A New Transatlantic Route For Bristol Airport

GSM might as well give up the 737-800 game transatlantic, it just doesn’t work.

GSM are now an award wining airline! (wining or winning?)

Thats what their website says as does an email I got from them earlier.

It really make you wonder who gives out these ”awards” after you have seen and heard about GSM.

Well said Si,I agree entirely but that isn’t really what I meant,which was addressed to those who had no intention of flying on the operator in question but just seem to want to see major carriers and have a “downer” on those airlines who have transformed the face of air travel after 50 years of cartels.Over 50% of the European total of budget operators are British and I think we should be proud of that,not waiting for them to fail so we can go back to paying BA (who s..t on BRS!) £500 to go to Milan or somewhere.BTW,I could list several majors who have had safety “issues” if I had time but Qantas for starters most recently.I’m not aware GSM have ever been accused of endangering passengers.Air Canada is famous for a 767 running out of fuel and landing on a small prairie airstrip with no good excuses.

Perosonally i wouldnt mind seeing a scheduled airline into bristol airport.GSM might just increase passenger numbers by 1 or 2 % but an airline like AC could increase passenger numbers by 4 or 5 % beacuse they will be able to offer a 767-200 on a regular basis. Also passengers have now established that CO is a good airline into BRS so if they did want to go to canada i think most of them will fly with CO instead of GSM.

Another reason why GSM might only just increase passenger numbers by 1 or 2% is beacuse this is a schduled charter which most of the passengers will be going to a holiday in toronto. And we must not forget that in toronto GSM have ripped a page out of FR’S Book and gone with the more cheaper 100KM away Airport.

I never can see though why spotters/photographers are so worried about the quality of an operator…………

Don’t understand this statement. many photographers / spotters are very regular air travellers, a fair percentage are also aviation enthusiasts who not only take photos or or aircraft numbers but are also interested in the industry as a whole be it safety, specific airlines, cargo, GA etc,etc, please don’t pigeon hole spotters/photographers as people who are only interested in angles of shots or I” have never seen that one before” and not the background / history etc etc of the airline they are shooting or taking numbers from.

Si

Adam
People tend to forget BRS only has a 6600 ft runway which is hopeless for the sort of operations even the local protesters spout about.It also has no jetways (I think this a requirement of Emirates) and a cargo facility in Avonmouth!Even LGW suffers weight penalties on long haul with a 9500 ft runway hence VS preference for LHR.I think people should be realistic about future…..great as a base for budget carriers (who prefer buses and steps!!) and SOME European carriers due catchment area but a substantial range of long haul routes……never,without runway extension and massive terminal expansion.The year the cost of new terminal was first announced BHX budgeted more to simply build the improved area between main terminal and what was then the Eurohub

Barry

Fingers crossed. It is because of the likes of EZY & FR that travel for the leisure individuals has become a more realistic and affordable. It is because of these two carries that Bristol airport has developed and continues to grow at the rate that it does. Am i right in thinking EZY had 12 based A319’s over the summer? Not bad for a regional airport! (Which is now EZY’s biggest base outside of London)

I also can’t understand hostility to RYR…….they’ve enabled me to do more spotting cheapies abroad than I ever dreamt of………bring on a BRS schedule to equal STN.

Agree with you on the FR front. I’ve flown many flights with them (not just from BRS) and have never once had an issue. FR get me from A-B and that is exactly what I pay for.

So development out of BRS? Where too next then? There was talk a few months back that they were trying to push for a Middle East route. Emirates & Dubai? Perhaps unlikely.

Adam

I agree Adam as I’d love to do a 4/5 day YYZ trip myself so a weekly charter not great!On a general basis I never can see though why spotters/photographers are so worried about the quality of an operator…………the rarer and more obscure the better I’d have thought.If all dubious airlines stopped coming we’d certainly lose Onur Air….at least GSM have never been grounded!I also can’t understand hostility to RYR…….they’ve enabled me to do more spotting cheapies abroad than I ever dreamt of………bring on a BRS schedule to equal STN,I say.
Regards

Barry

BRS hasn’t a cat in hell’s chance of getting a regular schedule by the likes of AC when much bigger airports can’t support it.

