Knock Airport

Locker10a

IngazZagni wrote: »

Last winter the Cork Canaries flights were operated by Canaries based aircraft so it was a legitimate concern. This winter Ryanair are basing a second aircraft in Cork for the first time in years which will allow these flights to continue.

Hopefully Knock will find ways of getting these flights back. The loss of these routes could make the airport become unviable.

Calm down, make the airport unviable?! Bit dramatic, as pointed out it was a weekly flight to Tenerife and lanzarote, the airport won’t be closing down over that! Anyway we don’t know what’s going on in the background, or for next summer, there’s every chance they’re negotiating with other airlines about other new routes or new operators for these ones.

IngazZagni

Locker10a wrote: »

Calm down, make the airport unviable?! Bit dramatic, as pointed out it was a weekly flight to Tenerife and lanzarote, the airport won’t be closing down over that! Anyway we don’t know what’s going on in the background, or for next summer, there’s every chance they’re negotiating with other airlines about other new routes or new operators for these ones.

I’m not being dramatic. You are also forgetting the Barcelona Girona and Faro flights which are also likely to face the chop if Ryanair shut those bases as planned. Combined these routes make up around 100,000 passengers per year or over 10% of the total passenger numbers. That’s around €500k in lost revenue from the departure tax. Airports need a certain volume of traffic to remain viable otherwise they will need state aid. That’s all I’m saying. I certainly hope we will see new airlines serving Knock in the future.

marno21

IngazZagni wrote: »

I’m not being dramatic. You are also forgetting the Barcelona Girona and Faro flights which are also likely to face the chop if Ryanair shut those bases as planned. Combined these routes make up around 100,000 passengers per year or over 10% of the total passenger numbers. That’s around €500k in lost revenue from the departure tax. Airports need a certain volume of traffic to remain viable otherwise they will need state aid. That’s all I’m saying. I certainly hope we will see new airlines serving Knock in the future.

Faro/Girona could be operated on W routings, much more convenient than the lengthier Canaries routes.

Aer Lingus operate Faro/Malaga to Shannon on W routings with no issues using Cork based aircraft.

IngazZagni

marno21 wrote: »

Faro/Girona could be operated on W routings, much more convenient than the lengthier Canaries routes.

Aer Lingus operate Faro/Malaga to Shannon on W routings with no issues using Cork based aircraft.

That would require a crew change in the middle I’m sure as the entire W pattern would exceed maximum FTL’s. I don’t see Ryanair doing crew changes at Knock.
I suppose they could possibly use a UK based aircraft to do the W pattern. Eg STN-NOC-FAO-NOC-STN. That should keep them inside the ftl limits.

Cosmo Kramer

Faro is safe now anyway, base is being retained. It's just a couple of flights a week to the Canaries, disappointing to lose them but the viability of the airport will not in any way become an issue over this (amazed that anyone thought it might), even if Girona goes as well.

Pretty much every other Irish airport has suffered a bit from the Boeing Max issues, Shannon has been hit particularly hard. Hopefully once Boeing get their act together the routes will be returned or replaced by other similar sun routes. The market is established at Knock so there will be interest from operators, just maybe not right away if there are aircraft shortages.

Masala

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

Faro is safe now anyway, base is being retained. It's just a couple of flights a week to the Canaries, disappointing to lose them but the viability of the airport will not in any way become an issue over this (amazed that anyone thought it might), even if Girona goes as well.

Pretty much every other Irish airport has suffered a bit from the Boeing Max issues, Shannon has been hit particularly hard. Hopefully once Boeing get their act together the routes will be returned or replaced by other similar sun routes. The market is established at Knock so there will be interest from operators, just maybe not right away if there are aircraft shortages.

Base is saved but they are reducing a/c from 3 to 2. Could there still be a knock on effect on this move. I presumeKerry and Cork facing the same wait?

JCX BXC

Masala wrote: »

Base is saved but they are reducing a/c from 3 to 2. Could there still be a knock on effect on this move. I presumeKerry and Cork facing the same wait?

