regional

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,709

The launch of the A3XX makes me think about the devolopment of the regional market in europe. I have considered Airbus and Boeing oppionions about the plane and both are since we are talking about different markets. Americans have developed the hubs much earlier and since americans skies are not so congested tend to redistribute trafic using smaller ETOPS planes and developing mini regional hubs. But here, in Europe regional is in its infancy and airlines tend to concentrate in hubs. On the other hand there are not slots and we need bigger planes. I am thinking about LHR....Hubs are something which upsets especially local airports, because it prevent us from growing and having direct flights to more destinations. I live in SCQ (somebody guesses where is that?) What do you think future will be:
paralysed regional services and big bubs or American concept,
semi big hubs and tranfer of traffic to other airports?.
Wishes;

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 269

RE: regional

One thing I have noticed over recent years in the UK is that many people are put off by using Heathrow for long haul flights due to the congestion and so are now flying from the smaller UK regional airports to places like Amsterdam (still a busy airport, but less hassle than LHR!) where they will connect to their long haul aircraft. These short haul connecting flights have become more popular not only because of the congested airports in the London area, but because of the lower fares airlines have to offer. Witness the likes of Easyjet, Ryanair and Buzz. It must also be said that the regional airports have now begun to attract a number of long haul services themselves, indeed, you can now fly from a typical regional airport like Birmingham to places like New York, Chicago and even Karachi. Manchester has even more long haul services to offer, including Atlanta and Hong Kong.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,709

RE: regional

I think one of the major problem in the development of regional ariports, are the big airlines because they find more profitable cutting radial routes and posicionate planes in trunk lines which are fed by feeder flights. At least that´s what happens in Spain where the three major airlines use MAD as main hub. In the case of UK, BA has cut lots of connections from regional airports and doesn´t have gut connections from Manchester, Glasgow or others. One of the major problems is that independent airlines which could offer alternatives can´t stand losses (lack of financial back up) because they have to open new routes and make the public to use them. I think local authorities play an important role because they should to make bigger effords in this. In the UK things are fine since airports are private (at least many of them) but in Spain belonging to the state this local iniciatives are senseless.
wishes.