Route Development & Rumours

[Liverpoola380]

Does anybody know how the Aer Lingus / Emerald Airlines route is doing?
I flew it to connect to Chicago not long ago, It was pretty busy on the way out and return.

 

[Silvercity]

I think the airport management are happy with the loads, they want Aer Lingus to improve timings I believe.

 

[Silvercity]

Reading an article in ' Simply Flying ' of US carrier Breeze Airways and their desires to use their A220 Transatlantic to Ireland and secondly UK airports. I didn't realise that this aircraft type was capable of this distance however if they do pursue their plans perhaps they may consider US - Liverpool flights. The aircraft would be a good size to service the city with good outbound and inbound market to Liverpool from the US. EFC has their new stadium opening in 2025, has just received significant US investment along side LFC which also has US backing . These plus the history of the city musically and otherwise , Liverpool wouldn't be a bad destination for Breeze.

 

[mullion]

Liverpool is probably about 20 in line for services

 

[Silvercity]

Liverpool is probably about 20 in line for services

I don't agree, Liverpool has potential, being the best airport in the Northwest for passenger ease and serving a large catchment area. Only Dublin has been mentioned in the article, so let's see what developments occur.

 

[mullion]

To be honest I can`t think of any UK airport other than EDI that is likely to get a service as market to USA from UK is supressed by the cost in America and it is only Americans coming here which is either London or Scotland

 

[Silvercity]

To be honest I can`t think of any UK airport other than EDI that is likely to get a service as market to USA from UK is supressed by the cost in America and it is only Americans coming here which is either London or Scotland

They also come Liverpool, quite a lot of them.

 

[mullion]

Very much doubt if thet don`t start in London

 

[Silvercity]

Very much doubt if thet don`t start in London

They do start in London, then take the train or hire a car, or on tours.
Some arrive via Aer Lingus into Liverpool, some come off cruise ships and some come into Manchester. The point is Liverpool is a popular tourist destination for US visitors.

 

[gulftraveller]

The only airport I recall hearing being in talks with Breeze was Manchester, but that was 18 months ago. In a perfect world, a number of regional airports would have an A220 connection with US, but in the current climate the demand is not there. Liverpool could attract US tourists, but as for the outbound market, the catchment is small (like LBA, around 7 million). When Manchester has a catchment of 22 million I really don’t see Breeze looking at LPL or LBA, or rather these airports would be a long way down the priority list. I would say their targets would be DUB, MAN, GLA, LGW/STN (I exclude EDI as I think the market there is becoming exhausted).

 

[Aviador]

The only airport I recall hearing being in talks with Breeze was Manchester, but that was 18 months ago. In a perfect world, a number of regional airports would have an A220 connection with US, but in the current climate the demand is not there. Liverpool could attract US tourists, but as for the outbound market, the catchment is small (like LBA, around 7 million). When Manchester has a catchment of 22 million I really don’t see Breeze looking at LPL or LBA, or rather these airports would be a long way down the priority list. I would say their targets would be DUB, MAN, GLA, LGW/STN (I exclude EDI as I think the market there is becoming exhausted).

Catchment areas are not static, they evolve over time as airports increase (or decrease) their service offerings. With the development of regional airports, passengers have more options and therefore airport catchment areas overlap more.

The Idea that "Manchester has a catchment area of 22m", should meen ah well, Leeds and Liverpool shouldn't bother trying to grow and expand their catchment offering is simply ridiculous.

If Breeze are interested in serving smaller regional airports then Liverpool and Leeds absolutely could be in the mix.

Leeds Bradford is on the doorstep of the Yorkshire Dales and York which is a magnet for US visitors. There are no good reasons why airlines wouldn't consider serving Leeds, or Liverpool as they offer a quieter, less restrictive alternative to Manchester and Heathrow. In fact some airlines might see those airports as a hindrance, not a positive.

One article about the airline says:

"Direct flights from Orange County or San Bernardino to Hawaii would offer several benefits. Passengers could avoid the hassle of larger airports. They might enjoy shorter security lines and easier parking. These factors could make Breeze’s potential Hawaii routes very attractive." https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2024/07/15/breeze-international-flights-to-europe-and-caribbean/

And also: "the vast majority of our routes have no nonstop competition" USA Today

So if that's the kind of operation they prefer then yes smaller UK airports are an option, possibly even a favoured chioce for the airline.

 

[Iron Duck]

The only airport I recall hearing being in talks with Breeze was Manchester, but that was 18 months ago. In a perfect world, a number of regional airports would have an A220 connection with US, but in the current climate the demand is not there. Liverpool could attract US tourists, but as for the outbound market, the catchment is small (like LBA, around 7 million). When Manchester has a catchment of 22 million I really don’t see Breeze looking at LPL or LBA, or rather these airports would be a long way down the priority list. I would say their targets would be DUB, MAN, GLA, LGW/STN (I exclude EDI as I think the market there is becoming exhausted).

Shannon and Dublin were too

 

[paully]

Very much doubt if thet don`t start in London

You'd be surprised how many go to York and the area north of it...Can't blame them routing through Liverpool either..

 

[Silvercity]

The only airport I recall hearing being in talks with Breeze was Manchester, but that was 18 months ago. In a perfect world, a number of regional airports would have an A220 connection with US, but in the current climate the demand is not there. Liverpool could attract US tourists, but as for the outbound market, the catchment is small (like LBA, around 7 million). When Manchester has a catchment of 22 million I really don’t see Breeze looking at LPL or LBA, or rather these airports would be a long way down the priority list. I would say their targets would be DUB, MAN, GLA, LGW/STN (I exclude EDI as I think the market there is becoming exhausted).

