easyJet

[pug]

Easyjet rumoured now too... W patterns from LPL being talked about.

 

[Bigman]

No rumour about it. There are 5 routes on sale on their website.

 

[Aviador]

Congratulations to Doncaster for this scoop! How long will it last?

[textarea]"easyJet will operate some 21 departures per week from the South Yorkshire Airport and expects to carry around 300,000 on the five routes in their first year of operation, making it the largest low-fares airline to operate from the Airport. The services to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Faro, Palma and Prague, will bring mix of City break opportunities and sunshine destinations."

Source[/textarea]

It will be interesting to see how they perform. Amsterdam, Prague and I think Barcelona were all tried before by Thomson Airways under their former low cost brand "Thomsonfly". Sadly they failed to make the routes work. Bmibaby has just pulled Barcelona from Manchester, so I wonder if the same route will work from Doncaster? Prague has lost the razzmatazz it once had and many airlines are reducing their operations to there.

Hopefully Easyjet will make the routes work and good luck to them.

 

[White Heather]

Well Easyjet failed last time they operated out of DSA, but to be fair TOM were there at the time doing low cost flights, which they are not doing now. So, at least they do have that market to themselves. However, I remain unconvinced. Time will tell if these flights are a success. If not, then the future must look bleak. Speaking purely on behalf of the South Yorkshire public, lets hope this works for them. Speaking as someone who is LBA through and through, it better not have an impact on either Jet2 or Ryanair out of LBA. Lets also hope is doesn't impact on the HUY AMS service in terms of passenger numbers.

Didn't someone say though that this was 'definitely' going to be KLM??? 🙄

 

[pug]

Yep, i bought it 🙄

Think its because i saw that they were in the booking engine, when it was realy the KLM employee travel site and EMA, NQY and INV were in it. I backpeddled after that.

I wish Easyjet luck, something tells me that they are treading carefuly with this one. They arent investing in a base just outstationing an aircraft there and crews will nightstop, this means if it doesnt work they will pull straight out like FR would etc with little cost to them.

I would assume that if it fails then it will be the last bit of expansion they see so i do wish it well.... Saves me the drive to LPL now too!!!

Lets hope HUY gets something from this.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

easy pull out of EMA (was it a 3-aircraft base?) then open the smallest possible base at DSA.

On the face of things it seems odd but the company has proved itself very successful down the years but is being severely tested, as are all airlines, in the current global downturn.

I admit to being an easyJet fan having travelled with them a lot.

 

[Aviador]

If a poster on pprune is to be believed the new Easyjet flights from Doncaster are only to allow for additional flights from Manchester. Something to do with contractual obligations with Peel and Liverpool Airport.

Another poster on the same forum says "Peel have some of the lowest cost and best positioned airports in the UK - fits Lowco's."

He maybe right for the time being with regards to costs but Peel can't sustain these kind of losses losses forever. It took nearly 5 million passengers per annum before Liverpool started to make money. How many years do they expect it to take before Doncaster makes a profit?

With regards to best positioned airports in the UK, other than Liverpool airport, I'm not convinced. DSA is not in a good location and neither is Durham Tees Valley.

 

[pug]

Another poster on the same forum says "Peel have some of the lowest cost and best positioned airports in the UK - fits Lowco's."

I have replied to that, ok the costs may be low but the position, well dont need to say it again.

It would appear that they can get out if it all goes wrong, they are still going to be competing with Baby, Jet2 and Ryanair from EMA, and Jet2 and Ryanair from LBA so will be interesting to see if they can fill these flights. I suspect Brand will help them, remains to be seen if the catchment area sustains it... I hope it works though for their sake.

Im hoping this wouldnt deter any expansion from HUY now either, whoever may want to (if anyone) and im talking about charter routes in that too... Im 99% sure it wont affect the KLM service at HUY though, as H says, it will be leisure and DIY connections whilst HUY offers the real thing!

