Rumours about new destinations or airlines?

[wawkrk]

I wonder if there is an outside chance of Iberia coming to LBA when Iberia launch their new budget airline to operate short and medium-haul flights from Madrid. Iberia Express will begin operations in mid-2012 and will offer business and economy seats ‘at competitive fares’ from the Madrid-Barajas Airport. Could this be our long awaited BA link?The airline will be head to head with Easy and Ryan so duplicating all existing routes may not be on their agenda.For sure the South American routes would be popular.The only point against this for LBA is the size of aircraft being used A320's however, I assume the passengers will enjoy full service airline benefits and as such it will attract business travellers away from full locos.

 

[Bigman]

It will no doubt be Gatwick and Manchester as usual. We won't get a sniff. Usual nothing existing East of Stalybridge scenario.

 

[Jordan-34092]

This new airline could be what LBA needs for a link reconnecting the airport to madrid. 4 times a week i think would suit very well.

 

[User0001]

Whilst the details haven't been announced, I wouldn't be surprised if IB express is only used to replace Air Nostrum on the longer flights, and only use Nostrum for intra-spain flights.

 

[lbaspotter]

I have heard several rumors now that they could be a couple announcements and some kind of update regarding the Terminal Refurbishment next week.
It's all to co-in-seed with the Airport's 80th anniversary celebrations which will be taking place next Tuesday, October 18th.

I also been told that a special section will be appearing on the airports website next week looking back and show casing its 80 years of aviation History from 1931 to 2011.

 

[lbaspotter]

Whilst the details haven't been announced, I wouldn't be surprised if IB express is only used to replace Air Nostrum on the longer flights, and only use Nostrum for intra-spain flights.

I guess a route to Madrid is possible service from LBA for the near future. I understand that its in the airport's top 10 wish list of destinations and that it was talking to Spanish Airline earlier this year about opening the route.

I read just the other day that over 20 airlines held talks with the airport's management regarding new routes as recent as last week at the World Route Development Conference which was held in Berlin. So hopefully something will come out of these talks.

 

[wawkrk]

As far as I remember, Air Nostrum only provide a very basic type of loco service. I used to commute from Gerona or Reus, can't remember to Madrid on F50's.
Maybe Iberia are re-inventing themselves to be able to hire crew with new working conditions and even become profitable. I can't see the Air Nostrum connection with a full service offering.I think this is something new.

 

[User0001]

I can't see the Air Nostrum connection with a full service offering.I think this is something new

The air Nostrum connection was that, at the moment, there are routes such as MAD-GLA on a CRJ200 and MAN on a CRJ1000.

Iberia could be having a re-shuffle so that:

IB mainline operates long haul/long mid haul only, with core business routes such as LHR/FRA/CDG/FCO/BCN/DME/TLV

IB Express operates the 'secondary' Euro routes such as MUC/MAN/GLA/DUB/MXP/ATH etc, replacing air Nostrum or in some case IB mainline

IB regional (Air Nostrum), taken off routes outside of spain and only used as regional feeder (VLC/PMI/SVQ/BIO etc)

I can only see a few new routes coming off the back of this, and the UK in general, just BHX/EDI being added through this at most. BA (IAG) just doesn't seem to care about, or put much emphasis/priority in serving the smaller ports, such as BRS/LBA/LPL/NWI etc.

 

[wawkrk]

I remember flying from Barcelona to Madrid with Iberia on a full A321.Unless it has changed, there were a huge number of flights on this route.

 

[Jordan-34092]

I remember flying from Barcelona to Madrid with Iberia on a full A321.Unless it has changed, there were a huge number of flights on this route.

Same with TFN - MAD with upto 40 flights a day.

 

[wawkrk]

Iberia flights Madrid to Barcelona, 3 per day, A321-A340-A321. Total flights all airlines, up to 44 flights per day. I don't think Air Nostrum fly this route.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I read that since the inception of the high speed rail link between Madrid and Barcelona in 2008 air passenger traffic on the route has halved in numbers.

