The launch of a number of new services by flybe at Cardiff Airport from March 30 will see competition on a number of key domestic routes. The airline will compete with bmibaby to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Jersey and with Eastern Airways to Newcastle. There will be variations in service between the three airlines including different types of aircraft used and the frequency of flights, but there will be real competition on the routes for the first time.
bmibaby will fly between Cardiff and Edinburgh twice every weekday and Sunday and once on Saturday, to Glasgow once daily, to Belfast International once daily and to Jersey on Tuesday and Saturday. Flybe will fly to Edinburgh 3 times every weekday and twice on Sundays and once on Saturdays, to Glasgow twice on weekdays and once a day at weekends, to Belfast City twice on weekdays and once a day at weekends, to Newcastle once a day and to Jersey on Monday, Friday and Saturday. Eastern Airways has responded to the competition by announcing a 3 times every weekday service to Newcastle.
bmibaby operates Boeing 737 jets, flybe Bombardier Q400 turboprops that are about half the size of the Boeing and very fuel efficient and Eastern Airways uses an even smaller Jetstream 41 turboprop. The cruising speed of the turboprops is slightly slower than the jet but for these short flights there is virtually no difference in flight times.
It may seem odd that, with so many other routes that could be launched out of Cardiff Airport, there will be this level of competition on these routes. However, domestic routes are very lucrative for the airlines - with short flight lengths and ease of marketing. With the expansion of low cost airlines, there are now fewer domestic opportunities left and airlines are trying to consolidate any opportunities available to them.
The airlines with the highest frequency on routes will be more attractive to high paying business passengers, giving an advantage to flybe on the Edinburgh and Glasgow routes. Eastern Airways will pick up the business travellers to Newcastle until flybe moves to a double daily service, at which point it will make it difficult for a small airline like Eastern to compete.
If flybe captures the more lucrative business traffic, the reaction of bmibaby is uncertain. However, for the passenger this will be a good year to travel on these routes as the airlines compete for market share. Just six years ago passengers were paying BA more than £400 to fly from Cardiff to Edinburgh. Now there are fares available for £50 return including taxes.
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