Potential Routes

[TheLocalYokel]

MEB3 (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar)

There is talk on another forum that a CWL management team is in Dubai in discussion with one (or more) of the MEB3.

 

[jfy1999]

That would be a massive coup if they pull it off, but is there enough demand?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

That would be a massive coup if they pull it off, but is there enough demand?

Almost certainly they would need help from beyond the CWL core catchment. There would have to be substantial passenger assistance from outside South Wales, mainly from the West of England where there are already reasonable alternatives at BHX and the two main London airports.

BRS and CWL have reportedly been talking to Middle East airlines for a while and I'm not sure of the significance of the latest report.

The Severnside airports (CWL and BRS) bring different things to the Middle East party. CWL has the better operational capability but BRS has the larger and more prosperous core catchment. If one of the airports had both then MEB3 might be a possibility.

Unless APD is devolved to the Wales Assembly Government without compensatory arrangements for English airports I really don't see a Middle East service happening on Severnside (CWL or BRS) for a long time, and even devolved APD might not be enough to swing it.

So far as Emirates are concerned why would they risk diluting their BHX service?

 

[Em0866]

As interesting as this report is, I don't think that a route to any of these Middle Eastern countries with Emirates, Qatar or Etihad Airlines is viable from either CWL or BRS. I agree with you Local with BHX just up the M5 and LHR down the M4 I really don't see it possible. Then again I am no expert and odder things have happened. Look at the success of the CWL-NWI route...who would have predicted that?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Why Iceland could hold the key to Cardiff Airport landing new routes to America and destinations such as LA and San Francisco

Could Cardiff Airport secure services to the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik for direct flights to the US, including Los Angeles and San Francisco?

Could Iceland hold the key to realising Cardiff Airport’s goal of securing scheduled routes to North America?[/textarea]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/b ... f-10730389

Full article at above link.

I make no comment except to say that it's the work of this newspaper group's business editor. Hmm!!

 

[Em0866]

There is not much to say here. I have read this article and it has so many holes in it. In all honesty BRS already has a link to Iceland with Easyjet so BRS can prove it has pax to sustain this link. There is nothing else I can add that would not be positive!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Actually the easyJet Keflavik/Reykjavik route ceases in April. A couple of months ago there was a piece in the Icelandic press saying it would return next winter. Whether it will now that WOW is coming on the route remains to be seen.

I feel that Sion Barry sometimes lets his heart rule his head when it comes to CWL matters. In the past he has been an enthusiastic conduit endorsing the views of the First Minister on the Welsh aviation scene who, wisely in my view, seems to have eased back on making public pronouncements about an industry of which his past ramblings suggest he has scant knowledge.

 

[Em0866]

If memory serves me correctly, Mr Barry has made some wild claims in the past. I think it was he who wrote that article about some airline which had no operations, were in discussions with the airport on new routes. What happened to that airline I wonder?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

http://www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/My-Career-Hunt/jobs/Cabin-Crew-Member-26365bef44ec6548?q=cabin+crew

We are currently screening candidates for a reputable growing airline, who will shortly be based at three of the UK’s busiest airports, one of which being Birmingham. In 2015 over 6 million passengers on the continent flew with them.

The successful candidates will be based at Birmingham airport, predominantly working on services to Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. Training will commence in July with work commencing mid autumn. Our client welcomes all levels of experience to apply.

The above advert is being discussed in the BHX Route Development & Rumours thread. There is speculation that the airline may be Jet2 although the wording of the advert doesn’t seem to apply to that airline.

It can be seen that the airline is seeking cabin crew personnel who will be based at three of the UK’s busiest airports, one of which will be BHX.

The reason why Jet2 has been mentioned is because there have been rumours that this airline is seeking to come further south in its UK operations and in recent weeks both BRS and CWL (and BHX) have been linked with these rumours.

Several weeks ago the chairman of the CWL airport company told a Wales Assembly Government committee that a low cost airline had approached the airport that very day. No further details were given.

Jet2 would obviously fit the low cost airline bill but it’s doubtful that CWL would be regarded as one of the UK’s busiest airports, albeit adverts like this can sometimes be imaginative.

 

[Aviador]

Jet2 now distance themselves from the term "low cost" and now prefer to use "friendly low fares" which is now one of their buzz phrases.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Jet2 now distance themselves from the term "low cost" and now prefer to use "friendly low fares" which is now one of their buzz phrases.

I doubt that the CWL airport company chairman would know that: to him Jet2 would still be a low cost airline. He's the previous CEO of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and before that was in the radio and entertainment industry for many years.

Incidentally, I was led to believe that the term 'low cost' relates to the business plan of an airline rather than the price of the fares. Can anyone in the industry confirm or refute it?

 

[David_itl]

"Low cost" does relate to an airline's cost structure. Unfortunately, the public on hearing that phrase would assume it means "low cost of a ticket".

Ryanair has been known to tout itself as the "low fares airline" which is more accurate (and it's also a low cost airline!)

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Many thanks, David.

 

[Aviador]

Nicely put David. I still wouldn't associate Jet's slogan with the reality as their fares are far from "low fares" but essentially I agree with what you say.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

A senior industry executive who is known to me reckons the only true low-cost airlines in terms of structure are Ryanair and the American carrier, Southwest Airlines which I believe began the genre.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Cobalt

Haven't begun a separate thread yet for this airline (waiting until they announce CWL officially) but what's the latest news about them? Does anyone know? The early thought was that they'd be starting Cardiff-Larnaca this year.

 

[Tinkerman]

Hi Local,

From what I can gather from their social media feed and analysis of some stuff that has been posted on Twitter they intend to announce the full schedule and start up dates of the routes in the coming days. CWL, GLA, EMA and London, which i believe will be STN with STN beginning sooner than that of the rest.

It's a little late in the day for a S16 launch now, so we may see flights on sale at a relatively low frequency for perhaps August (at a push really) or if they want S16 then maybe September. Have to wait and see when everything is up and running officially and when flights are loaded into their booking engine which will also be going live soon.

 

[CraigW92]

Further to AG14's post


They Performed there acceptance flight last week from Larnaca to Heraklion, further more it secured its AOC just recently too, Cardiff apparently is set for the end of July, although with a press conference seemingly scheduled within the next few days, all will become very clear !

Further to the above I'm curious as if this will become a year around service with the airline seemingly wanting to promote the island as a year round destination.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Many thanks AG14 and Craig.

Fingers crossed for some definite official news soon then. You both probably know that Bristol has no scheduled Larnaca route, only charter flights. The only Cyprus scheduled route is Paphos with easyJet.

 

[CraigW92]

View attachment 3325

A little bit of further information for any interested

Ex Avion express LY-VEO has now been registered 5B-DCQ, the aircraft visited the LTM ( Lufthansa Technik Malta ) facility on the 23rd May and departed again on the 26th seemingly with Cobalt titles added, I also saw today that the aircraft visited EMA today on a LCA-EMA-DBV on behalf of Enter Air

Photo courtesy of East Midlands airport pictures