Belfast City Airport waves goodbye to Ryanair … for now?
Belfast City Airport will be hoping for better luck in September. Having run a couple of Community Information Days last week that were advertised to 21,000 local homes but only ended up attracting 42 people into the airport terminal to learn more about the airport’s activities and plans for the runway extension, Ryanair broke bad news this morning.
Ryanair don’t do subtle gestures, and in the case of the city airport they’re pulling their aircraft off the local tarmac from 1 November, ceasing the routes to Bristol, East Midlands, Liverpool, London Stansted and Prestwick from 31 October.
At this morning’s press conference in the Europa Hotel, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said:
It is very disappointing that the promised runway extension at Belfast City Airport has still not materialised more than three years after we opened the base at Belfast City.
It makes no sense for Ryanair to continue to invest in Belfast City, operating restricted routes with less than full payloads between Belfast and other UK airports (which suffer a double APD penalty) unless there is clear and immediate prospect of Ryanair being enabled to safely operate longer European routes from Belfast City Airport and for this we need the runway extension.
The journey towards a public inquiry looking at the proposed runway extension has been a long drawn out process, that was delayed again in August.
It’s unlikely that O’Leary’s intervention will speed up the process. More likely it’ll encourage easyJet to continue their bargaining between Belfast International and Belfast City airports and perhaps shift more flights down from Aldergrove to the harbour.
The airport’s Business Development Director, Katy Best said she was disappointed at Ryanair’s decision. However:
Ryanair’s announcement will not divert us in pursuing the continued development of the airport. Our goal still remains to attract new airlines and new destinations to and from Belfast City Airport resulting in a much needed economic boost for the region.
The extension would add 590 metres to the Holywood end of the runway would allow the existing aircraft to fly fully laden with passengers and fuel, offering destinations further afield in mainland Europe. The physical layout of the current airport site means that the longer runway wouldn’t attract larger aircraft. The City Airport’s current planning constraint means it can operate no more than 48,000 flights each year. Last year they managed 39,328 flights carrying 2.60 million passengers; in 2008 they peaked at 42,998 flights for 2.56 million people.
While community and campaign groups like Belfast City Airport Watch Ltd have voiced concerns and actively fought against the extension, their demands seem to stop short of requesting a radical cutback in the airport’s operations – eg, halving the current flight limit. Perhaps the local jobs at stake make that an ask too far?
Sinn Féin’s local East Belfast representative Niall Ó Donnghaile commented:
While I’m sure many residents will not be mourning the apparent loss of Ryanair, I think this move by Michael O’Leary is an extremely retrograde step and will only punish Ryanair workers as well as the local economy and air travel commuters.
Dawn Purvis MLA reacted to Ryanair’s announcement:
While it is regrettable, it is not surprising, Mr O’Leary has long made his views known regarding the democratic right of the people of East Belfast to lodge their objections and lobby their elected representatives against a runway extension which would add to the already nuisance levels of noise and other forms of pollution. Mr O’Leary probably needs reminded that we live in a democratic country not a fascist state where profit is more important than the health and well being of its citizens.
My major concern in all of this is that Mr O’Leary’s ‘hissy fit’ does not cost jobs, I hope he has the decency to ensure that these employees can be redeployed elsewhere within Ryan Air operations.
Update – In July, Ryanair announced a three-month suspension of flights from Bournemouth airport between 1 November 2010 and 31 January 2011, citing the government’s £11 tourist tax. Are the effects of the economic downturn being used to make a different political point in each region affected? Other quotes from politicians, organisations and community representatives can be found on the BBC’s round-up page.
Topic: Society and Culture
Region: Northern Ireland
Kinda does, what with oil production peaking around 2020, and them having not yet found a way of providing solar-powered aircraft and all. Of course, we only deplete our oil reserves at 2.1% per annum. It’s not like it’s a closed system or a finite supply or owt.
Not to mention the taxes, the next four years of recovery, the increasing sh*tness of “holidays” in the sun, and so on.
Increasingly, I think it’s possible to see all politics as a process by which people who don’t pay taxes get the people who taxpayers pay to give them an even bigger slice of the pie.