Just to correct any confusion Barry, what I meant was that I just personally would have preferred to see Air Canada providing the service. (Putting aside the chance of this actually happening)

I imagine the authorities welcome the kudos of any new route particularly transatlantic.

I completely agree with you there 🙂

Adam

Not wishing to be unkind to posters so far but this is a “scheduled charter” like other airports incl Exeter have had this year and as far as I’m aware the GSM EXT flights have been reasonably OK.BRS hasn’t a cat in hell’s chance of getting a regular schedule by the likes of AC when much bigger airports can’t support it.I should think GSM chose the airport not vice versa and I imagine the authorities welcome the kudos of any new route particularly transatlantic.From an enthusiasts point of view would have thought GSM visiting was great and also I’d love to do a 737 over the pond…………less boring than the hundreds of heavies a day……..pity I believe it IS a 752,only stop DUB

Barry

Sorry Adam…I somewhat doubt GSM will be around next Summer! 😀

HAHA I like your humour mate 😀

Apparently, GSM’s Chief-Captain was selling ratings for 5K each…that’s where it all started going wrong for them!

If that is true, that is just shocking 😮

I’ve had alittle look at the flight times and they appear to be quite good (for passengers and photographers)! Flights are weekly on a Monday and arrive in at 0845 and depart back out to YHM at 1015!

Adam

Apparently, GSM’s Chief-Captain was selling ratings for 5K each…that’s where it all started going wrong for them!

Good news for Bristol, but dubious about the operator, they have had some really bad luck this season on the pond routes with serious delays due to technical snags and fuel stops because of the equipment used on the service, then to top it off they had their ETOPS licence revoked (I believe it is now reinstated). GSM put a lot of the blame on the wet leased aircraft (NEOS). We cannot speculate on what equipment they will use to operate this service, personally I would like to see the 757 oon the route and I think the load factors would make it viable (COA are a great example). Bristol customers are used having an aircraft fuel stop on a long haul route (FCA fuel stop at Manchester before departing to ORL/CUN). GSM / BRS must have confidence that the route will work and I am sure the marketing team at BRS have done their GSM research, they would not offer a slot to an airline that they believe may not be operating next year. Interesting times ahead I hope GSM / BRS pull it off and I wish them well.

Si

Sorry Adam…I somewhat doubt GSM will be around next Summer! 😀

BRS-DUB-KEF-YYZ would have been interesting but I imagine the cost would be very uneconomical?

Transatlantic on a B737 doesnt interest me. Too many ideas for FR!

Route will be flown by B752 based out of YHM. I think you’ve got to give credit where credit is due, they are well aware of how big a mess the summer just past was so are taking steps to avoid such a scenario next summer. The YHM schedule is much more managable, only requiring a single aircraft to operate it. “Fireball 1” and “Fireball 2” as they were affectionately known will not be returning. 😉

When i saw this thread i thought great tranatlantic routes for Bristol this airport is growing good and has some good connections

I couldn’t agree with you more Nick. The news is great, but my heart sank when I heard GSM were coming to Bristol.
Nowhere on the Bristol Airport or the GSM website did it mention about the route flying via DUB & KEF!
Personally if you want to get to Canada from Bristol, I would fly with Continental. It may cost a little more money, but I would rather fly with an established airline that I can trust and rely on.
Adam

Is it going to be a 738 vie KEF?

They flew DUB-YHM last year with a nonstop 752.

AC and TS operate nonstop DUB-YYZ and after GSM last summer I cant imagine to many Irish people flying with them next year.

Well transatlantic route GREAT. Operator not so great. And you know what airport they will be operating into. Yes not Person beacuse it is to expensive for GSM.

Equitment usied on this route we all know it is going to be a 738 VIA DUB KEF and then onto Toronto.

When i saw this thread i thought great tranatlantic routes for Bristol this airport is growing good and has some good connections. Then when i read it was GSM i was:( . Lets hope Prayer to god that GSM DOSNT come anywhere nere LBA unless it winter season they Clean them selves up and get a grip and finally THink to them selve’s that they are an airline not a Leasing Company