[Anonymous]

[openfly]

BA operating it’s first flight today to St Helena from JNB. It’s a check flight prior to starting services on May 21st. If all goes well the sector will open up for general sales shortly.

[canucklad]

And a new airline using 737-800’s in conjunction with TUI are going to fly from Luton via Banjul
I’m presuming there is a real push to promote St Helena as a go to tourist destination

[FDOS_UK]

The title is slightly misleading

Should be ‘BA franchise first flight to St Helena’, as it’s Comair from SA.

[openfly]

Sorry FDOS I had forgotten that you like to split hairs.
To all the other readers…I should have said BA/Comair. I will wind my neck in in future!

[FDOS_UK]

To be honest, it was a misleading title as it implied that BA were flying to St Helena, which suggests an ex London route. Canucklad replied in that context.

Please don’t confuse accuracy with pedantry.

[MrMichael]

BA are flying to St Helena. As a franchisee Comair are entitled to use the name BA or British Airways on all flight related business, just as my local McDonalds is entitled to use the name McDonalds when it advertises for staff and not the holding company’s name “Southwest Catering Services 2”. Not sure why anyone thought the flight was from London, the OP clearly states from Joburg.

Will be interesting to see how this goes. I am not too convinced of the tourist opportunitys of the flights, very little infrastructure for any significant form of tourism. I understood there were less than 60 beds available. Too far for a daytrip, and not enough locals to warrant even one flight a week, so this service must be subsidised to the hilt. Realistically, is this one huge expensive vanity project?

[FDOS_UK]

If the aircraft crashes and all are killed, who will the passengers’ estate’s claim be against?

[MrMichael]

Rather depends on the reason really……BA….Comair…..Boeing……GE…..St Helena Airport…..The ACME drone manufacturing company…..Gate Goumet…..Guiness Peat Aviation…..Ryanair…….who knows…..

Are you suggesting an OP title should start with the company operating the franchise rather than the actual franchise name? If you take things that way then really no such thing as a franchise and my local McDonalds should now have over the door “Southwest Catering Setvices 2 trading as McDonalds” instead of the Golden Arch we all love.

Lighten up FDOS, your starting to believe yourself. Anyway, his post, he can call it whatever he wants, and if you have that much of an issue with it, don’t take part in it.

You seem to me to be particularly curmudgeonly of late 🙂

[FDOS_UK]

MrMichael – 18/04/2016 18:10 BST

I’d have titled the thread ‘New Club Europe Service available to St Helena.’

By the way, your response towards ChristopheL is alinged with the Oxford Dictionary definition of ‘curmudgeon’, so the pot might be better refraining from calling the kettle.

[SimonS1]

Well the flights have a BA flight number, are on BA branded metal and to be sold on BA.com so it is probably semantics.

I wonder what someone would do on St Helena for a week? Count sheep?

[MrMichael]

FDOS. I am the first to admit my Curmudgeonly shortcomings, my wife and kids remind me constantly, and now you too are joining in, welcome to the MrM family.

I have set out very clearly my views on ChristpheL and their wholly unrealistic expectations, and subsequent throwing toys from pram.

Back on topic, what is the BA/Comair flight alternate airport in the case of unexpected issues at St Helena. Anybody know?

[FDOS_UK]

Simon, can you confirm the BA flight number, please?

[superchris]

Re profitability / viability of route, I think I had read somewhere that the British Government was looking to reduce the subsidy from the British taxpayer of running the RMS to the islands so presumably the new service is somehow subsidised by HM Government (DFiD presumably?) until such point as its viable of its own accord and St Helena has the infrastructure to support itself through tourism.

[bluemooner]

Pity its not St Helens to Joburg 😉

[Author]

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