Leeds Bradford: Ryanair Flights, New Routes & Base Updates

[White Heather]

And already the rather useless LBA on line Arrivals/Departures is showing blanks where destinations should be. Time after time, when we get new routes, we have this problem with them not being shown. You would think by now they would get this sorted - I must have written to them a dozen times about it in the past and it is still happening. Lets hope Michael O Leary has his say and they might just deal with the issue for once.

 

[lbaspotter]

Here is the full list of Ryanair Alpha Numeric flight number tie ups.

FR0153 LBA-DUB = RYR41GN
FR0152 DUB-LBA = RYR64QA
FR0156 DUB-LBA = RYR52AK
FR0156 LBA-DUB = RYR82QY
FR2326 LBA-PMI = RYR82RH
FR2327 PMI-LBA = RYR02NC
FR2448 LBA-MLA = RYR52FW
FR2449 MLA-LBA = RYR59XZ
FR2322 LBA-MJV = RYR59XL
FR2323 MJV-LBA = RYR62GH
FR9396 GRO-LBA = RYR06XE
FR9397 LBA-GRO = RYR01JZ
FR2504 FAO-LBA = RYR01WG
FR2503 LBA-FAO = RYR07MV
FR2446 LBA-AGP = RYR07FG
FR2447 AGP-LBA = RYR06ZT
FR2502 PSA-LBA = RYR92FN
FR2501 LBA-PSA = RYR87NW
FR2486 LBA-IBZ = RYR32VZ
FR2487 IBZ-LBA = RYR97XG
FR9078 ALC-LBA = RYR06JE
FR9079 LBA-ALC = RYR03BW
FR2332 LBA-KRK = RYR59FD

All other services use there normal flight number

 

[pilot_737]

Is there a reason why they use alpa numeric call signs?
It makes it very difficult to track flights!

 

[Aviador]

I suppose it's because some flights have similar callsigns, for example if there's a FR 3301 and a FR 2301 on the R/T at the same time they will sound very similar and it would be easy for pilots to get mixed up or distracted, so if they become the FR 31DY and the FR 55WZ it's much harder for them to get mixed up.

I have no idea how to work out the alpha numerical codes though. :whiteflag:

 

[User0001]

Looks like the winter timetable is coming on sale for existing routes. From a very quick look at a few days in Feb, I could see Malta, Faro, Malaga, Krakow, Knock, Dublin and Girona all available so keep watching.

 

[lbaspotter]

You can now also add both Alicante & Venice-Treviso to that winter list as well for ryanair.

 

[backtrack]

Hows the schedule looking as in to introduce any new routes for example to ski destinations?

 

[lbaspotter]

Hows the schedule looking as in to introduce any new routes for example to ski destinations?

No new routes from LBA yet announced by ryanair for winter 2010/11. So guess keep watching there website schedule for further updates.

As by the looks of things there are still plently or remaininding gaps to be filled for the 2 LBA based Boeing 737-800's..

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Ryanair can be a nightmare when it starts to announce a new schedule.

There are always gaps initially and then the whole thing often goes through several rewrites before a final schedule is arrived at.

I conscientiously tracked Bristol's summer timetable 2010 when it was first announced before Christmas. I encountered five rewrites, some quite substantial, before the final version surfaced.

It was well into the New Year before they settled on the real timetable with routes dropped, added, restored, moved as to day and often as to timings as the various versions unfolded.

 

[backtrack]

Im sure trying to arrange schedules the size of Ryanairs will not be an easy job.

There has been rumour FR have been in talks with the airport to see about another 2 or 3 aircraft being based here, not sure whether for next summer or winter. But we know rumours are not always the way it will be or is. Their main dispute with the airport as far as im aware has been parking stands, Ryanair want 8, 9, 10, 11. If Ryanair paid to use the airbridge, maybe stand 7 could come into play, as they can cater the -800's, previously catering for Thomson and Air Europa. If you look around the airport, a lot of advertising has been done and they have established a quite impressive crew area downstairs under the terminal, where some other staff facilities are plus some Alpha duty free storage. I do wonder, if they have done all this with it in mind that shortly some new routes may be announced, with an additional aircraft or two.

Would they compete with Jet2 with the likes of CMF, SZG & GVA for the ski routes? Could FR introcduce some other ski destinations, as we have seen this year with Sofia. Thomson also operate to CMF during the winter.

According to Airliner Word, Ryanair recieve some 8 new aircraft each month (average). One does wonder where these units go to... 8 a month is a lot of aircraft, where do they get based? Or are they replacing some older -800's?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Im sure trying to arrange schedules the size of Ryanairs will not be an easy job.

