Flybe

[backtrack]

Affirm, the word "more" is used in the wrong context here. A common scenario where airlines use it to their advantage in advertising. when i read the title of the news story on the LBIA website, i immediately thought they were introducing new routes...sadly not.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

One of my long term rants.

Airports and airlines employ spin doctors who could show those in politics a thing or two and Flybe is right up there with the best (or worst, depending on your perspective).

 

[rmac]

I agree with the above. When I saw MORE I thought Frankfurt for one and another based aircraft at LBA.
So was a little disappointed with the 'news'. However I think it will happen and Flybe will open up some new routes to Europe, maybe Copenhagen. Paris and Frankfurt, plus Edinburgh and Glasgow when BMI Regional finally go, if not before. Brussels is an unknown, to think a few years ago Sabena operated a jet service 3 or 4 times daily.

 

[wawkrk]

I think to call the onsite Travel Lodge a hotel is an exaggeration.
Surely it is only a matter of time before they remove this shed from this prime location.

 

[rmac]

Surprising comment from wawkrk re Travelodge at LBA. All Travelodges are the same with a good 3 star rating. I have used the LBA Travelodge and found it okay, they provided a lift to the terminal free of charge so that we could eat and brought us back later. I believe there is provision for another hotel nearby but this one is surely an asset to the airport.

 

[Aviador]

Perhaps I should go back and read the previous pages, but wawkrk, what's the Travelodge got to do with Flybe? I do agree that it's got to go. It's a far cry from the 150 bedroom 4 star hotel that was originally planned for the site.

As for Flybe, I thought the same as everyone else about the Flybe press release. Like rmac, I'm sure a flybe 'base' will come in the near future. It's only a matter of time before bmi pull the plug on their remaining services and I'm sure that Flybe will be hot on their heals when bmi announce their departure from LBA.

 

[White Heather]

This afternoon's BE174 from Southampton appears to have diverted into MAN on the way to Leeds, although it is shown as due in at LBA later this evening. Does anyone know if this is a split loader due to a tech aircraft or if our flight has diverted in to MAN with technical problems?

 

[backtrack]

It was due to a tech aircraft in SOU. Flybe sent G-FBEE embraer 195 to replace that service. Then the later 176 operated by a dash 8 Q400 went tech at LBA. Not a good afetrnoon for flybe.

 

[Aviador]

Flybe have hinted that the Exeter service is at risk.

Read the full news item here

 

[User0001]

Hi,

have heard that some of the middle rotation LGW runs during December have been cancelled due to loads. Pity. Anyone confirm?

regards,
LUFC

 

[rmac]

Flybe. I see that Newcastle has picked up a new route to Hannover as an extension of the EXE service.
This is the kind of route that LBA needs to get too, perhaps FRA or CDG, and even as an extension from another airport such as Cardiff, Belfast or Glasgow. However comments by local Leeds politicians about the need not to expand does not help, and might even persuade Flybe to give LBA a miss.

 

[White Heather]

I can't really see any airline taking the slightest bit of notice of local politicians. After all they have been slagging off airports all of my life and yet most airports have expanded. It is the demand that will drive expansion. If the airport is there and the passengers are also there, then there is nothing to prevent expansion. I fully agree that we need routes into Germany and if LBA became the middle of a route from elsewhere then fine. Perhaps Flybe would consider this if they gave up the ABZ link, or alternatively do ABZ - LBA - and then on to Germany, depending on which end of the route provides the best returns.

 

[rmac]

Politicians have a say on such things as transport links, where, when and how and as LBA urgently needs better transport links. especially a rail or tram link this could be delayed or shelved. Airlines considering LBA will look at the infrastructure both present and future and I am sure this will have a bearing on their decisions.

 

[White Heather]

The infrastructure to LBA at the moment, and for the immediate future, is rubbish, but Ryanair have still opted to open a base here, and Jet2 even based an entire airline here, so I can't see why Flybe shouldn't either if they think the demand is there for their services. Irrespective of the buses/trains/roads, if passenger demand is there from LBA then airlines will be interested. If however the poor infrastructure leads to passengers turning to other airports, then demand will be down and the airlines will think again, as you say. However, no politician can force passengers to other airports and as long as they want to fly from LBA and the demand is there, I feel sure that airlines will want to consider LBA as either a base, or at least operate from here.

 

[wawkrk]

Budget airline Flybe has accused a Leeds MP of putting tens of thousands of jobs at risk after he launched a campaign for a ban on domestic flights.

The airline, which flies to five destinations within the UK from Leeds Bradford Airport, accused Colin Challen of ‘headline-chasing of the worst kind’ and living in an ‘ivory tower’. The Morley and Rothwell MP, angrily hit back, telling the airline to ‘wake up to the reality of climate change and stop bleating’.

I am afraid we are going get even more council nerds coming out with rubbish like this and jumping on the eco bandwagon after the Climate Change conference. The dimwits in the UK always go too far and try to cut their own throats.
It would be interesting to know what is the difference in emissions for 50 people to fly to Southampton in an advanced turboprop or 50 people to travel by surface transport.

 

[Aviador]

It would be interesting to know what is the difference in emissions for 50 people to fly to Southampton in an advanced turboprop or 50 people to travel by surface transport.

I wish we had a techno geek that could answer that question. I'm sure that there would be a few surprises in the aircraft's favour so long as the aircraft is operating with a near full load of course.

 

[White Heather]

Well today on the news it was stated that an increase in air travel is fine and will not prevent global warming targets being achieved, as long as other industries cut their emissions. To me that makes more sense. I have sat through presentations which show that the global CO2 emissions kicked out by aviation amounts to just 2%. This was confirmed during my daughters University Degree course at Newcastle, where they actually disputed that global warming was even the result of emissions, but is actually due to the Earth's natural cycle. This has all happened before, long before we made any CO2.

As for the local MP, he is an idiot. I suppose he thinks that the electricity that powers the trains comes from nowhere? More electricity demand equals more demand for power, produced at our many coal fired power stations, which are the worst culprits of all when it comes to CO2. Even shipping kicks out more CO2 apparently than aviation, but we don't hear MP's calling for a ban on cruise ships do we?

Good on Flybe for challenging this numpty.

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi

Good news, flybe.com have now added a Saturday morning summer rotation on the BE643/644 Exeter-Leeds-Aberdeen-Leeds-Exeter service operating from May 1st till September 25th as follows.

BE643 = EXT 06:50 LBA 07:55
BE643 = LBA 08:20 ABZ 09:35
BE644 = ABZ 10:15 LBA 11:30
BE644 = LBA 11:55 EXT 13:00

This now means the Aberdeen and Exeter service will be daily in the summer season compered to 5 weekly last summer 2009 season.

 

[Aviador]

LBIA are now offering 'free' security Fast Track for all Flybe's London Gatwick Passengers to attempt to woo more passengers onto the service. Although this is a good offer, I can't help but think that this is a last ditched attempt to salvage the route. My school of thought is that this route just isn't performing. Hopefully the airports intervention here will be enough to keep Flybe interested in the route.

On a similar note, personally I think thai all domestic and business scheduled passengers should be offered free security Fast Track. Waiting in a queue for 20 or 30 minutes through the summer months with 'chavs' travelling to Benidorm isn't acceptable to most regular passengers.

 

[White Heather]

Do you have any figures to suggest it is not performing Aviador? When launched it was proclaimed to be doing well, and the updates since from the airport MD have been positive, although I noted that it seems to have reduced to 2 rotations. I was not sure if that was permanent or winter only.