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Flybe
Mar 26, 2014 10:06:29 GMT
Post by tagron on Mar 26, 2014 10:06:29 GMT
This is from the Flybe news release:
Saad Hammad, Chief Executive Officer of Flybe, said:
"We are delighted to be extending the Flybe brand further into the South-East. Today's news is also further evidence of our commitment to providing true regional connectivity across the UK and we look forward to unveiling a major programme of new base and route development over the coming months."
This is the second recent hint from Flybe of new bases. Bear in mind that much of Flybe's retrenchment (LGW for example) is only coming into effect next week. So perhaps they feel they should wait before being too explicit about possible expansion. Presumably it's not out of the question that SEN could be one such new base for them. On the other hand the news that they have slots for services out of LCY starting September to BHD, IOM, INV, JER and NQY is not so encouraging.
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Flybe
Apr 3, 2014 6:26:30 GMT
Post by EGMCfollower on Apr 3, 2014 6:26:30 GMT
So we have:
-Caen (no competition) -Antwerp (direct competition with CityJet at LCY) -Groningen (no competition - previously FR to STN) -Munster/Osnabruck (no competition - previously CityJet to LCY) -Cologne/Bonn (EZY to LGW and GWI to STN) -Rennes (no competition)
Some interesting choices there. Antwerp (depending on what sort of schedule is put together) will be a real test up against LCY. I would hope that Munster/Osnabruck and Cologne/Bonn might do well. Groningen, Rennes and Caen are all a bit unproven so not sure what to expect from them.
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Flybe
Apr 3, 2014 6:51:42 GMT
Post by devonian on Apr 3, 2014 6:51:42 GMT
Interesting choices. I'm surprised that Edinburgh is not on the list, there is a proven market and a well timed twice daily dash 8 schedule would do well. From the list I would have thought that Cologne and Groningen will succeed. I'm not sure that they will be able to fill a 78 seater on the other routes. As well as the timing the vital thing will be marketing and publicity of course. That will be Stobart's responsibility and I hope they have budgeted enough for it.
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Flybe
Apr 3, 2014 7:19:03 GMT
Post by aurigny72 on Apr 3, 2014 7:19:03 GMT
I to am surprised that there is no Edinburgh, would have thought that would have been a ovious choice. Antwerp up against Cityjet at LCY, a long established multi daily route from there,be intresting to see how that route does from SEN. Would have thought Maastricht would have been a better option than Groningen,dont know much about Rennes but i know that Dijon has been crying out for a London link for a long time now. Just to correct you slightly devonian, these flights will be operated by ATR72 500/600 not Flybes own Dash8s.
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Flybe
Apr 3, 2014 9:26:39 GMT
Post by airportman on Apr 3, 2014 9:26:39 GMT
So the information I have so far is Rennes,Munster/Osnabruck & Groningen will start 5 June & Cologne, Caen & Antwerp on 3 July & that Flybe is planning to increase capacity on the 6 new routes from 1 September resulting in a total of 102 weekly flights with double daily return flights to Antwerp & Rennes.
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Flybe
Apr 10, 2014 13:53:13 GMT
Post by jon on Apr 10, 2014 13:53:13 GMT
Cologne no longer bookable.
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Flybe
Apr 10, 2014 15:50:38 GMT
Post by expressflight on Apr 10, 2014 15:50:38 GMT
Ryaniar have announced they are commencing a double-daily CGN-STN service I believe.
I assume another route will replace CGN from SEN.
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Flybe
Apr 10, 2014 16:14:52 GMT
Post by aurigny72 on Apr 10, 2014 16:14:52 GMT
I wonder if they will go for Edinburgh this time if it will fit into there schedules, although i would think a twice daily, at least Mon-Fri would be a better option for this route and that would mean a 3rd ATR to be used?,or will they perhaps try another regional European airport such as Dijon, which has no air link to any London airport.
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Flybe
Apr 11, 2014 8:51:30 GMT
Post by airportman on Apr 11, 2014 8:51:30 GMT
Sad about the CGN but I understand a replacement destination has already been lined up for future announcement
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Flybe
Apr 11, 2014 11:16:58 GMT
Post by EGMCfollower on Apr 11, 2014 11:16:58 GMT
Well that's good (and not surprising) news. I imagine perhaps a similar length destination perhaps Maastricht, or of course people want Edinburgh or Belfast back. We'll see where it is...
