Aer Lingus to switch from Belfast International to Belfast City Airport

westdub

According to the BBC they will announce this soon, Has anyone heard any different?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18454784

aquascrotum

Possibly a stupid question - given Ryanair pulled out of City because they couldnt operate their 737s at full capacity due to runway length, are EIs A320s able to operate at full capacity from EGAC?

City is definitly set up to serve the Aer Lingus Regional services quite well.

Zonda999

Well EI's A319's currently operate from Belfast International, could an A319 operate at full capacity from Belfast City?

I am pie

2 airports is ludicrous for a city the size of Belfast. I'd be in favour of having only one, preference would be for city as it's better located. Unfortunately i guess the trans-at charter flights couldn't operate from there without a runway extension.

munchkin_utd

I am pie wrote: »

2 airports is ludicrous for a city the size of Belfast. I'd be in favour of having only one, preference would be for city as it's better located. Unfortunately i guess the trans-at charter flights couldn't operate from there without a runway extension.

funny you mention that!
A report yesterday said the same thing.

Concern over future of two NI airports
Published Thursday, 14 June 2012
Northern Ireland's aviation industry has been criticised by pilots who told MPs on Thursday that it was not sustainable to have two airports just 14 miles apart.

http://www.u.tv/News/Concern-over-future-of-two-NI-airports/106d05db-7049-4192-b306-2840a5f1fdf1

Davidth88

I am pie wrote: »

2 airports is ludicrous for a city the size of Belfast. I'd be in favour of having only one, preference would be for city as it's better located. Unfortunately i guess the trans-at charter flights couldn't operate from there without a runway extension.

Not just charters across the atlantic ..... CX ( sorry United now ) run a scheduled service as well

urajoke

criticised by pilots

I'm sure they will heed their comments.

Originally they were two different markets but with the advent of better aircraft they have been able to use City airport more. Certainly will be interesting for Aerlingus getting their A319's/320's out of there to Tenerife.

I imagine City airport offered Aerlingus a very big deal to move to replace Baby and Ryanair otherwise they would have been left with just Flybe. I wonder will Ryanair make a comeback but to Aldergrove ?!

globemaster1986

I think the A319 may be well suited to operations from City. The runway is 6,000ft. Performance figures suggest the A319 may be able to operate at or close to MTOW. Figures for A320 here.

Tenger

globemaster1986 wrote: »

I think the A319 may be well suited to operations from City. The runway is 6,000ft. Performance figures suggest the A319 may be able to operate at or close to MTOW. Figures for A320 here.

Excellent, there's my insomnia cure found!

Bearcat

Hey Globemaster....you wouldnt have one of those links for a a330 per chance.....?

Sorry for off thread

urajoke

http://www.airbus.com/fileadmin/media_gallery/files/tech_data/AC/Airbus-AC_A330_Dec11.pdf

Bearcat

Thanks a mill

globemaster1986

See i was beaten to it. Documents available here for all Airbus models

emanresu

Davidth88 wrote: »

Not just charters across the atlantic ..... CX ( sorry United now ) run a scheduled service as well

Continental was CO,
CX is Cathay Pacific.

Davidth88

emanresu wrote: »

Continental was CO,
CX is Cathay Pacific.

You are right of course you spotted my deliberate mistake

Mad , I was a member of their frequent flyer club so you would expect me to remember !!

Reoil

aquascrotum wrote: »

Possibly a stupid question - given Ryanair pulled out of City because they couldnt operate their 737s at full capacity due to runway length, are EIs A320s able to operate at full capacity from EGAC?

I don't believe that. If that was the real issue, then surely they would just move to BFS?

aquascrotum

Reoil wrote: »

I don't believe that. If that was the real issue, then surely they would just move to BFS?

Well they pulled out when it became clear than the extension was not going ahead.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11139463
http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/belfast/belfast6.html

and

http://www.flightline.co.uk/blog/ryanair-to-close-belfast-city-base/

Quote from MOL (for what its worth)

....we are not prepared to continue to operate at Belfast City with restricted routes and loads because of repeated planning delays.

As for moving to International, do Ryanair and Easyjet not generally try and avoid each other at their main hubs? BFS is one of EZYs larger UK hubs in terms of destinations served.

Reoil

But that's what I mean - if they need a larger runway, why not move to BFS? Costs?

IngazZagni

Reoil wrote: »

But that's what I mean - if they need a larger runway, why not move to BFS? Costs?

I think FR would find it very difficult to compete with the well established presence of Easy at BFS. Ryanair would need to start a price war and operate flights at losses and I think they feel it's just not worth it. Easy tried to operate in ROI in the past and got destroyed by FR and they left. I do think FR would make a comeback to city should a runway extension happen in the future.