Aer Lingus

[BlueManc]

Quite significant news/rumour

Aer Lingus to possibly operate Manchester – US

 

[Jerry]

I've seen posted online that the base could be 2 A321neo and 2 A330s with Chicago, JFK, Boston and Orlando as targets. It looks like they want to fill the gap left by Thomas Cook.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1326913097685217280

 

[752]

LAS would be a good addition

 

[BlueManc]

If they're clever about it, they'll insist on pre-clearance and then everyone wins!

 

[KARFA]

If they're clever about it, they'll insist on pre-clearance and then everyone wins!

pre-clearance at MAN? I don't think there are any plans for that?

 

[Aviador]

pre-clearance at MAN? I don't think there are any plans for that?

I seem to recall this already being put in place at Manchester.

 

[Scottie Dog]

I seem to recall this already being put in place at Manchester.

It had been mooted many years ago and Manchester was on the American list of airports that might receive approval. In the end Manchester did not go ahead with the plan and, certainly at present, there is no space for the facility.I'm sure that EGCC_MAN can provide more information.

 

[KARFA]

I seem to recall this already being put in place at Manchester.

it's definitely not in place or agreed with MAN. no UK airports have pre-clearance atm. there have similarly been suggestions it may be introduced at LHR but no real progress pre-covid. i think within europe the only airports with pre-clearance are SNN and DUB. apparently BRU has agreed something recently but we will see how soon anything actually happens.

 

[EGCC_MAN]

I wouldn't fret too much about non-adoption of pre-clearance at MAN. Immigration technology is advancing rapidly at airports whilst traveller numbers are likely to be reduced for some time. This means quicker immigration at US gateway airports anyway, and US passport-holders get through pretty quickly in their home country regardless. Regular business travellers holding other eligible passports can apply for frequent traveller status which speeds up entry for them too. They're prepared to pay a premium for this. Pre-clearance for the ESTA / visa crowd who may queue for longer stateside is 'nice to have', but comes at considerable expense borne by the host airport and passed on to airlines and from there on to ticket prices. With emphasis at MAN very much on the more price-sensitive leisure travel sector, this may be unhelpful if lower ticket prices are offered from alternative airports. Also, an airside gating area needs to be sterilised for US services only which limits flexible use of the infrastructure. With additional new T2 pier construction now on hold tfn, that could present a challenge.

On balance, MAN is probably better to wait for e.gates and online form pre-filing to proliferate even more widely than it already has, rather than investing in pre-clearance at this point. Five years ago the business case looked very different.

A decade from now immigration is likely to be almost entirely automated, with just problem cases taken aside for manual processing. Scan the QR-code (or its next-gen replacement) on your smart device and keep walking!

 

[David_itl]

Always amuses me to read that Aer Lingus was not too successful at operating MAN routes. Can't think that an airline would willingly lose money by launching routes in 1947 then boost frequency and/or destinations and bringing along the latest equipment to only stop in 1978 as the UK Government of the time took delight in withdrawing their rights. Then the moment Open Skies in Europe occurred, in they came again, taking Italy to court for the right to carry passengers Manchester-Milan-Manxchester and winning and again boost frequency/destinations and bringing the latest equipment (I can vividly remember BBC Northwest mentioning Aer Lingus 737-500s now in use when also describing the plethora of diversions that occurred on 13th November 1991).

This potential venture does make me wonder about an IAG strategy to compete with Virgin, taking advantage of the prevailing conditions to build up a presence only tor Aer Lingus UK to be absorrbed by BA when passenger numbers and markets have sufficiently to enable them to operate these routes usimg their bigger equipment.

 

[Jerry]

This potential venture does make me wonder about an IAG strategy to compete with Virgin, taking advantage of the prevailing conditions to build up a presence only tor Aer Lingus UK to be absorrbed by BA when passenger numbers and markets have sufficiently to enable them to operate these routes usimg their bigger equipment.

Didn't Willie Walsh say before though that the reason BA didn't operate from Manchester was because it was too leisure focused for them as an airline? Could be why they've decided to use Aer Lingus as their product may well be more closer to Thomas Cook a leisure orientated airline than British Airways are.

 

[Seasider]

Why has Manchester TATL suddenly become "leisure orientated"?

 

[Coathanger16]

It's a cop out excuse tbh - if MAN is too leisure oriented, what are they doing at Gatwick?

 

[Jerry]

Why has Manchester TATL suddenly become "leisure orientated"?

That's what I remember he said. Why he thinks that idk.

It's a cop out excuse tbh - if MAN is too leisure oriented, what are they doing at Gatwick?

Only thing I can think of is that they consider Gatwick more premium than Manchester.

 

[David_itl]

With all what is going on, BA now find themselves in a position of being FAR too premium heavy for all market sectors.

 

[Jerry]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1337049482089926659

 

[David_itl]

https://beta.regulations.gov/document/DOT-OST-2020-0250-0001


BA to codeshare. Guess the new game in town is... what are they going to do in winter with 4 aircraft and only 11 flights a week planned. Laying a plan for Barbados and/or Cape Town on the A330 with an A321LR taking up the New York route

 

[EGCC_MAN]

For the best of reasons, I hope they take this slowly and push launch back to June 2021. They're just going to burn through millions otherwise, and that won't bode well for the long-term viability of the base. A case of short-term pain for long-term gain.

 

[David_itl]

Entering anorak mode...... potential aircraft registrations.

G-
EI for Aer Lingus
M for Manchester
A, B, C, D for the each aircraft in turn

 

[David_itl]

Had some random thoughts about Phildaelphia and MAN with EI "rescuing" the route. American's internal letter outlining plans to cease operating the route didn't include EI as part of the joint venture partners. I doubt BA would have liked EI to formally include PHL in their route application filing as it would be seen that their own sister company would be competing against an existing joint venture route.

EI will have 1 spare aircraft at MAN. Extra slots for the spare aircraft could be re-applied for as we know that things aren't set in stone for slot applications. I won't be too surprised that when EI is actually in the joint venture, they will apply for PHL. My only question would be aircraft deployment.

Orlando = A330
Boston = A321LR
New York = the volume of the market would indicate A330s especially on the back of a leisure-based traffic recovery but...
Philadelphia = slightly stronger business ties (especially in the "key" area of pharmaceuticals) so more chance of that class being filled and AA is making PHL the main connecting hub for them out of East Coast USA so this has the potential to mean A330 is a better fit. Therefore this would leave JFK to be more of a point-to-point operation on an A321 that we know this is a route Thomas Cook had no trouble filling A330s on.