Regional Air Connectivity Fund - Southend-Carlisle

[Humberside]

Stobart Air have applied to the regional air connectivity fund for support for three Carlisle routes including Carlisle-Southend. If successful would operate daily from 1st April 2016. No details on whether this would be under Aer Lingus, Flybe or other branding
www.gov.uk/government/news/19-new-regional-air-routes-bid-for-start-up-aid-funding
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/418094/start-up-aid-applications-received.pdf

[tagron]

Applications for other routes from SEN by Stobart Air or Flybe are conspicuous by their absence . I wonder if SEN is not considered a regional airport for the purpose of applications or whether there is no appetite for them to try new SEN routes.

The single daily CAX-SEN plan has superceded the brave talk of double daily. Meanwhile the Stobart ATR42 fleet appears to be down to two aircraft, both noticeably more elderly than the rest of the fleet. With or without the grant Stobart must surely be committed to operating the route. Maybe an ACMI or franchise agreement with an operator of smaller aircraft will be the way forward.

[Humberside]

Aside from the existing NQY/DND funding, the fund seems to have been scrapped as part of this week's government spending cuts

Savings of £16m are made by not subsidising further regional air links – the kind of money that has kept planes going to Newquay and Dundee (whose flights stay protected).

www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jun/04/george-osborne-45bn-savings-plan-whats-being-cut-department-guide

[Thames Gateway]

Some comment on Pprune that the RACF is still going and that the touted Carlisle routes (including SEN) have survived the criteria test and are through into the next round.

[Thames Gateway]

Why LHR 3rd runway not good for SEN?

[EGMCfollower]

I think Carlisle would be very lucky to get a Heathrow connection. I just cannot see an airline trying it. Their best bet is CAX-SEN because it's in Stobart's interest to launch it. Even then I'm not convinced it will work (both SEN or LHR).