Winter flight challenge (MDB)

[mike_dublin]

Majorca Daily Bulletin
(14/05/15 online)

More winter flights announced

By Humphrey Carter

The campaign for more winter flights between the UK and Majorca appears to be winning.

Earlier this week, Monarch confirmed that it will be operating two weekly flights from Gatwick and Manchester throughout the winter and bringing flights from Leeds Bradford and Birmingham on line earlier in time for Easter, now Ryanair is also going to be operating a winter service.

Earlier this year, Ryanair bosses told the Bulletin in Palma that, unless airport authority AENAwas prepared to freeze or reduce airport taxes during the winter, flights were not viable.

However, yesterday, Ryanair confirmed that it is going to be basing two aircraft in Palma this winter and one of its new off season routes is going to be two flights per week between Palma and Birmingham.

As yet, easyJet has yet to confirm its winter service but the carrier is expected to continue flying from Palma to Gatwick and Stansted while CityFlyer will continue its winter service from London City Airport to Palma. However, while it appears that England and Palma will be well connected this coming winter, there is still little interest in reestablishing a regular service to Scotland.

The Bulletin has contacted the Scottish government, but the official line is that it is up to the airlines, not the government, however, the Bulletin intends to challenge the Scottish authorities, which own Prestwick Airport, about this over the coming weeks.

[Grandad]

Ryannair are flying from East Midlands all winter on a Wednesday and Sunday. But they did try last year and had to cancel as no one was using. So Use or Lose the service. Fare is under £100 so not bad and Weather in Majorca is certainly better than the UK.

[Tangoman]

Just tried to check out the prices for East Midlands to Palma with Ryanair for Jan/Feb 2016 - however the schedule is not available yet, they say, so not possible to cost. However the October 2015 schedule is available, and it is possible for 2 people to travel return journey for £162.00 all in.. Seems quite good!!!!

[P&C@29]

I've signed need flights from Newcastle

[mike_dublin]

Majorca Daily Bulletin
(24/07/15 online)

Bulletin to talk winter flights with Scottish government
By Humphrey Carter

Temperatures may be setting new records in the Balearics but in just three months time, parts of the UK in particular, will be isolated from the islands. Once October begins, then the airlines begin to reduce their schedules and gradually, services between Palma and regional UK airports will be grounded for the winter while Scotland will again, unless some urgent action is taken, be totally cut off for most of the winter months.

Jet2 has announced it intends to begin linking Scotland with Palma from the end of February, but there is still a gap of at least three months when Scots, many of which own holiday homes, have to make a momentous trek to get here or simply do not bother at all - much to their frustration. However, the Bulletin has been pushing since last winter to try and resolve the problem and a number of influential Scots have joined the campaign.

Ian Rice, who has owned a holiday home in Santa Ponsa for many years, has finally managed to secure a meeting with his MSP, Keith Brown, to discuss winter flights and put forward questions from the Bulletin and our readers, so if you have any questions please email them to us over the next couple of weeks.

What is more, Brown is not just a member of the Scottish government, he was the Transport Minister when the Scottish Government bought Prestwick International Airport for only £1.

And, only this week, SNP ministers have come under more pressure to justify buying the loss-making airport as it emerges the taxpayer has lent it £10.8 million.

Its annual report disclosed that it returned a loss of £4.1 million in 2014/15, up from £3.9 million the previous year, and warned Ryanair’s decision to open a base at Glasgow Airport would hit its finances more “severely” in the next financial year.

And, many of the stranded potential Scottish winter visitors to Majorca would like to see the government make more use of the airport they are paying for by starting persuading an airline to operate regular flights to Majorca throughout the winter.

The initiative would also boost Scottish coffers with residents in Majorca able to visit the country during the low season.

So, email us your questions and comments.

[P&C@29]

I travel to Palma from Newcastle and the earliest flights are at the end of April so Feb would be Great for Scotland. Can all u guys who use Newcastle please get in touch with your MP and put pressure on the airlines to improve our flights.

[Luckyone]

Originally Posted by mike_dublin

Majorca Daily Bulletin
(24/07/15 online)

Mike, do you have the e-mail address to encourage winter flights from Scotland?
Prestwick in my opinion will never be a viable option to encourage winter Scottish flights. Glasgow and or Edinburgh will be the best financial winter options for airlines to gain sufficient passengers (this worked with the former Globespan, flights 2/3 times a week were full).

