Archive Route Development & Rumours

[ethanegcc]

Sticking with this as their Social Media account refers to timetable launch around Easter

Yes, they've received their AOC and are going to launch their schedule soon by the looks of it. I would expect MAN to be in with a great chance, including LED/DME and possibly Stansted

 

[Aceshigh]

Aeroflot served Manchester 25 years ago.
It was actually advertised for an April 1st start in the MEN.

Everyone assumed it was an April fool.

IT WASN'T!

 

[Dobbo]

Good to see new capacity continuing to be planned to MAN.

Also good to hear about a potential new US service at BHX, perhaps a turning off the tide for UK regional TATL traffic following the cuts of the last few months.

 

[bayer328]

Air Jamaica ?

 

[andyc941]

I think it's Ukraine int they served MAN in the 90s.

 

[ethanegcc]

On Airliners.net, there is a thread about Vistara. It says there are strong rumours long-haul flying will begin in June 2018, with an A350-900 order to be announced soon or some a/c transferred from SQ's existing orders. Obviously this is just a rumour, but with Singapore Airlines at the steering wheel, I feel that Manchester has a very good chance of being one of Vistara's first European destinations. What does everyone else think?

 

[Dobbo]

This is the place for (reasonable!) rumour!

Vistara has been the best shot of a direct/nonstop MAN-India flight. SQ retain rights to MAN-BOM-SIN which seems a sizeable market. I don't know if Vistara would have ambitions at LHR, which puts MAN in the frame in the UK.

I'm not sure what type of airline Vistara aspire to be long haul. I'm sure time will tell.

 

[ethanegcc]

This is the place for (reasonable!) rumour!

Vistara has been the best shot of a direct/nonstop MAN-India flight. SQ retain rights to MAN-BOM-SIN which seems a sizeable market. I don't know if Vistara would have ambitions at LHR, which puts MAN in the frame in the UK.

I'm not sure what type of airline Vistara aspire to be long haul. I'm sure time will tell.

I am pretty sure Vistara will be a full service airline. They have Business, PE and Economy on domestic Indian flights. I would say that there main focus could be MAN in the UK - to enter a new market without fierce competition unlike London. We know that SQ are very committed to Manchester and I think this could finally be our chance.

 

[Dobbo]

View attachment 4877

TfN's aspirations for a Manchester route network. This was discussed a couple of months back.

 

[Aceshigh]

Given the recent rumours re Biman, are there likly to be any other airlines who might start USA service who would require security clearance that Manchester could tap into ?

We seem to becoming the European leaders in this type of process.

I was rather hoping we might have snagged Kenya but they have managed to gain US access.

 

[Dobbo]

Given the recent rumours re Biman, are there likly to be any other airlines who might start USA service who would require security clearance that Manchester could tap into ?

We seem to becoming the European leaders in this type of process.

I was rather hoping we might have snagged Kenya but they have managed to gain US access.

I'd love a major African airline at MAN. I suspect Ethiopian will be here before long, but I doubt we'll see South African or Kenyan any time soon.

 

[Borneobob]

What are the chances of one of our based charter airlines starting to serve Comiso(CIY) Sicily next summer, and also maybe restarting flights to Samos in Greece, which for some strange reason has been missing for a number of years now.
I was speaking to someone at Olympic holidays recently and asked why they didn't offer Samos from Manchester, and they said if some airline offered the route they would sell it.

 

[User001]

I don't think Ethiopian will I've from DUB as they get a good deal on landing fees etc.

Kenyan might actually be a possibility, as they have just regained permission to serve the USA again, but, like Addis Abbaba, the runway at Niarobi may be too hot and high for a direct flight outbound but can operate direct inbound.

Kenyan do have good relationship with MAN, hence the B737 deliveries staged through MAN, so, I wonder if they could be persuaded to stop at MAN should they need to stop somewhere on the way to the USA.

 

[Land23R]

I seem to recall Kenyan was a warm, if not hot, rumour a few years ago.

 

[Dobbo]

I'd imagined ET as a terminator.

Kenyan would be a great one to have, didn't realise there was a possibility of this.

 

[User001]

I believe Kenyan was all but on sale a few years ago.

Was due to be a 3 weekly NBO-AMS-MANvv on a B767-300 but then someone (I'm genuinely unsure who) objected to the route and it was cancelled. I was lead to believe from a reliable source that tickets were a mere 3 weeks from going on sale, would have been a May start IIRC.

Annoying. But that's how it goes sometimes.

 

[EGCC_MAN]

The possibility of Kenya Airways receded markedly when Islamist terror morons Sh*t Kebab got active in the popular northern tourist areas of Kenya, crossing over the porous Somali border. Kenyan tourism has been in the same limbo as Tunisia and Egypt since then. The mass market will seek safer harbours though the intrepid and adventurous will still travel.

 

[Philbky]

Ethiopian is a definite no-no. They have rights both ways ex Dublin and are doing well, particularly across the pond as far as loads go and they use the pre-clearance facility.

 

[Aceshigh]

Yes I was amazed Kenya gained US access. I think the market TO Kenya is non existent personally, given the daily horror incursions that get zero airplay in Europe, BUT if they are persuaded to start a US service the US may change their mind. Like the UK if it's not an explosion in the West it tends to get pushed down the playlist especially on BBC.

 

[EGCC_MAN]

And Skyscanner's Unserved Route of the Week is revealed as Manchester - Mumbai with 725000 searches.