyJet have certainly cut back on a lot of routes this winter with even established daily favourites such as Geneva*, Amsterdam and Barcelona not going daily this time of the year.

* Geneva will operate 18 x weekly in the ski season though, at least double-daily on every day.

On Tuesday of this week eight 319s were parked up for most, if not all, of the day.

[BHX5DME]

New aircraft, routes and frequencies for Bristol and Liverpool

Ryanair announces 3 new aircraft and 10 new routes from
Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow (PIK) & Liverpool


500,000 £1 CHRISTMAS SEAT SALE

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, announced today (19th Nov) that it will invest an additional $210m in UK tourism as it bases new aircraft in Bristol (up one to five) and Liverpool (up two to eight), from 28th March, and opens ten new routes from Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow (Prestwick) and Liverpool Airports, from February next, which will deliver 400,000 additional passengers p.a. and create 400 new jobs at these airports in 2010.

All Ryanair’s new routes from Bristol to Faro, Gdansk, Palma de Mallorca, Venice (Treviso) and Valencia, from Edinburgh to Tampere, from Glasgow (Prestwick) to Carcassonne and from Liverpool to Lodz, Rimini and Trapani will be available for booking tomorrow, Friday (20th Nov), on www.ryanair.com (http://www.ryanair.com/). Ryanair will also increase frequencies on two Bristol and four Liverpool routes.

Ryanair celebrated these three new aircraft and ten new routes by extending its 500,000 £1 Christmas seat sale to midnight Friday (20th Nov), for travel in late December, which is available for booking on www.ryanair.com (http://www.ryanair.com/).

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“Ryanair is delighted to announce three new aircraft and ten new routes for Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow Prestwick and Liverpool airports which will deliver 400,000 additional passengers and create 400 new jobs while ensuring increased competition and choice for consumers.

“Ryanair routes at these airports deliver millions of passengers, and sustain thousands of jobs at each airport and in the surrounding regions every year.

“To celebrate these new aircraft, routes and frequencies Ryanair is extending its 500,000 £1 Christmas seat sale, for travel across Europe in late December, until midnight Friday. Since seats at these crazy low prices will be snapped up quickly, we urge passengers to book them immediately on www.ryanair.com.” (http://www.ryanair.com.”)

New Ryanair routes:

Bristol

Route
Begin
Faro
31 Mar
Gdansk
1 Apr
Palma
31 Mar
Treviso
31 Mar
Valencia
25 Feb




Edinburgh

Route
Begin
Tampere
1 Apr



Glasgow (Prestwick)

Route
Begin
Carcassonne
31 Mar




Liverpool

Route
Begin
Lodz
1 Apr
Rimini
31 Mar
Trapani
30 Mar







Increased Frequencies:
Bristol

Route
Malaga
Malta



Liverpool

Route
Faro
Krakow
Poznan
Wroclaw

[yeo valley]

extra fr routes. does this mean 1 more based aircraft at brs.???

[dwlpl]

Yes they are from the start of next summers schedules.

[santito]

Shame to see Ryan Air starting to nibble at Easy Jet's routes- EZY are by far the superior airline :(

[MerchantVenturer]

I've had a look at the Ryanair web timetable and web booking engine for next summer now that the new destinations are available.

Of the new routes Venice (Treviso) will be 3 x weekly; Valencia 3 x weekly; Gdansk 2 x weekly; Palma 5 x weekly; Faro 4 x weekly.

Malta will be 3 x weekly (up from twice weekly last summer and this winter) and Malaga daily (up from 4 x weekly this winter).

Of last summer's routes Eindhoven and Porto seem to have been dropped, as has Shannon. Marrakesh is retained for summer having been only a winter route previously.

A detailed study of the web timetable and web booking engine throws up numerous anomalies.

On several evenings the timetable shows a need for six or seven based aircraft - based because of the timings, unless one or two from elsewhere will fly away from Bristol empty late each evening which is not likely. The timetable as currently published is confirmed in the booking engine for some test days I tried. I used the period 17-24 May.

For example the following timetable schedule is confirmed on a couple of the days I tried the booking engine (time from BRS and time back into BRS).

Tuesday
1330-2110 Marrakesh
1705-2030 Limoges
1715-2300 Palma
1740-2355 Riga
1740-2300 Wroclaw
1750-2345 Malaga
1855-2340 Toulon

Wednesday
1645-2220 Faro
1715-2300 Palma
1725-2310 Cagliari
1750-2345 Malaga
1805-2345 Budapest
1845-2350 Trieste
1845-2345 Venice Treviso

There is also a daily morning service to Belfast City out at 1010 and back at 1255 but on most days five departures will have occurred to other destinations in early morning, none of which gets back in time to operate the BHD. There are other anomalies including Thursday evening with work for only four aircraft.

I can't imagine that two more aircraft will be based at BRS next summer in addition to the extra one already announced.

As it appears, people will be booking flights today for next summer some of which will have their timings or even days altered from what is in the timetable and booking engine - unless there is another explanation that eludes me.

[Bristol_Traveller]

I could suggest an explanation. FR will see which routes sell, and cancel the one that doesn't about two weeks out - and offer people their money back, whilst leaving them in the lurch.

Sounds very plausible to me.

[MerchantVenturer]

Flybe announced today that they will operate year round from BRS to Isle of Man on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 28 March 2010, with an additional Saturday service from May to September.

The route was lost when Eastern pulled out a couple of years ago. Flybe used to operate it in their Jersey European days.

Flybe will also increase BRS-Jersey rotations next year to daily in the main part of the summer.

[santito]

Good stuff!

All we need now is for FBE to offer a few routes over to Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, etc, and all will be good :ok:

How is the new walkway looking by the way? Been using other airports recently, so not been down to EGGD for a bit

[Standard Noise]

A rhapsody in steel and concrete (mind you, most of the concrete seems to be on the windows of the CTB), finish date some time in March so we hear.

[santito]

Notice Qatar Airlines have a huge number of 787s and A350's on order.

I wonder if BRS is a potential target for them? I understand none of their current fleet are suitable (We're a little short on tarmac for the A330), but I can see them turning up in a shiny new 787 in a few year's time?!

A UAE connection for BRS for those heading to Asia... That would be nice!

[2J&D]

I have often wondered if we could see QR at BRS...If you think about it they use/used a A319LR to the like of ARN etc so wonder if they could do the same to BRS.

I hear also that VCE is def gone this year with Easyjet, which is a shame, so looks like it is RYR to Treviso only.

[MerchantVenturer]

Qatar

Not according to the Bristol Evening Post. That organ of journalistic non-excellence (it's not even printed in the city any more), that seems to make an almost daily ritual of reporting airport activities in a negative light, carries a headline today stating that, Bristol Airport expansion could be grounded by lack of business class passengers.

It's only when you read the article that you see they are reporting the conclusions of the Commons Transport Select Committee that long-haul travel from UK regional airports is unlikely to see expansion, which they base on the fact that BA and bmi have axed transatlantic flights from Manchester because of fewer business passengers.

BRS has already stated in its master plan that potential long haul scheduled routes from the airport are limited in number and that New York, Washington, Dubai and Atlanta are the most likely to succeed in the future. That was written over four years ago but I doubt that their views on this have changed in the interim.

As for Qatar, possible I suppose at some point in the future but the thought remains that they would be looking for bigger fish in the first instance.

easyJet

Valencia also seems to have gone for summer 2010 and that too has been picked up by Ryanair.

Bristol City Council

The city council is one of a number of local authorities in the area to have formally objected to airport expansion. It is 'run' (in the loosest sense judging from their track record and I'm not a party political animal) by the Liberal Democrats whose leader is Barbara Janke.

Now Leader Janke and some acolytes are off to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in order to 'network' with people of like mind - Bristol is supposedly a Green city and was one of the eight finalists for European Green City of the Year earlier this year - the only UK city shortlisted.

So our Leader has a good excuse for a jolly at public expense.