The US Red-States are notorious for being the biggest recipients of federal funds, ‘pushy parenting’ seems – at least in part – about getting a larger slice of education budgets focussed on their kids and the whole ‘corporate welfare’ that Ryanair seem to expect is just another taste of the same.
Oh and by the way, my own tuppence – as per further down, if you don’t like Ryanair, don’t use them. Frankly, I’d rather – and actually on one occasion did – travel by ground means.
I was merely commenting that people have a choice. What it comes down to is a simple matter of comparing the bottom line prices and not letting ourselves be unduly wound up at the not so subtle ways these “low-cost” operators employ to extract every last penny from the flying public. I don’t particularly like O’Leary but I have to hand it to him, he’s a shrewd businessman, and I’ll willingly even pay a premium to travel in one of Ryanair’s new 737 800′s rather than one of sleazyjet’s old bangers or God forbid, an airbus (a personal prejudice – I prefer cables to computers and wires)
I’ve used Ryanair for most of my recent flights, but booked a flight with BMIbaby yesterday. The total price – including airport taxes and everything else – was flashed up almost immediately upon deciding on flight times. After Ryanair’s horrific hidden cost website experiences, I was a little bit impressed.
I despise O’Leary, but the fact that he kicked our politicians in the nuts over their inability to make decisions does amuse me.
O’Leary’s excellent at what he does, I admire his ability to keep a stright face a lot of the time if nothing else. He’d have made a hell of a barrister (head to head in court with Bob McCartney anyone ? Pure box office gold).
I’d love to see his recommendations for the NI (or indeed free state) Civil Service if he was given a conflict-of-interest-free trouble-shooting brief for 3 months to blow some cobwebs away and eliminate waste.
It is hard to take an airport with one runway named for an alchoholic wife beater seriously.
Build a fast train line all the way from dublin and take all the big flights to international.
Dublin airport’s an embarassment, a customer service nightmare and a total rip-off. It really ought to be renamed after someone appropriate. Ivor Callely, say (although local competition would be fierce altogether). In return for the few bob pension top-up, like – public money, natch.
Malcolm,
> The cost would be to the owners (ABN AMRO is a partly-nationalized Dutch Bank), who would doubtless be expecting a hand-out from DRDNI (which means the tax-payer).
Just to keep it factual, should not that Belfast City Airport are on record saying that they will privately fund the airport extension and are not seeking any public funding.
Not sure there’s any momentum behind getting the rail link to Belfast International put in place.
Whatever O’Leary’s motives, there can be little doubt the Planning Service is woefully incompetent. For an insight, checkout the PAC website;
Major Planning Applications
George Best Belfast City Airport – runway extension proposal
Since March 2010 the Commission has been corresponding with the Department about this major planning application. The Commission is unable to arrange the requested Public Inquiry as the information on 3rd party representations is incomplete and it has asked the Department to address the adequacy of the Environmental Information about the application. To date there has been substantial public interest in the correspondence between the Commission and the Department.
In these circumstances the Commission has decided to publish this correspondence which may be viewed at http://www.pacni.gov.uk/letters.pdf. (659KB)
Alan in Belfast @ 6:55 am:
Both fair points, which I fully accept.
The pledge on costs was made under Ferrovial’s ownership, in the 2005 plan. It neatly side-stepped a whole raft of incidental costs: resiting the fuel farm, transport links, with a slick gloss on environment and security. As is said: that was then, this is now.
Yes – and building a second arrivals hall to deal with international customs etc – which couldn’t grow too much in the current shared hall. But at the community information day they were pretty clear about privately funding the airport developments.
O’Leary and his company treat their customers with contempt.
Sod them.
Have never flown RyanAir.
I prefer BMIBABY.
Arlene was telling mistruths on Nolan – it was well know that O’Leary was threatening to pull out of the city airport. I know that a joe public, so i am supposed to believe that a minister for deti didnt know that.
Come on – get real – people arent that stupid !
facinatinating to listen to Arlene Foster and Michael Colley of Ryanair this morning. Arlene kept on mentioning links with cities in UK whilst Colley was pushing the European links, his real need for the longer runway.
