Route Development & Rumours

[White Heather]

Thanks for the update Heather.

Interesting news regards the Business orientated routes. Lets hope they happen!

Was anything said about Eastern Airways recent withdrawal of the Aberdeen route and reduced Southampton service, or getting a replacement route to Berlin seen as our resident based airline Jet2 are axing it in January?

That would be a No lbaspotter. They are very reluctant to say anything specific regarding routes they are working on, or which airlines they are talking to. I am sure though, that as they did with Dusseldorf, they will be looking for someone to pick up Berlin. As for Aberdeen, I am not so sure. Who will be able to do the route? Apart from Loganair, what airline is there with the right sized equipment?

 

[Bigman]

If Imran Khan wins the Pakistan election, I wonder if he will arrange for PIA to come back in so he can come to Emerald Headlingley to watch cricket??

 

[markietg]

Might be totally Un LBA related but I have 4 gents who have just checked in at my work who work for Gulf Air. They have meetings here tomorrow. I know Gulf are by far the smallest of the middle eastern airlines but they seem to be growing in the past year. They have 3 787-9’s in their fleet now with more to come. Also A320/321 Neo’s due later this year. Connections from Bahrain to many cities in the Middle East, Pakistan and India. Bangkok and Manila too. Could be a nice addition to LBA.

 

[White Heather]

Might be totally Un LBA related but I have 4 gents who have just checked in at my work who work for Gulf Air. They have meetings here tomorrow. I know Gulf are by far the smallest of the middle eastern airlines but they seem to be growing in the past year. They have 3 787-9’s in their fleet now with more to come. Also A320/321 Neo’s due later this year. Connections from Bahrain to many cities in the Middle East, Pakistan and India. Bangkok and Manila too. Could be a nice addition to LBA.

What a nice thought

 

[Finger66]

I suspect there may be a big gulf between fact and desire lol, but I suppose this is not beyond the realms of possibility. They may just see the gap in the market....... Mind you the weather will be a factor as they will need everything bar rain. Sorry I just couldn't resist.

 

[Bigman]

Good point!! Whatever happened to the PIA starting in February rumour?

 

[dmrodgers]

any Indications of any new routes from LBA? It seems to have gone a bit flat and whilst there is still some passenger growth, it would be good to see something new and inspiring from the airport rather than another rotation to a well served sun route somewhere.

If Emirates can fill three A380's daily and Etihad a 777 and a 787 daily to Abu Dhabi then surely we could operate a twice weekly service in Dubai using a new carrier with something smaller in the 230 seat range. Even Jet2 holidays offering something using one of their 757's as per New York or a chartered in aircraft could be profitable. Out on say a Friday returning either on a Monday or a Tuesday gives the opportunity for a long weekend break or midweek break plus longer stays Friday to Friday or Monday.Tuesday to Monday/Tuesday. Or possibly FlyDubai using one of their 737 MAX8 aircraft.

 

[lbaspotter]

Sadly we wont know, we'll apart from the rumours that go around!

As I suspect that any new routes or airline operators the airports management is in discussions with, will have to remain strickly cormericial in confidence until the time any official announcement is made public.

 

[LsS27]

I wouldn't bank on Shaheen doing Pakistan. They are have 'difficulties' and from what I have read they have shed some aircraft

 

[White Heather]

Sadly we wont know, we'll apart from the rumours that go around!

As I suspect that any new routes or airline operators the airports management is in discussions with, will have to remain strickly cormericial in confidence until the time any official announcement is made public.

Absolutely right lbaspotter. LBA management won't even tell us at the Consultative Meetings what they are planning or which airlines they are speaking to. It is all treated as Commercial in Confidence. All they will say is that they hope to be able to announce something positive soon, which of course they always will say. At least they have said what their targets are - specifically more business orientated routes, so we can have a guess at some of the routes which they will be looking at. Whether they can get airlines to invest in LBA, take the risk and start up services is another matter, given that in most cases there is a ready made operation over the Pennines.

 

[a300boy]

Thereby holds our problem the mighty Manchester Airport growing all the time,
Sadly I think we have missed the boat.

 

[twevsmiff]

Sadly I think we have missed the boat.

I dont know, how about Jet2Cruises on the Leeds-Liverpool canal.
But, yes Manchester has a bigger ship canal

 

[a300boy]

We cant win !!!!

 

[Finger66]

Actually I think we can win. Manchester have apparently buggered up security and this is having an effect on pax appeal. So if we can just attract a couple of new euro routes (discussions ongoing in strict commercial confidence) then leakage west may just reduce a little. The downside to this is another domestic route may just be coming to the end of its useful life, at least with the current operator.

 

[a300boy]

Thats not winning in my book ! The leakage across the hills continues and is gathering momentum.
Good to hear we might have a little success but connectivity direct from Lba to Europe is very limited and if you
want to fly direct its got to be from Manchester with all its problems.

 

[mullion]

It`s problems are made to sound worse than they really are and things are going to improve as the new terminal
and piers start to open in April next year

 

[lbaspotter]

Rumours circulating that the maybe a route announcement coming.

Adding fuel to fire is the fact the German airline in question has now started appear on LBA's own website. When you perbook car parking or an airport lounge access, Check the drop down menu of listed airlines.
Meanwhile the airline in question has also posted on its own twitter account today that it will be updating its own website reservation systems overnight tonight.

So watch this space. Hopefully something might happen..

 

[B737]

Eurowings taking over the Berlin route from Jet2?

 

[Ashwo99]

Hopefully eurowings actually start flights this time, if I remember correctly they were rumoured a few years ago after they applied for some slots from LBA-MUC I think, but it turned out they were placeholder slots, let’s hope this attempt goes further

 

[lbaspotter]

Hopefully eurowings actually start flights this time, if I remember correctly they were rumoured a few years ago after they applied for some slots from LBA-MUC I think, but it turned out they were placeholder slots, let’s hope this attempt goes further

Yeap, it sure was something along them lines if I remember correctly.