Route Development & Rumours

[Jerry]

but certainly able to say LBA is probably wealthier than NCL's catchment area.

But potentially more of a captive catchment area considering how isolated it is.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

But potentially more of a captive catchment area considering how isolated it is.

With EDI up the road, LBA down the road, & MME operating with competition on the "trunk routes" one has to consider how captive it truly is? It out competes LBA from a long haul standing yes (Emirates, Sustained United/Continental for a while) but can it outcompete on the wealth? One doesn't suspect so.

Manchester and Liverpool to an extent eat away at the Cumbrian market.

 

[Jerry]

With EDI up the road, LBA down the road, & MME

EDI and LBA are 2 hours drive from NCL's area and lets face it Teesside is no real competition with a few Ryanair flights a week.

but can it outcompete on the wealth?

Well it is a well known fact that the North East is the poorest area in England but it's still a lot more isolated than Yorkshire which has much bigger airports closer to it.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

EDI and LBA are 2 hours drive from NCL's area and lets face it Teesside is no real competition with a few Ryanair flights a week.

People commute. Manchester is proof in the pudding that people will commute and usually it's for either a better offering or price.

Well it is a well known fact that the North East is the poorest area in England but it's still a lot more isolated than Yorkshire which has much bigger airports closer to it.

Isolated yes. Can it sustain the flights the wealthier catchment area airports have (EDI/LBA)? No. Compare Tenerife against each other NCL v LBA v EDI.

 

[Jerry]

People commute. Manchester is proof in the pudding that people will commute and usually it's for either a better offering or price.

When it comes to short haul people tend to look more locally and a 2 hour drive isn't a commute it's a fair old journey. Newcastle has it's own niche and has been in general a successful airport because of it's own unique circumstances. It has a decent holiday network and good connectivity to major European hubs which is better than LBAs lets be fair. If Easyjet launch a base there as an airline that used to base there before they'll know what the market is. Where as for them LeedsBradford is pretty new in that regard so they may want to build up to the point where they have confidence a base will work for them.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Im pretty convinced the paris, palma and malaga destinations by easyjet from LBA are test bed routes. These destinations will always fill planes and are safe bets for any airline , but the question is how fast are these flights selling compared to other airports they operate out of in the uk, If the loads are already good and the planes are full with pax then thats a good sign. Does anyone on here have the pax figures for these destinations so far?
Nice to see our route development room seeing activity for once! haha

 

[Aviador]

Whatever the excuse given by easyjet for leaving Newcastle the first time, the base didn't work for them. If the base was important enough they would've stuck at it, otherwise why not just pull Luton, Bristol or Liverpool? As for what happens now, who knows.

 

[Jerry]

Whatever the excuse given by easyjet for leaving

They closed it due to the pandemic.

If the base was important enough they would've stuck at it,

Well they obviously feel it's important enough now to return.
Hopefully LeedsBradford will be next.

 

[Statto]

It's always worth bearing in mind when comparing size of airports that some are very skewed by domestic traffic based on e.g. being across the water or being remote from London. If you just look at international passengers only, then LBA is grouped together with Newcastle, Liverpool, East Midlands and Glasgow. Glasgow will surprise many I'm sure, but EDI has clearly stolen the march as the international gateway for Scotland.

They will need to get the projected extra 3 million passengers from somewhere and I suspect Easyjet will be high up on the list, along with growth from Jet2, Ryanair, Sun Express and others. eg Corredon and British Airways/Loganair

Exactly. And on the basis they are spending >£100m on terminal upgrades and new stands, you would have to think this isn't entirely speculative. I would be amazed if they embarked on this size of investment without providing some evidence to people lending them the money that they have a reasonable basis to assure them that airlines intend to put more business their way. According to Google Earth, the last new stands to be built were under construction in summer 2006. So after nearly 20 years without adding stand capacity, it's reasonable to ask why now ?

 

[BCFC]

Some Numpty on Tik Tok under the name of LBA Aviation is putting this nonsense up about new airlines coming to LBA, LoganAir will be doing the LHR route on behalf of BA.


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[LBAYORKIE]

Some Numpty on Tik Tok under the name of LBA Aviation is putting this nonsense up about new airlines coming to LBA, LoganAir will be doing the LHR route on behalf of BA.


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I believe its already been mentioned on here that Loganair are hopefully going to operate the LHR route.
Likewise we know the airport are negotiating for a Middle East route and for service to the USA. The airlines names have been banded about quite a bit on here so what he's putting on Tìk-Tok isn't really news, h'es just hyping it up. Nothings been announced of course so it's really all speculation.

Article on Etihads proposed use of A321 on thinner routes.

Etihad is first airline to introduce First Class to narrowbody aircraft, doubles down on premium leisure market

The carrier's A321LR features two First Class Suites, as well as 14 lie-flat business class seats and an upgraded economy product

www.businesstraveller.com

https://simpleflying.com/etihad-airways-possible-airbus-a321lr-destinations/

 

[Bob O'JOb]

To paraphrase Meatloaf, one and a half out of four ain't bad.

 

[mullion]

Do we really think Qatar and Etihad are going to start just after both airlines have just announced extra services ex MAN

 

[Finger66]

Do we really think Qatar and Etihad are going to start just after both airlines have just announced extra services ex MAN

Well you certainly took the words right out of my mouth!

 

[SierraHotel]

Shall we create a "Pie in the Sky thread".

 

[The Pole]

Shall we create a "Pie in the Sky thread".

Is that what is currently flying overhead
DSA?

 

[Aviador]

Do we really think Qatar and Etihad are going to start just after both airlines have just announced extra services ex MAN

Example: Iberia A321XLR business class 2 Class config 182 passengers.

Not suggesting that they will but the same used to be said about traditional Mediterranean destinations for long enough now there is a plethora of flights on those routes. Eventually it will happen, the question is by which airline first. If say Turkish came in and offered flights to their network, do you think the big ME3 will ignore it, of course not. The selling point is a local departure. Be honest, would you fancy doing the reverse journey across to Leeds or another airport, no. The catchment area is already here, it just needs an airline to commit. The first one that does will change everything.

 

[Statto]

Do we really think Qatar and Etihad are going to start just after both airlines have just announced extra services ex MAN

In the next month, almost certainly not. In the next 5-10 years, who knows. Almost every growth opportunity for the LBA management team will be focused on airlines already operating out of MAN. The whole bloomin point of LBA is to offer airlines a complimentary option to serve the North of England. I find it a bit odd that no one blinks an eye when Jet2 or Ryanair offer services from both airports to relatively tiny markets, but the moment anyone talks about the really big mid-haul markets, the default option is to assume it could never happen. Funnily enough, LBAs highest volume routes happen to the biggest markets from MAN too.

 

[Finger66]

Mmmm, interesting fact there @Statto thank you.

The future is bright, I just hope it's not just O****e, although that is still to be welcomed

 

[LBA4EVER]

Gosh are we back in fantasy land again!
Qatar, etihad from lba = not going to happen! End of