[mike_dublin]

Originally Posted by Luckyone

Mike, do you have the e-mail address to encourage winter flights from Scotland?
Prestwick in my opinion will never be a viable option to encourage winter Scottish flights. Glasgow and or Edinburgh will be the best financial winter options for airlines to gain sufficient passengers (this worked with the former Globespan, flights 2/3 times a week were full).

The e-mail address is on the bottom of the Majorca Daily Bulletin page -
Majorca Daily Bulletin

editorial@majorcadailybulletin.es

[mike_dublin]

Winter flight MSP quiz » Opinion » Comment » Majorca Daily Bulletin

I know it’s hot but in ten weeks, airlines will begin cancelling flights to the UK.

On Monday, the Bulletin, on behalf of the over 2,000 people who have complained to us over the past year about the lack of winter flights to the UK, in particular none to Scotland, will be raising the issue with former Royal Marine and veteran of the Falklands War, Keith James Brown, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, a position he has held since 2014.
Brown was the Minister for Transport and Veterans when the Scottish government bought the loss-making Prestwick Airport for one pound and the airport is still losing millions every year at the expense of the Scottish taxpayer.

What the Bulletin wants to impress upon the minister more than anything is that there is a definite need for at least one flight per week between Scotland and Palma: not only for the thousands of Scots who own holiday homes here or fancy a winter break on the island, but also the large number of Majorcan residents who Visit Scotland (the tourist board) could attract to Scotland. Everyone would be a winner from winter flights.

Brown has said that regular meetings have been held to discuss ways of turning Prestwick around, so why not start by attracting airlines in to operate flights to and from Palma in the winter?

So, if you have any questions or comments for the minister please email the Bulletin before Sunday.

Thank you for your support.

[Luckyone]

Originally Posted by mike_dublin

Winter flight MSP quiz » Opinion » Comment » Majorca Daily Bulletin

Hi Mike,

I sent my contribution to the MDB on 27 July :

"Winter flights are needed from Scotland.

Flights from Glasgow International or Edinburgh would be most viable, passengers in numbers being able to access Glasgow and or Edinburgh from all over Scotland.
This used to be the case when the former Globespan provided winter flights which were fully loaded or almost.
Best options would be flights on Mondays and Fridays allowing for long weekends and periods of 5 or 7 days. This would fit in with City Breaks in Palma as well as all other parts of the island.

Prestwick is not financially viable as flights would be far from full, this airport is not in a central location for flyers (hence its financial difficulties).

So come on Airlines provide what the customer needs, short direct flights and the Majorcan Tourist Industry can be truly all year round with so much to see and do when the weather is not so hot".

I really want winter Scottish flights to succeed and to have this work Prestwick will Not do the business (MSP's have their own agenda as they put money in to a non viable site). To make it work for passengers and airlines in winter it needs passengers from across Scotland thus Glasgow and or Edinburgh are the testing options.

PS - in the past when using Globespan from Palma to Edinburgh there were lots of Majorcans using this flight to visit Edinburgh and wider Scotland.

[mike_dublin]

More winter joy for Majorca » Balearics » News » Majorca Daily Bulletin


The winter flight situation between Majorca and the UK is going to be better this winter, although Scotland will remain isolated for most of the low season and Ryanair says operating flights from Scotland to Palma are not worth it.
...


[see full article on MDB website]

[ragdollabbi]

Originally Posted by mike_dublin

More winter joy for Majorca » Balearics » News » Majorca Daily Bulletin


The winter flight situation between Majorca and the UK is going to be better this winter, although Scotland will remain isolated for most of the low season and Ryanair says operating flights from Scotland to Palma are not worth it.
...


[see full article on MDB website]

Once again the Scots people are being penalised...........Why

[snowy2007]

Ryanair Stansted to Palma Jan 2016 £20:00 return book quick good flight times also depart STN 13:30

[Tangoman]

Must admit snowy, I thought that you had lost your marbles when I saw your last post, so I checked it out myself, and yes it is unbelievable!!!

[P&C@29]

Once again plenty of flights from down south, people living north of Manchester (which is in the midlands check map) no flights at all October - March! North south divide just gets bigger!