Route Development & Rumours

[Statto]

All true, but it’s an AI response and almost all of the data in their models will be drawn from places like Heathrow and other major airports where there is more demand than supply. So I’d be careful about drawing the same conclusions about LBA

LBA is only slot coordinated in summer, and the main purpose of that is to help with managing the night quota (see link). And as formally written into the process, aircraft with a QC rating of 0.25 don’t count anyway.

https://www.acl-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Local-Rule-1-Night-Quota.pdf

My guess with Ryanair is that they continually move aircraft around and the fleet is growing generally. LBA is one of the places they could add more aircraft, but obviously it’s not the only place. To give themselves that option, you need to have followed the process and applied for slots, which they have done. I imagine they will have done the same at lots of other places too.

The million dollar question of course is whether they’ll actually commit. The longer it goes on, the less likely it becomes

 

[Starflyer]

The LBA-Taba series was for a tour operator called Peltours which was one of the two specialists in the region. Taba now sits in the zone against which the UK FCO advises against all but essential travel (and on the edge of the zone to which they advise against all travel!) and so it's no longer served from any UK airport.

I'm surprised there has been no sign of an LBA announcement from Ryanair. The size and scale of the additional slot request for Summer 2026 was so big that something was clearly in the offing (mostly with non-based aircraft operating into LBA), but it doesn't seem to have materialised. Whether it's related to Boeing deliveries or something else, I don't know. Their relationship with AENA has bouts of turbulence and hopefully that is not a factor - difficult to see how it could be already.

 

[gulftraveller]

I'm surprised there has been no sign of an LBA announcement from Ryanair. The size and scale of the additional slot request for Summer 2026 was so big that something was clearly in the offing (mostly with non-based aircraft operating into LBA), but it doesn't seem to have materialised.

Or was it RYR’s way of intimidating WizzAir?

 

[752]

Or was it RYR’s way of intimidating WizzAir?

I doubt the routes and slots FR hold at LBA would intimidate Wizz. Unless the routes are OTP CLJ & WAW

 

[White Heather]

I doubt the routes and slots FR hold at LBA would intimidate Wizz. Unless the routes are OTP CLJ & WAW

Agreed. Can't see Wizz having any interest in LBA to Cork, Shannon, Knock, Athens, or Berlin. Or the place in Poland with the unpronounceable and unspellable name. Rzeszow? Maybe another one. There's a few!

 

[HX3]

Rzeszów - pronounced Zhesh oof/zhesh oov, if you can say that correctly you’d get bardzo dobrze from our Polish friends

 

[752]

I mean hopefully FR announce something before the busy January booking period. Doesn't give much time, early Xmas present please! Hopefully it will come into fruition.

 

[JRP]

I mean hopefully FR announce something before the busy January booking period. Doesn't give much time, early Xmas present please! Hopefully it will come into fruition.

I was thinking maybe the airport wanted to get the AENA announcement out of the way before announcing anything else
We can only wish

 

[YorkshireLad]

Honestly, I don’t think I’ll be too bitterly disappointed if Ryanair don’t announce much extra for next summer, though I’d be over the moon if they did. Next summer is once again their best offering ever, coming just 6 years after we went down to 1 based aircraft and rumours of closing the base, and 4 years after we got back up to 3. I believe the future of the airport is bright, and it’s a matter of when, not if, we start to handle the throughput we’re capable of. It’s only a matter of waiting

 

[Starflyer]

There could be several reasons for Ryanair holding back, tbh. I doubt they would have known about the AENA involvement and so I don't think that will have been one of them.

Other issues include Boeing delivery forecasts for new aircraft and, bizarre though this may sound in the context of LBA expansion, whether Ryanair thinks a peace deal will happen in Ukraine. If and when it does, both they and Wizz will be running fast to restore services to the Ukrainian cities that they left when the war began. Neither will want to be left behind, and so it's likely both will have a plan as to where that aircraft capacity will come from.

Ryanair grew quite quickly in the UK after the invasion and some of that capacity came from Ukraine. It may well be keeping its options open as to what happens if a peace deal is done. I am sure everyone would want that to happen and the fact it could defer some growth at LBA is entirely irrelevant in the wider scheme of that.

 

[BCFC]

Not LBA related but looks like we missed out again….is it the runways not long enough for suitable aircraft for direct flights which must put operators off?

Pakistan’s aviation authorities have granted approval to UK-based airline Norse Atlantic to operate direct flights from London, Manchester, and Birmingham to Islamabad. This move is set to enhance air connectivity between the two countries, offering travelers more options and potentially more competitive fares on UK Pakistan routes.

 

[michael]

I think Norse are all B788's or 789's so given I believe LBA have stated they're not looking for wide bodies that's maybe a reason, plus, Norse already operate from Manchester and Gatwick, not sure about Birmingham

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I think Norse are all B788's or 789's so given I believe LBA have stated they're not looking for wide bodies that's maybe a reason, plus, Norse already operate from Manchester and Gatwick, not sure about Birmingham

They said they werent actively canvassing wide- body business, my assumption was if an airline approached them they would consider it.

 

[dmrodgers]

They said they werent actively canvassing wide- body business, my assumption was if an airline approached them they would consider it.

My understanding of the runway restrictions are that the 787-9 is not suitable to operate out of LBA due to to the runway length, however the 787-8 could operate but with a reduced payload. Please correct me if this is incorrect.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Not LBA related but looks like we missed out again….is it the runways not long enough for suitable aircraft for direct flights which must put operators off?

Pakistan’s aviation authorities have granted approval to UK-based airline Norse Atlantic to operate direct flights from London, Manchester, and Birmingham to Islamabad. This move is set to enhance air connectivity between the two countries, offering travelers more options and potentially more competitive fares on UK Pakistan routes.

You took the words out of my mouth the LBA runway is just too marginal and again those flipping TDZs dont help. LBA would of been looked at by the airline esp as we have one of the largest asian communities in the uk but best to play it safe out of MAN, too many ifs and buts, so yes it puts them off LBA, when will people understand its the runway thats the issue when it comes to longhaul ops to the likes of isb, dxb etc

 

[Finger66]

Wonder if our new majority stakeholder will look at the runway situation differently? After all they are the aviation experts in the "partnership". They have paused the new stand building, presumably to see if they can see anything better. Very much interesting times ahead but probably means a little extra patience for new routes

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Its not just the stands. A lot of the planned spending has been suspended until the new 'owners' assess whether its worthwhile.

 

[SierraHotel]

What would be the alternative?

Presumably the work to redevelop the existing terminal (phase 2 project regen) will be completed?

 

[Finger66]

I think the terminal regen will be a must purely capacity/space wise. Andrew encouragement for more away based flying can also fill that capacity without a need for too many more stands - they are really needed for based units. But use of A21N and 73M10s could also increase throughput without more stands - so there could be more than one way to skin the cat. Could money saved on stands go towards a sooner than planned runway resurface.
And this is also assuming AENA aren't going to invest even more money in further improvements. As I say - interesting times

 

[lbaspotter]

I think the terminal regen will be a must purely capacity/space wise. Andrew encouragement for more away based flying can also fill that capacity without a need for too many more stands - they are really needed for based units. But use of A21N and 73M10s could also increase throughput without more stands - so there could be more than one way to skin the cat. Could money saved on stands go towards a sooner than planned runway resurface.
And this is also assuming AENA aren't going to invest even more money in further improvements. As I say - interesting times

Correct me if I’m wrong. But If I remember correctly after reading elsewhere. I’m sure the next big investment is the watchman primary radar head getting replaced.