Route Development & Rumours

[Silvercity]

If TAP are wanting to make Lisbon into a hub they're going to need feeder flights. As BHX no longer has any TATL flights could that make BHX an attractive destination for TAP?

I don't see why not...No existing link...Birmingham serves a wide area.

 

[Silvercity]

If TAP are wanting to make Lisbon into a hub they're going to need feeder flights. As BHX no longer has any TATL flights could that make BHX an attractive destination for TAP?

Plus I think TAP are going to be squeezed at MAN now after easyjets bizarre decision to move it's Lisbon route from LPL. Should Liverpool regain an operator on that route which must be high on their ' to do' list being the LPL service had 90+ load factor and high
yields, you could end up with four operators from NW to Lisbon, that is a lot.

 

[mullion]

Still the same number of pax to move from LPL to MAN as the flights were operating at 95% LF

 

[Silvercity]

No guarantee at all that those passengers will go to Manchester, particularly with all the bad press there is now, just put's passengers off. If they want to go to Lisbon, they will unfortunately have no choice, and will pick one of 3 carriers not just Easyjet. Then again if they want a city break ( and Lisbon is primarily that sort of destination) and convenience they could as well go to Porto or where ever they choose from Liverpool.

 

[Paulsstrange]

Lisbon is a route that I'm sure someone will operate again soon from bhx whether it be TAP, Jet 2 or another...

 

[Ianbutty]

The article pretty much confirms Jetblue's first Europe destination. Can see BHX as a feeder. Makes sense.

 

[IanFarquharson]

I agree it looks like Lisbon will be JetBlues first European destination and this may lead to a TAP BHX feeder.
As far as I know BHX wrote TAP off years ago as they were simply not interested but this may change things

 

[Brum X]

I agree it looks like Lisbon will be JetBlues first European destination and this may lead to a TAP BHX feeder.
As far as I know BHX wrote TAP off years ago as they were simply not interested but this may change things

BHX wrote TAP off or TAP wrote BHX off, you have said both over the last few weeks ? But that was then Ian, lots has changed since then as we all know.

But as you say it makes alot of sense so lets hope TAP see this sense and operate x 2 daily BHX-LIS for our lack of direct flights to the Americas

 

[mullion]

Very strange route to go to US ex UK as it is 2 hours south before you even start going west. TAP aircraft arrive 10.00 in UK the 1 hr turnround gets you into
Lisbon 14.30 ish and by that time US flight already departed so not good for westbound even questionable east bound

 

[Jerry]

A TAP route would be focused more on African and South American connections rather than the US. If JetBlue launch Lisbon it won't be as access to the UK but Africa and the Southern med for US travellers.

 

[thunderchild]

I remembered TAP being strongly rumoured a few years back; nothing ever came of it and I recall at the time it was blamed on them not being happy because a diverted TAP jet having to night stop at BHX because of the runway closure during the extension works. Was there any actual truth in all that?

 

[mullion]

I thought the TAP flight ex MAN would pick up a lot of pax heading to South America
but I am told it doesn`t, probably for the reason I mentioned before that it arrives too late to connect
needs to be a very early departure from UK

 

[Ray Finkle]

I remembered TAP being strongly rumoured a few years back; nothing ever came of it and I recall at the time it was blamed on them not being happy because a diverted TAP jet having to night stop at BHX because of the runway closure during the extension works. Was there any actual truth in all that?

I hope not.

I was listening that night and ATC did everything they could to get the flight away. The crew were informed numerous times about the runway closure and were even told that if they pushed back the runway would have to remain open until they departed, they could then sit on a taxiway as long as they needed to. Every other flight that didn't night stop managed to get away.

I'd never say never about any airline but when you look at some of the routes that TAP have launched over the last few years one has to wonder what Birmingham must to do to be considered.

 

[Brum X]

I remembered TAP being strongly rumoured a few years back; nothing ever came of it and I recall at the time it was blamed on them not being happy because a diverted TAP jet having to night stop at BHX because of the runway closure during the extension works. Was there any actual truth in all that?

The same thing was said about Air Asia not so XXX any more. LOL

I take these things with a pinch of salt, after all they should be grateful BHX accepted them in the first place.

 

[thunderchild]

The same thing was said about Air Asia not so XXX any more. LOL

I remember that old chestnut getting dragged out every time we had an unusual divert.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Some of the routes that we've lost (quite a depressing list) and their June numbers

Limoges 636
Nice 3189
Paris Orly 4931
Rennes 1054
Nuremberg 933
Gibraltar 4922
Athens 926
Preveza 2033
Luxembourg 2752
Lisbon 6211
Valencia 756
Gothenburg 1441
Stockholm 4093
Keflavik 2731
Toronto 2494
Total 39138

And some where capacity has been significantly reduced with all now having just one airline on the route. With such high load factors hopefully there is good money being made. I find it hard to believe that someone isn't seriously looking at Lisbon.

Rome -44% down circa 4000 pax. Jet2 had a 97% load factor.
Venice -58% down circa 4000 pax. Jet2 had a 91% load factor.
Porto -47% down circa 2500 pax. Ryanair had a 95% load factor.
Sofia -50% down circa 4500 pax. Ryanair had a 93% load factor.
New York was 47% down, I can't remember how many flights were operated.

The Flybe cuts are also showing with Berlin -32% and Milan -40%, load factors are higher so again, hopefully the yields have improved.

Lots of the Monarch routes are down but there are also others which are showing increases due to Jet2, such as Almeria, Malta, Krakow and Split amongst others. Bucharest also saw numbers almost doubled and Marsa Alam saw slightly more passengers than Gatwick so definitely not all bad

 

[Ianbutty]

Hate that list. So depressing. Even more depressing is the loss of 'business' and city break routes. Has BHX become a cheap holiday in the sun airport? The new Luton (of old)? Bloomin depressing if so.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Two of those routes were in line to return next year but, as it stands, obtaining suitable slots seems to have been an obstacle. Whether that can be sorted in time we'll have to wait and see.

I'm hoping that either TUi or Thomas Cook take on Preveza. We do still have the Flybe charter but I've seen some of the prices

 

[IanFarquharson]

BHX as always are attending this event, just wondering if they will use it to announce something ?
Masterplan or another major annoucement ?


The 24th World Route Development Forum

Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
• 15 - 18 September 2018

 

[Ray Finkle]

Did I hear a rumour that the master plan was due in Sept or did I dream it?

Mind you I think it's been rumoured to be released every month for that last two years or so

Would it make sense to release the master plan beforehand to generate publicity and get the BHX representatives onto the interviewers lists? Well we can hope.