[Anonymous]

[Shearer]

Going head to head with FlyBE and BA.

New LGW-BHD route launched alongside LHR-BHD.

Or more likely, they will drop LHR route?

BA work with both airlines will we see changes from FlyBe?

[SmythyH]

More likely to see BA pull out of BHD/LHR, they have history dropping what was the only BFS/LHR route. Local (NI) politicians cannot get BA to guarantee continuation with the Northern Ireland air route to LHR….suggesting that the likely main carrier will eventually be Aer Lingus on the BHD/LHR, a pointer being the move from BFS to BHD at the end of Oct ’12. May I be so bold as to suggest BA only work with what suits BA!!

[LPPSKrisflyer]

I would fully expect BHD to be dropped by BA, maybe reduced first or just straight off as an EI codeshare. BA will probably need the slots by the start of S13 for their thriving services to Rotterdam and Leeds Bradford while maybe restarting Teesside too.

[Shearer]

BA’s commitment to Belfast City comes across as luke-warm at best, re-iterating that the route must be profitable – which is fair enough. Well, allowing your codeshare partner to launch flights on your doorstep and go in to competition with an airline you own part of seems a good way to make something unprofitable.
BA can say “We tried.”

[VintageKrug]

I can’t see BA at Belfast in 2014.

[Shearer]

But then EI can “step in” and shift it’s three Gatwick flights to Heathrow.
The phoney competition with FlyBE will cease, BA gets more slots back etc.

I do sound like a conspiracy theorist.

[SmythyH]

Interesting thought re EI into LGW from BHD, but as EI currently operate out of LGW, the viability of the route will be the main factor in it’s retention or rejection of this route.

More interesting is how long BA will continue to operate it’s LHR/BHD service, even though they have announced other new inter Britain routes from LHR, which, at first glance, don’t appear to have great potential for profit, very interesting move!

BA has never been interested in the relatively small Northern Ireland air travellers market, they walked away previously when the LHR/BFS route was profitable and well supported, the writing is writ large on the wall again for a speedy exit…again!

[VintageKrug]

its not it’s

[Author]

Posts