Bristol Airport - General Thread

[kraktoa]

Their twitter account is now officail with a blue tick

 

[TheLocalYokel]

There is now a press release on the BRS website regarding the new peak-summer Cagliari service. I've reproduced the press release in the Bristol Airport Route News thread.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

When a route is released or suggested in the press an example is LCY and New York, a lot is mentioned of the economic boost to the area that it would bring I wonder if it is the same with BRS?
And CWL does get a lot of people moaning about it!

Yes, the airport has certainly gone down the economy boost road in its public pronouncements, as have local business groups, but the latter didn't really put their money where their mouth is when the Continental Newark service was running.

One of the reasons CO gave for discontinuing the service was a poor take-up in the business-first cabin, at least at full fare. The route operated from May 2005 until November 2010, daily in summer and from 4-5 weekly in winter although parts of January were reduced to 2-3 weekly in some years, and until the recession really hit BRS in 2009 loads overall were pretty good. Loads were also improving in the final months of the route.

The disappointing front cabin occupancy obviously helped to dilute yields.

My own view is that the route would have been axed anyway. When CO began BRS in 2005 they had no access to LHR. Within about three years they did and immediately switched their LGW-EWR route to LHR. I believed that from then on BRS was on borrowed time, and so it proved.

The BRS B 757 was effectively moved to LHR to form the fifth daily service between LHR and EWR.

 

[Jerry]

My own view is that the route would have been axed anyway. When CO began BRS in 2005 they had no access to LHR. Within about three years they did and immediately switched their LGW-EWR route to LHR. I believed that from then on BRS was on borrowed time, and so it proved.

The BRS B 757 was effectively moved to LHR to form the fifth daily service between LHR and EWR

I do believe that what will end up happening is that the legacy carriers will concentrate on the big airports like LHR, LGW and MAN while the low cost carriers will do the routes from the smaller airports like BRS and BHX. Whether they go to smaller airports like CWL and EXT will remain to be seen.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Maybe, but if that did happen I'd tend to group BHX with the likes of MAN and LGW.

 

[ethanegcc]

I understand BH air operated 332s into BRS and TOM will operate some 788 SFB and CUN services next year direct. Could BRS accommodate 789/333 aircraft, with payload restrictions?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I understand BH air operated 332s into BRS and TOM will operate some 788 SFB and CUN services next year direct. Could BRS accommodate 789/333 aircraft, with payload restrictions?

The BH flights were for operational reasons in that they replaced the scheduled A320s some weeks, but I assume the loads were '320 size'.

I don't know about B789 aircraft or A350s for that matter. We were told on good authority in the BRS forum on F4A earlier this year that Thomas Cook had evaluated the airport and were going to commence A332 flights to Florida. They had calculated that the flights could operate non-stop nearly all the time.

It was a bit like TUI who used former First Choice B 767s (the ones with 270 seats) on BRS-Sanford for several years and they managed that route non-stop, although there was always a contingency plan to address the fact that they might need to take on fuel outbound under certain conditions. The TUI 767 Cancun flights always stopped for en-route fuel outbound (at MAN).

It seems that TCX's idea was scuppered when TUI came in with their 787 flights to Florida (and Mexico).

 

[Jerry]

It seems that TCX's idea was scuppered when TUI came in with their 787 flights to Florida (and Mexico).

Which is surprising because considering BRS's large wealthy catchment area and South Wales and Devon and Cornwall which are also part of it then i would've thought there would be room for both especially on Orlando. I for one am glad TCX is still at CWL and do wish they would put on more Orlando flights especially during the school holidays but i am surprised they are still there with long haul.

 

[superking]

roumer is strong that a operator of a 350 planes when they come into service are doing facts and figures about operating from brs. wait with interest with that one.

 

[Jerry]

If it is who i think it is possible those A350s which were delayed in delivery could free up there 787 8s which already can takeoff from BRS.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Robert Sinclair, BRS CEO, was on the local Bristol tv station this evening giving his views on the LHR runway being the government's preferred option. Unsurprisingly, he doesn't think much of it.

He believes that regional airports should take a bigger share of the country's aviation traffic and said that already between six and seven million people from the South West use LHR each year. Expansion of LHR would suck more travellers out of the region.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Further to my previous post, the airport has now put a press release on its website.

Bristol Airport’s response to Heathrow decision
Created: 25th Oct 2016

Bristol airport urges government to support aviation growth across the whole country

Bristol Airport has highlighted the role of major regional airports in meeting growing demand for air travel following the Government’s announcement of support for a third runway at Heathrow.

Commenting on the decision, Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer at Bristol Airport, said:

“Today’s decision reflects the new Government’s keen focus to keep Britain moving and demonstrate it is open for business in a post-Brexit era. However, most passengers flying into and out of the UK use airports other than Heathrow. The benefits of increased connectivity, inbound tourism and more jobs must be spread across the whole country, not just concentrated in London.

