Route Development and Rumours

[TheLocalYokel]

There was a rumour circulating last year that easyJet were planning on flying into to Exeter... but given the current situation and the absolute incompetence of the British government I would be very surprised if they were interested in servicing regional airports! I wouldent be at all surprised if we loose nearly all of our uk based airlines come the end of this.

If easyJet is focusing on the holiday market next summer, as seems the case, some of its other routes would have to be scaled back (given their fleet is being reduced something will have to go). Even though in the past they've not used their Spanish and Portuguese bases to operate into UK airports they don't normally serve, they might use the new Malaga and Faro seasonal bases (and the other Spanish and Portuguese bases for that matter) to open up new UK routes.

EXT and CWL have been too close to BRS (easyJet's third most profitable base of their European/UK network and the one with the highest profit margin) to benefit in the past but the Covid situation is an entirely new dimension and therefore matters could change when it comes to serving more UK airports from overseas bases, particularly on sun routes.

 

[737 400]

If easyJet is focusing on the holiday market next summer, as seems the case, some of its other routes would have to be scaled back (given their fleet is being reduced something will have to go). Even though in the past they've not used their Spanish and Portuguese bases to operate into UK airports they don't normally serve, they might use the new Malaga and Faro seasonal bases (and the other Spanish and Portuguese bases for that matter) to open up new UK routes.

EXT and CWL have been too close to BRS (easyJet's third most profitable base of their European/UK network and the one with the highest profit margin) to benefit in the past but the Covid situation is an entirely new dimension and therefore matters could change when it comes to serving more UK airports from overseas bases, particularly on sun routes.

In the current climate I would be rather cautious about any new 'all year round' routes for the foreseeable future. Don't forget that TUI have in previous years operated Exeter to Faro once per week during the summer months. However Faro to Exeter could be a possibility for Easyjet, providing Ryanair don't jump in first with one of a couple of options that spring to mind....

 

[superking]

I think airlines will be very carefull in what they do in routes they already operate and new routes will be few and far between. Not much route wise will happen till this covid 19 has more or less been sorted out and the end of it there is no end in sight.

 

[737 400]

I think airlines will be very carefull in what they do in routes they already operate and new routes will be few and far between. Not much route wise will happen till this covid 19 has more or less been sorted out and the end of it there is no end in sight.

Exactly!

 

[Matt kenshole]

In the current climate I would be rather cautious about any new 'all year round' routes for the foreseeable future. Don't forget that TUI have in previous years operated Exeter to Faro once per week during the summer months. However Faro to Exeter could be a possibility for Easyjet, providing Ryanair don't jump in first with one of a couple of options that spring to mind....

I think it’s going to be really interesting to see what Ryanair’s plans are with Exeter- as based on their seat selection on their booking system, load factors are poor. 14-25 pax per flight. Knowing how Ryanair like their load factors this doesn’t appear to be something to shout about. Do i think they will Drop out? its hard to tell at the moment but considering they have dropped Naples and Malta already the future isnt looking great for EXT and Ryanair. Sorry for the slightly doom and gloom post.

 

[737 400]

I think it’s going to be really interesting to see what Ryanair’s plans are with Exeter- as based on their seat selection on their booking system, load factors are poor. 14-25 pax per flight. Knowing how Ryanair like their load factors this doesn’t appear to be something to shout about. Do i think they will Drop out? its hard to tell at the moment but considering they have dropped Naples and Malta already the future isnt looking great for EXT and Ryanair. Sorry for the slightly doom and gloom post.

Load factors are probably down on most routes from most airports for the time being due to the virus, so very much a case of keeping nerve and looking to the future.

 

[Matt kenshole]

Load factors are probably down on most routes from most airports for the time being due to the virus, so very much a case of keeping nerve and looking to the future.

I will retract my previous comment to some extent. Exeter - Alicante and Malaga Load factors are better then the comparison of Cardiff to faro and Bristol to the same routes.

