Unserved European destinations from London

[davidjohnson6]

London through 6 airports is connected with nonstop flights to a huge number of destinations. However each year airlines somehow come up with unserved routes and either open new routes or resume previously unserved routes. This is not about airport pairs (eg flown from Gatwick but not Luton) - I'm thinking of city pairs, namely towns/cities in Europe (or close to Europe) that do not have nonstop flights to any of the 6 airports that are normally considered to be London-focussed (LHR, LGW, STN, LTN, LCY, SEN)

I've chosen London simply because its aviation market is so much larger than anywhere else in the UK and tends to see new routes to see cities well before anywhere else in the UK


In 2019, I can think of:
Brest, Carlisle (maybe !), Rijeka, Rodez, Turku, Vigo - resumption
Calvi - former charter only, now scheduled
Eilat, Istanbul, Murcia - new airport built, old airport closing/closed

I realise that the B word looms large (please don't turn this into a political discussion) but what destinations currently unserved from London might be under consideration for the next 12 to 18 months ?
I can think of maybe Akureryri, Brac, Graz, Karpathos, Lugano, Odessa or the new Scandinavian Mountains airport, but these are all a bit of a guess.

Please note - this is not a "What routes would make you happy" question - I'm thinking of routes for which a genuine business case exists, one can identify a plausible airline for the route, potential demand is credible, and an airline has a good chance of profitability - expect to be challenged if you are playing a metaphorical "blindfolded pin the tail on the donkey" !

[N707ZS]

How about Durham Tees Valley to London, one to get you going. In the local DTVA media the locals think its in need.

[darren1]

How about Osijek, Tuzla, Banja Luka, Mostar, Sarajevo and Nis?

[toledoashley]

Either Leipzig or Dresden (FR are cancelling Leipzig this summer).

[rog747]

How about Durham Tees Valley to London, one to get you going. In the local DTVA media the locals think its in need.

Sigh
At BMA we did LHR-MME 5 x daily back in the day :(

Full DC-9's on both morning and both evening dep's
Hot breakfast and Hot dinner

[Expressflight]

How about Durham Tees Valley to London, one to get you going. In the local DTVA media the locals think its in need.
I suppose with Middlesbrough to London by train taking 3hrs15min, which requires a change at Darlington, it might have some marginal appeal.

[SilverCityKid]

Yesterday I was looking for direct flights from Manchester to Corsica (capital Ajaccio) and according to Skyscanner there are no direct flights from the UK to Corsica. Is this really true, do you really have to fly to Paris and change airports or alternatively transfer at some other point in France ?

[rog747]

Yesterday I was looking for direct flights from Manchester to Corsica (capital Ajaccio) and according to Skyscanner there are no direct flights from the UK to Corsica. Is this really true, do you really have to fly to Paris and change airports or alternatively transfer at some other point in France ?

Air Corsica opening up 4 routes from STN if that helps (ex MAN)

[DC3 Dave]

Cardiff. Yes, I know there's a motorway and fast frequent train service, but that applies to a number of UK cities.

[toledoashley]

SilverCityKid - there is a Manchester to Calvi flight, which is a flybe charter on behalf of Corsican Places which you can buy flight only.

[SilverCityKid]

Thak you Toledo !

[jensdad]

Are there any direct flights to Skopje? I think BA used to do it from Gatwick but no longer.

[darren1]

Are there any direct flights to Skopje? I think BA used to do it from Gatwick but no longer.

Yes, Wizz have been operating for the last 10 years.

[sixchannel]

I suppose with Middlesbrough to London by train taking 3hrs15min, which requires a change at Darlington, it might have some marginal appeal.
Appeal -- nil
Check in 2 hours
Flight - 1 hour? + any peak hour stacking merry go round.
Getting out of LHR - 15 - 30 mins
Tube to centre London (extra cost) - 40 mins
So, more than 4 hrs total and loads of hassle.
Unless you were connecting at LHR its a non-runner.

[tigertanaka]

Appeal -- nil
Check in 2 hours
Flight - 1 hour? + any peak hour stacking merry go round.
Getting out of LHR - 15 - 30 mins
Tube to centre London (extra cost) - 40 mins
So, more than 4 hrs total and loads of hassle.
Unless you were connecting at LHR its a non-runner.

