sn26567 wrote:Flanker2 wrote:I think that SN's entry into Corsica with seasonal service is total madness, there is no market for them there. I also don't understand why they restart the ATH route when it wasn't profitable in the past.
Unless SN management are completely idiot, they wouldn't open a route without at least a slim chance of making it profitable. From a knowledgeable member of Luchtzak that does not want anymore to enter into a controversy here, I got the following information:
SN has entered into a block seat agreement with Corsica Tours, so the flights to AJA and BIA are already paid for even without a single seat sold by them; the same is valid for the ATH flights. There is a niche tour operator buying enough seats up front to go back on the market with guaranteed success. In fact, there's more news from this front which explains why SN will add more A320 aircraft next year.
I hear you, but that's exactly what they did a few years ago with ATH. They did make it work to a certain extent but it was still a big bust. The longer the distance of the flight and the greater the risk, because the operating cost becomes significant and the scheduling becomes an issue.
On top of that, FR is offering ATH out of CRL and Aegean is through BRU, at quite competitive fares. I also remember reading from someone on this forum a trip report with only 30 pax on board a few years back.
Even if they do it seasonally to grab only the lucrative part of the market, the issue is that people need to know in order to be able to book, otherwise the flight's going to be empty. To make people know, you need to spend money on marketing.
FR is clever in this, because in the winter they reduce frequencies instead of stopping service on their lucrative summer routes. That way people know that they can book with FR all year-round, including the summer.
If they work on a charter scheme, it could be mildly profitable (even then I'm not sure) because they are not responsible for the commercial success of the flights. However, it's clear here that SN will be offering this on a non-charter basis and that they will be forced to sell a significant amount of seats themselves.
Corsica is betting a lot of money on this summer, Air Corsica is even rumored to start a route to Liège. But when all the dust settles, Corsica, like Sardinia, are destinations that you can only do if you can plan your own trip, know where (not) to go, and find the low-cost options to do them. Both these islands have lost a lot of tourism in the past decade and are struggling, trying to relaunch.
As an operator, you also have to ask yourself what you're going to do with your aircraft outside of the 2 peak months of July and August? You still have to pay leases, maintenance, insurance even if the aircraft aren't flying.
En conséquence, les compagnies aériennes s’adaptent plus facilement aux réalités du marché. Les « Low Cost » peuvent donc servir de « baromètre » aux besoins en temps réel. Si la ligne est rentable je mets un avion, sinon je l’utilise sur une autre destination. Cette souplesse potentielle nous donne une indication importante.
Alors que les différents acteurs « socio professionnels » insulaires déplorent l’absence de lignes reliant la Corse à des grandes villes européennes, les compagnies « irrégulières » que sont les « Low Cost » nous donnent l’explication la plus logique : « pas de marché, pas d’avions ».
Les principales compagnies Low Cost qui viennent en Corse le font quand il y a du grain à moudre. Easyjet relie quelques villes européennes à Bastia et Ajaccio. La fréquence des vols s’adapte à la demande. La demande, de la part des élus et des socio professionnels de « lignes Low Cost supplémentaires » reste donc une vue de l’esprit. Ce genre de ligne n’existe que quand il y a un marché et visiblement il n’y en a pas. Dans l’île, un certain nombre de responsables économiques et politiques confondent un désir avec une réalité. La réalité, pour une entreprise, c’est une équation simple : il faut que la demande (sur une ligne précise) permette de rentabiliser l’offre. A l’évidence, la demande est insuffisante, puisque même une ristourne (payée par le contribuable) n’attire pas les compagnies.
Une compagnie Low Cost, l’irlandais Ryanair, relie l’aéroport de Figari à Charleroi (Belgique) et Stansded (Londres), en haute saison. Malgré une subvention mixte (public/privé) la compagnie a arrêté de naviguer en basse saison et menace de ne plus venir du tout.
http://corse.france3.fr/2013/01/15/tran ... 81483.html
