BELFAST AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL

[Refuellerman]

Well, it's actually in Antrim but anyway.

Its actually in aldergrove, 3 miles south of antrim, its nearer to crumlin than antrim

[mart901]

Some really good news for BFS via this announcement from EZY:

https://www.easyjet.com/en/worldwide

[GAZMO]

I think it is a natural progression. Most of the connections I think will be EZY destinations, although Singapore and USA on the drop down menu.
Wonder what will happen if your flight from BFS is delayed and you miss your connection?

[KNT544]

As long as you have the Gatwick Connections part of the package they will organise and pay for the next flight / hotels etc.

[DC9_10]

Great news. If successful and expanded, could we see the likes of connections from Bristol, Newcastle and Liverpool etc through Belfast onto Norwegians services.

[HH6702]

Be good if DY went into the other easyjet bases to offer long haul however can't see it happening as they are using Gatwick as a hub the regional airports like NCL won't be a hub it would be more likely point to point traffic only

[DC9_10]

I was suggesting connections from Brs Ncl Lpl etc through Belfast, a large easyJet base with Norwegian transatlantic services already in place.

[Refuellerman]

Yes great news but the last time i was at belfast there was more bags on the ground than the aircraft, handlers getting a complete pasting at the minute up there

[owenc]

Northern Ireland posters.

Surely there's no doubt something like this could work for us?

Doesn't NI have a bigger Canadian disapora than Shannon?

https://aircanada.mediaroom.com/2017-09-13-Air-Canada-Deepens-Embrace-of-the-Emerald-Isle-with-Expanded-Non-Stop-Services-to-Ireland-from-Toronto-and-Montreal

[True Blue]

Yes it should work, but not with Air Canada. As they serve Dublin, they probably take the view that we will travel down there to connect to their flights. A service from Bfs would weaken, even a little, their flights from Dublin. So I think it would have to be another carrier.

[840]

I think you underestimate the mind-share that Shannon has among US tourists and even travel agents. The great-grandchildren of Irish emigrants have a standard tour that they do from Dublin to Kilkenny to Kinsale to Killarney to the Cliffs of Moher to Galway to a flight out of Shannon (or the reverse of that). It's hard for other airports or towns to get a look in.

[True Blue]

I think the last reference was to Canada, not US.

[owenc]

Yes it should work, but not with Air Canada. As they serve Dublin, they probably take the view that we will travel down there to connect to their flights. A service from Bfs would weaken, even a little, their flights from Dublin. So I think it would have to be another carrier.
Would it be sustainable?

[True Blue]

Yes it should be, we have more of a population than Shannon region. With the smaller aircraft now becoming available, that changes the economics a lot.

[A320.b744]

WestJet's B737's have 130 seats, whereas Air Canada's B737 MAX 8's are expected to have 16/153 layout (same as UA B752s), and given the lack of business demand, if anyone is able to make the route sustainable in the long run it'll be WestJet.

WestJet's current B737 transatlantic operations to DUB and GLA require a stop in St Johns/Halifax. There is (albeit limited) demand on St Johns - Dublin and Halifax - Glasgow given historical ties, though there would be no such demand for Belfast.

If WestJet were considering BFS (I'd be shocked if they weren't), they'd probably wait until 2019 which is when their B737 MAX 7's are being delivered, thus allowing BFS-YYZ non-stop.

[owenc]

So you think Shannon is more sustainable? What about the Bombardier factory?

[A320.b744]

The Shannon market is becoming saturated, and there is not room for 8 transatlantic destinations from 6 airlines. Give it a couple of years and some of these routes will be scrapped.

Regarding Bombardier, I know people who work for the company and there are a few employees who regularly fly to Montreal. However a) most if not all of them fly in economy class and not business; b) we're talking fewer than 100 round trips a year; and c) if BFS was to get a Canadian route it would be Toronto and not Montreal, meaning it would not be that much handier for Bombardier employees than flying via LHR or AMS.

It is worth noting however that a couple of years ago Willie Walsh was interviewed about BA's Belfast route, and he said that Toronto (as well as Hong Kong, and Copenhagen) were the most popular destinations for NI connecting passengers. That would suggest that there is potentially some extra demand for a Toronto route.

[SealinkBF]

Some really good news for BFS via this announcement from EZY:

https://www.easyjet.com/en/worldwide

That might explain why O'Leary had a go at Norwegian last week...!

[Una Due Tfc]

That might explain why O'Leary had a go at Norwegian last week...!

I was actually thinking that myself earlier.

Although with media reports of Norwegian looking to sell their leasing arm, combined with them selling their bank shares, he may have a point.

[toledoashley]

Interestingly, of the two - Monarch is probably in more imminent danger.

[GAZMO]

Profits up at BFS


https://www.belfastairport.com/blog-news/2017/september/airport-operating-profit-jumps-six-fold-with-further-growth-on-the-way

[West Brit]

Oh they are hopeful. The only significant change that I can see is that BFS has become the main London traffic hub at Belfast. Look at BRS and other UK airports the vast majority of passengers are European or further a field. Until the international market grows very significantly then its growth is limited.
The routes conference was held here and nothing has come out of it!
Apart from Norwegian, which probably arrived here to UA vacating, and FR who were at BHD already a few years earlier, what brand new airlines have started at BFS in the last 5 years? (VS seasonal)

[BHD2BFS]

The routes Europe conference doesn't give results straight away. It's not like signing a new mobile phone contract.
After and during the even meetings are held, which more than likely take up to a year to spawn results. Research and visits have to happen before an airline announces anything.
It brings together airlines and airports who have probably never spoke before.
Things take time in aviation, just because Ryanair seem to do things on a whim isn't how most airlines work.
My money would be on a route from one of the airlines part of the Lufthansa group

[panpanpanpan]

No matter what anyones opinions are on the best or busiest airport in NI, there is only one show in town at this time and it is Aldergrove. They are being proactive and aggressive with their marketing and the results are clear. Its just a real shame that they don't have any competition at this stage, Harbour just appears to have rolled over and give up. I wonder how their celebrations are coming on with their successful year to date, haven't seen any musings from their marketing team recently!:hmm:

[AerRyan]

Apart from Norwegian, which probably arrived here to UA vacating, and FR who were at BHD already a few years earlier, what brand new airlines have started at BFS in the last 5 years? (VS seasonal)

Apart from those who started, who started?