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Flybe
Apr 22, 2014 21:14:07 GMT
Post by EGMCfollower on Apr 22, 2014 21:14:07 GMT
It appears that Maastricht will be the replacement for Cologne. Local media there are reporting that a new route will be announced on Thursday. Although there is no mention of airline or destination, putting two and two together, it would seem highly probable to be SEN - Maastricht with Stobart Air/Flybe. FR dropped Maastricht from STN at the end of March so they would be keen to get a replacement LON route.
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Flybe
Apr 23, 2014 6:45:50 GMT
Post by Thames Gateway on Apr 23, 2014 6:45:50 GMT
The announcement of the new routes from London City must be disappointing to the airport, both Belfast and Edinburgh being launched by Flybe from LCY, and also Exeter (which must make the chances of a year round Newquay from Southend quite low).
If the replacement for Cologne is Maastricht, this stands a reasonable chance with the right marketing, being as it is suitable for Aachen and Western-most Germany, Southern Netherlands and Liege, Hasseldt in Belgium, particularly with RYR having dropped the route.
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Flybe
Apr 23, 2014 7:52:03 GMT
Post by tagron on Apr 23, 2014 7:52:03 GMT
Devastating rather than disappointing might be more appropriate. Not only is the message clear enough that Flybe's real interest is in LCY and that SEN is just a means of getting a franchise fee, that's a whole load of extra capacity going into SEN's nearest competitor airport and on high volume routes that ought to be an essential part of SEN's traffic development. It will make it all the harder and far less attractive for any alternative operator to set up domestic routes from SEN, and of course Flybe are hardly likely to agree to Stobart running parallel routes under their Flybe branding.
It looks like the Flybe franchise could be a trap for Stobart Air and SEN, the marketing of the new continental routes notwithstanding. One hopes the whole negotiation was not a repeat of the CGN situation.
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Flybe
Apr 23, 2014 13:22:05 GMT
Post by aurigny72 on Apr 23, 2014 13:22:05 GMT
I completely agree with tagron on this, i think if we cant get airlines like Flybe to operate year round key domestic routes, such as Belfast and Edinburgh from SEN then it is nothing short of a disaster, they are quite willing to tie up with Stobart on their new European routes because there is no risk involved and they get their franchise fee. However Flybe are willing to take a big gamble on starting all these routes from LCY, its only recently that they stopped all their routes from Gatwick because it was to expensive to operate from there, so what do they do, they announce that their new London base will be at LCY, another very expensive airport, to me that doesnt make sense when they could have operated from our much cheaper airport at SEN,their smaller aircraft would have been ideal for Belfast, Edinburgh and perhaps a Glasgow route as well at the right frequency. I wonder if Stobarts management did all they could to get them to operate from SEN??
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Flybe
Apr 23, 2014 16:27:46 GMT
Post by expressflight on Apr 23, 2014 16:27:46 GMT
I think to describe Flybe's LCY plans as "a disaster" or "devastating" for SEN is putting it rather too strongly.
To compare LCY and SEN in respect of domestic trunk routes is really comparing chalk and cheese and if Flybe really think that LCY-BHD can be profitable they would naturally choose that route in preference to SEN-BHD/BFS. To take on Cityjet on LCY-DUB and BA on LCY-EDI is certainly a bold move but they obviously think they can pull it off although that remains to be seen. The new management obviously thinks that a major London presence is essential, whereas the previous regime preferred to take £20 million from easyJet to vacate LGW and give up on a London base. I really don't think that SEN's appeal can match that of LCY in that context. Could Flybe profitably operate 3 x daily to BHD and 4 x daily to EDI from SEN? I don't believe so and SEN would always be second best to LCY in their view in that context.
SEN is still not the arrival point of choice for London from prime markets and that fact has to be faced. Therefore it is better to concentrate on thinner, niche routes which may be viable into SEN but which would not be so into LCY and that is exactly what Flybe/Stobart Air in now trying to do. If they can identify sufficient European cities which can generate 20,000 to 50,000 ppa to London then that strategy could be successful and a good route network could be the result, but I think it needs the economy to recovery sufficiently for LCY to become seriously slot-constrained before SEN becomes more attractive as a London arrival point from major European centres.
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