Kerry yes, Cork and Shannon have based aircraft so schedules could be rejigged to fit faro in.

Car Park full to capacity yesterday in Knock, good sign for late September. Will need to raise funding to expand it again for next summer.

JCX BXC

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Car Park full to capacity yesterday in Knock, good sign for late September. Will need to raise funding to expand it again for next summer.

Would a full car park not fund it's own expansion?

@€;30+ per week it must be making significant revenue if the carpark is full?

JCX BXC

JCX BXC wrote: »

Would a full car park not fund it's own expansion?

@€;30+ per week it must be making significant revenue if the carpark is full?

You would hope, but i'd say that money is going into the runway resurfacing. They still need to expand the Apron and departure lounge.

Xenji

Deleted User wrote: »

Car Park full to capacity yesterday in Knock, good sign for late September. Will need to raise funding to expand it again for next summer.

Well except for the fact the Aer Lingus flight to Gatwick was cancelled last night leaving a lot of unhappy fliers, Knock staff had not a clue of what was happening and people were receiving e-mails to say it was cancelled before any sort of announcement being made in the departure lounge, it just goes to show it is still quite an amateur operation at times.

Shn99

JCX BXC wrote: »

Would a full car park not fund it's own expansion?

@€;30+ per week it must be making significant revenue if the carpark is full?

Not to forget the €10 development fee per passenger

Locker10a

Xenji wrote: »

Well except for the fact the Aer Lingus flight to Gatwick was cancelled last night leaving a lot of unhappy fliers, Knock staff had not a clue of what was happening and people were receiving e-mails to say it was cancelled before any sort of announcement being made in the departure lounge, it just goes to show it is still quite an amateur operation at times.

Is it not possible that the airline sent the cancellation emails before informing the airport staff? That wouldn’t surprise me. ground staff get a hard time and are really the bottom of the food chain in aviation, practically never have control over situations but have to deal with the brunt of the public

Xenji

Locker10a wrote: »

Is it not possible that the airline sent the cancellation emails before informing the airport staff? That wouldn’t surprise me. ground staff get a hard time and are really the bottom of the food chain in aviation, practically never have control over situations but have to deal with the brunt of the public

It is quite possible that was the case, they had no representative of the airline there so they basically had to rely on phone calls communicating what could be done, but there was a good half hour delay between the e-mails and the announcement, but at least they managed to get taxis for everyone to get back, but it was a skeleton crew of staff left at that point as it was the last flight of the evening.

Masala

Xenji wrote: »

Well except for the fact the Aer Lingus flight to Gatwick was cancelled last night leaving a lot of unhappy fliers, Knock staff had not a clue of what was happening and people were receiving e-mails to say it was cancelled before any sort of announcement being made in the departure lounge, it just goes to show it is still quite an amateur operation at times.

Thats not really fair..... looks to me that its the Airline to blame here.


Many of times I have found out about delays/cancellations from people on the other other airport having seen it go up on their Airport screens. Social media is another way to make Airports looks stupid.

Shn99

Shn99 wrote: »

Not to forget the €10 development fee per passenger

Thats what makes it one of the cheapest airports in the country to fly, less charges on the tickets and you pay at the gate instead. There automatically added in Shannon and Dublin. Its hasn't stopped the airport expanding every year.

Full flight from stanstead - Knock this morning. Ten days ago if you booked out on the Thursday and back on the Friday it was €26 return.

JCX BXC

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Thats what makes it one of the cheapest airports in the country to fly, less charges on the tickets and you pay at the gate instead. There automatically added in Shannon and Dublin. Its hasn't stopped the airport expanding every year.

Full flight from stanstead - Knock this morning. Ten days ago if you booked out on the Thursday and back on the Friday it was €26 return.

It doesn't work like that and you know it. Ryanair offer some flights dirt cheap from all Irish airports.

Anyway, it's been done to death.

Masala

Deleted User wrote: »

Thats what makes it one of the cheapest airports in the country to fly, less charges on the tickets and you pay at the gate instead. There automatically added in Shannon and Dublin. Its hasn't stopped the airport expanding every year.