 

[Seasider]

I don't know if it is still true, but MAD - BCN was the busiest domestic route in Europe.

 

[White Heather]

Whilst it would be good if LBA did secure Madrid through this re-shuffle of services, I still tend to think that our most likely airline on the route is Ryanair, unless we see some route expansion from Easyjet sooner than we expected. I am sure that LBA management are courting all airlines in the hope that one will take the route up in the not too distant future, but I would have thought Ryanair the most likely.

 

[Jordan-34092]

Whilst it would be good if LBA did secure Madrid through this re-shuffle of services, I still tend to think that our most likely airline on the route is Ryanair, unless we see some route expansion from Easyjet sooner than we expected. I am sure that LBA management are courting all airlines in the hope that one will take the route up in the not too distant future, but I would have thought Ryanair the most likely.

I heard that the easyjet Geneva route is going well enough, that Easyjet want to launch a few new routes from LBA, not a base for the airline though.

 

[tleeds]

I really do hope that easyJet bring something new to the table at LBA. Aiding in this, I can't see them adding to the routes of Ryanair and Jet2 as I just don't think there are enough passengers in the area to enable all three airlines to fly on certain routes.

The more obscure, the better... but not too obscure when no-one wants to fly there...

 

[Aviador]

I really do hope that easyJet bring something new to the table at LBA. Aiding in this, I can't see them adding to the routes of Ryanair and Jet2 as I just don't think there are enough passengers in the area to enable all three airlines to fly on certain routes.

The more obscure, the better... but not too obscure when no-one wants to fly there...

The airport is loosing more than three million passengers a year from North and West Yorkshire to other airports such as Manchester & Liverpool airports and airports in the South East. There is definitely sufficient room for more competition at LBA even during these tough times. The hard part is convincing airlines that may already operate into other airports in the North of England that LBA has sufficient under served potential. Many airlines will just say the area is already served by other airports in the North of England.

 

[User0001]

that Easyjet want to launch a few new routes from LBA, not a base for the airline though

If the information I have received is correct, Easyjet will only be adding a Grenoble route at most from LBA.
I know its MAN-centric, but, the Northern expansion is going to be based over the hill for the foreseeable future as they see MAN as the main catchment site.. Even Liverpool, their 2nd base has started shrinking (10 based down to 9), with their 2nd A320 used to bolster MAN-GVA (on a LPL-GVA-MAN-GVA-LPL routing).

Also, a lot of their attention is based on the Continent at the moment. The UK APD isn't their favourite idea right now.

The thing is, as the economy shrinks once more, and air travel suffers, UK carriers in general are starting to merge cost centres to save money. This is why Easyjet are consolidating at MAN, Flybe have dropped LPL-BHD in favour of their MAN base, Aer Arran closing GWY for the winter, Thomson consolidating at DSA and Thomas Cook in dire straights and dumping long haul.

To be honest, Id be looking more at cuts than route additions, not just at LBA, but UK wide. In terms of MAN, quite frankly, Im surprised so many routes are being added in such uncertain times, its going to be interesting to see who holds out the longest over there.

 

[Bigman]

Things could get even worse at LPL when the new FR base starts at MAN. LPL stand to lose a lot more than we do.

I think we have done very well to hang on to what we have got when you consider what has gone on at the likes of DSA, HUY and DTV.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Surely this conversation should be in the Liverpool thread....

Anyway, with regards to Easyjet at LBA, I have often said that it is about slowly building something with that particular airline. It has oft been remarked that many easyjet type services are already well catered for at LBA. An addition of Grenoble over winter would be superb. After all, anything is a bonus at the moment. The next step would be, perhaps, to get Geneva year round and to tap at one or two of Easyjet's European bases. It is not currently sensible for the Airport or the airline to base aircraft. However, I DO think they would be a credible threat to much of the Jet2 network if they did decide to base.