Looking at S19 over S18 there will 6 extra flights per week and two new routes.
The base will be 4x TUI shorthaul, and a 787 will be based 5 days a week operating 3x longhaul and 3x shorthaul flights.
- Marrakech and Thessaloniki are new routes, 1x weekly.
- Kefalonia, Cancun, Naples and Antalya get an increase 1x weekly flight each.
- Palma loses it's late night departure on Saturday (however the aircraft no longer operates a W-pattern to another base during the day meaning the aircraft now operates to FUE in the afternoon. This means there is no loss in number of departures on a Saturday)
- PUJ has been dropped. It was 1x weekly.
The 787 will be based from Tuesday to Saturday and will operate:
Tuesday
Mexico, Cancun
Wednesday
Cape Verde
Thursday
Dubrovnik
Larnaca
Friday
Florida, Sanford
Saturday
Mexico, Cancun
This will mean DBV and LCA will see a good increase in seats too!
As mentioned before, Milan is currently showing in the schedule on Wed and Sat but no timings or operator.
So far the schedule has no gaps.
A good increase all round!
Overall it's a very good increase for the 787, both in routes and a fuller season. It's almost a five-aircraft summer base. Punta Cana is strange though. To introduce it for one summer season only before ditching it obviously raises questions. Either this summer's forward bookings are poor or perhaps it's a case of scheduling. At least there will six rotations each week in summer 2019 compared with four this summer.
I think Naples ran twice weekly prior to summer 17 back to one per week. The Friday rotation was a 757 and I think it was Monday or a Tuesday with the extra rotation on a W pattern with Gatwick based 737.
I would like to think I'm not dreaming on this one.
I don't think you've been dreaming. Looking back over the past ten years non-based B738s have operated some of the rotations in most years.
This is the position from 2008 onwards. Naples was flown as a summer charter route before that, by both First Choice and Thomas Cook. In fact, I have some recollection of there being 3 x weekly one summer involving both airlines. In summer 2012 easyJet came onto the route as well and its presence can be measured from that time by the annual passenger numbers for the route.
2008
Fridays: Based First Choice B757 and based Thomas Cook A320
2009
Fridays: Based Thomson B757
2010
Fridays: Non-based Thomson B738
2011
Mondays: Based Thomson B757
Fridays: Non-based Thomson B738
2012
Mondays: Based Thomson B757
Fridays: Non-based Thomson B738
easyJet 3 x weekly
2013
Mondays: Based Thomson B757
Fridays: Non-based Thomson B738
easyJet 2 x weekly
2014
Mondays: Based Thomson B757
Fridays: Non-based Thomson B738
easyJet 2 x weekly
2015
Mondays: Based Thomson B757
Fridays: Based Thomson B757
easyJet 2 x weekly
2016
Mondays: Non-based Thomson B738
Fridays: Based Thomson B738
easyJet 2 x weekly
2017
Mondays: Based TUI B757
Fridays: Based TUI B738
easyJet 3 x weekly
2018
Mondays: Based TUI*
Fridays: Based TUI*
easyJet 3 x weekly
* unsure of type
Annual passenger figures for BRS-NAP since 2008 across all airlines:
2008 18,701
2009 11,417
2010 9,034
2011 21,532
2012 41,278
2013 33,025
2014 34,048
2015 34,924
2016 35,349
2017 45,811