When asked on local radio this morning if she was travelling by ferry and train she told the interviewer that she couldn't possibly spend more than two days there and would have to fly.

Perhaps she might like to consider that business people's time is also valuable, probably more so than hers in most cases, and they would appreciate the opportunity to travel from their local airport and not just to those places currently flown from Bristol. Support rather than hostility from local councils might also encourage airlines to increase services. easyJet might even restore the Copenhagen route and she could then have flown from Bristol herself to see what a very useful facility the airport has become and how it might become even more useful in the future.

Or is she already one of those 'antis' who use the airport covertly to creep away on their summer holidays to the Alicantes, Malagas, Palmas etc?

[mustrum_ridcully]

Wonder how Barbara Janke is getting to Copenhagen? :suspect:

Ferry?
Train?
Plane?

[Confirmed Must Ride]

must be by pushbike surely. Not one of the anti BIA lot would ever dare think of using the airport surely.

[Bristol_Traveller]

I'd lay a pretty good wager they all flew, and they all flew from Heathrow, and they all flew from Heathrow on BA.

Supporting the local economy, and all that.

Long Haul

I think we need to have reasonable expectations of the region to support long-haul travel. I'd trade a poor smattering of long-hauls to limited destinations on probably sub-par aircraft, in return for a reliable and frequent connecting service into efficient and well-served hubs.

Its important to feed traffic into airline alliances. Whilst I'm sure QR are a fine airline, they aren't in an alliance, and their code-shares are not extensive, so their endpoints are limited compared to connecting into Oneworld, Star or Skyteam. (Although Skyteam are certainly, in my mind, placed third out of three alliances).

[MerchantVenturer]

Bristol Council off to Copenhagen

The council leader and party are flying to Copenhagen.

My previous post mentioned it in order to highlight the hypocritical stance of the leader of the council who objects to Bristol Airport expanding but is willing to fly when it suits her.

She wasn't asked which airport she would be using in the local radio interview that I heard. I doubt very much it was Bristol unless the Amsterdam or Paris link was used.

She may subscribe to the view of the StopBristolAirportExpansion lot that Heathrow can provide all the real needs of people from the Bristol region.

Long Haul

I agree with B_T about long haul. I believe the airport is realistic in its view that the potential for regular scheduled long haul destinations is limited.

It was a great shame when the LH service to Frankfurt was withdrawn. In the last airport consultative committee meeting minutes (October) CEO Robert Sinclair, in answer to a question, said he believed the service would return but not in the next twelve months.

This seems to confirm the words of the LH UK chief who said at the time of the route withdrawal that she could not see circumstances where it would return in 2010.

[jaycee10]

It has been reported that the Brussels flight will go to three times daily from 10 Jan 2010. There will be a change of equipment with flights being operated by BMI ERJ145s.

[Bristol_Traveller]

That will be really good if it happens, and it seems logical given the shuffling that's happening with BD. I guess it'll be BD regional crews on a BD liveried aircraft, but with SN service. (The crews will be getting used to the EZ from ABZ in that case)

Hopefully the first out will be at 6am, not 10am!

Nothing showing on GDS yet... I'll wait a day or so before booking my flights for Jan.

[santito]

Really?

That's interesting.

This is the same equipment they use from LBA... Nice little planes, but usually SN pack about 50+ onto the morning service from BRS, so I don't know how they are gonna squeeze all these people into one of those things.

Can't say I am surprised at this to be honest- I use the SN service a lot and am always wondering how much longer they will keep using the BAe146 at ~50% capacity...

[Bristol_Traveller]

IIRC the capacity of a 145 is about 48-50 pax, so that should fit the bill, and improve load factors (which might also push up fares).

The useful things would be an early start / late back flight. And maybe some less crazy fuel surcharges.

Frankfurt used so sit around 50-60 pax per flight, on 3x daily, so that's a fair indication of demand. KL seem to fill the Fokkers, but only by use of apparently very (unsustainably?) cheap fares.

[nivsy]

What cheap fares? Yes a scattering of 99 pound return but the majority seem to be from 155 to 180 return...I dont call that cheap for a 50 minute flight on a Fokker 70 or 100.


Nivsy

[Right Touch]

Easyjet Lauching new routes from Bristol as per the Company Website , Paphos from 14th Apr 4x Weekly and Tenerife from 30 March 3x Weekly using the bases first A320

[Bristol_Traveller]

KL's long-haul fares are extremely low at the moment. BRS-AMS-TYO at £470 r/t a/i. By the time you've stripped out APD, and airport taxes at BRS, AMS x2 and TYO, there ain't a lot left to pay for Jet-A.

I notice that EZY are loading their flights into GDS now. BRS-EDI (etc.) are showing up with flight numbers and times, and just a single "Y" booking class with no availability. No fares loaded. I assume this is to alert T/As to the availability of flights, but that they still have to go and book them through the EZY website. Along with business-specific advertising in places like The Times and The Economist, they seem to be having a go at becoming a business choice.

[2J&D]

Flights now showing on Worldspan as follows:

BRSBRU-0630 0845 * ER4 0E
BRSBRU-1205 1425 * ER4 0E
BRSBRU-1640 1850 * ER4 0E


BRUBRS-0935 0945 * ER4 0E
BRUBRS-1555 1605 * ER4 0E
BRUBRS-1935 1950 * ER4 0E

Although when you look under a BD flight specifically, it still shows the old SN flights using AR8 etc equipment! Guess they are still sorting it out!

[Bristol_Traveller]

Ah yes, it's there now. The SN flights showing correctly, but the BD codes showing the old flights. That'll help confusion no end...

Broadly good (fairly early first flight is good) - although that last flight to BRU at 16:40 and the return at 19:35 is a little too early, IMHO.

Having something go around 17:30 means it's possible to end meetings in the city at 16:00 and get people up to the airport. Similarly, I think that getting to BRU from anywhere in Europe for the 19:35 is going to be tricky. The 21:00ish departure from FRA was great in that respect, as is the late one from AMS.

I'm guessing that they're getting back in so early so that they don't require two crews to be night-stopped in Bristol.

[Bristol_Traveller]

Oh dear, bad netiqutte. Following myself up.

Just plugged some itineraries in to see how the new timetable to BRU shapes up for travel into Germany, Swiss, Austria and long-haul.

Not brilliant, so far. The connections outbound to MUC, FRA, VIE, ZRH, INN are underwhelming at BRU. There's often a 2-3 hour layover in BRU before the next onward leg. Slightly more concerning is that to get to Asia bound flights out of FRA/MUC (if you were so minded), it's a tight schedule if you take the 12:05 ex-BRS, because there's a couple of hours layover in BRU, meaning you don't get to FRA/MUC until gone 19:30.

[santito]

One thing I have found though from LBA is that the flights with BMI to BRU are incredibly expensive- I've paid £600 for a rtn a few times- Brussels Airlines from BRS has always been more like half that... I really hope we don't go the way of LBA in that respect!!

[Ranger 1]

Just got a press release that the rumour of an extra daily BRS-BRU is now true it starts on the 10th of Jan 2010, this also this comes on the back of Thompson operating Fly Cruises Bristol to Barbados....

And to make it three pieces of good news (certainly from my point of view) Airside Ops are going to recruit a new member of staff in the near future:ok:

[MerchantVenturer]

Bristol City Council

The anti BRS-expansion city council leader confirmed to the Bristol Evening Post today that she will be flying to the climate change conference in Copenhagen with two colleagues early next week - from Bristol Airport. No details given as to which hub will be used.

Brussels Airlines

To add a bit more to Ranger's post, the BRS website note includes the fact that the bmi regional crew will be based at BRS. I read elsewhere in PPRuNe that similar changes have been made to the Newcastle-Brussels route.

More New Routes?

The minutes of the last consultative committee meeting (21 October) contain a statement from CEO Robert Sinclair that, 'a number of new destinations were likely to be announced in the next few weeks'. Since then the Flybe IoM and Ryanair Treviso and Gdansk (back once again!) routes have been announced.

