Eastern Airways

[Foxlimayankee]

CWL-ABZ (via NCL) flights return

Airline announces return of Wales link to Aberdeen

 

[Jerry]

Excellent news!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

CWL-ABZ (via NCL) flights return

https://www.cardiff-airport.com/new...announces-return-of-wales-link-to-aberdeen-1/

How long has ABZ not been served? It seems the ABZ flight will operate via NCL. Is this the exisitng CWL-NCL flight or does it mean there will be extra flights to NCL? I'm guessing not or the press release would have said so. It's also a short lead-in time.

Good news though.

 

[Jerry]

How long has ABZ not been served? It seems the ABZ flight will operate via NCL. Is this the exisitng CWL-NCL flight or does it mean there will be extra flights to NCL? I'm guessing not or the press release would have said so. It's also a short lead-in time.

Good news though.

About a year. It's an onboard transit like before.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

About a year. It's an onboard transit like before.

Thanks. I hadn't realised it was as long as that.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

The reality of that is that the CWL-NCL sector is already operated arriving 1150 and there's a 1225 NCL-ABZ. So it looks like no new flights, just some schedule amendments and marrying up to provide a CWL-NCL-ABZ link. I wonder how the Welsh Government feel about the aircraft being away all day, seeing as they pay for it to be there for the CWL-VLY route.

 

[Jerry]

The reality of that is that the CWL-NCL sector is already operated arriving 1150 and there's a 1225 NCL-ABZ. So it looks like no new flights, just some schedule amendments and marrying up to provide a CWL-NCL-ABZ link. I wonder how the Welsh Government feel about the aircraft being away all day, seeing as they pay for it to be there for the CWL-VLY route.

Well the aircraft had been going back to Newcastle every day anyways so not much of a difference really I'd say. As long as it's back to operate the VLY route and to overnight I'd have thought they'd not be too bothered.

 

[Jerry]

So here's a question.
Is an airport that has a flight like Cardiff to Aberdeen where there is a stop on the way at another airport guilty of PR spin by saying that they have a route to that airport as it's not a direct flight? Including airports like Manchester with Ethiopian where it stops on route at Brussels or i believe Heathrow where Qantas operate a Sydney flight that stops on the way in Singapore i think.
And if i remember correctly before the airport used to have this flight down on their departure board as Aberdeen.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I thought that a direct flight is a link between two airports whether or not it has an intermediate stop as long as the same aircraft* operates the entire route with the same flight number and passengers don't have to change aircraft at the intermediate stop. Many direct flights are non-stop of course and are usually described as such by airlines and airports.

* There is a school of thought that if passengers have to change aircraft at the intermediate stop (or stops) as long as the second aircraft retains the same flight number it is still a direct flight.

This differentiates from a hub airport where, for example, flying to New York with KLM from CWL entails a change of aircraft at Amsterdam and different flight numbers. Clearly that is not a direct flight from CWL to NYC.

 

[Jerry]

* There is a school of thought that if passengers have to change aircraft at the intermediate stop (or stops) as long as the second aircraft retains the same flight number it is still a direct flight.

QF1/2 from Heathrow to Sydney and vice versa could be an example of that as the passengers have to deboard but keep their exact seats on the same aircraft.

I thought that a direct flight is a link between two airports whether or not it has an intermediate stop as long as the same aircraft* operates the entire route with the same flight number and passengers don't have to change aircraft at the intermediate stop. Many direct flights are non-stop of course and are usually described as such by airlines and airports.

In Norway Wideroe operate routes where the aircraft stops on the way at several different airports same. United Airlines also operate what is called the island hopper from Honolulu to Guam via lots of Pacific islands in Micronesia.
It just seems to me that many people's definition of a route is that it has to go direct.

 

[Finger66]

Direct - definitely means no changes. Non stop does what is says on this tin

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Direct - definitely means no changes. Non stop does what is says on this tin

this is correct. BA operate a direct flight to Sydney but not a nonstop to Perth to Qantas do (From Heathrow).

 

[TheLocalYokel]

this is correct. BA operate a direct flight to Sydney but not a nonstop to Perth to Qantas do (From Heathrow).

QF10 operates LHR-PER non-stop as you say. It then carries on as QF10 to MEL with a mix of international passengers who boarded at LHR and domestic ones who boarded at PER. My wife and I used it a year ago this week between PER and MEL. So it's non-stop to PER and direct to MEL.

The Eastern ABZ news has certainly taken us around the world today in this thread. I think we can safely say that CWL-ABZ is a direct flight.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

The boards should show as Newcastle\Aberdeen.

Unfortunately the way the slots drop into the system it shows as final destination Aberdeen (old systems).

This means a manual intervention on a nightly basis is made where they amend the Newcastle\Aberdeen. (I only know because I used to do it)

 

[geoff]

Is it this week that CWL officials are meeting with Loganair, I found it rather strange that Flybe/Eastern re-introduced the add on from Newcastle within 1 week of the announcement, and with only 3 days to book before starting. are they wary of what Lm might offer CWL. It is still nice to see route back, whoever operates it.

 

[Jarvo]

Is it this week that CWL officials are meeting with Loganair, I found it rather strange that Flybe/Eastern re-introduced the add on from Newcastle within 1 week of the announcement.

I do think you have a valid point there. I imagine Aberdeen would have been one of the priorities for CWL in the talks with Loganair, so the timings and quick turnaround from announcement to sale would support that.
In fairness to Eastern, the route makes total sense. The plane has to be in CWL for the Anglesey flight, so the Newcastle route is a near operational necessity but has been tanking recently with less than 50% occupancy (in a 29 seater plane that's dreadful). So supplementing the CWL-NCL leg with ABZ passengers will help improve load factors on that leg, and picking up extra passengers in NCL will make the NCL-ABZ leg viable too.

 

[Jerry]

Aberdeen is now onsale.
Times are CWL-ABZ 10.20-13.25 ABZ-CWL 11.55-14.55 each flight includes a technical stop at Newcastle along the way.
Route opearates Monday to Friday.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

So it looks like a way of rotating the CWL based aircraft more. Each day the aircraft will need to swap judging by the above.

 

[Jerry]

So it looks like a way of rotating the CWL based aircraft more. Each day the aircraft will need to swap judging by the above.

The aircraft was going back to Newcastle every day I just wonder if with Aberdeen they get better utilisation of the whole J41 fleet rotating through Aberdeen, Newcastle and Humberside? As I do believe that they are short of aircraft now after parking many J41s up.

 

[Jerry]

Eastern have added flights from Newcastle on Sundays. They start in January.

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