Gonzo,
“I despise O’Leary, but the fact that he kicked our politicians in the nuts over their inability to make decisions does amuse me.”
That’s a fair point. I don’t know whether Belfast City Airport’s delays are a result of taking a reasonable amount of time to negotiate with other stakeholders before reaching a conclusion (a good thing) or delays caused by the not-an-inch tradition of negotiation that seems more evident in NI than anywhere else (a bad thing).
If it’s the latter, O’Leary has dished out the first of what will undoubtedly be a series of object lessons to the public administration of NI.
That should be of great and general interest.
Wagging the dog?
The Airport’s Master Plan is specific about that:
Furthermore, on the same page 5, there’s a route map, showing services as far afield as … Jersey.
The plan predates Ryanair coming into BCA/BHD: the detailed listing of aircraft movements (page 13) shows A320s, B737-400s, BAe146s and smaller equipment. No B737-800s (not surprisingly).
It seems to me that Ryanair simply wanted to tear up the 2005 Master Plan, and demand something far, far bigger. At their own, knock-down price, of course.
If Ryanair’s bluff has been called by the local citizenry getting restless, by the (deliberate?) inertia of bureaucracy, and by the changing economic environment, goody-goody say I.
NI’s transport infrastructure must have more pressing demands than duplicating the underused Aldergrove runway.
There is a real place for BCA/BHD in the executive and feeder-services markets. The rest should go in and out of Aldergrove.
depends on how you define short haul. Brussels, Amsterdam Frankfurt or even Paris are less than two hours-short haul in my book.
However there is a bus service to Aldergrove and the new motorway makes Dublin, with all its faults, accessible.
The coming economic climate is likely, in my view, to clip the demand for holiday traffic generally and straitened circumstances will require a more fundamental consideration of island transport infrastructure. (why does Aldergrove not attract more Dublin based users?)
As well as maintaining our well established UK links, the European link is becoming increasingly important as a gateway to the global economy.
Increasingly I meet local people who earn their living in Abu Dabi or Singapore
“interested @ 3:27 pm:
Again, fair points.
I’m open to correction here: I thought “short-haul” amounted to 500 miles and about 2 hrs flight time. That gets us spot-on as far as Brussels. I think I’ve also seen definitions that suggest it amounts to being within the same state (which invites questions about the Belgian Euro-empire).
Some Ryanair routes are four hours: from the UK that’s to Spain and Scandinavia. I’m told they’ve an even longer route from Charleroi to Larnaca due shortly: that must be over four hours.
At some time/distance marker passenger comfort (not Ryanair’s first priority) ought to arise. Ouch! — I’ve done EasyJet to southern Europe; and that’s damned hard on the legs. Ryanair’s seat pitch is quoted as 30 inches: EasyJet and BMIbaby as 29. Monarch (which I’ve never used) is the regulation minimum of 28.
FR will not be missed…no idea about looking after people, advertising that barely tells the truth, and prices that tend to end up much higher than promised.
As for the runway extension, there was never any justification for it…we’re a small country and one international length runway is more than enough.
Some joined up thinking please!!
Good riddens Micheal, you had no thoughts for me or my neighbours so I will lose no sleep when your gone (actually that is true now I think of it)
I live parallel to the flight path, a few hundred metres away. I have had to live with the noise of the Ryan Air planes for some time now and am totally against any expansion.
Prior to Ryan Air arrival the FlyBe turbo props and whisper jets could be tolerated, but the 737s are extremely noisy on take off. If they are not full and they generate this amount of noise then surely if they are full and fully laden with fuel/baggage then it will take more power to get airborne which will mean even more noise.
Imagine the carnage if one of these crashed coming in over or taking off over the city. I always think of the Concorde crash and wonder what would happen if one of these planes suffered something similar in the city area.
There is a perfectly good INTERNATIONAL airport in a perfectly good setting at Aldergrove and given that most of Ryan Air’s arrivals in other cities are miles away, will it make that much differences to his passengers?
If this has to be done for a high speed train link in England then why can we locals not get something similar for putting up with the noise and pollution generated by GBBCA?