However, the CEO specifically mentioned new destinations in Turkey and Greece. The main Turkish holiday airports are already covered in summer charter mode, except Izmir which didn't return after summer 2008.

A number of Greek and Greek Island charter routes have disappeared in recent years, such as Volos, Santorini and Chania. Perhaps one or two of those might come back. Skiathos is back for next summer but that was announced some months ago.

Of course it could be a play on words with destinations meaning resorts not previously offered from existing airports.

[WATABENCH]

Things definatly looking up for BRS now, as reported in the last few weeks....

Ryanair - 5th aircraft with 5 new routes added
Easyjet - A320 added to the base and 2 new mid haul routes
Flybe - 1 new route added
Star Alliance - Based aircraft and increased frequency to BRU
TOM - Extra long haul BGI cruise flights

Also walkway seems to be on schedule and a newly refurbished departure lounge with new walk through duty free and extra level added.
Add in the based Viking Airlines from May.

And latest rumours (can anyone confirm?) extra MON charters for summer, could these be what MV mentioned? Or could the greece/turkey extra flights rumoured be one of the BRS loco's looking at ATH or IST, perfect for EZY's A320 or FR's 737NG??
Also noticed BMI website is showing BRS-FRA as a direct flight, but nothing in the time tables, could FRA be returning?

And to top it all .........
Comedian welcomes passengers to Bristol Airport
01.12.09

Comedian Justin Lee Collins will be the first voice greeting incoming passengers travelling through Bristol Airport, after he was persuaded to be the voice of a talking cone stationed at passport control in the international arrivals area.

The cone plays a very short message in which Justin welcomes passengers to Bristol and asks them to ‘mind the stairs’ in front of them. Jacqui Mills, public relations manager at Bristol Airport, said: ‘Justin is a great ambassador for Bristol and the region. We are delighted that visitors will be welcomed by his voice when they arrive at our airport.’

[Standard Noise]

Goody, goody, goody, more planes, hurrah!
The JLC thing will be funny but only if they let him do it without too much interference.

Ranger 1 - does that mean you'll be doing even less work???:}

[crackling jet]

things are looking up, the ceo was being interviewed a few weeks ago and he said then 2010 was looking like it was going to be a record year. Now lets hope the development goes through, but this is Bristol City Council and they are too busy fighting amongst themselves to bring us out of the stone age !!

[WATABENCH]

CJ - Its North Somerset council, but same still applies really mate, lets hope everything gets go ahead,

Standard - JLC already on the cone mate, he did whilst flying out last week i believe.

Have heard a rumour that the 'International' is going to be dropped from the airports title soon.

[Standard Noise]

Shows how much attention I pay when I fly back in, and to think the last time was only last Saturday!

[Ranger 1]

Standard Noise; As regards less work, I wish:E

Perhaps as a little early,Happy Christmas anyway just in case you are on leave again :ouch:

[crackling jet]

WHATABENCH Yes i know it's N Som, what i was getting at was a couple of months ago Bristol City Council were all in favour of the developement, now with the world cup bid to win in Bristol they seem hell bent on ruining not only the world cup bid, but any improvement to the local infrastructure that may back up that bid. As for N Som we dont need a bigger airport as everyone will be flocking to Weston for their holidays due to all the fantastic ameneties they have secured over the past few years, Well what other seaside town has got a carrot in it's center, oh and the huge coloured mast just off the M5!!, together with all the charity and pound shops what more do we need. I have to aggree with their efforts to stop the developement and cant wait for the sunshine, then its off to Weston for some great days out.

[MerchantVenturer]

Bristol City FC wants to build the stadium but it's Bristol City Council that is pushing for a World Cup host city place assuming England wins the nomination next year. The event won't be until 2018 or 2022 anyway.

Obviously without a new stadium there is no chance of a World Cup hosting and we shall know within a few days whether Bristol has been chosen.

The lack of joined-up thinking results in the city council pushing the airport as a plus point for World Cup host status but then says it doesn't want the airport expanded.

North Somerset only became involved because a 50-metre long access road to the proposed stadium lies in its territory.

I live within the city boundary and I wrote to Barbara Janke, Bristol City Council Leader (the very one who is flying to the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen from an airport she wants emasculated), condemning her council's stand over airport expansion.

She did reply and part of her letter read:

The council has been in consultation with the airport owners for some time in regard to a variety of issues relating to expansion...................these issues have either not been addressed in full or not addressed at all.

There is a balance to be drawn between the economic success of the city and the well being of people living within this area, particularly with regard to transport and the long term lack of investment in a sustainable public transport infrastructure in this area.

The people who might be adversely affected by increased road traffic to the airport live near the airport or in neighbouring villages. They don't live in Bristol and are nothing to do with Barbara Janke.

Furthermore, the city council has told the football authorities that the city's transport infrastructure would be able to cope with tens of thousands of overseas visitors for World Cup matches in 2018 yet here is the leader saying the infrastructure is not good enough for the airport to increase its passenger numbers by no more than 60% within the same time scale.

Greater Bristol's main problem re most things is that separate parts of the physical city are run by four local authorities each anxious to ensure the biggest (Bristol City Council) does not enjoy advantages at their expense, and this particularly applies to the North Somerset councillors.

That's why there is always petty, childish bickering between them. Ironically, one of the few things at least three of the local authorities (Bristol, North Somerset and B&NES) agree on is that they oppose airport expansion.

North Somerset are the decision makers on the airport expansion and if recent history is a guide (airport walkway GPD application and the football ground access road) the councillors are likely to vote on emotion rather than on strict planning law interpretation, even when this goes against the advice of their own professional planning officers. Fortunately, they were made to recognise their original walkway decision was perverse and had no option but to reverse it.

[WATABENCH]

Ah right CJ, apologies.

Photos of walkway so far if anyone intrested.........

Bristol International Airport - Western Walkway (http://www.bristol-airfield.co.uk/western_walkway.php)

[OltonPete]

Source: CAA

November Pax: 338389 down 4.8%

I am not sure what was expected and I know the two extra
based Ryanair are not always active but I thought it might be
a little less than this.

Over to you MV as I am sure you will be able to give a more
detailed analysis of this figure.

Pete

[MerchantVenturer]

November Passenger Figures

Hello Pete,

Atms were down 7.3% which is pretty much the reason.

easyJet have cut some routes from last winter such as Lisbon, Valenicia and Venice (this one did run as advertised for the first two weeks of the month but has now gone) and reduced frequencies on most others, even from last winter, with up to eight aircraft parked up at certain times of some days.

As you suggest, Ryanair's extra two aircraft from last winter are not all used all of the time.

Summer 2010

I posted a week or two ago that Ryanair's timetable for next summer showed there was a requirement for seven based aircraft at BRS on some days of each week and that the booking engine was offering bookings on that timetable.

I had a look this evening and discovered that five routes previously advertised (Pau, Perpignan, Toulon, Montpellier and Cagliari) have now gone from the web timetable when it is interrogated and are no longer available in the booking engine even though they still appear in the drop-down list in both.

Very unfortunate for anyone who booked flights to those places if they really have been axed.

The timetable for next summer still needs amendment if five based aircraft are to suffice.

A check of easyJet's schedule for summer 2010 suggests a reduction from the twelve based aircraft seen in the peak summer seasons of 2008 and 2009 to ten in peak summer 2010 and that includes the new based A 320.

Western Walkway

Many thanks for that link, WATABENCH - interesting pictures. I saw it from afar recently as I passed along the A38.

The blurb on the airport website says it will be 450 metres long. How soon before somebody moans that they ought to be taken a distance like that by bus?

[santito]

Well Bristol and Plymouth will be hosting world cup games, should England win the bid, and Ashton Vale get built... Good news for EGGD, and adds more weight to the expansion proposal

[WATABENCH]

Monarch offering charters from BRS to PMI, CFU and HER according to their website for summer 2010.

Also found this for those intrested in the expansion....

