Route Development & Rumours

[Statto]

And subsidies / incentives can result in a route making money for the airline flying the service and losing money for the airport authority offering the subsidy.

If only there were a contemporary example in this region where incentives had been used to attract airlines and the airport operator had lost money hand over fist.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

You seem to suggest they haven't offered a subsidy. You dont know that. Nobody knows what's been offered, but LBA dont make stupid offers to entice airlines in. It's not their policy.

Clearly I have no way of knowing. What I'm saying is if LBA are confident a night stopper will increase traffic to a level acceptable to BA (at which point the subsidy would stop) then they should have no worries about offering a very large incentive.

 

[Aviador]

A "Peel Deal" of sorts didn't do DSA any good though did it. Maybe a huge incentive isn't the right thing to do in this instance. It's a two way bargaining chip. It's not just about what airports can offer airlines. It works the other way too. If a valuable 06:00 night time slot departing LBA would be filled by Jet2 offering a full plane load of passengers who are likely to spend heavily in the airport concessions then why should LBA offer anything to get BA back to Leeds. There are many reasons why LBA should be attractive to airlines without incentives. Those airlines already at LBA are tapping into a hugely undeserved market.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Be

A "Peel Deal" of sorts didn't do DSA any good though did it. Maybe a huge incentive isn't the right thing to do in this instance. It's a two way bargaining chip. It's not just about what airports can offer airlines. It works the other way too. If a valuable 06:00 night time slot departing LBA would be filled by Jet2 offering a full plane load of passengers who are likely to spend heavily in the airport concessions then why should LBA offer anything to get BA back to Leeds. There are many reasons why LBA should be attractive to airlines without incentives. Those airlines already at LBA are tapping into a hugely undeserved market.

To me, the marque of a 'proper' airport is having a BA service. Its brings a huge amount of kudos that other airlines don't.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Be
To me, the marque of a 'proper' airport is having a BA service. Its brings a huge amount of kudos that other airlines don't.

Id also say a LH service as well!

 

[Jerry]

Be
To me, the marque of a 'proper' airport is having a BA service. Its brings a huge amount of kudos that other airlines don't.

Birmingham doesn't have a BA service, is BHX not a 'proper' airport? Bristol doesn't have one is it not a proper airport? Liverpool? What Leeds and Yorkshire needs is connections to Europe via European mainline airlines like Lufthansa and Air France. The train can provide the connection to London.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Birmingham doesn't have a BA service, is BHX not a 'proper' airport? Bristol doesn't have one is it not a proper airport? Liverpool? What Leeds and Yorkshire needs is connections to Europe via European mainline airlines like Lufthansa and Air France. The train can provide the connection to London.

I agree we need more 'flag carriers' but starting with BA please.

 

[A400]

Birmingham doesn't have a BA service, is BHX not a 'proper' airport? Bristol doesn't have one is it not a proper airport? Liverpool? What Leeds and Yorkshire needs is connections to Europe via European mainline airlines like Lufthansa and Air France. The train can provide the connection to London.

The trains are useless at the moment. Right now I’d say if BA did decide to reinstate LBA-LHR it could work to their advantage. I travelled with them a few times before it was “suspended” and even when they only did one flight a day at 11ish the flights were still full.

 

[Jerry]

The trains are useless at the moment. Right now I’d say if BA did decide to reinstate LBA-LHR it could work to their advantage. I travelled with them a few times before it was “suspended” and even when they only did one flight a day at 11ish the flights were still full.

They are at the moment but eventually they'll get back too normal. If BA were going too reinstate it then surely they'd have done so by now.

 

[A400]

Well they still say it’s suspended so time will tell

 

[lbaspotter]

Oh god I really did open a can of worms on here the other night, didn't I?

For me i'ld be really happy if British Airways just returned with the twice daily schedule we use to have, mid morning BA1340/1341 rotation and the tea time BA1346/1347 rotation as both hit good connection waves at Heathrow.