 

[White Heather]

Sorry to be negative, but I can't help thinking that both DSA and Easyjet are exaggerating a bit when they claim that these flights will result in 300,000 passengers a year. By my reckoning (admittedly late at night and without a calculator), based on 22 flights a week (ie 44 movements), 52 weeks a year (which won't happen due to Christmas etc), they would require an average of 131 passengers on every single flight, in and out of DSA to achieve those figures. Since the AMS alone takes up 7 of the 22 flights and is not exactly operating at an ideal time to link with intercontinental flights, I really cannot see them getting those passenger numbers across the whole year.

 

[pug]

I cant see them operationg some of their flights year round either. Faro and Barcelona dont strike me as year round destinations from that catchment area... Could be wrong though but dont forget its not a full blown base so they could just do proper W patterns during the winter to AMS and PRG.

 

[White Heather]

All of which points to nowhere near 300,000 pax per year. More from the Peel Spin Doctor??

 

[pug]

I think realisticaly it is likely to generate between 1 and 200,000, perhaps they will consider a winter ski route but looking at GVA is it likely?

By many accounts the deal is nothing more than a sweetner for Peel due to the decision to base an extra aircraft at MAN. It is said to be a 'gentlemans agreement' as it would be illegal to impose such a contract on EZY. I also suspect it will be a drain on finances too, Peel are supposidly paying for the HOTAC at the hotel on site for the LPL crews night stopping. The aircraft had to be used somewhere as further expansion potential from LPL is thin on the ground.

Easyjet also seem to like at least 5 aircraft at a base so remains to be seen how long it will last, certainly a 5 aircraft schedule would be way out of DSA's depth. It will have to work though as, if it doesnt, future expansion would be highly unlikely.

I suspect its also dressing up for any potential investor if there ever is one.

 

[pug]

But that is from a crewing perspective. With DSA not being a crew base, I don't think that arguement applies here

No that is true however, assuming Peel are subsidising the crew stopovers and other such requirements, then it will do very little for the finances. It will have to be pulled once the routes become established hence whether Easyjet could make money with all the associated costs, that is the debate.

If they were to want a crew base then, like you say, it would probably need to be around 5 aircraft to make it worth their while. I cannot imagine DSA being able to provide pax for 5 a/c worth of schedules.

Example is TCX at HUY, they pulled their outstationed a/c (ok part week) because the costs of positioning crews (not just pilots and cabin staff) in a hotel plus transfers etc just did not justify the continuation, even though the flights were going out full! TFS during the winter warranted two flights apparantly... Hence the reason i would expect that LS and the like would work very well from HUY, much better than BLK.

Its all about costs thats all, depends what EZYs operating costs would be as to whether they manage to expand much.

 

[Aviador]

Easyjet opened their operation at Doncaster today.

 

[Aviador]

Anybody heard how Easy are performing from Doncaster in their opening week?

 

[pug]

People have posted some stuff on the fraternity site, though i dont believe looking now will be an accurate judge considering the problems during the begining of the week and the fact that many pax will not have returned yet... The next few weeks may help more.

 

[pug]

Rumours suggesting that the EZY 'base' at DSA will be shifted to MAN next year, not sure if theres substance to this, though it seems the winter flights for other airports are on sale through to Feb with DSA only upto December...

 

[Aviador]

Rumours suggesting that the EZY 'base' at DSA will be shifted to MAN next year, not sure if theres substance to this, though it seems the winter flights for other airports are on sale through to Feb with DSA only upto December...

I guess if the rumours are correct, it's not so much the loads that count but the amount of money they make. If they have to sell the seats at rock bottom prices to fill the flights they wont make any money.

 

[pug]

Load factor for the AMS route from DSA in May works out at around the 50% mark. Is this strong enough to continue without improvement?

 

[Aviador]

It's difficult to say exactly but it seems unlikely to be sufficient to sustain the route.