Bristol Airport expansion plan changes
17.12.09

Bristol Airport has made changes to its £150 million expansion plans after a feedback from a pubic consultation, including limiting its proposed hike in the number of night flights, originally due to rise to around 12 a night under the plans, to be capped at 10 per night. There are currently seven flights per night on average.

The airport is offering to spend £10 million on a series of changes to its expansion plans, many involving transport links, following the public consultation. Changes include a new flyer bus service from Weston and increased funding for the £48 million Bus Rapid Transit scheme and the £47 million South Bristol Link road.

It will also delay development of a new long stay car park green belt land until passenger numbers have grown enough to merit the increase in spaces and spend £100,000 to make Weston's 121 bus service – which currently runs every two hours from Weston to Bristol city centre via the airport – hourly.

The changes follow public consultation on the expansion scheme, which includes multi-storey car parks, a larger terminal and new administration building. Three weeks of consultation on the amendments has now begun before North Somerset Council decides on the whole application on February 10.

[Goldilocks95]

Easyjet from Bristol to Dalaman and Bodrum on Easyjets booking page from JUly.

[compton3bravo]

You will find that it is the tour operator that charter´s a Monarch aircraft to operate the flights and are allowed to sell seats on the aircraft probably via Monarch´s seat only associate Avro. Even though Monarch operates a number of scheduled services it is still really a charter airline and if a charterer wants to operate from an airport they will operate the service as long as the price is right of course.

[MerchantVenturer]

Monarch

Where is the information that Monarch will operate its own aircraft to Corfu, Heraklion and Palma next summer?

I did some test bookings to the above airports for the main summer 2010 holiday period on the Monarch Holidays booking engine and all the holidays thrown up showed the carrier as Thomas Cook using existing TCX flights from BRS.

Airport Expansion

The proposed concessions made by the airport have drawn the predictable negative response from the usual SBAE spokesman. With all the excess gasses that are pushed out from his mouth I suspect there is a hole in the ozone layer above his office.

The £100K to be spent increasing the frequency of the 121 bus service from Weston to Bristol via the airport can only be seen as a gesture to the local community. Most people wishing to travel by bus between Weston and Bristol use the direct routes based on the A370 that go nowhere near the airport.

The 121 route meanders around the outlying villages (a tourist's delight if time is not a problem), taking in the airport, but is not well used. It was going to be withdrawn entirely last May until North Somerset Council stepped in with financial support.

[MerchantVenturer]

easyJet

Easyjet from Bristol to Dalaman and Bodrum on Easyjets booking page from JUly.

Nothing on the booking engine or timetable section of the easyJet website but a look under the Bristol section of Where We Fly does show those two routes plus Heraklion in Crete from 16/17 July 2010.

Bodrum is 3 x weekly

Tuesdays dep BRS 1445 ret BRS 2355
Thursdays 0800-1710
Saturdays 1555-0105

Dalaman is 3 x weekly

Mondays 0800-1710
Fridays 0745-1655
Sundays 1415-2325

Heraklion is 2 x weekly

Wednesdays 1505-2350
Saturdays 0625-1510

This would require another based aircraft from mid July (making eleven).
Could a 319 do these routes or would we be looking at another 320 to join the one announced recently for the Paphos and Tenerife routes?

Ryanair

A week ago I posted that Ryanair had removed five routes from its web booking engine and timetable for summer 2010.

Since then they have added Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria for summer 2010 - a continuation of the current winter routes to these Canary destinations and remaining at 2 x weekly to each one.

With easyJet's recent announcement of a 3 x weekly A320 service to TFS in summer 2010 there will be a lot of seats heading that way, without putting charter flights into the mix.

[Severn]

Summer 2010 CWL and BRS

Aircraft:
CWL Based Aircraft: 1x 738, 1x 752
CWL have no W-patterns
BRS Based Aircraft: 2x 752, (1x 763 - Sat-Mon for Longhaul)
BRS have 3 W-Pattern flights this summer - from NAP, SZG and CFU

Flights per week: (1 = outbound+indound flights)

Longhaul destinations:
CUN- BRS: x1
SFB- BRS: x1

Shorthaul from both CWL and BRS
PMI- CWL: x3 / BRS: x5
DLM- CWL: x3 / BRS: x3
IBZ- CWL: x3 / BRS: x2
MAH- CWL: x1 / BRS: x2

ACE- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
AGP- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
ALC- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
AYT- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
BJV- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
CFU- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1 (W-Pattern)
EFL- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
HER- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
LCA- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
MIR- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
PFO- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
REU- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
RHO- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
SSH- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
TFS- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
VRN- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1
ZTH- CWL: x1 / BRS: x1

BOJ- CWL: x1
FAO- CWL: x1
KGS- CWL: x1
LPA- CWL: x1


FUE- BRS: x1
NAP- BRS: x1(W-Pattern)
PUY- BRS: x1
SKG- BRS: x1
SZG- BRS: x1(W-Pattern)


In total
CWL = 31 Flights
BRS = 36 Flights

Comparison of Summer 2009 and 2010 Schedule - CWL
+4 / -4
New:
AYT x1
MIR x1
Increase in frequency:
DLM -from x2 -> x3
TFS -from x1 -> x2
Stopped:
GRO -(was x1)
VRN -(was x1)
Decreased in frequency:
AGP -from x2 -> x1
ALC -from x2 -> x1

Comparison of Summer 2009 and 2010 Schedule - BRS
+2 / -2
New:
PUY x1
Increase in frequency:
PMI -from x4 -> x5
Stopped:
FAO -(was x1)
BOJ -(was x1)

[Seljuk22]

As long as EZY reduce the frequency on other routes which operated daily (or more) they don't need an extra a/c for some weekly flights to BJV, DLM, HER... (these routes are only during summer from July to September).
Generally speaking:
During summer people wanted to go to the beach and not to destinations like MAD, FCO, MXP...to hot for sight seeing.

[santito]

MXP and MAD have a fair amount of business traffic too from Bristol you know...

I would be quite annoyed if they dropped MAD in particular at any time of year.

[MerchantVenturer]

The routes to Bodrum, Dalaman and Crete are now in the easyJet booking engine.

Seljuk 22,

You are right about easyJet slightly reducing frequencies to one or two destinations in peak summer in order to use the aircraft to operate more sun routes during that period. Usually Ibiza and Mahon only operate in the peak end of July/early September season and that is the case again this year.

My calculations are based on the easyJet August schedules which, as they currently stand, will require eleven based aircraft for much of the week.

For example, Saturday morning departures in August:

0605 Palma
0625 Heraklion
0630 Alicante
0630 Murcia
0645 Split
0705 Faro
0705 Nice
0710 Edinburgh
0710 Malaga
0720 Pisa
0730 Paris Cdg

Currently all days in August (the month I have checked) except Thursday have a requirement for eleven based aircraft either first thing or last thing in the day.

Fifteen weekly rotations in peak summer of between 8.5 and 10 hours duration (Tenerife, Paphos, Bodrum, Dalaman and Heraklion) in peak summer eat up more aircraft time than has been the case in the past with easyJet at Bristol.

Eleven aircraft would still be one less than the twelve that were based in peak summers 2008 and 2009.

[bravoromeosierra]

Just been searching some dates to either do a day trip to CDG or AMS within the first 8 months of 2010 w/AF or KLM.. and breaking up the journey to fly back into another airport. Nearly every single ticket I can see is over £300 one way.

I guess they're notoriously this expensive?

[nonemmet]

Easyjet have removed one A319 from the fleet in Bristol. As has been said the fleet used to peak at 12 during the peak summer season, it will now peak at 11. In September the management announced that due to the fleet decrease eleven pilots would have to leave the base or be made redundant. Of course they are lucky to have a job............

Why are rural concillors obsessed with busses? Or at least busses of inappropriate size. I refer back to MVs comments, the 121 does indeed meander through the countryside, along some of the cart tracks that pass for roads in N Somerset. Much reversing and congestion results. I've never seen more than a handful of passengers on board, minibusses as seen in other third world locations would be much more appropriate.