The catchment is actually just slightly less than Manchester for Liverpool Airport, the airport already is handling over 5M, it's not going to simply stop with a couple of million more.I dont see them looking at Manchester at all, there is already operators there , Birmingham id say would be way above Manchester as a UK destination. The only airport in the Simply Flying article i saw mentioned was Dublin, plus it mentioned secondary UK airports, which could be considered the Likes Of Leeds and Liverpool.

 

[Silvercity]

'Flying bum' airship proposed for Liverpool

Liverpool to Belfast is one of the journeys the company behind the aircraft believe it could serve

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

 

[Silvercity]

'Flying bum' airship proposed for Liverpool

Liverpool to Belfast is one of the journeys the company behind the aircraft believe it could serve

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

These crafts have been ordered by Air Nostrum for services in Spain.
They are slow, but very low Co2.

 

[Silvercity]

With Loganair setting up at Southampton would be nice to see SOU - LPL reinstated . I know they have just mentioned a new MAN route, nevertheless SOU - LPL was a popular service even upgraded to 146s when particularly busy. It's still a long journey by car or rail, but things have changed since Covid, so wait and see.

 

[Jerry]

It'll be interesting to see if they expand from Southampton and add more routes.

 

[Silvercity]

Liverpool Airport gets serious about business​

By Ybnews on 15th July 2025
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is enjoying exceptional growth thanks to leisure traffic, but it is also seeking to further grow its aviation business and support the city region’s inward investment ambitions. Tony McDonough reports

Aerial picture of Liverpool John Lennon Airport

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) is looking to build on its recent phenomenal growth in passenger numbers with a new push to support the city region’s inward investment drive.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has pledged to increase the volume of foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the city region by 25% by 2030. He is keen to close the gap with other regional UK cities such as Manchester.
To this end he has travelled to a number of overseas locations, including New York, Boston, and the giant MIPIM expo in Cannes, to showcase the investment opportunities the city region has to offer.
However, how easily investors can get to Liverpool and the experience they have when they get here are both critical aspects of securing any deals. Getting here, getting around, the quality of hotels and restaurants and the experience when they leave are all crucial.
The connectivity of a city region’s airport is key to the economic prosperity of that region. In short, the majority of investment will centre around those city region’s that are globally connected.
Therefore, it is vital for the economic growth and diversification of the city region’s economy that the airport is able to attract and sustain new links that mix business and leisure.
Already voted the best airport experience in the UK by thousands of travellers in a survey by consumer bible Which!, LJLA is now investing to raise the level of the experience even more and is also looking to grow its business route network.
Responsible for £340m a year in GVA contribution to Liverpool city region, the airport is eager to grow this figure further.
Earlier this year it announced a multi-million-pound transformation of its Aspire Executive Lounge, creating capacity for more than 200 people and improving the quality of the facilities.
Executives at LJLA are in constant year-round conversations with airlines with a view to growing Liverpool’s route network. It has built the strongest airport brand in the UK for leisure traffic and now the business market is in its sights.
Airlines are nimble and agile and can close a route as quickly as they can open one. It is a dynamic every airport on the planet has to grapple with and LJLA is no exception.
In recent years it has been successful in securing links to global hub routes through KLM, via Amsterdam, Lufthansa via Frankfurt and its Aer Lingus route to Dublin opens up destinations to North America.
Of those three only the Aer Lingus route remains for the moment. Both KLM and Lufthansa routes were popular with passengers but decisions to suspend those routes were taken by the airlines.
This has left Liverpool as the only major city in Europe without dedicated global hub connectivity, despite it being the fastest growing airport in the UK.
And Paul Winfield, director of aviation development at LJLA, told LBN that KLM serves over 20 airports in the UK, including much smaller cities and airports.
He explained: “The business case for a global hub carrier is a strong one, however it will need support from the city region particularly from the business community.
“Looking at the market in the UK, it is an anomaly that Liverpool remains without a hub product particularly when considering some of the small conurbations in the UK that enjoy multi-daily frequency.

Could LJLA see the return of a KLM hub connection? Picture from KLM

More recently Lufthansa operated a hub route from Liverpool

Image of the Luxe by Aspire executive lounge at Liverpool John Lennon Airport

“Proximity to alternate airports is not an argument that stands up when you consider other areas of the UK and how they have service from the same carrier into two competing airports, however the volume of seats when looking at hub connectivity amongst UK airports could be considered as unequitable.
“Liverpool city region has billions of pounds of projects ripe for foreign investment, including LCR Freeport which is set to become one of the UK’s most important trade and logistics hubs.
ANALYIS: Airport growth puts connectivity on the agenda
“There is an increasing volume of business travel between the North West of England and global markets. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is well positioned to take an equitable share of this traffic.
“With investments into the airport estate, particularly the transformation of the Aspire Lounge, LJLA presents a case to airlines looking to open new business-focused routes. We can now show them we offer not just our well-established faster, easier, friendlier service – but a premium one too.
“Our message to the city region business community is ‘we are here and ready to support your ambitions’. LJLA is one of the North West’s best assets and a powerful engine of growth'

( from LBN )

In my opinion the city region Mayor has been pretty hopeless in the past.

 

[Silvercity]

I know the airport is continually in touch with LH and KL, maybe KL is having a rethink.

#LiverpoolJohnLennon
#KLM
#LUFTHANSA