 

[Matt kenshole]

Appears Malta will be back with Ryanair in the springb

 

[TheLocalYokel]

First Jet2 at Bristol, now Wizz Air at Cardiff.

What about EXT? The question was asked by some when Jet2 announced it was basing at BRS was would EXT and/or CWL see a dividend in the shape of Ryanair and/or TUI migrating some of their presence? The same could now be asked about EXT regarding Wizz and CWL.

It's probably unlikely that Wizz at CWL would directly impact EXT because the two catchments are not complementary, but it might indirectly if either Ryanair or TUI decided that BRS and CWL were now less of a good bet and thought EXT might be worth looking at for a bit of growth because competition is less strong there.

Alternatively, Wizz themselves might set up a small base at EXT. They seem to be favouring smaller regional airports at present and any EXT initiative is not likely to affect their CWL base but could stop some Devon and Cornwall passengers using other airlines at BRS where the only Wizz presence is a 3 x weekly service to Katowice.

 

[Jerry]

Interested to know if KLM will service EXT- it’s been showing on their booking system since the summer last year. But as of yet no flights physically bookable. Is anyone able to offering any clarity on this one?

Matt has noticed that Exeter comes up as a route on also KLMs app as well as website. Just no flights onsale. Maybe a new route in the offing for KLM in the future?

 

[Matt kenshole]

Matt has noticed that Exeter comes up as a route on also KLMs app as well as website. Just no flights onsale. Maybe a new route in the offing for KLM in the future?

I think this one will land with us at EXT- more than likely a x3 weekly service to start with on a E170 aircraft! We might get lucky with a daily service! Who knows. It’s just a case of waiting for the current situation to settle down before we get any clarity on this one.

reading your comment above regarding WIZZ... a great addition to Exeter this would be. We know WIZZ are rapidly expanding in the uk, interestingly at regional airports. If this were to happen, I don’t think it would be for a season or two.

I do think we will soon start to see some more Flybe routes being picked up. Dublin will more than likely be taken up by aer lingus, as far as I’m aware their Belfast route has been a good result all round.

Paris- not too sure on this one.

London city- maybe BA?

it’s also worth noting Flybe 2.0’s first aircraft arrived with us last week. Could the new form of the airline once again base at Exeter? Blue islands are due to base X2 aircraft with us from June onwards... I’m not sure whether they would stick with this plan if Flybe were to reappear at the airport.

 

[Jerry]

I think this one will land with us at EXT- more than likely a x3 weekly service to start with on a E170 aircraft!

Personally I'd have thought that they would start daily or 6 weekly at least then look to go 12 to 14 weekly. A lot better for the onward connections they provide and I'd suggest a reaction to Lufthansa at BRS if it happens.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Personally I'd have thought that they would start daily or 6 weekly at least then look to go 12 to 14 weekly. A lot better for the onward connections they provide and I'd suggest a reaction to Lufthansa at BRS if it happens.

KLM didn't react when LH operated FRA 3 x daily with Bae146-300 aircraft from BRS with Eurowings in 2008-2009, or when bmi regional code shared the route with LH at 3 x daily with their E145 aircraft from 2013e to 2019, both operations actually providing more daily seats (almost 3 times as many with the Bae146-300 service) than LH will provide with its single daily E190.

Nor has easyJet's increasing presence to AMS to triple-daily* against KLM's 4 x daily yet induced LH to branch out further in the South West. My view is that if KLM does go to EXT it will be based on that airport's own merits rather than as a reaction to anything at BRS.

Living where we do on the southern edge of Bristol EXT isn't much more than 70 minutes away, mainly along the motorway, and has always been an option for us. We've never used it but my wife's brother and his wife who live on Dartmoor do so for holidays whenever they can, otherwise they have to use BRS or LGW. We have holidayed with them in the past - from BRS - but are always open to flying from EXT with them if the opportunity arises.

* I will be amazed if easyJet actually operates that frequency this year