[Bristol_Traveller]

Just been searching some dates to either do a day trip to CDG or AMS within the first 8 months of 2010 w/AF or KLM.. and breaking up the journey to fly back into another airport. Nearly every single ticket I can see is over £300 one way.

I guess they're notoriously this expensive?

KL/AF generally have fare rules which mean the cheapest fares are only available for Saturday night stays or stays of 2 nights or more. Otherwise you're on "standard" economy fares, and of course their 1-way fares are quite ridiculous.

You might find that booking two returns works out cheaper than one return, and then just discard (or rebook) the other legs.

LH usually don't penalise you so heavily for doing short trips, and their E fares (the £49 o/w ones) are very useful for that kind of thing. If only they flew from Bristol.... (Not sure if SN have falled into parent company line on that one, but the SN fares I keep seeing just seem to have adopted LH's high YQs, rather than cheaper base fares).

[Keyvon]

@ Merchant Venturer

Few posts ago, you said that you would like to see back again some routes to smaller Greek destinations such as Volos, Thira and Chania, that used to be served from Bristol.

Well, it seems Viking Airlines are to operate a weekly charter flight to Volos, on Fridays (May-Sep). It is listed as VIK955/6 for Sunvil Holidays.

This flight is combined with Skiathos...I think is a new one for BRS, isn't it?

[RoyHudd]

Volos, Skiathos, and Bristol all in a day. Interesting...not for the beginner, especially when weather intervenes.

[MerchantVenturer]

Hello Keyvon,

Thanks for the Volos information.

Skiathos is not new for Bristol.

Looking at old timetables etc I note that Intereuropean (airline of the Welsh Aspro tour company, later absorbed into Airtours) flew there from Bristol in the summer 0f 1993.

There was then a gap until 2002 when an airline called Nordic Air Link (MD 83s I think) operated to Skiathos that summer - not sure who for.

Summers 2003, 2004 and 2005 saw a joint flight to Skiathos and Kavala, operated by Azzurria (seem to remember they had an A320 based at BRS in summer 2003), Islandsflug (2004) and XL (2005).

Summers 2006 and 2007 saw XL still flying to Skiathos but Volos replaced Kavala as the double drop. 2008 and 2009 saw Skiathos, Kavala and Volos axed, so it looks as though Viking are reprising the XL operation of 2006 and 2007.

[crackling jet]

Happy new year.

news story on ITV Local this morning about new routes for Easyjet,missed what they were, anyone else heard what they are ?, i don't think it was the previous routes announced before christmas. looking good though !

[flyerboy]

Official announcement of the flights to DLM,BJV & HER

[OltonPete]

Source CAA.

Dec 2009 348512 -2%

2009 5615336 -9.8.

December compares well to the likes of EMA/BHX/LTN/CWL/EDI/GLA/NCL.


Pete

[MerchantVenturer]

Hello Pete,

The figures held up quite well and the doubling of the of size of the Ryanair base compared with the previous winter isn't the reason per se because atms were down overall by 6.1% on December 2008.

Ryanair didn't utilise all their based aircraft fully on most days and easyJet seemed to reduce rotations compared with the previous December.

The recession came to BRS later than it did to many airports and there are suggestions it might be one of the first to recover.

The CEO seems to think 2010 will be a decent year judging from his consultative committee remarks.

Of course, how these figures relate to airline and airport profitability is another matter.

[WATABENCH]

Tui travel have next winter on sale on line and its looking good for BRS....
New destination - Luxor
Also new weekly flights on sale to AYT & LPA (not currently covered by TOM in winter at BRS) for full season.
3 x SSH per week, 2 x TFS per week, weekly FUE, ACE, AGP, MIR again full season by looks of it, DLM is also listed with flights in April.
Add these to the busy ski and Lapland programmes that TOM usually has at BRS and extra BGI cruise flights this marks a significant rise in capacity for the winter season at BRS for TOM.
Hmmmmmmm anybody thinking what i'm thinking? :8

[bobsyerunlce]

I'm not sure... what are you thinking?

[crackling jet]

Yeah, i'm thinking it's time for a cup of tea. so come on WB, spill the beans !, what is it you're thinking

[Bartman27]

Could we be looking at a second based TUI Aircraft for winter 2010/2011

:):):)

[WATABENCH]

Bingo Bartman,
Given the times and length of the flights on offer, i'm thinking thats a bit too much work for 1 aircraft, given that a SSH or LXR is a good 12-13 hour day. Plenty of W patterns with TUI on the weekend at the mo, but must surely be a more viable and less costly option to utilise the BRS crew and park another 757 in BRS for winter, especially given that the flights are showing for the whole winter season and not cut out of the programme for the ski season as they are at the moment.
As i said in previous post this is a significant rise in capacity for TUI, more than any other regional airport with a TUI base by looks of things. :ok:

[MerchantVenturer]

Not sure if I've misread WATABENCH's list but is Malaga down for operation all winter by TOM? Surprised if it is given that both easyJet and Ryanair operate it throughout the year.

Sharm el Sheikh is currently 3 x weekly with TOM, albeit the third rotation only commenced just before Christmas. In addition Thomas Cook and Koral Blue also operate weekly so there are already a lot of seats going to Egypt.

I thought Hurghada was going to start again this winter, though possibly not by TOM.

Luxor was advertised two or three winters ago by Thomson - some of the Flyer coaches even carried a big advert for it across the back of the vehicles.

Talking of the Flyer, the local rag carried a report today saying the preferred route of the western section of the South Bristol Link Road has been agreed by the West of England Partnership and is likely to be recommended to the local councils. It would run from Long Ashton to the new South Bristol Hospital at Whitchurch - by the site of the old airport.

The Flyer would be re-routed via Ashton Vale along a separate new route from the central area to be used by bendy-buses, then along part of the new SB Link Road before resuming its current route to the airport. Incidentally, this could be extremely useful if England is awarded the 2018 World Cup because Bristol City's proposed Ashton Vale Stadium would be a venue.

All this could be in place by 2017 but even if approved by the local councils there are certain to be objections from environmentalists etc, and if the national government changes that could be another nail in the coffin as the idea as grown with the encouragement of the current government.

[WATABENCH]

Hi MV,
AGP definatly in for the season using TOM Airways. Its all in black and white on both Thomson holidays and First Choice holidays website, just need to do holiday searches for each month and you wil see it matey.
Great to see some fighting spirit from TOM, why should they just sit there and get rolled over by the loco's on these routes, not everyone wants a bit piece holiday i guess, especially with the amount of airlines and operators going bust lately, maybe as it's been so in the limelight people are realising what travel agents have been trying to tell them for years, they want a bit of security in their holidays :ok:

[cym]

..and then come Sep the consolidation letters go out offering CWL, BHX or LTN.....

Been there got the teeshirt, all to do with a stab at (optimal) aircraft utilisation......

[santito]

Flew into BRS for the first time in over a year yesterday.

As we all know, the Brussels Airlines route is now operated by Brussels Airlines, but on a BMI Regional E 145 which is a bit strange (Surely BMI operate the route now?) These are the same aircraft that are used at most other regionals now, and are very nice, but I did notice LBA was significantly more expensive on LBA-BRU on the BMI E145 than BRS-BRU under Brussels Airlines on the Avros.... I hope that BRS does not see similar price hikes!

I wonder if BMI are also positioning themselves to take on routes to Germany (Munich/ Duss/ FRA would be good) with the E145 (or other units?) as they are a subsidiary of Lufthansa now...

Fog was awful, but I could just about see the walkway is coming on nicely- it is absolutely HUGE, I was quite taken aback at its size! Just a shame this phase of the expansion does not add any bridges to the actual aircraft.

Security area has also totally changed since I was last there, and seems better laid out now with 7-8 desks, plus automatic gates for the new style passports (These were not in operation though).

[bobsyerunlce]

What gives you the thought that Brussels/BMI may be expanding their routes to include some German destinations? That would be great news if true. I have long thought that Germany is not served well from BRS, unlike for example France is. We have Hamburg (no longer on EZY unfortunately) on the often pricey OLT and Berlin too but Munich, FRA or Dusseldorf would be very welcome.

