NCL Expanding even more!!

Following on from Flybe’s announcement of new routes to EXT and SOU, NCL is set to gain even more low cost services and new charter routes for 2005.

HLX will apparantly go daily on the HAJ service, with the possibility of new routes to CGN and Berlin. They are also upgrading their aircraft equipment at NCL to a 737-700 from a 737-500.

Easyjet have yet to announce their next wave of expansion, but aircraft 6/7 are rumoured to arrive within the next 12 months. Possible new routes include GVA, FAO, MAD, OSL, HEL, ARN, AMS, VCE and ROM.

FlyBe will commence flying to european destinations, rumoured to be with Ireland and France as the 146 would be pushed to make it with a full load down to spain. Again some rumours floating around re routes are SNN, ORK, TLS and a permanent service to JER.

On the charter side there is 5 flights a week to SFB (1xTCX, 1xFCA, 1xEUK, 1xMON, 1xSCY) and a weekly service to POP. Capacity from the usual based charters (BY, TCX, MYT, XLA, HH) remains the same, although extra/new routes to Bulgaria, Greece and Egypt are available.

With all this extra flying the airport is making provision for extra checkin counters andparking space on the apron, as there are times currently when the apron is full, particularly with nitestopping aircraft (1xKL,SN,AF,XLA,HH;2xBA,TCX,BY,MYT not to mention the 3 eastern aircraft, 2 mail flights and 5/6 orange 737’s).
Checkin at busy times also is heaving.

Press reports say that 2004/2005 will be Newcastle’s best year yet and that it will become a low cost hub, similar to luton and stansted with most new services being introduced by loco’s flying there, currently easyJet, Ryanair, HLX and flybe.

Expansion will take place in the winter as it will be quieter which should include more stands, more terminal development and check in areas and more to be announced.
Good on you Newcastle!