Northern Ireland Aviation Enthusiast's Forum
General Aviation Discussion => General Aviation Discussion => Topic started by: jasT1981 on January 23, 2018, 06:12:35 PM
-
Looks like Stobart Group are starting flights to Carlisle from Belfast and Dublin.
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/carlisle-airport-reopens-flights-lake-district-stobart-group-london-dublin-belfast-southend-a8173441.html
Flights to and from “Carlisle Lake District Airport,” as it is officially known, will begin on 4 June. It last had a scheduled service in 1993, when an airline called Lakeside Northwest flew to and from Stansted. The carrier collapsed at the end of 1993, ending all commercial passenger flights.
Stobart Group, which owns the airport, said the routes will be to “major tourism and business hubs including London, Dublin and Belfast”.
It would be worth a trip over just for their airport museum alone :O
-
Doesn't appear to have been an historically strong route. Will add more detail as I find it:
Northern Air Lines
Belfast ( Malone ) - Carlisle
Mail & newspapers from 2 September 1924 until the winter, once daily with DH.50 and DH.9
Routed across the Solway Firth, along the coast to Stranraer and then straight across to coast-in at Larne.
From 3 March 1925 it seems to have resumed with an intermediate stop at Freugh to collect mail from the Stranraer train.
Edit: some more information here (http://www.ukairfieldguide.net/airfields/The-Swifts) which states that the first service period only lasted a month.
BEA
Belfast ( Nutts Corner ) - Carlisle - Newcastle
1 July until early October 1947 with a DH Rapide, twice daily except Sunday, for monthly total of 520 seats.
Prices:
| Newcastle - Carlisle | £1 5s |
| Newcastle - Belfast | £3 19s |
| Carlisle - Belfast | £3 |
And a runner-up:
West Coast Air Services
Newtownards - Isle of Man
From April 1935 with a DH Dragon, they also flew Carlisle - Isle of Man later in the day but don't seem to have linked the two services.
Another Belfast - Carlisle aviation link was between Shorts and CSE Aviation. CSE were the UK distributor for Piper PA-38 Tomahawk and initially assembled the aircraft from kits at Carlisle, prior to the planned production of the type in Belfast. But that idea was abandoned in 1980 because the FAA declined to extend their certification over a Shorts-built version being sold outside the USA, so they would have needed to recertify under the CAA and other authorities.
-
Loganair will operate flights starting in early June
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/new-loganair-flight-to-connect-northern-ireland-and-lake-district-for-first-time-36695618.html
Scottish airline Loganair has announced a new service connecting George Best Belfast City Airport with Carlisle Lake District Airport.
The service will directly connect Northern Ireland with the Lake District area in the North of England for the first time.
The route will go on sale from Monday March 12, with services commencing on June 4 and flying from Belfast six times weekly
-
So that is loganair at all three NI airports in some way now.
City of Derry Airport to Glasgow.
Belfast City to Carlisle.
Belfast International to Edinburgh. (Cargo on Mondays)
-
Had a look at the booking website as I am considering a trip over to see a friend and also for the air museum they have. Looking about £80 return.
-
Have called in to the Solway Air museum a few times (pass it on way to & from Middlesborough to get son from Uni) & always use the nice & simple wee cafe at base of control tower as a lunch stop, museum has a good few interesting exhibits, well worth the visit.
-
Took a look today... £271 return from Belfast to Carlisle.
They can bugger right off with that. Easyjet to Newcastle and train to Carlisle it seems is the better option.
-
Same problem Eastern had on the Isle of Man route. Small airline running 30-seaters can't seem to push the fare below £200 and can't spread a loss over other routes whereas Easyjet has lower seat-costs and can cross-subsidise.
Don't suppose it'll last past a year then :(
-
If they can`t get the fare down to somewhere around 100 quid then I doubt it will last.
-
The opening of Carlisle has been put back until September, no ATC staff as yet