Full flight from stanstead - Knock this morning. Ten days ago if you booked out on the Thursday and back on the Friday it was €26 return.

Whether you pay it on ticket or at a desk..... you pay it!! A €9.99 fare is now €19.99. How can paying at at Desk instead of on the ticket aka 'less charges on the ticket' make sense. So that €26 return is really €36.

Do you think Ryanair is happy getting €26 for a Friday flight into Knock...... doesn't bode well for a route if that is best you can get on a Friday in September!

Oscar Bravo

Xenji wrote: »

Well except for the fact the Aer Lingus flight to Gatwick was cancelled last night leaving a lot of unhappy fliers, Knock staff had not a clue of what was happening and people were receiving e-mails to say it was cancelled before any sort of announcement being made in the departure lounge, it just goes to show it is still quite an amateur operation at times.

Not at all true. the inbound aircraft stuck multiple birds on landing. An engineer was sent to inspect the aircraft which departed back to Dublin empty after 11pm. The staff did all they could ,infact the pilot of the aircraft said to atc before they left could they pass on a very big thanks to all the staff at the airport for their work this evening.

Xenji

Oscar Bravo wrote: »

Not at all true. the inbound aircraft stuck multiple birds on landing. An engineer was sent to inspect the aircraft which departed back to Dublin empty after 11pm. The staff did all they could ,infact the pilot of the aircraft said to atc before they left could they pass on a very big thanks to all the staff at the airport for their work this evening.

Just reciting what the other half told me after being there herself waiting for the flight to depart, it was first delayed by 30 minutes for technical issues and then she got an email stating it was cancelled before anything was announced or showed up on the boards, the staff in fairness did get everyone taxis but there was plenty of confusion and long queues to get information.

Cosmo Kramer

Another new route from Knock and a new airline as well (sort of)?

https://westernpeople.ie/2019/09/30/another-new-route-for-ireland-west-airport-knock/

Fermi

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

Another new route from Knock and a new airline as well (sort of)?

https://westernpeople.ie/2019/09/30/another-new-route-for-ireland-west-airport-knock/

I hope this would be to Vienna. No more travelling to DUB when going home..

xtradel

Fermi wrote: »

I hope this would be to Vienna. No more travelling to DUB when going home..

Same as that. I flew from Vienna to Dublin last Friday and the Airbus they use was seriously roomy compared to Ryanair 737's even though I am a fan of the new seats. As I'm a rotund fellow I always ask for an belt extender but the Airbus fitted me with a little room to spare which made me feel good

JCX BXC

Possibly just a relaunching of the canaries?

Cosmo Kramer

Lauda don't have a base in the Canaries (unless they're about to open one).

Their bases are at Vienna, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart and Palma de Mallorca so odds are it will be to one of those four airports.

Dusseldorf is very near Cologne so if it was to there it would be either competing with or replacing the Ryanair route.

Palma is served by a summer charter, so it could be a route to compete with the existing charter.

Stuttgart and Vienna are not currently served.

Neworder79

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

Palma is served by a summer charter, so it could be a route to compete with the existing charter.

Palma 2x weekly April to October bookable on Lauda/Ryanair sites now. Ryanair have a habit of coming in after charter routes established.

rivegauche

Will the Holiday makers care that their sun destination is the South of Spain rather than Canary Islands? Probably not.

Locker10a

rivegauche wrote: »

Will the Holiday makers care that their sun destination is the South of Spain rather than Canary Islands? Probably not.

No doubt it will so well but it won’t really work as winter sun which is the beauty of the Canaries

rivegauche

A 2hour 50 minute flight replacing a 4h20m.
The passengers will still be paying for stuff on board and cases in the hold but it all helps with utilization.

IngazZagni

I find it odd that they are using their Lauda subsidiary to operate this route instead of just Ryanair. I wonder why. It's a summer seasonal service replacing a year round service but it certainly is better than nothing.