I think this is a very negative view of the situation:

In my 70 odd flights from MME, I dont think I have ever arrived at the airport more than 45 minutes before departure.
A domestic flight arriving at T5 or T2 takes 5 minutes from leaving the plane to the arrivals area
Heathrow Express is 15 minutes to Paddington

MME to LHR would probably work fine but does need a mixture of O&D and connecting feed (just need to find $60m for a couple of slot pairs), I’m not convinced another airport such as LCY or LGW would stack up.

[compton3bravo]

Two airport's inSpain - Salamanca and Vitoria-Gasteiz the capital of the Basque region but has Santander and Bilbao fairly close.

[AirportPlanner1]

Yerevan is perhaps the last/only unserved capital city (that has an airport). I think BMIR/BMI went there in the past. FR are reportedly in talks but that wouldn’t necessarily be from UK, possibly it’s too far for single crew.

[840]

I'm always a bit surprised that there is no service from London to the Faeroe Islands. They have flights in summer to Edinburgh and a hub connection in Paris, but considering London is their nearest major city, it seems like an opportunity.

[Wycombe]

but considering London is their nearest major city

Nearest geographically maybe, but Copenhagen is of course the mother-Capital City for the Faroes. Multiple daily flights there from Vagar.

[BA318]

I'm always a bit surprised that there is no service from London to the Faeroe Islands. They have flights in summer to Edinburgh and a hub connection in Paris, but considering London is their nearest major city, it seems like an opportunity.

Atlantic Airways previously operated to STN but dropped it a few years back. I think they also flew to ABZ at some point.

[ajamieson]

Yerevan is perhaps the last/only unserved capital city (that has an airport). I think BMIR/BMI went there in the past. FR are reportedly in talks but that wouldn’t necessarily be from UK, possibly it’s too far for single crew.
Was an add-on from GYD if I recall correctly. Armenia requires a visa but Georgia does not and I'm surprised there isn't a Tbilisi/TBS service (again, BD used to do this.) Wizzair to Kutaisi isn't quite the same.

BEG is underserved, perhaps due to authorities and facilities at the other end; loads and yields on Air Serbia and the limited Wizzair link from LTN are good.

Would also second the earlier suggestion of Sarajevo/SJJ, although it's very well served by Lufthansa group connections through MUC, VIE etc.

[AirportPlanner1]

I'm surprised there isn't a Tbilisi/TBS service (again, BD used to do this.) Wizzair to Kutaisi isn't quite the same..

There is a route to Tbilisi with Georgian Airlines from LGW. Georgia is my number 1 next country in Europe to visit.


Would also second the earlier suggestion of Sarajevo/SJJ'

Sarajevo seems so obvious I forgot no one flew there. Bosnia is interesting, though a lot of people do what I did and cross to Mostar from Dubrovnik

[mariofly12]

Well Flybosnia intends to remedy this by launching flights from SJJ to London..We ll juat have to and see which airport they get slots at..

[mik3bravo]

SEN - OLB might be a runner

[AirportPlanner1]

SEN - OLB might be a runner

Really? Hasn’t heard that one. Who is to be the operator?

It’s not an unserved route though, three airlines to London plus TUI to MAN.

[barry lloyd]

As one who has been involved in this sort of thing in the past,albeit not directly, I can assure all of you that airlines are looking for new city pairs all the time. The two principal drivers are population and economy. Clearly if there is not a large population, (Faroe Islands total population 50,000 - less than Wrexham - with an economy based on fishing and farming), there is .little money at any level in the economy. As ever, we should never rule out international politics when considering new routes. This may explain why Belgrade and Yerevan are not well served currently.
Conversely Guernsey, despite having a population of just 60,000 for example, is well served. Approximately 40% of its economy is based on banking and insurance, together with a liberal tax regime and thus attracts year-round high-spending visitors and not just tourist traffic.

[Aksai Oiler]

Was an add-on from GYD if I recall correctly. Armenia requires a visa but Georgia does not and I'm surprised there isn't a Tbilisi/TBS service (again, BD used to do this.) Wizzair to Kutaisi isn't quite the same.

BEG is underserved, perhaps due to authorities and facilities at the other end; loads and yields on Air Serbia and the limited Wizzair link from LTN are good.

Would also second the earlier suggestion of Sarajevo/SJJ, although it's very well served by Lufthansa group connections through MUC, VIE etc.

FYI no visa required for Armenia (180 days), Georgia (180 days) Kazakhstan (30 days) and Uzbekistan (30 days).

Armenia is very cost effective and a pleasant place to visit, but still very Sovietski