*****UPDATE: Following the Scottish First Minister’s announcement, Easyjet has withdrawn both its Manchester to Edinburgh and Aberdeen flights from sale. Both routes have been removed from easyjet.com.*****
As our contributor John Strickland told me some time ago UK domestic aviation is a “challenge.”
Strickland made that remark because rarely do UK domestic routes turn a profit for one reason or another.
Yet we now have Easyjet poised to launch no fewer than 12 domestic routes criss-crossing the UK.
Easyjet knows however it will attract criticism from the green lobby.
Some of these flights replace services previously operated by failed airline Stobart, while others are new, regional ventures.
The 12 routes are:
- Belfast-East Midlands starting July 9
- Belfast-Leeds starting July 9
- London Gatwick-Belfast City starting July 9
- Bristol-Jersey starting July 10
- Bristol-Aberdeen starting July 9
- Manchester-Aberdeen starting July 9
- Manchester-Edinburgh starting July 9
- Birmingham-Jersey starting July 11 (see our previous report on this announcement)
- Birmingham-Newquay starting July 10
- Liverpool-Bournemouth starting July 10
- Inverness-Newquay starting July 11
- Newcastle-Jersey starting July 10
Frequency on each route will vary. Some routes have just two flights a week whereas others will have a greater frequency.
Also note that in the case of Belfast, Easyjet will be serving both the main international as well as ‘close in’ City airport.
Now readers might wonder that if domestic aviation is rarely profitable why Easyjet is bothering now.
It’s simply because Easyjet has to utilise its fleet as best it can. Its schedules to mainland Europe have been disrupted by the pandemic.
Remember though that these are unusual times for aviation.
Since Easyjet planned these flights from Manchester to Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a ban on non essential travel from the Manchester area (to Scotland).
So be prepared for changes.
