Route Development & Rumours

[LBA4EVER]

I got excited for a second when I saw all the posts in this room lol once again=runway length,end of! in the future though I believe a Pakistan route with a 787 8/9 or similar is a strong possibility.

 

[Finger66]

There are some absolutely cracking points of view being expressed by everyone, and as has been said before we are all entitled to our point of view. Mine being I would have never envisaged 4m pax through LBA ever so all I will say is never say never!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Lets hope the situation with the cargo facility is resolved, cargo revenue can be the difference between make and break for regional wide body services.

 

[White Heather]

I have no doubt that was the view held by David Laws, but look how that ended..A reassurance from the new owners would be most welcome.

David Laws did work for the new owners and what he was stating is the (not so new) owners policy.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

In David Laws we had someone who 'understood' regional aviation. He had considerable practical experience and contacts and I was confident that his strategy to expand business travel and attract a wide body operator was well informed. What really concerns me is that the new director may not have such experience, at least not in such depth.

Do we know if the new director has come up through the ranks of regional aviation, or is he more of an accountant placing emphasis on developing areas that are easier pickings, such (as could be agued) leisure travel?

 

[Aviador]

Up until now UK airports have followed their own financial model associated with the type of traffic they aim to attract. Airports such as Heathrow and London City follow a full service model whereas airports like Liverpool and Luton follow a low cost model. Up until not long ago Leeds and Manchester used to follow a full service model, but they now rely heavily on low cost airlines and as such they now lean towards the low cost airport model.

I think recently we have seen a number of air bridges removed at one of the terminals at Manchester airport and like other low cost airports Manchester has introduced pick up and drop off fees.

My personal belief is we are seeing the emergence of a two tier airport model where both low cost and full service airlines can operate without being compromised by the airports own financial model. The introduction of more high spec paid departure facilities and executive lounges are being expanded along with the introduction of new dedicated private terminals. All designed to please the full service airlines along with passengers travelling with low cost airlines seeking to upgrade their airport experience. Leeds has an advantage here because of its size.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Airbus are looking into an a321 xlr (extra long range) that can fly from mid usa to middle east without a fuel stop. If there is big interest for this aircraft do you all this could open the way for middle east routes etc or would widebody be more profitable? thoughts..

 

[Finger66]

I think it's one of many reasons why we should never say never when it comes to LBA. The traditional wide body, and I refer to B747 and A380 in that breath, have probably now had their day. In our ever increasing overcrowded transport world convenience could just be key. So yes a/c with less capacity may be the answer, especially as they become more economic to operate. That said, and probably quite rightly, some one is going to put the wide body argument forward.............

 

[Jerry]

From experience the wide body is a must for flights of 6 hours or more in my opinion.

Yet narrow body aircraft have been used transatlantic for decades. If people want to use the service then they won't be bothered by the aircraft

 

[Jerry]

I suppose its down to personal choice....the reason I don't do MAN to NWK is that they use 757’s so I do LHR to JFK on a 747 in most cases.

Newark? That's on a 767 now.
In the end wide narrow body you get the same amount of space.

 

[Jerry]

I never knew that thanks for informing me....will give it a try next time around.
I disagree with the same amount of space as I go Club World and its nice to chat facing each other.

That's out of my price range! All my experiences are in economy.

 

[Scottie Dog]

What you say Offint about not flying on a particular route due to perception can of course be a problem.
Whilst the route has only swapped from a B757 to a B767 since 31st March you presumably have avoided flying from The North due to having not checked for any changes. Hopefully you will, as intimated, try the route again in the future.

 

[Aviador]

Newark? That's on a 767 now.
In the end wide narrow body you get the same amount of space.

I was going to say the same regarding passenger space and comfort. It all depends on the seating configuration from a passenger prospective. An airline may have different concerns such as the ability to carry freight with a good mix of freight and passengers. Transferring from wide bodied to narrow may suit some airlines if they can attract sufficient numbers of high end business class passengers. Other airlines may need a higher throughput of freight to make a particular route viable.

 

[Jerry]

I was going to say the same regarding passenger space and comfort. It all depends on the seating configuration from a passenger prospective. An airline may have different concerns such as the ability to carry freight with a good mix of freight and passengers. Transferring from wide bodied to narrow may suit some airlines if they can attract sufficient numbers of high end business class passengers. Other airlines may need a higher throughput of freight to make a particular route viable.

I think as well that a lot of people assume that there is more space on a wide body because it's bigger so would be more comfortable whereas that isn't always the case. Business class wise yes there could be a difference in product because of the space but JetBlue use narrow body aircraft and people rave about it. So it does depend on the airline.

 

[Aviador]

An addition to what we've already spoke about which is short field performance. A high performance of a fully laden aircraft is essential whether that be a Boeing 737, Airbus A321, A330 or Boeing 777. You can have a relatively small aircraft with an abysmal take off performance, likewise you can have a large aircraft with superb take off performance. There are so many considerations an airline must go through prior to a route commencing.

 

[Finger66]

I think there may also be a bit of a generation thing here too. Those of a certain age are more used to four engines long haul, although that didn't necessarily mean wide body. 2 engines and narrow body much more the norm now. Whatever works will work but if it doesn't prove profitable then it won't last, but narrow bodies are less seats to fill. It certainly does give LBA a better chance. It's just whether it's a big enough chance

 

[Len Fish]

Airbus are looking into an a321 xlr (extra long range) that can fly from mid usa to middle east without a fuel stop. If there is big interest for this aircraft do you all this could open the way for middle east routes etc or would widebody be more profitable? thoughts..

An announcement regarding the A321-XLR is expected at the forthcoming Paris Air Show which starts tomorrow. Seems that Airbus see this as an ideal opportunity to take advantage of Boeing’s current troubles by developing an aircraft to fill the gap left by the ageing 757 that would be ready well before the proposed all new Boeing 797.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I am going to the show. Fly from MAN at 06:20 tomorrow. Shame no conveniently timed flights from LBA would have saved cost of hotel and had extra hour in bed!

 

[Jerry]

An announcement regarding the A321-XLR is expected at the forthcoming Paris Air Show which starts tomorrow. Seems that Airbus see this as an ideal opportunity to take advantage of Boeing’s current troubles by developing an aircraft to fill the gap left by the ageing 757 that would be ready well before the proposed all new Boeing 797.

It is looking like that the 757 as an aircraft won't be replaced by Boeing and that the 797 is more of a replacement for 767.

 

[Aviador]

I thought the 757 replacement was in the design stages?