[santito]

Nothing makes me think that (I have no evidence), just speculating- BMI is wholly owned by LH, LH dropped FRA-BRS- maybe BMI will pick up one of these routes in the future- having just one airline (BMI) with a presence at BRS is cheaper than having both BMI and LH or some subsidiary like Eurowings there.

[airbourne]

Mate of mine just moved to BRS. Looking for somewhere to live. Around Clifden, Hotwells, Redland. Looking for something modern, clean and nice. You know yourself lads, Pilot wants to show the ladies a good time before he gives them the fiver for the taxi the next day.

Anybody know of any classy pads for rent near BRS? Maybe consider sharing with other crew.

Cheers!

[bobsyerunlce]

Good to see a couple more routes from BRS announced today - even if one of them is to ANOTHER Polish destination!!!

Kaunas (Lithuania) is a nice addition (flying Mon and Thurs) from 3 May.
The other destination is Bydgoszcz.

[2J&D]

Nice to see new routes, but why more Polish routes? I am sure they are very nice an Lithuania seems an intersting one, but how about an Athens, or an Instabul for example....Lets see something that us TA's can actually sell to our customers, or destinations that our customers ask us for out of BRS!!

[compton3bravo]

2J&D - If you are a travel agent I suggest you do your homework as Ryanair cannot fly to Istanbul from the UK as it is registered in Eire so it cannot fly from the UK to a country outside of the EU unless they have come to an agreement i.e. Morocco. If they still had the old Buzz AOC with UK registered aircraft they would not be a problem.

[cym]

This is going to be one of BRS problems going forward:

The number of available 'viable' routes within EEC is becoming saturated

Aircraft utilisation is key to any carrier

Yields on the more 'adverterous' routes are liable to be poor

Cannibilisation between U2 and FR will then kick in

U2 good carrier who have shown significant commitment to BRS over the years

FR already starting to eat into core routes, ALC AGP GRO & REU (vs BCN)and to come the S10 battle for the Canaries

Will be in interesting year both in px volumes (which we will know) or yield (which we wont) But there can only be one winner.......

No so sure that FR are good for BRS in the long term

[bobsyerunlce]

Given its catchment area, I still think there is plenty of scope for route expansion out of BRS.
The main thing that needs to be done is market the airport as an alternative to BHX or any of London's airports with a budget airline presence. I have flown out of LTN or STN many times due their superior flight network.
I am not for one minute saying that BRS could support the number of flights or routes that these airports do but there are plenty of gaps in the market. Bring back a Scandinavian route or two please FR or EZY!

[cym]

M8 disagree

And think about the bigger picture for both U2 and FR - BHX penetration - forget it!EMA takes care of regional slippage Local market dominace and efficient metal utilisation is the aim of both - cant be 2 winners

[MerchantVenturer]

Ryanair has certainly wrung the changes since setting up its Bristol base in 2007.

Beginning with Poland, the airline flew Poznan, Wroclaw, Katowice, Gdansk and Rzeszow in the first year with Scezcin added after the first 12 months. Katowice and Scezcin no longer operate and Gdansk was also axed but is returning in summer 10.

The load factors on the Polish routes in summer 09 were high - all 2 x weekly:

In the months May, June, July, August and September the loads factors were respectively (%):

Poznan 95, 94, 96, 95, 93
Rzeszow 89, 85, 95, 95, 92
Wroclaw 89, 90, 96, 93, 87

These routes also operate in the winter and November's load factors were
Poznan (78), Wroclaw (76), Rzeszow (70)

Of course we don't know the yields but we do know that Poznan has been increased to 3 x weekly in summer 10 and Gdansk and Bydgoszcz have been added, so perhaps Ryanair views Poland as a good bet from BRS, despite axing Katowice and Scezcin.

Riga (2 x weekly) is a summer route and summer 09, May to September, saw load factors of 75, 88, 94, 90 and 75 so perhaps Ryanair thinks another Baltic State might work.

Five of the summer routes that Ryanair commenced in July 09 have not re-appeared in summer 10 - Cagliari, Trieste, Montpellier, Perpignan and Toulon. Although they have now gone they did feature in the first 'edition' of the summer 10 timetable. Of the routes to France and Italy started last July only Limoges and Rimini are operating in summer 10. Pau has also gone leaving Bergerac and Beziers as the other French routes in summer 10.

Marrakesh continues into the summer for the first time.

Other routes that Ryanair has axed since starting its Bristol base are Eindhoven, Derry, Dinard, Grenoble and Salzburg (the last two winter only). Shannon also goes at the end of this winter but so it does from the other UK regional airports because of the airline's disagreement with the Irish airport.

I agree with cym's assessment that Ryanair is increasingly challenging easyJet at BRS on the summer bread and butter routes and the list of overall viable destinations is not infinite when two major players are operating from an airport such as BRS.

Summer 10 will also see FR operating Palma and Faro, as well as Alicante, Malaga and Tenerife directly against easyJet and, as cym points out, the FR versions of Barcelona to easyJet's Barcelona 'proper'. The two have flown to their respective versions of Milan and Belfast for a while.

Amongst all the chopping and changing that has occurred thus far at BRS I know there are many locals, including me, who are disappointed that no Scandinavian or German route has been tried.

Even so with easyJet currently showing 39 routes and Ryanair 32 in summer 10 it's good for the area to have the choice and one only hopes the airport and airlines will be supported.

[GayFriendly]

A very interesting post indeed Merchant Venturer. I didn't realize there had been as many changes with the BRS schedule since the base was launched. I am up at BHX and agree with previous posters - I don't think FR are good for assured long term growth as they have such a habit of chopping and changing routes as well as falling out with airport managers at a moments notice.

Here at BHX initial base launch fanfare was very positive but two years later we are still at 4 based aircraft and FR have dropped many of their original routes, I think we are 10 routes down on last summer (all of which were incidentally to destinations with no other competitor). Instead, they are going head to head with MON and WW on key sunshine routes leaving some very obvious destination gaps such as BER, MAD and so on (which I believe could be served by FR from BHX)

As far as BRS goes then I think you will see more direct U2-FR head to heads. Having said that at least FR are launching routes to unserved destinations from BRS and you still have some 'adventurous' destinations, here at BHX they have launched IBZ and FAO for this summer both, surprise surprise are already served by other carriers

[2J&D]

Compton 3 barvo - I should have clarified my post as when I mentioned IST I was thinking more of EZY and the general route network from BRS. Thankfully the interest shown in FR and some of the routes they operate to, from my customers is minimal.

As for homework, I must ask some of my other independant agent friends if they are aware of the flying rights of EU and NON EU carriers...I can probably hazzard a guess as what the answers will be...Now if I worked for an airline and you made the same remark, I would have hung my head in shame.

MV - as usual a highly informative post and one which shows the amount of changes that we have seen at BRS over the past year or two. The SAS routes were very well recieved and from what I was told by SAS, Both the ARN and OSL flights were operating with a good load, however the yield might have been another story!. I possibly think the none return of these routes had more to do with the financial sitation of the SAS group at the time. Hopefully we will see them back at some stage. Was lucky enough to do both flights and both were fantastic destinations.

If EZY can pull the VCE flight after it operated for so long, I really see no hope for some of the other routes, which in some cases are duplicated by 2 low cost airlines plus a charter.

Something will have to give...

[santito]

My understanding is that the SAS flights were being sold at very low prices.

However, I would also be very pleased to see these routes re-instated.

Really can't understand why no one is adding more German routes from BRS- Berlin and Bremen are the only cities with frequent flights as far as I am aware.....?

[WATABENCH]

SNN was always a popular flight with FR, Would be great for the new Aer Lingus/Aer Arann franchise to pick the route up, The ORK seems to do well with them.

Press release from a few days ago...