In particular, the role of major regional airports, like Bristol, must not be overlooked following what has been a South East focused debate. The solution to capacity constraints in London has dominated the UK aviation agenda for decades yet, even with Government support, a third runway at Heathrow remains many years away and better use of existing capacity must be a priority in the meantime. For many passengers beyond the capital, there is another option in the shape of resurgent airports like Bristol.”

Bristol Airport is expected to serve more than eight million passengers next year. Planning permission is in place for facilities to handle 10 million passengers per annum, while completion of a second major terminal extension this winter will take investment at the Airport to nearly £150 million since 2010.

Commenting on surface access improvements to support expansion at Heathrow, Robert Sinclair said:

“Simply funnelling passengers from all over the UK into Heathrow is not a comprehensive or sustainable transport strategy. More needs to be done to improve surface access to regional airports which can meet demand closer to where it arises, reducing journey times for travellers and encouraging public transport use in the process. Support for schemes such as the Bristol South West Economic Link in next month’s Autumn Statement would demonstrate the Government’s commitment to balanced aviation growth with real benefits beyond the South East.”

Commenting on proposals to mitigate the environmental impact of a third runway at Heathrow, Robert Sinclair said:

“An expanded Heathrow would handle ten times the current number of aircraft movements at Bristol Airport, with at least 200 times as many people affected by noise. This difference in scale clearly illustrates why restrictions and mitigation measures which may be required at Heathrow are not right for regional airports seeking to grow. In our view, existing structures and approaches already strike an appropriate balance for most airports and the local communities around them.”

https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/ab...-media-centre/2016/10/london-heathrow-airport

I noted his comment about serving over eight million passengers next year.

Given that this year will probably see somewhere in the region of 7.5 million (up nearly 1.2 million in the past two years) I'm wondering where the additional passengers will come from in 2017. An additional easyJet aircraft based in peak summer won't generate anything like that number so to achieve over eight million something else significant will be required.

 

[superking]

I noted his comment about serving over eight million passengers next year.

Given that this year will probably see somewhere in the region of 7.5 million (up nearly 1.2 million in the past two years) I'm wondering where the additional passengers will come from in 2017. An additional easyJet aircraft based in peak summer won't generate anything like that number so to achieve over eight million something else significant will be required. this post written by localyokel
I noted the same as you about 8million pax.to get there,there must be either new airlines coming in or the airlines already here to expand their services already offered. as usual he cant say much,but it does sound like something is in the pipeline. wait with interest on it.

 

[Marko1]

Given that there is already 14 aircraft planned for early summer with ezy I wonder whether no 15 may come with the launch of later flights in mid. November. Don't forget that ezy haven't added any new routes yet either and they are usually announced in December. Also is there more to come from Ryanair? However my money is still on another based airline to reach 8 mill

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Building three new stands during the winter tends to suggest that more aircraft are expected from somewhere.

The BRS management team has been pretty accurate in its forecasts for this year and last year, so over 8 million should not be dismissed lightly. Perhaps the difference this time is Brexit where no-one really knows what effect a weaker pound and sentiment generally might have on passengers or even on airlines.

Without Brexit I'd be thinking the management team would already be looking to see how they could increase the current 10 mppa planning limit. At the end of 2014 there is no way I'd have suggested that 8 mppa would be reached by 2017 so, in a Brexit-free environment, who is to say that 10 mppa would not have been reached by 2020?

Incidentally, some of us have moaned about the lack of press releases in recent months with a comment from an airport manager that they don't flood the market any more (not her exact words) because the local press sometimes ignores the releases. The Bristol Post (former Evening Post) has carried Robert Sinclair's LHR runway press release in today's edition.

 

[kraktoa]

Over 700,000 flights a year when 3rd runway is ready at LHR. it wont touch Atlanta and Chicago who are both above 800,000 movements already. And LHR runway is over a decade away.

 

[vickersviscount]

Some of you may have noticed that the airport Hotel which was originally due to open for winter 2016,is now scheduled to open february 2017.I've been told the reason for this is that one of the contractors drilled a hole in the roof and for what ever reason it wasn't sealed properly.Not surprisingly rain entered said hole and damaged forty of the fully furnished bedrooms.One set of contractors are trying to finish the hotel and another set of contractors are carrying out the refit of carpet and furnishings for the damaged rooms.As Homer Simpson is apt to say DOH!

 

[kraktoa]

They still havent fixed the UKs largest TV screen in the new departures security area. It was also rain damaged duevto a hole in the new roof. Do i detect a pattern here?

 

[Jerry]

Building three new stands during the winter tends to suggest that more aircraft are expected from somewhere.

I think i remember you saying that the stands may just be parking stands because of their position? Jet2's earliest departure for today that i could find was 09.00 so it could be possible once the early EZY and FR flights have departed to tow the planes onto stands which can load passengers.

 

[superking]

leaking roof sounds a bit like fred karnos army. you could not make it up.