Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Aer Lingus transfers from Shannon to Belfast
The announcement that Aer Lingus is to introduce flights from Belfast International to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Geneva in December, and Heathrow in January, had been expected (see first comment here) although, as I understand it, Aer Lingus were required to inform the stock exchange before any public statement was made. First Minister Ian Paisley and junior minister Gerry Kelly will be at hand to bask in the publicity welcome the news but other ministers there are not so happy and Aer Lingus are meeting with workers at Shannon. Simon of The Dossing Times adds some thoughts at Irish Election while the Limerick Blogger is updating on the fly.. so to speak. Adds All politics is, indeed, local. More The official welcome. Update Whilst the junior minister, Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly, officially welcomed the announcement there appears to be a difference of opinion within the party ranks - “Aer Lingus decision will boost local economy” and, in another example of local politics, “Aer Lingus’s decision is a direct result of privatisation”
Pete Baker @ 11:19 AM
One would hope that we wouldn’t see any RoI politician stupid enough to criticise this decision on the basis of it being bad for Ireland… clearly it’s a great move for Ireland - many more Irish people now have access to flights to the heart of London.
Let’s hope the people running Aldergrove do something to deal with the recent problems with check in and security at the airport - last week I saw people queued from the Easyjet check-in desk out of the building. On a Sunday afternoon.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 11:47 AMI thought that this was Belfast Int beating Birmingham to be the UK hub for Aer Lingus not poaching jobs from the Irish Republic. I wonder hop the only all island party in government will spin this form of North/ South economics?
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 11:48 AM“One would hope that we wouldn’t see any RoI politician stupid enough to criticise this decision on the basis of it being bad for Ireland”
I don’t think the recently unemployed of Limerick or their TDs would see it that way. If I were the local TD (!) I would be criticising the loss of my constituents’ jobs to another country loudly and vocally.
The move adds to the Irish unemployment stats and increses Irish benefit payments so of course it can be criticised as being a bad decision for that state. Unless the recently jobless are expected to celebrate their new status as some form of North/ South co-operation.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:05 PM“I don’t think the recently unemployed of Limerick or their TDs would see it that way. If I were the local TD (!) I would be criticising the loss of my constituents’ jobs to another country loudly and vocally.”
Local MPs are entitled to make claims on the basis of their constituents. But a bad decision for Limerick is not, despite what people in Munster sometimes seem to think, a bad decision for Ireland.
Moving these flights to Belfast increases the catchment area hugely, and not just to the six counties - ie, all of Ulster and north Leinster at the very least.
“The move adds to the Irish unemployment stats and increses Irish benefit payments so of course it can be criticised as being a bad decision for that state. Unless the recently jobless are expected to celebrate their new status as some form of North/ South co-operation. “
What a ridiculously simplistic way of looking at things. Economic stability in the North is good for the Republic. Better transport links in Belfast helps the border counties as well as the North. And unemployment, as I’m sure you know, is more than managable in RoI - though that’s no comfort for the people who lost their jobs, obviously.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:11 PM‘Let’s hope the people running Aldergrove do something to deal with the recent problems with check in and security at the airport’
Can’t argue on this one—a few days ago I witnessed a disgruntled traveller addressing a member of the security staff who had requested he remove his belt and shoes; ‘do I look stupid enough to be a f***ing Muslim?’
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:17 PMAer Lingus, another all-Ireland body.
Onwards to the Republic!
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:26 PMTesco, another all British Isles body.
Onwards to the reunited kingdom!
Get a grip voiceoftreason.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:32 PMBonar Law
Aer Lingus had to get the Heathrow slots from somewhere. Buying them would be out of the question financially (who woudl sell anyway) so it simply had to rejig its own slots. Shannon is the loser.
Aerlingus has been looking for a non Irish hub for a while. By plunking themselves out of the ROI jursiduction but extremely close it also doesnt raise any competitive issues with the regulators down below as they can add routes as and when. There are also good logistics and other commercial regions to deploy a non Ireland hub.
I suppose a vague comparison would be like BT. In NI its the incumbent and thus subject to stronger regulation because of its heavily dominant position in infrastructure etc. In the South its not, Eircom are in that position.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:39 PMGerry Lvs Castro
What is your point?
