CAA Provisional Statistics Update

[ChurchFenton]

A handful of LBA passenger stats for April have been issued (most are still to be published). One of those available shows the LHR route handling 11673 passengers for the month (a 20% increase on April 2013). Is this a record month for BA on the route?

Incidentally, happened to be looking back at a few LBA stats the other day from the early 2000's and the route was getting around 17000 pax per month back then. Would be interesting to know the ratio of O&D vs transfer passengers from then and now! Of course, the rail link to London was not quite as competitive back then and Bmi had 4 or 5 flights per day with ideal departure times.

 

[scousefowler]

Good result for Heathrow link..... Surely won't be pulled with those sorts of figures?

 

[Aviador]

Unfortunately, every single flight could be rammed to the rafters yet we could still see the flight pulled if it doesn't achieve a good enough yield. Only BA know how well it's doing, we just have to hope it's satisfying the BA bean counter.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

April this year has Easter which distorted all March figures released last month. Marck/April figures year on year are not like for like

 

[ChurchFenton]

April this year has Easter which distorted all March figures released last month. Marck/April figures year on year are not like for like

True, the combined March/April numbers for the LHR route show a 6% increase this year against 2013, which is still encouraging.

 

[Seasider]

The pax figures for April are now on the CAA website with 256149 (+0.5%), rolling year 3303929 (+11.3%).
Considering Easter was later, I don't think this is a very good figure or is it reflecting the fewer number of flights? (especially Ryanair).

 

[GolfFox]

I agree - on the face of it not a very good result if one was looking for continued significant growth. It might be that loads are better on fewer flights which might be good for the airlines but at the end of the day it is the overall commercial movements and passenger total that tells the story for the airport. I read an opinion on the forum some time ago that growth would be more difficult this year and I tend to agree. With little opportunity to base further aircraft and a terminal that appears stretched to handle more passengers at peak times it seems that the potential for big passenger increases - for the moment at least - is limited.

 

[752]

CAA stats May 2014

329,768 passengers used the terminal in May, up 0.2% on May 2013.

Our Heathrow link carried 11,354 up 23%
Belfast 13,871 up 30%
Copenhagen carried 495 (not sure of the load factor)
Amsterdam remained at around 19,000 pax 0% change
Palma 31,337 up 9%

 

[bianchi016]

Assuming no cancellations in May on the COP route, then the average passenger figure is 27.5

 

[lbaspotter]

CAA stats May 2014

329,768 passengers used the terminal in May, up 0.2% on May 2013.

Our Heathrow link carried 11,354 up 23%

Good to see that passenger numbers are still on the up even though we have less flights operating this year compared to the same month last year. It must mean the airlines are putting more bums on seats and filling up there aircraft...

Surely that has got to be seen as another good month for British Airways on the London Heathrow route!

Assuming no cancellations in May on the COP route, then the average passenger figure is 27.5

Looks like SAS only operated 7x out of a possible 9x CRJ900 flights into LBA throughout the month of May 2104.The 2 flights missing were Friday 2nd which was cancelled and Friday 23rd which saw it divert to Manchester due to the lighting strike.

Friday 2nd = Cancelled
Monday 5th = OY-KFE, CRJ900
Friday 9th = OY-KFB, CRJ900
Monday 12th = OY-KFB, CRJ900
Friday 16th = OY-KFD, CRJ900
Monday 19th = OY-KFF, CRJ900
Friday 23rd = Diverted Manchester
Monday 26th = OY-KFC, CRJ900
Friday 30th = LN-RNL, CRJ900

 

[bianchi016]

Cheers lbaspotter

That makes the average COP load 35pax per flight

 

[lbaspotter]

With figures like 35 pax per flight on the Copenhagen route explains SAS Scandinavian Airlines reasoning of the introduction of the smaller CRJ200 over the winter season. But it really dose begs the question of how the hell they going to fill a much larger Airbus A319 next year without dropping there fares?

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi lbaspotter
I agree with you,A319 maybe a miss print who knows as long as the route is still there that's the main thing.
regards
sm1

 

[Bigman]

June stats now out on the CAA website. Pretty poor at a drop of 3.3.%, but could have been worse!!

 

[Aviador]

Unfortunately LBA needed 8% growth to keep on track for 4m in 2015 but not a concern yet.

Looking back at comments you made in the winter, what are your reflections looking back?

I said the airport will not see 4m passengers per annum without significant growth during the winter period. I said the infrastructure constraints, namely the landing distance available was a major factor in attracting existing and new airlines to LBA to operate winter services.

It's worth pointing out that in the same period that LBA lost -3.3% during June, Manchester grew it's passenger traffic by 5.9%. Given the size of Manchester airport, it highlights how significant their expansion is in comparison with LBA's apparent lack of expansion.

 

[752]

Disappointing if you ask me!

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Have to say these latest figures do make 4m passengers by the end of 2015 unlikely.
According to the boss of Jet2, last month was a very poor month due to the world cup. I think the problem is bigger. You dont offer a 20% discount on all flights until October 2015 if your solving a short term issue.
Ryanair is lossing money at a frightening rate, all the airlines reporting figures this month have stated passenger numbers well down.
There is spare capicity at Leeds, we have had 354 fewer flights from the airport in the last year, 70 last month, so the decline is rising. Not sure how you are going to get the operator to expand the facilities when the numbers are falling.
We have obviously lost the PIA flights, not sure where the other losses in aircraft movements are.

 

[LBA787]

Pretty disappointing but it was expected. Bookings have been down due to the World Cup and Tour de France and we've also lost PIA and flybe from the SOU route since last year.

LBA needs investment if it's to ever reach 4m per year.

:crazy:

 

[michael]

My family are involved in tourism domestically where a significant proportion of our customer base is Northern England based. What I can tell you is that there just are not the numbers of people holidaying that there used to be and those that are holidaying are taking shorter breaks ie 2 or 3 nights rather than a week. This is down to a number of issues but primarily lack of cash, changing work patterns, and changing school holiday rules. The world cup, TdF, and the Olympics a couple of years ago, certainly do have an effect. Therefore what I am aiming at here is that we can't simply point the finger at airlines and LBA management for the fall in numbers. OK we've lost PIA and a couple of Flybe services but if passenger numbers in general fall then eventually routes will be cut. It's the old vicious circle that if there isn't demand for a service then it will go. Once a service has gone passenger numbers will without doubt fall and as we all know reinstating a service is not easy once it's gone. Unless and until the general public feel that they have spare cash to spend then I fear that a period of stagnation is in front of us at best no matter what the airlines or airport does.

 

[Bigman]

One thing I would say is that we were not the only airport to see a drop in June. The likes of Belfast City, Cardiff and Norwich all fell, and not to mention Liverpool who fell 7%.