I really don't think they would get a night stopper as some would like to wish for on here, lack of demand for point to point passengers, the amount money involved to accommodate crew overnight along with getting a early prime time morning slot into Heathrow I'll just cost too much.

 

[rmac]

Maybe, possibly BA planned to return when the new terminal was opened but sadly this is not to be.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Maybe, possibly BA planned to return when the new terminal was opened but sadly this is not to be.

There was a suggestion not that long ago that LBA were negotiating with a new carrier (Play?). Sounded very optimistic but nothing announced yet.

 

[lbaspotter]

There was a suggestion not that long ago that LBA were negotiating with a new carrier (Play?). Sounded very optimistic but nothing announced yet.

Yes Play Airlines have applied for slots, that's all we know at this time.

Hopefully the commercial teams at LBA will have being negotiating to see if deal can be made between the two parties to get flights operating.
This as you know all takes time, especially when they (Play) have also applied for slots at Birmingham and Manchester meaning in theory could be playing each airport off against one another to get the best deal

 

[Kevin Farnell]

they (Play) have also applied for slots at Birmingham and Manchester meaning in theory could be playing each airport off against one another to get the best deal

I can't see that there is any real competition between BHX and LBA as the distance is too far, but both airports compete with MAN. Play seem to be in an expansionist mode at the moment, so hopefully at least 2 out of the 3 airports mentioned will gain a service.

 

[White Heather]

It was said at the last Consultative meeting, and I did report, that 'new carriers' were interested in operating from LBA, and had been in discussion with Nicola McMullen, but it was likely to be 2024 when they arrived.

 

[oldendays]

It's been proven before that when there are problems on the trains between Leeds and London, the airlines benefit. British Midland did especially well in the aftermath of the Hatfield accident, substituting a 737-400 for the usual -500 on a five times per day service. It was either Jersey European or British Midland who ceased their London City service just a few days before another rail incident compromised the King's Cross services. If only they'd hung on for just a little longer...

 

[Kevin Farnell]

if BA did decide to reinstate LBA-LHR it could work to their advantage.

In reality, I think that you need to step back from looking at a BA LHR service from an LBA point of view and look at it from a BA management point of view. BA's goal is to provide the best return on investment for it's shareholders. With slots so expensive at LHR, is a shuttle service to LBA the most profitable use of such slots?, or would the same slots used for long haul services provide more revenue for BA?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not being anti-LBA, just realistic. My own beloved BHX used to have many flights per day to LHR, but these stopped when slots became restrictive and I know that the service is never coming back. But BHX now has many onward connections via European and eastern carriers. I think that this is where LBA's future lies, rather than trying to tempt back BA.

 

[A400]

But BHX now has many onward connections via European and eastern carriers. I think that this is where LBA's future lies, rather than trying to tempt back BA.

I beg to differ with your comments on this. London Heathrow is a major airport and has many options for travelling across the world and I get their is also European Airports and airlines that can be used aswell as you’ve mentioned however there’s places that you can travel direct from LHR that you can’t from many European competitors (Australia as an example) and the fact they still say the route is suspended does raise questions on weather they will come back or not.

I know we can’t have everything we want but it’s just my take on it.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

I beg to differ with your comments on this. London Heathrow is a major airport and has many options for travelling across the world and I get their is also European Airports and airlines that can be used aswell as you’ve mentioned however there’s places that you can travel direct from LHR that you can’t from many European competitors (Australia as an example) and the fact they still say the route is suspended does raise questions on weather they will come back or not.

I know we can’t have everything we want but it’s just my take on it.

Ever since BA closed their BHX base, they have been on my 'no fly' list. If I have to travel to LHR to fly, it wont be with BA. As for getting to Australia from BHX, that's easy - Emirates (I've done it)! Or, even Air India via Delhi. And if Qatar re-start their BHX service (they have requested double daily slots for an A350), all the more choice. Who needs Heathrow?