Archive Route Development & Rumours

[ethanegcc]

Kuwait airways are receiving their first Boeing 777-300ER and they have 10 on delivery but they currently only have 2 772s. This paves the way for some great expansion and airport enhancements to KWI. One airliners.net user has stated some destinations Kuwait Airlines may launch flights to, as reported in the local media and this includes MAN.

Could be one to watch and Kuwait try to catch up with their ME neighbours. Perhaps with a freed up 772/332?

 

[Dobbo]

Seems plausible - but what onward connections do they have? Without the Kangaroo route (amongst others) the MEB3 would not have anything like the frequency they do at MAN.

 

[ethanegcc]

I think their connections mainly revolve around Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region and East Asia (e.g. Philippines etc.)

However, Oman Air don't have SYD yet so it is one to watch. I for certain would love to see it.

 

[ethanegcc]

Here is the statement:
'KU has been saying in local media that it will add extra New York flights reopen seasonal Malaga and Fly to Madrid add Manchester plus Tokyo'

So Tokyo could be a connection.

On another note, their 77Ws look beautiful inside and out - have a look on the thread on a.net!

 

[Dobbo]

Will certainly take a look.

I wonder what the connecting Tokyo traffic is like from MAN. Presumably loads of it goes via EK and CX, but if you add SQ (ad a number of European connections) into the mix there might be a solid O&D case building up behind the scenes.

 

[ethanegcc]

I am sure there is.

AF, KL, LH, EW/NH, BA, EK, EY, QR, SQ, CX, SK, AY all offer Tokyo connections and as you know, MAN spokespeople have called for a route.

 

[David_itl]

Another indirect route.. this one to Taiwan:

"In related news, CAL announced that it is expanding its code-share flights with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in January, allowing passengers to travel nonstop from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Amsterdam and transfer to other European destinations..... From Amsterdam, passengers can board transfer flights offered by KLM to London and Manchester in England; Barcelona and Madrid in Spain; and Paris, CAL said."

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/11/29/2003660219

 

[ethanegcc]

Good news! It's nice to see these airlines actually have MAN on their radar and appreciate it is a substantial market, rather than just a regional airport, which is the opinion of some.

 

[Dobbo]

Been doing a little poking around, and have circled back round to MAN's largest unserved route - BKK. something jumps out to me.

https://skift.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/UnderservedUncovered-Report.pdf

133,631 "one stop bookings" made in 2015. I don't know if that means "one way" or "return" bookings, but either way it is pretty big. You then look slightly further down, and see that BKK-JFK is a similar unserved market. 127,994 "one stop bookings".

A few things spring to mind:

1. MAN is not too far off the great circle route from BKK-JFK.
2. TG cannot operate into the US as things stand, so could not do an SQ25.
3. One stop traffic BKK-JFK is probably split between FRA, MUC, CDG, AMS and Scandinavia. None of these yet has USPC (obviously MAN does not) but quite frankly, the transfer operation could be done cheaper at MAN.

We think we know TG are interested in operating BKK-MAN to tap this market. What odds on MAN banging TG and UA's heads together and trying to synchronise schedules to funnel BKK-New York traffic through MAN?

The main advantages to the airlines seem to be:

• to de-risk TG opening a new route; and
• for UA to breathe new life into a route that has been struggling in the face of competition from TCX, DL, AA and soon to add Norwegian and VS.

Hardly rocket science, but let me know what you think.

 

[Dobbo]

Can't remember if this was picked up on at the time.

MAN-WAW is one of the top 10 unserved "key" eastern European markets according to OAG.

http://www.oag.com/blog/unserved-routes-eastern-european-markets

 

[ethanegcc]

I have long said LOT should start that route, as currently only one airline serves the general WAW market and that is to WMI. Nobody even operates into Chopin.

And great idea, but are UA and TG the best of partners? Could this deter the warming SQ/UA relations?

 

[Dobbo]

I should add the MEB3 to BKK-JFK (or any New York) one stop traffic.

No idea on UA/TG - but I presume TG need some form of co-operation with a US partner.

 

[ethanegcc]

Yes, if TG were to launch US flights they would no doubt need a US partner, but why shouldn't they funnel through say FRA, which is a star alliance hub as opposed to MAN?

Would there even be much of a risk factor launching 5 weekly BKK-MAN flights?

 

[ethanegcc]

Yes, if TG were to launch US flights they would no doubt need a US partner, but why shouldn't they funnel through say FRA, which is a star alliance hub as opposed to MAN?

Would there even be much of a risk factor launching 5 weekly BKK-MAN flights?

 

[Dobbo]

Yes, if TG were to launch US flights they would no doubt need a US partner, but why shouldn't they funnel through say FRA, which is a star alliance hub as opposed to MAN?

No reason - just whether MAN can offer things the likes of FRA cannot. For example, lower costs and USPC. Most likely unrealistic, but the sort of thing that should be on the radar.

 

[David_itl]

I would say one of the main advantages for TG is that they may not need to resort to the bargain bucket fares to fill aircraft as a BKK-MAN-JFK routing would probably see larger equipment than the A350. This would then free up a lower cost carrier to mop up the backpackers going to Thailand/South East Asia.

 

[Dobbo]

If TG could do BKK-MAN-JFK that would be great, but I don't think the US allow them to fly into their airspace. If they can get over this (it is odd that they be allowed to fly to the EU but not USA) that may solve the problem.

 

[EGCC_MAN]

Skipping back a couple of posts, I can confirm that the Manchester-Warsaw market is woefully under-served. Just three flights per week to Modlin, always packed. Likewise other Manchester to Poland flights. Even the newly-launched Wroclaw service was packed out when I used it a fortnight ago. Similar story for past trips to Gdansk, Krakow, Rzeszow. There is a bit more capacity on Krakow (popular citybreak market), but all the Ryanair destinations could fill additional frequencies with ease.

One problem is that carriers including Ryanair themselves and Wizz Air prefer to force passengers through ultra-budget airports such as Liverpool and Doncaster. But when departures are offered from MAN, the market snaps up the capacity immediately - there is clearly plenty of latent demand for the premium airport proposition. Meanwhile, service between MAN and the similar market of Romania is completely non-existent.

Ryanair seem in no hurry to significantly grow Poland capacity from MAN ... they seem to add a couple of frequencies per year. Nothing at all to Romania. Wizz Air and Blue Air won't look at MAN (so it appears). Small Planet have been mentioned for a service to Bydgoszcz on F4A, but I've been unable to find any other reference to this proposal or a website which offers fares on the route.

This part of Europe remains Manchester's weakest link. A real pity, as the destination cities themselves are fantastic and the market is surprisingly large.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Wizz Air prefer to force passengers through ultra-budget airports such as Liverpool and Doncaster

BHX managed to attract Wizz when you would have thought they would have gone to East Mids, so you never know !

 

[EGCC_MAN]

I'm only surprised they didn't choose Halfpenny Green! Maybe there is a glimmer of hope ...