Rumours about new destinations or airlines?

[User0001]

Page 90 of the Lufthansa Annual Report and Accounts, which was published only last month, states clearly that plans to use bmi regional to connect airports in England with Lufthansa hubs are "being intensified". The new runway is opening in FRA and presumably Lufthansa and Star will want as many of these slots as they can. Added to that, the bmi regional embraer fleet is currently employed on a host of UK domestic routes that I suspect are not part of the long term plan.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see MAN-LHR / LBA-GLA/EDI come to end and the Embraers released to operate GLA-FRA and maybe a couple of others. LBA has a chance, but it depends which other UK airports they have an eye on. NCL / BRS / EMA perhaps.

Hopefully Loganair / Flybe would then come in onto the LBA-Scottish routes and, with some more attractive prices, schedule and a better know brand, might stimulate some traffic on these routes

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi

I have heard a rumour in the last couple off days that LBA are now very close to announcing a new route to London.. This latest one involves a Low cost carrier....

 

[LBAYORKIE]

There aren't that many low cost carriers, I wonder which it might be. I just hope its not to Luton/Stanstead or Southend.

 

[User0001]

Linked to this, perhaps, from the Guardian today.

Stobart Group has been in the headlines recently for many of the wrong reasons, but it looks like some good news is on the way for the transport group.

It has been developing its Southend airport site with a new railway station and control tower, and plans to extend the runway in time to cater for the expected influx of passengers for the 2012 London Olympics. Now it is expected to announce a proposal for budget airline Easyjet to start flying from the revamped airport, where the existing carriers are Flybe and Aer Arann. Such a move, which could be announced as soon as tomorrow, would mark a step change for the airport's prospects.

Stobart - which ran into controversy recently with proposals to buy property and a biomass business from company directors - slipped 0.9p to 137.2p while Easyjet edged 2.8p lower to 352.4p.

 

[tleeds]

I would most want, if it were a low-cost carrier, easyJet to London Gatwick. I know that Gatwick didn't work for FlyBe, but I think easyJet have a much bigger presence around the country and would also be a very good start for them at Leeds.
If it were Ryanair, wouldn't they have announced it, along with Riga and Kaunas? If it is Ryanair, I think this would just force more people to travel by train to be honest, than fuss with their extra-charges etc....

Interesting article, I wonder if it is Southend perhaps as both, Leeds and Southend seem to be making an announcement coincidently close to each other....

 

[Moo2009]

Hope this link works
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/mark ... nd-airport

 

[eastcoaster]

It's looking more and more like it will be a service to Southend. Eddie Stobbart and EasyJet have just signed a 10 year deal to base three aircraft at Southend from April 2012.

 

[Aviador]

It's looking more and more like it will be a service to Southend. Eddie Stobbart and EasyJet have just signed a 10 year deal to base three aircraft at Southend from April 2012.

Well I'll be quite happy to see Easyjet operate to Southend if this is indeed what happens. The Southend airport should be considerably cheaper to operate into than the other London airports. I know some people will be disappointed as Heathrow is the "diamond in the crown" but if we are realistic, Heathrow is never going to happen.

If indeed Easyjet announce the route today (or shortly) starting in April 2012, it will give all parties a good lead-in time to advertise the route and associated rail link into central London. We shouldn't underestimate the potential for this route and let's not forget it's the London 2012 Olympics year.

 

[stevolba]

Easyjet have already announced three routs from Southend (Barcelona, Faro, Ibiza) with 7 more to been announced within the next week , so watch this space

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I really hope it's not Southend. It's just too far east of London and will never make money. Lot's of the business in London is either central or to the west, between the city and Heathrow. Gatwick is do'able for both west of London (via Clapham Junction) or central London, but Luton, Stanstead or particularly Southend are plain non starters.

Incidentally I believe the Leeds-Heathrow flights used to divert to Southend if Heathrow was closed (although that's going back a bit)

 

[airbus]

leeds bradford is not a new route from southend on to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Sou ... stinations and u will see all 10 new routes from southend

 

[Aviador]

Leeds Bradford is not a new route from southend on to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Sou ... stinations and u will see all 10 new routes from southend

You may well be right chitty but I wouldn't use a wiki site as an official reference because anybody can alter the information on the page.

 

[tleeds]

We could always add LBA to their list of destinations

Until it is formally announced then LBA could well be on their destinations list. It does make you wonder however. People don't just list random destinations if there's no substance to it, it makes you wonder whether these are the actual destinations.

On the other-side lets be positive.... Lbaspotter, a fairly reliable source, has put forward a rumour that a route is in the pipeline, so anything could happen. At-least a LOCO is actually giving it a try, I suppose....

 

[lbaspotter]

Also heard that a Spanish airline maybe coming into LBA to operate a route to Madrid and they will be able to offer connections through one of the big alliances....

By the way the said airline has been to LBA before. But they were operating holiday charter flights not scheduled routes in the past...

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

SPANAIR!? they operated two MD88 on a Saturday to PMI within half hour of each other. NEVER got why? Why not send a A321?

 

[LeedsPilot]

Air Europa is another possibility.

 

[empire]

An interesting snippet in the 3rd paragraph which may or may not add fuel to the above rumour:


http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/ ... narch.html

 

[paul.smith]

Iberia flewf rom LBA on charters a good few years ago. They would have onward connections. Just a thought.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Iberia Air Nostrum. Daily CRJ900. 1130AM arrival, 1205PM departure. Get it to connect to the Latin American destinations.

 

[LeedsPilot]

I think Air Europa / Monarch is likely from what it says in that article.