Route Development & Rumours

[White Heather]

It did. There was a major falling-out between the airport and the airline over the thorny issue of paying bills.


Isn't it more likely that they just don't see anything at LBA on which they could make money?

Well yes, but nobody will convince me they were ever going to make money on routes out of Teesside or other Airports in competition with Eastern, and the fact they withdrew their LHR service ( and several others) has shown they have frequently taken on routes from airports, that haven't been a success. Yet, there are routes out of LBA, that are either not served at all, or seriously underserved, ideal for an E jet or ATR that they would almost certainly find would attract good passenger loads given the chance. I would go so far as to say that an LBA base could be very successful for Loganair .

 

[HX3]

What’s the crack with why the chap at Loganair fell out with LBA? Surely different management now, so an opportunity to heal any wounds and do good business for both parties. Most businesses and owners move on and adapt, so the fact he is potentially unwilling, is surprising…

 

[Statto]

No evidence of a falling out with Loganair. The suggestion is that the falling out was with Eastern. Considering how much JH has done for LBA in the past, then the fact they don‘t operate any routes from LBA is probably a good clue as to how profitable those routes are likely to be

 

[White Heather]

No evidence of a falling out with Loganair. The suggestion is that the falling out was with Eastern. Considering how much JH has done for LBA in the past, then the fact they don‘t operate any routes from LBA is probably a good clue as to how profitable those routes are likely to be

People keep saying that, yet they have started numerous routes which clearly were not going to be profitable - and then stopped them. There are very clearly route opportunities out of LBA that would be profitable, mainly on to the continent, but they would probably require a base, and certainly right now, that's an unlikely scenario.

 

[rmac]

Forget Loganair and Eastern, we need BA when the building work is finished and everyone will have a better experience of using LBA.

 

[Finger66]

There is a certain irony in all this. There is money to be made at LBA with the right aircraft operating at the right frequency and schedule. I know UK domestic travel has generally taken a hit but longer routes to places like ABZ, SOU, NQY should all work. I am not going to go over old ground with T3 and their falling out with LBA but they had a successful operation at LBA at one point with SOU and ABZ, even at extortionate fares. BE mk1 did well on NQY. And it beggars belief we don’t have daily/double daily links to most of the main European hubs. There is even some scope re IOM and JER where water needs to be crossed as the LS schedule isn’t great to JER - and will that even stay once the last of the B733s go. Unless of course the next Airbus order is for A220s! There must be more to all this than meets the eye

 

[Statto]

The world has changed I’m afraid. I’m writing this having spent a few days in London. Bearing in mind Tues - Weds - Thurs are the ‘busy’ days, it‘s still nowhere near what it was pre-covid. Lots of space on the tube in rush hour, cafes and fast food places still,boarded up and closed in the City. The serviced offices we use were mostly empty. The people that were in seemed to be on video calls to other people that were clearly at home. So the fact that airlines in the past may have made money on routes to ABZ, GLA, SOU etc doesn‘t mean a lot.

There used to be a thriving Blockbuster store near me 15 years ago that did DVD rentals. It’s not there now and it’s never coming back. I feel the same about the type of domestic flying that used be successful from LBA. Overwater to Belfast will continue to do well and there is scope for a connecting service into LHR, and maybe a leisure route to NQY, but what else ?

 

[Jerry]

Just tried to make a dummy booking in June to Newquay from Humberside on a summer Sunday. Only 6 seats sold to date, so not exactly profitable so far for Eastern. Humberside too far away from the major areas of population will always be a issue in maintaining a profitable sustainable service unlike LBA which has a vast area of population to call on and a dreadful train service to Nequay o no competition

With a service like that there could be a holiday company already taking an allocation on the flights.

 

[Aviador]

I will be shocked if we don't see the return of some domestic routes once we get the new airport parkway station open. A combination of a rail link and a terminal transformation enabling the airport to handle more passengers should prove to be the catalyst we need.

 

[Ian Gratton]

Wouldn't Emerald be a good choice to operate a LHR schedule, could be done with a BHD based aircraft and an ATR would offer the right capacity, being part of the BA group they would be able to offer interline fares and connections, they also seem very keen to expand

 

[Jerry]

Wouldn't Emerald be a good choice to operate a LHR schedule, could be done with a BHD based aircraft and an ATR would offer the right capacity, being part of the BA group they would be able to offer interline fares and connections, they also seem very keen to expand

Why would they? Emerald are an Irish airline that looks too focus on flying from Ireland too Great Britain. If LHR-LBA is ever going too return the only real option is BA.

 

[Starflyer]

People keep saying that, yet they have started numerous routes which clearly were not going to be profitable - and then stopped them. There are very clearly route opportunities out of LBA that would be profitable, mainly on to the continent, but they would probably require a base, and certainly right now, that's an unlikely scenario.

Several things wrong here, I think. Firstly, using MME (or indeed CAX) is not a great example as I think everyone knows the airport was supporting routes financially at the time. Presumably the money stopped so the routes stopped - i.e. they weren't profitable?

Secondly, basing is a very expensive business with the minimum levels of engineering cover and standby support that you need to have. A one aircraft base is never really going to float anyone's boat nowadays.

And thirdly, Loganair have run a mile from any scheduled services into continental Europe of late. Brussels, Dusseldorf - all gone. They do Scandinavia but that's it. I seem to recall some comment that doing business in Germany wasn't easy and they'd rather not.

 

[markietg]

Brrrrrrr…..cold tonight isn’t it. I thought we wouldn’t be seeing any ice until at least November

 

[Finger66]

@markietg is that an intentional Play on words?

 

[markietg]

You may say that Finger66…but I couldn’t possibly comment.

 

[Finger66]

I am sure you could comment @markietg but respect that anything you know will have to wait until official. All good fun Play ing with us though........

 

[LBA4EVER]

Got all excited for a moment with movement in the room, anyway just gonna pop out to iceland for some shopping!

 

[lbaspotter]

Not sure how true it is, but I was told a rumour in past few days that Air France maybe coming to LBA from April 2024..

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Skyteam looking at shifting some connecting capacity through Paris?

 

[Easy289]

Rumours are rumours. I believe nothing until official announcements.Yours cynically.