I would assume you meant that the problem lay not with the security staff but with the intellectually unwashed ignoramus they were dealing with at the time. As for the man asking did he look stupid enough? i would suggest by his extreme prejudices the security attendant could have answered in the affirmative (leaving out the Muslim part of course).
Increased security is a reality which we all had to deal with. Frustrating of course. I once observed a man hesitant to remove his shoes (while holding up a line of course) becuase he feared the carpet was dirty and he would get a foot infection through his socks!!.
Note to all: while in airport security queues shut your mouth and keep your heart-rate down.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:40 PMJust to pour a bit of cold water on the mutual ministerial self-congratulation, none of these are new routes. Amsterdam is a long established Easyjet route, Geneva is a long established winter Easyjet route, Barcelona is a long established Jet2 route which Easyjet is also due to muscle in on in November.
The return of a Belfast International to Heathrow route will be a boon for those wanting to get to Heathrow while avoiding metropolitan Belfast. But of the phase two routes, Rome is an existing Easyjet route, Malaga is an existing Easyjet route, Faro is an… er… existing Easyjet route (and hardly of huge strategic importance) and Budapest is, amazingly, new. I’m surprised no-one has cottoned on to the potential of a direct Belfast-Vilnius fight.
All in all, is this a boon for the Belfast traveller or Aer Lingus trying to go head to head with Easyjet in one of its most profitable hubs? Sure we’ll all benefit from the price war this winter, but is there anything here that looks sustainable in the long run? Other than the Budapest and Heathrow routes, and possibly additional capacity on the busy Amsterdam route, I don’t see it.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:46 PM“Increased security is a reality which we all had to deal with. “
Yes - but sadly, it is increased security which we’e dealing with at Aldergrove, not ‘increased numbers of security staff’. As far as I can tell, it’s more checks by basically the same number of people. Is it any wonder people lose their temper?
BIA is, of course, not alone in this - all BAA airports in London are currently disaster zones.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:53 PMSammy
My assumption is that Heathrow & Amsterdam are going to act as straight moves to link with BA & KLM for international flights plus Heathrow is the god of routes, you can not beat ot for onward connections. I’d watch for code sharing arrangements. There is possibly room on Amsterdam for another few flights in the schedule.
The others, I assume are because they are fairly safe routes, they know there is a market there maybe? Why reinvent wheel scenario.
Anyway Sleazyjet have already announced new routes and sticking another plane or two at Aldergrove. They are prepared to slug it out and I suspect win some of those battles.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 12:53 PMHogan—a couple of points:
1. The incident was both appalling and amusing. The fact that the public are virtually strip-searched to board a flight to England is nothing short of scandalous. The fact that this practice is carried out to prevent religious fanatics exploding themselves in an entirely wrong-headed and preposterous cause speaks volumes for the human condition.
2. Whilst I personally felt that this individual was fool-hardy in voicing what many were no doubt thinking, the security person’s response (’could you please moderate your language sir’) appeared to take objection more with the F word than the slight on the Muslim faith.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 01:04 PMI suspect this is only a start to significant increases at BIA. New trans atlantic routes will follow so Aer Lingus positioning to take advantage of those is a smart move.
Plans are already moving ahead for extensions to the arrivals and departure terminals.
What will be important now is whether or not the Executive can address the road infrastructure in the area i.e. M2 link avoiding Templepatrick, improving the Antrim-Airport road avoiding the Bridge at Oldstone Road which is frequently closed due to truckers driving into it.Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 01:09 PMI assume are because they are fairly safe routes, they know there is a market there maybe? Why reinvent wheel scenario.
It’s acutally quite a risky scenario, Yokel. Easyjet are established on nearly all those routes (except Barcelona, where Jet2 are established). You have to do a certain amount of loss leading to pull people over and then you risk losing them all back again when you start pricing to actually make a profit. Why take on Easyjet into Rome and Malaga when you could probably make a market flying to Frankfurt (excellent onward connections and still Europe’s No. 2 business hub), Vilnuis (immigrant special), Riga (immigrant special plus stag weekenders) and Magaluf (spide paradise), all of which lack a direct flight from Belfast. Maybe even a flight to somewhere in Greece, Turkey or Bulgaria.