Aer Arann signs franchise agreement with Aer Lingus
(27/01/10)
Agreement upgrades Bristol to Cork service

Aer Arann and Aer Lingus have announced that agreement has been reached to establish a franchise arrangement between the two airlines.

Under this franchise agreement Aer Arann will operate 12 routes from Dublin and Cork. The routes will include current Aer Lingus and Aer Arann routes as well as 3 new routes.

Aer Arann UK's longest continuously serving route of Cork to Bristol, will operate up to six days per week under this new franchise agreement.

These franchise services will be branded as “Aer Lingus Regional” and operated using Aer Arann ATR 72-500 aircraft and crew.

[anoraknophobia]

Judging by previous posts the summer season is looking good for Bristol,can anyone tell me how many aircraft will be based at Bristol this summer and if possible the breakdown between airlines.
On a seperate point,I was at the back of the airport the other day, the walkway is nearing completion and I was wondering how long it will take to walk from the terminal to its furthest point.Having flown from Gatwick south on numerous occasions I know that they advise you to allow 20mins to walk to some of the furthest piers and they have the advantage of moving walkways and seating in the waiting areas at the end.Something I believe Bristols walkway lacks.Bearing in mind the quick turnround of the budget carriers I can see some of the stragglers having to break some olympic records to reach their aircraft in time.

[WATABENCH]

Anorak - shouldnt really take longer than 5 mins end to end, although i did hear pax will be advised to allow 15 mins.

Based (Incl night stoppers) as far as i know...

Ryanair - 5 x 738
Easyjet - 10 x 319, 1 x 320
Thomson - 2 x 757, 1 x 767(part week)
Thomas Cook - 2 x 320
Viking - 1 x 733
KLM - 1 x F70
BMI/SN - 1 x E145
Air France - 1 x ATR 72

I think thats it, although i'm sure someone will let us know if i've forgotten anything or got something wrong.

[anoraknophobia]

Thanks for the prompt reply Watabench.With 25 overnighters and the two post office planes is that pretty well a full house for the apron?

[andrew1968]

With the current stand layout, yes that would be a full house. Having said that the charter airlines with be en-route overnight so it will be the early morning ie before 0600 that it would be a bit short of space. At this rate they need to press on with more apron space. :ok:

[Standard Noise]

It's very doubtful that they will all be based overnight every night. Anyway, only a couple of years ago we had the 'omigod there's more overnnighters than stands!' nonsense and we coped. Roll on the summer!

[hashman]

As a new-boy moving into the area, can you tell me who carries out the maintenance on the night-stoppers? Any contact details gratefully accepted. Thanks

[WATABENCH]

Hashman

Thomson and Thomas cook - Thomson Airways Engineering
Ryanair - Ryanair Engineering
Easyjet - SR Technics
Air France - Engineers from Bristol Flying Centre
KLM - No based maintanance but have used Flying centre in the past.
BMI - BMI Engineering (I believe)


Thomson, Ryanair, SR Technics and I believe BMI all have office facilities in the Admin Building (Old Terminal), and Flying centre engineers are based at the flying centre.

[MerchantVenturer]

Ryanair

Since my post of 2 Feb, Ryanair has made yet another change to its summer 2010 schedule. Bydgoszcz and Kaunas were announced as additions for the coming summer but Rimini has now disappeared from the web timetable and booking engine.

This means that of the French and Italian routes introduced for last summer from July only Limoges currently remains. I stress currently because the FR summer 10 timetable at BRS has been a work in progress since well before Christmas and I wouldn't bet anything on today's being the final version.

At the moment 123 weekly rotations are shown of which 24 are operated by non-BRS aircraft judging from the timings.

Aer Arann/Aer Lingus Regonal

The Aer Arann website shows the Cork-Bristol route as being 6 times weekly. Last summer it was daily.

Western Walkway

This structure is certainly eye-catching. I wouldn't call it a thing of beauty - too boxlike in appearance for my taste - but that of course is a subjective judgement.

It's said to be about 400 metres in length but will be restricted in amenities to comply with its general permitted development status.

I am sure there will be moans from some about the distance they have to walk but at least the airport can play the Green card by pointing out they are saving on bus fuel and emissions.

[hashman]

WATABENCH.....

Thanks for the info. Will pop along next week and chat to them. In need of a summer job, it'll be strange talking English after a good few years abroad.

Ryanair. A few years back I seem to remember that they made threats to pull out of Stansted because of the charges..... then they promptly increased their own fares! Having seen their standards of engineering at first hand, I don't fly with them through choice. Give me Aeroflot anytime !!

[en2r]

Aer Arann/Aer Lingus Regonal

The Aer Arann website shows the Cork-Bristol route as being 6 times weekly. Last summer it was daily.
The Aer Lingus website shows it as being daily. As far as I know, the Aer Arann website shows the timetables that were going to be operated before the deal with Aer Lingus.

[bravoromeosierra]

Can anyone shed any light as to why there was a 'surplus' CO 757 in over this weekend? It's left about 15:05 today- though not sure where to.. certainly wasn't today's sheduled departure to EWR though.

[WATABENCH]

A/C went tech 2 days ago, engine probs i was told but not sure.

[flyerboy]

WATABENCH you are correct. We were told that the port engine thrust reverser was the problem

[Vasto1M]

Was told by a friend on the flight that he should have flown out Thursday but was put up overnight and told he’d fly at 8am Friday only to be taken to Heathrow after sitting at Bristol until 4pm. He said that the handling agent did well given the little information they had but the Continental rep was nowhere to be seen most of the day Friday.

[santito]

Was going to ask the same thing about the CO....

So did CO run the service as normal whilst the spare 75 was on the tarmac?

Also, noticed that First Choice are advertising Florida, and Caribbean in/ around the terminal, but can't see any flights scheduled... Are these services really active?

[andrew1968]

First Choice/Thomson will be operating to Orlando (Florida) and Cancun (Mexico) during the summer as per last year.

Nothing new there!

[santito]

Is the SFB flight going to be non- stop again? I guess it is an on- the- day decision depending on winds, etc?

Ta

[2J&D]

Hi Guys n Gals

Off to see the new CO flat bed Bizfirst seats this evening. Not onboard an aircraft though!

Just wondered if anyone is interested in me posting any comments or observations??

Thanks

[Fernanjet]

Hi Guys n Gals

Off to see the new CO flat bed Bizfirst seats this evening. Not onboard an aircraft though!

Just wondered if anyone is interested in me posting any comments or observations??

Thanks

Yes, but they will probably go unnoticed in the "Bristol" thread

[MerchantVenturer]

Ski destinations

Hello WATABENCH,

I noticed that in the CWL thread you alluded to the BRS ski market.

You mentioned Geneva vis-a-vis BRS. It may have been a post I did some time last year.

2008 CAA stats for UK to Geneva routes show that BRS carried more passengers on the route than any UK regional airport.

Totals to the nearest thousand were - total of charter and scheduled routes where appropriate:

Gatwick 702K
Heathrow 577K
London City 332K
Luton 307K
Bristol 158K
Liverpool 142K
Edinburgh 120K
East Midlands 119K
Birmingham 118K
Manchester 87K
Stansted 76K
Leeds-Bradford 55K
Newcastle 41K
Bournemouth 33K
Belfast International 31K

The remaining UK airports were fewer than 20K including perhaps surprisingly Glasgow International at 16K. Cardiff carried 14K.

Incidentally, the BRS total breaks down as 152K scheduled and 6K charter.

2009 totals not yet published.

easyJet has 19 weekly rotations to Geneva most weeks in the ski season at Mon, Tue, Wed and Thur each 2 x daily, Fri and Sat 4 x daily, Sun 3 x daily (broadly similar to previous recent winters) plus, as you mentioned, the weekly Saturday TOM ski flight to GVA.

Your list of weekly ski charter flights may have missed out a couple.

The full list is:

Saturdays

TOM to Salzburg, Verona, Chambery, Grenoble, Geneva and Sofia
TCX to Salzburg
BGH to Sofia
AUA to Innsbruck

Sundays

TOM to Turin and Toulouse
AEU to Chambery
MON to Kittila

This is a total of 13 weekly ski flights, one or perhaps two down on last winter.