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/domestic_politics/high+speed+rail+compensation+scheme+unveiled/3749482
> There is a perfectly good INTERNATIONAL airport in a perfectly good setting at Aldergrove …
Perfectly good from a functional perspective (long runway, sparse population, etc), but not from a commercial point of view. Ryanair talked to both airports before opening their Belfast base, and BCA obviously gave them a much more discounted deal than BIA was willing to.
So although the International is perfectly good, it wasn’t economically good.
There’s been a long-offered argument that BIA and BCA should be jointly owned, which would be likely to mean that short haul small planes would use BCA and package holidays, jets etc would use BIA. But the removal of competition would probably also put up the prices of competitive routes to Birmingham etc.
Ryanair might well be missed by the 800,000 passengers that flew with them last year. Apart from that, you’re absolutely right. Actually, no, the 50 people who are going to lose their jobs might miss Ryanair too. And the businesses that benefited from the tourist trade generated by people who came to Northern Ireland on Ryanair flights. But yes, apart from that handful of people……
What did the Roman’s ever do for us!!!!
I moved to London a couple of years ago and regularly fly to Belfast a couple of times a month to see family. The sudden departure of Ryanair has caused a lot of difficulty for my schedule. Luckily I had already booked my Christmas flights with an alternative airline (not easyjet) as the cost to do so now would have been prohibitive.
Yes, they were a cheap airline. I did fly for a penny a few times and normally my return flights were about 20 quid (hand luggage only, paid with visa electron and later mastercard prepaid card). However, the passenger experience was extremely unpleasant and the flight attendants could be extremely abusive.
A lot of people say if you don’t like ryanair then fly with other airlines. Unfortunately, other routes tend not to be as convenient, a return fare commonly does not leave you with much change out of a hundred quid and as for easyjet they do have a serious problem with punctuality. Frankly for those of us who aren’t millionaires there really isn’t much of an alternative to ryanair.
I think it a disgrace that Ryanair can pull such well established routes at literally 8 weeks notice when it takes about 6 months to establish a new air route – so there will be no instant competitors waiting in the wings.
Clearly they have demonstrated that they cannot be relied upon to provide an established service across the water – something which NI really badly needs. Regarding the comments about Ryanir not having full planes to the city because of safety rules – quite often the Stansted plane was completely full – every seat occupied. Was there some sort of safety risk here – did Ryanair cut corners?
Despite their cheap fares I think Belfast City Airport should not allow Ryanair to return and instead try to court those airlines who can provide a steady, reliable and affordable service and are unlikely to pull planes on a whim leading immediately to a 30% reduction in the airport’s capacity. Clearly getting into bed with ryanair was a bad move for the city airport as they now have lost almost immediately a third of business with no warning from the Ryanair thugs in suits.
Endless posters suggesting that Ryanair should have gone to Aldergrove – are they serious. If easyjet even got a whiff of such a suggestion Stellios would be over to beat them up in a big way. The situation could be compared to a new shoppping centre.Imagine that you own a new prestigious shopping centre and secure Debenams as the largest anchor tenant. After they are set up and trading you announce an extension which will house John Lewis. i think that Mr Debenham would not be impressed.
Michael O’Leary is in business to make money (much to the amazement of our politicians who state this in an incredulous manner as if all other businesses are run for altruistic reasons). He cannot be blamed for packing up and moving somewhere where his aircraft will be more profitable.
As noted the airport had a community day which was attended by 46 persons. I am told that only 3 of these were objectors out of 21,000 invites. Is noise really such a problem for East Belfast?
would love to see flights between london city and belfast city…
Why is anyone taking O’Leary’s figures as gospel. The man has a tangential relationship with reality and I’d love to know how many people DanDare actually physically employs (other than sub contracts) if there is any independent verification of their claim to shift half the population each year and the knock on effect for jobs. I’d trust the figures as much as I trust the prices they quote.
Plus if you sup with the devil…
If I’m one of those “endless posters”, Daniel @ 1:07 am is wrong to read that I’m saying Ryanair should have gone to Aldergrove.