I can’t really see traffic between Belfast and Rome supporting two carriers (let alone Belfast-Barcelona supporting three) in the long term, so the only way I think you can interpret this is as a decapitation strategy by Aer Lingus.
I agree entire wrt Heathrow and Amsterdam, by the way. They make total sense.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 01:09 PM“I’m surprised no-one has cottoned on to the potential of a direct Belfast-Vilnius fight.
Sure we’ll all benefit from the price war this winter, but is there anything here that looks sustainable in the long run?”Or Belfast - Riga (much more central if you’re only going to have one flight going to the Baltic capitals). EasyJet are reknowned for silently dropping routes every so often. I was particularly hacked off when they ditched the Valencia - Berlin route last October after only 18 months of operations. So we’ll see how long these last.
Also let’s not underestimate the competition through Dublin airport which can now be reached in two hours and for around 12 quid (Europa to Aldergrove costs over six quid from memory.
) If the prices through Belfast aren’t competitive then the proles will go to Dub instead.Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 01:13 PMSammy
I’m just guessing on the other routes as its hard to know what the logic is. Is there any aid from the air route development types for this kind of move?
My assumption is no, especially if the routes are already covered, so this thing is going to have to run on its merits in the short as well as long term.
Steve’s point about the Transatlantic routes is inetresting. NYC is working for Continental, I haven’t heard of any issues for Zoom, so its possible, especially with the fact that you don’t have to use four engined monsters to cross the Atlantic these days. I did read somewhere that Aer Lingus’ issue at the moment though is that their long haul fleet is pretty much being used up elsewhere.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 01:26 PMGood to see the return of the BFS-LHR route.
Also now no one can use a dislike of Sleazyjet not to visit Geneva. Brilliant Museum of the Reformation next to the Cathedral, and very close to the Reformers Wall.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 01:37 PM“What will be important now is whether or not the Executive can address the road infrastructure in the area i.e. M2 link avoiding Templepatrick, improving the Antrim-Airport road avoiding the Bridge at Oldstone Road which is frequently closed due to truckers driving into it. “
Er, before these, could we possibly, just possibly, have such a basic thing as a bus shuttle to the Antrim Translink Station for onward connections for those of us who don’t want to go to Belfast?
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 01:55 PMThis is great news for NI. An investment of up to £100 million has to be welcomed by all.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 02:29 PMslug,
I’d imagine that a shuttle to Antrim Bus station would be fairly useless unless you’re planning to travel to a town or village surrounding Antrim. If its like any other provincial town in NI you’ll probably have to end up getting a bus to the Europa anyway if you want to get to most other towns.Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 02:30 PMAnd just to be cheerful - the fact that Belfast is the UK hub for our neighbouring state’s airline must be good news for us all!
;-)
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 02:31 PMinterested
“I’d imagine that a shuttle to Antrim Bus station would be fairly useless unless you’re planning to travel to a town or village surrounding Antrim.”
Antrim Translink Station is actually quite useful as it has regular bus and rail services to destinations in Co Antrim and Co Londonderry--e.g. Coleraine, Portrush, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Limavady etc. I fly in to the airport often and have to take a taxi to the Translink Station for £10 then to catch the bus. Belfast is in the wrong direction.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 03:02 PMslug,
Good to hear about Antrim, seems to be much better than most other bus stations around the Country.Its actually got me thinking - Antrim isn’t far away and its got the train station so why indeed not provide a shuttle bus there (either free or for £1/£2) which then gives people a rail or bus connection. There are other airports where you have to get a bus to the train station and it would probably be a better option than only having the bus to the Europa which as you mention is going out of the way for some people.
I suppose its all done to maintain the idea that this is ‘Belfast’ Airport and not ‘Antrim’ airport...... Cant have anyone thinking that this airport isn’t located in Belfast now can we…
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 03:35 PMsadly it’ll never reach 100million inward cash. It’ll cost that in time but it’ll be a long time.
Posted by on Aug 07, 2007 @ 03:46 PM