It is no doubt complicated but Ryanair's first published schedule for Bristol's summer 2010 routes, published around November 2009 and in being for several weeks, contained routes that were also bookable in the booking engine that were subsequently axed.

Several were new routes to Italy and France introduced in summer 09 when the airline expanded its Bristol base.

It must have known they had not worked (the load factors alone would have old anyone that) yet they marketed them for summer 10. I wonder how many people booked them and then had to get their money back. I hope no-one was foolish enough to book hotels or car hire that was non-refundable.

 

[lbia]

The Ryanair schedule currently on sale has the following gaps;

Monday - 1 based aircraft free
Tuesday - 1 pm departure slot
Wednesday - 1 am departure slot
Thiursday - 1 pm departure slot
Friday - 1 based aircraft free
Sunday - 2 am departure slots

The scheule is really nearly complete for 2 based aircraft, with Alicante and Girona moving onto LBA based units rather than visitors from the respective bases. Murcia is currently not on sale, which I would hazard a guess at 2-3 times weekly. That leaves 6 weekly departures currently unaccounted for, so on typical Ryanair frequencies that is the possibility of 2-3 new routes. That is of course assumed on what is for sale at the moment, no doubt a few re-jigs will reveal more changes.

I think there will be more expansion from Ryanair, however my gut feeling is that it would be on routes operated by non based aircraft, some of the routes are not performing too well, typical passenger figures for the french routes are around 100-110, so no doubt these are not sustainable winter routes.

My bets are on; Las Palmas, Fuerteventura, Wroclaw and possibly Turin.

On a side note, Ryanair cabin crew were told by the start of May 30 more cabin crew would be joining them and two more based aircaft in operation by June. Obviously this is now not happening, so perhaps maybe next summer?

 

[Aviador]

The LBA website is pushing the Ireland West Knock route at the moment.A complete guess but I would say this route is probably one of the worst performers for the Ryanair base. The airport seems to use the "Focus on" facility to push these kind of fledgling routes.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It's a strange route. It's been a continuing year-round route from Bristol since the base opened but was reduced from daily to 4 x weekly (may be 3 x weekly now, can't remember off the top of my head) despite monthly average loads often in the 40s% in winter and rarely approaching 70% in summer.

Derry was the same but FR quickly axed that one whilst retaining Knock.

 

[backtrack]

Would Shannon (SNN) not have been a better option do you think to operate from LBA?

 

[012tom012]

Shannon did really badly out of LBA when it was tried.

 

[eastcoaster]

The Shannon timings were not great. Check in at Shannon was 4am ish for a 730am arrival. Not good if you had to travel to SNN from afar.

 

[Galaxy]

Today's FR2333 from Krakow, was weirdly approaching from Huddersfield...would anyone know what route it would have taken to be approaching from the West?

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Passengers told to get off Dublin plane so that it could fly to Italy

Passengers were ordered off a Dublin-bound plane as it prepared to take off — so it could instead fly to Italy!

The travellers had to wait about seven hours at Leeds-Bradford Airport for another flight to the Irish capital.

Among those hit by Saturday’s Ryanair fiasco was Keighley Bridge Club member Susan Pell, who was heading to Dublin with colleague Sheila Galloway to represent England in a match.

Their flight was due to leave at 10.40am.

“Everyone was on board and we were ready to set off,” said Susan. “The captain then announced there was a problem so we all had to get off. There was nothing wrong with our plane — it was used to take passengers to Italy as their plane was faulty.”

She and fellow passengers had to wait until 5.45pm to jet out to their destination. “It was so frustrating being trapped in the airport in the heat and we missed most of the bridge match — we were only able to play on Sunday,” she added.

“I understand the business side — that there would not have been a plane on time to return from Italy etc — but it was so blatantly unfair on those people going to Ireland. Ryanair said it was to inconvenience the least amount of people but both planes were full.”

Ryanair told the Keighley News that the problem was due to a “technical issue”. Stephen McNamara, for the airline, said: “Passengers initially boarded an aircraft that had already been allocated to another flight and were asked to return to the terminal when the aircraft allocation error was identified. Ryanair apologises to passengers for any inconvenience caused.”

Susan and Sheila had been selected to take part in a friendly bridge match against Ireland. The event — known as the Corn Cairdis — is held annually.

Source[/textarea]

 

[WYIA]

Ryanair made a decission based on financial factors, do you delay a 30 minute low profit generating service or a busy european flight that would involve new slot negotiation, planning & no doubt have an impact on the aircrafts flights later in the day. Not the first airline to do this i am sure & not the last. Its just a shame it took Ryanair so long to bring in a replacement for the Dublin passengers.

I find it very hard to believe an error in aircraft allocation was the cause, would be better in Ryanair's interest to just be more honest & offer the delayed passengers a money off voucher for use on their next booking.