I’m all in favour of suitable aircraft using BHD. Ryanair’s 737-800 is not capable of or licensed for fully-laden take-offs from a 6,000 foot runway.
Furthermore, Stelios’ dealings with easyJet are only through his lawyers and his royalties: the name is now a licensing deal.
I’m all in favour of suitable aircraft using BHD. Ryanair’s 737-800 is not capable of or licensed for fully-laden take-offs from a 6,000 foot runway. – which is why they want to extend it!
Furthermore, Stelios’ dealings with easyJet are only through his lawyers and his royalties: the name is now a licensing deal. – fair point – forgot – although was referring more to the company than the infividual.
Above references to Master Plan are spurious. As quoted ‘primary market will be domestic flights’. This would not change – BCA propose in ES a max of 10 European destinations twice a week – so 40 movements out of a weekly total of almost 1000. Still very much in the minority in my opinion.
Has been tried – laterly by Citijet in 2008 – just couldnt get the loads.
According to CAA they carried in region of 800,000 pax in and out of BHD last year.
The restrictions at LCY are (and need to be) very strict: the flightpath is effectively between tower blocks). It is designated as a STOLport, with a 5,000 foot runway and a steep glidepath.
That means the biggest aircraft from LCY are in the 100-seater range. BAe146s and the like are being supplanted by types such as Embraer E190s (as ordered by BA as 98 seaters) and A318s (BA fly these from LCY to JFK twice a day, in 32-executive-seat mode: single fare a spot shy of £3500).
Quite why there isn’t a LCY-BHD service is anyone’s guess, but cost must be an obvious reason. Air France did operate that route until May 2008. It’s still bookable, but routed through Dublin, with a ridiculously long 5½hr scheduled time (and around £230-250 single).
With Ryanair out of the picture, might you expect a CityJet flight coming your way shortly? CityJet are a subsidiary of Air France/KLM (and sponsors of London Irish). Their fares are not Ryanair or easyJet, but also transparent and not totally off the scale: LCY to Dundee for about £70 single.
Flybe also used to do a Belfast City / London City / Isle of Man triangle service. Was a long bumpy way of getting to London City – but used it a few times for London meetings that I could get to directly from Docklands Light Railway. You could check in on the train platform and then walk be through security within a few minutes.
Fit the airfield to the aircraft? Are you sure that’s the right way round? Taken to extremes, we demolish East Belfast to facilitate A380s and 747s.
[Hang on! Hang on! Demolish East Belfast? Perhaps you have a point after all.]
Malcolm says “Ryanair’s 737-800 is not capable of or licensed for fully-laden take-offs from a 6,000 foot runway.”
I think I may have spotted a loophole that Mr O’Leary exploited. Yes, I’ve never been on a plane from BD that was completely full (usually a couple of rows vacant – and partitioned off by the zelous flight attendants) but there have been numerous occasions coming from Stansted and landing in BD where the plane was completely full – every single seat occupied. Presumably you can’t take off with a full plane but you can land one.
Admittedly some of the landings were quite rough and you heard the wheels squeal as the pilot slammed the brakes on hard. I’m nearly certain that one time we were almost at the edge of the runway by the time the plane came to a complete halt.
Also, regarding other airlines not finding BD-London routes profitable – charge the right price and you’ll fill the planes (no matter how shoddy the service a la O’leary) – charge in excess of a hundred pounds and you’ll only get business class not the mass market where the real profit comes from.
Vincent
The B737-800′s that Ryanir use were unrestricted (load wise) on take off (to UK destinations – i.e. not full of fuel) but were restricted to 170 passengers on landing due to the brake configuration that the aircraft have.
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I am!
As a frequent flyer (weekly) for the past 6 years, I would pick Ryanair everytime! Easyjet couldn’t have more delayed aircraft if they tried. Flybe charge £49.00 in taxes.. that’s before you add the cost of the flight and bmibaby will one day learn that allocating seats is great if you board your aircraft in seat row order!
Ryanair offer a punctual, low-cost option for those people who are less affected by the interior decor of the aircraft and are just happy to arrive on time at their destination, having paid less (on average) less than £20.00 to get there.