With easyJet flying daily to Toulouse, 5 x weekly at the moment to Milan Malpensa, 3/4 x weekly to Grenoble (seems to vary with a second Sat flight put on some weeks), 2 x weekly to Innsbruck, plus their big Geneva schedule mentioned earlier, and Ryanair weekly to Turin and up to daily to Milan Bergamo the ski market in the South West seems to be holding up because this sort of programme is similar to previous recent winters.

Mustn't forget the home market, as you rightly pointed out, with Inverness showing 5 x weekly easyJet flights at the moment.

Off to see the new CO flat bed Bizfirst seats this evening. Not onboard an aircraft though!

Just wondered if anyone is interested in me posting any comments or observations??

2J&D,

I would certainly be very interested.

Are these beds specific to the CO 757s? If so, I can't see why this thread is not appropriate because Bristol isn't likely to be seeing other CO aircraft on the route for a considerable time, one would think.

[WATABENCH]

Thanks MV, Yeh it must of been your post the regarding GVA very interesting, I thought you may pick up on my CWL posting, I knew you would put me correct if I forgot anything, It was more a posting NOT to knock our pals over the bridge, but to merely point out that there is a thriving ski market in BRS, whereas a poster on there had said there was virtually no ski market in the uk?? a very bold and some what confused statement given the volume of ski going through the region, you may agree?

Heard a funny rumour at work, apparently TOM are basing 3 x 767 at BRS this summer, it did make me chuckle, that would be the day :ok:

[2J&D]

Hi All

Well for those interested I managed to get to try the BF seats last night and I have to say, they are very good.

I am fortunate to have been able to travel BF to EWR and the 'old seat' was very comfortable, however the new seats are so much nicer. In Summary:

Lie Flat and not angled to the ground
Larger TV than previously
Proper Duvet as opposed to just a scratchy blanket!
Lots more storage space than previously
Various plugs etc for laptops / ipods etc
Various positions for the seat i.e not just seated / flat. Which is great as it offers a lot of comfort options

Generally, this will make whole BF experience so much nicer, from a comfort point of view than previously. They are ever so slightly angled to wards the window from what I could make out, and there will still be 16 seats on the 75's. It may mean the aisle is a little smaller, however as meal service is personalised, I do not see a problem.

They are being progressively fitted to all 757's and it is nice to report that BRS has already had the seats on one of it scheduled services! So it seems that those booked in BF could possibly be fortunate to have the seats in the future. I believe it is going to take approx 2 year to complete.

With the addition of the new seats, and with PTV's in Economy I really cannot see the reason why the CO service does not continue to expand and grow. It offers such a great service for regional departures and I suggest anyone who has not tried it yet whether BF or Economy does give it a try! (and no I dont work for CO!)

MV - in answer to your question, these seats will also be installed on the the 777's as well. Not too sure about the 767's but unless there is an increase in the demand for the BF cabin, then BRS should be safe with a 757 anyway.

Also, as you are aware they had a 'few' problems last week and there were 2 departures from BRS last Saturday...To top it all the check in process had to be done manually as the systems went down...By all accounts a fun day was had by all (not!)

Thanks

[santito]

Are we actually still seeing steady growth on the EWR route? I don't think the November 2009 figures were too great TBH....

Also surprised how empty the AF service usually is.... On Friday, there were only about 25 of us going CDG- BRS on the 16:20.... Is it just the time of year, or is this normal?

[bristolflyer]

The new seats have already been fitted to the 777. I was due to fly out from BRS to Miami via Newark just before Christmas when Newark was closed due to snow. I was rebooked via Houston from Heathrow. The service on that 777 flight was excellent. The new lie flat seat was extremely comfortable. Much more so than Club World on BA. I'm 6'4" and had no problems lying flat on the Continental seat. In Club World I can't. The new seat is also in a 22 formation. I actually prefer having them this way rather than the isolation of single pods on Virgin and BA. The return flight to Bristol in early Jan was probably 85% full. The service was very good, but with the new beds it will offer a vast improvement to the cabin environment. The new seats are being fitted to the 777 first and then across the 757 fleet. I don't believe they will be fitted to the 767, due to the arrival of the 787 in a couple of years.

[MerchantVenturer]

Thanks 2J&D and bristolflyer for information re seats.

I know people who have used the EWR route in BF and most have been very satisfied. Economy reports seem to vary and much appears to depend on the quality of the cabin crew on the day from what I've heard, though there are some who will always complain about flying the Atlantic in a narrow-bodied aircraft.

santito,

You mentioned the progress of the EWR route and my thoughts, based on publicly available figures and one or two other sources, are these. I don't claim infallibility and would be interested to learn anything that contradicts the below.

The CO EWR route will reach its 5th anniversary in May this year.

Total passenger numbers (to the nearest thousand) for each of the four complete calendar years of its operation are:

2006 84,000
2007 93,000
2008 90,000
2009 83,000

The first three months of 2009 showed poor figures but that can be explained at least in part by the teeth of the recession and fewer rotations, especially in January when some weeks saw only two or three.

The main summer months were surprisingly good with August 2009 seeing the highest monthly passenger figures since the route's inception – 9,622: 88.5% load factor.

From the middle of September the rotations were reduced to six per week from daily (no Wednesdays) and, perhaps perversely, that month saw the highest monthly load factor of the route's history at 91.5%.

November saw only 18 rotations, with the usual 5 x weekly reduced to two around Thanksgiving, so the 4,925 passenger figures meant a monthly load factor of 78%.

December saw a similar number of rotations with only two being flown in the period from just before Christmas to New Year's Eve resulting in a monthly load factor of around 81%.

Rotations were reduced to 4 x weekly for January and February 2010 (no Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays) and I believe that after a good start to January the remainder of the month and the first part of February saw disappointing loads, though the four days of the current long weekend seem to have done well on the outbound legs to Newark – no doubt the half-term effect.

Figures for January should be published this week.

I remember Paul Kehoe, during his short tenure as CEO of BRS, urging the business community to use the route or lose it. Obviously the recession hasn't helped but I still have the feeling that businesses in the area aren't supporting the route in the way many said they would when it was being touted – but that sort of thing is not specific to BRS.

I mention the usual caveat about loads not necessarily equating to good or bad yields.

[MUFC_fan]

We always seem to go on about how the load factor is irrelevant for the airline, it is the revenue it can make from it. This is so much more important for routes such as this.

There can only be a 50% load factor yet if J is full and they are all flying onto, say, LAX, then CO is laughing, opposed to 100% staying in NYC.

The beauty of a hub system - if they get the transfer passengers...

[santito]

MUFC_fan

I guess this is why Air France keeps runnnig the ATR72 with loads of around 30-ish- just for transfer pax?

Loads better than I thought.... Based on that alone I guess we don't need to worry about CO dropping the service?
I did see November on the CAA site, but didn't realise there were so few actual rotations in that month... Explains the figures.

Thanks

[MUFC_fan]

I guess this is why Air France keeps runnnig the ATR72 with loads of around 30-ish- just for transfer pax?


Most likely, yes. Say 50% transfer: 15 people. If say, 5 people are on J/F flying long haul from CDG - then those 5 pretty much cover the cost of the flight...

[Standard Noise]

162 on the outbound Conti this morning, seesm like a grand load to me.

As for Air France, I thought the French govt covered their costs.:}

[andrew1968]

Looking at the provisional stats for January again BIA seems to have done pretty well considering the weather related cancellations.

Jan 2010

Pax: 323,496 Down 0.3% on Jan 2009

The only major regional airport to record positive growth was Liverpool with an increase of 7.9%

On the Continental BRS - EWR route this seemed ok, Jan 2010 4,207 down 1% on the 4,234 in Jan 2009. So with the reduced freq this year the route has held up well.

Overall BIA has done well, I think we may just move into positve territory in Feb'10 :D