[Refuellerman]

Apart from those who started, who started?

They have low cost sewn up, but has it hampered them getting one or two prestige operators eg ba, vs, ek etc

[mart901]

Apart from those who started, who started?

Wizzair? Cityjet in the form of BCN charters and isn't one of the Bulgarian holiday airlines new in addition to the other?

[mart901]

In actual fact when you consider it, last few years BHD has gained Aer Lingus, Klm, Vueling, Brussels, Air Iceland, Eastern Airways.In fairness its lost two of them, but also the loss of LGW has been the big thing, and bleeding LON pax to BFS due to the ongoing price war between FR and EZY, one wonders will EZY have to be so price focused on LGW when there is transfer pax on the route bumping up the load factor, I can't see them putting on much more frequency given the slot constraints.

[A320.b744]

Wizzair? Cityjet in the form of BCN charters and isn't one of the Bulgarian holiday airlines new in addition to the other?

Wizzair actually operated flights to KTW and WAW during 2007-08 so they're not a new airline. Cityjet is a cruise ship charter so it doesn't count, and even so Cityjet have operated from BFS before; and the current Bulgarian holiday operator BH Air has been operating the route for at least 7 years.

Thus, in the last 5 years BFS has gained Norwegian, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic, though at the cost of Aer Lingus, Monarch and United.

If we widen the time period to 10 years, we can add Air Transat, bmibaby, Flyglobespan, Manx2, Zoom Airlines to the list of failures.

Thankfully easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair have stepped up to the mark and increased their offering from BFS over the last 5 years or else the airport would still be in decline.

[mart901]

Haven't the Bulgarian flights been increased though, is there not two carriers now, Balkan and Bulgarian Holiday Air? Also where did cityjet operate to from BFS? Thought it was BHD.

[Refuellerman]

Bulgaria air flys in on a monday evening,nothing new last year at all

[mart901]

Yes correct refuellerman, the additional flight started 2015.

[A320.b744]

Haven't the Bulgarian flights been increased though, is there not two carriers now, Balkan and Bulgarian Holiday Air? Also where did cityjet operate to from BFS? Thought it was BHD.

Cityjet operated charters to Pau and Lourdes for a while from BFS. BH Air are currently the only Bulgarian airline flying to BFS, given that Bulgaria Air scrapped their holiday charters. Also, BH Air stands for 'Balkan Holidays Air' and not 'Bulgarian Holiday Air', and there is no such airline as 'Balkan'.

[mart901]

Cityjet operated charters to Pau and Lourdes for a while from BFS. BH Air are currently the only Bulgarian airline flying to BFS, given that Bulgaria Air scrapped their holiday charters. Also, BH Air stands for 'Balkan Holidays Air' and not 'Bulgarian Holiday Air', and there is no such airline as 'Balkan'.
Yes currently only one, but wasn't there an additional carrier/flight on the route in peak summer?

[A320.b744]

Yes currently only one, but wasn't there an additional carrier/flight on the route in peak summer?

That was Bulgaria Air, but a) unlike BH Air it's a pure charter flight so all seats are for package holidays, and b) they lost the contract at the end of the summer.

[DC9_10]

Cityjet still operate Lourdes charters.

[mart901]

That was Bulgaria Air, but a) unlike BH Air it's a pure charter flight so all seats are for package holidays, and b) they lost the contract at the end of the summer.
Gotcha. Has that contract been replaced?

[A320.b744]

Gotcha. Has that contract been replaced?

Apparently the new airline will be Voyage Air, who operate charters from Varna and Burgas, but details about the airline are very sketchy.

[mart901]

Cheers A320.b744

[GAZMO]

Believe its Voyage air replacing Bulgarian Air for Travel Solutions charter flights

[El Bunto]

Voyage Air formed in 2007 and have been operating passenger services since March 2016, though their English-version website is pretty bare.

Two A320s, a B733 and a B735 on the books at the moment though the latter two for certain are leased-in:

Available Aircraft ? Voyage Air (http://vgrflight.com/en/corporate-clients/acmi/)

[Refuellerman]

Was the cruise run not ment to be a titan contract? Royal Caribbean.

[BFS BHD]

Flights from 25th March 2018 to 24th June 2018 will be bookable from Wednesday.

[El Bunto]

Was the cruise run not ment to be a titan contract? Royal Caribbean.

No, always Cityjet though initially subchartered to Titan for operational reasons.

When it was originally announced in 2016 it was to operate from Belfast City but changed prior to launch.

[Refuellerman]

No, always Cityjet though initially subchartered to Titan for operational reasons.

When it was originally announced in 2016 it was to operate from Belfast City but changed prior to launch.
Got it now bunto, i remember the b737 then the rj then the rest was on the superjet🖒