Limoges welcomed it's millionth passenger from the UK a couple of years back. The amoun of money invested in the place over the past ten years is impressive so I can imagine every step will be taken to keep it operating.
They are flying with what averages out as about 1/3 of passenger capacity at most, work it out on the basis of 53,000 passengers through Bergerac in 2014, so far predictions of lower for this year, and four other carriers at the airport. O'Leary has pulled routes for less. Apart from that, he has been talking to Bordeaux again this year, so mayhaps there is a chance he would switch this time.
I have been coming to the area around Bergerac for nearly 40 years now and have travelled by car/train/plane long before Bergerac had flights from the UK and if it closes like most visitors and residents I will continue to get there.
Absolutely no chance of Ryanair switching to Bordeaux as Mr O'Leary was all set to use Merignac before they came to Bergerac but his demands proved too much (landing fees/advertising etc)so they declined his offer of flying to Bordeaux. This is why they then chose Bergerac which is profitable for Ryanair but clearly not for the airport. Its business not personal O'Leary doesn't care if Bergerac try to renegotiate the terms of using the airport he will just pull the flights as he has done at so many regional airport in UK and elsewhere.
A good friend who hangars his two planes at Albi was grumbling that they are also talking about closing shop. To my knowledge Albi has no commercial traffic today, even though it has had in the past. It has a decent little terminal and long enough runways to at least handle medium size commercial flights and commuters.
Buggs car hire at the airport do well....
They are also at Limoges airport.
Chateau les Merles...restaurant, hotel and golf course seem to be
standing proudly and have extended and developed.
I am sure that many of their clients fly into Bergerac.
Thank goodness I have ideas of my own.
Otherwise I would be totally depressed..
O'Leary isn't in the sentiments business. He drives a hard bargain. Poitiers paid up because they didn't have a choice. Limoges doesn't have any choice either. O'Leary knows if one airline pulls out then another is waiting to step in. The successful but short-lived Limoges-Edinburgh trip stopped because of such reasons I seem to recall.
Blackmail is a dirty word but the airline business is cut-throat so we shouldn't be too surprised...
OK, that is what my OH was muttering about. If the airport went she would lose quite a few house hunters. I half heard her saying something about Bergerac making it difficult to pay the airlines. Now I get it. If that is the case then O'Leary will not hang around for no dosh.
It's usually the other way Karen. Airports pay the airlines to use their airport. Limoges now has to cough up about 2 million € per annum to Ryanair I believe !!
If they don't pay Ryanair will pull out...
Sorry....but nothing is fair in war Paul.
Yes, on that final point there is or was a flight path issue but no news on that for ages. It is a silly place for an airport anyway, in a bow in the Isle makes runway expansion possibilities limited. However the Conseil Général does not normally get involved, which raises it up a notch above the usual tittle-tattle to begin with. Michael O'Leary has been negotiating with Bordeaux for a while, I imagine EasyJet are putting hurdles in his way there. But will the airport worry about that? Flybe are unhappy about passenger numbers on the Bergerac route and at some point in time appear to have arrived with one couple on a Wednesday flight from Aberdeen and very few passengers on the return. The Twin-Jet flights to Paris are expensive and do not do that well. The 53k passengers are mainly flying Ryanair, even that averages out at something like 132 passengers with about 190 capacity on their flights which they are not entirely happy with. Tourism, as the hotelier who is selling one of his two places is saying, is flagging badly in this area. Our local town is bemoaning lack of tourists, imposing a new very restrictive parking regime that stops people wishing to stop to begin with, turning down planning permissions on existing development of accommodation and even made what had been used as parking by one hotel until lower numbers reduced the need into an environmentally protected area where parking is now no longer allowed. Other towns and villages seem to be doing similar things. Perhaps the saving of the airport would be positive action to rejuvenate tourism and get numbers back up. The usually popular campsite in the next village has had its first ever low summer according to the baker who delivers to us. Their business usually does very well being opposite the site, this year has been low for them too. So, given that is camper-vans mainly, perhaps tourism is in such a mess that the airport is going down as well but the people looking at that know that and have other ideas.
Absolutely agree that the airlines, especially Ryanair negotiate very low fees for flying into regional airports as part of their business model.
The expectation is that the local tourist board/regional administration will see the benefits of a thriving local airport and grant subsidies to ensure continuity of the operation.
The expensive redevelopment of the airport a few years ago must be seen as a commitment by all the stake holders of an intention of longevity.
I believe that the occasional talk of closure is an urban myth, that will only become a serious concern if the hard nosed negotiators at the airlines call the bluff of the local officials when their demands are not being met.
I believe that is what happened at Angouleme when disappointing passenger numbers were not balanced for Ryanair by zero fees and even direct payments!
Of course, all's fair in love and war, and Perigueux may have a trick up it's sleeve to tempt flights their way at Bergerac's cost?! Or did I hear that there is an issue with the runway or final approach flight path at Bassilac?
It is regular as you say, but this time it was Périgueux bonzos saying it and it made radio news, neither of which are part of the normal routine. The point is that many of the 53,000 passengers average using the airport bring it less income than imagined. Too few are tourists who use the airport other than as a transit station. The deficit appears to be a quite hefty one this time, so they should take the bull by the horns and use the words 'in debt' instead probably. Mind you, take a look at the Conseil Général's website and how they are proudly describing the work on Périgueux Bassilac... Yet another regional airport being developed seems mad when they are so close. Chicanery afoot in my mind. Although I agree with those who says there are too many regional airports and that Bergerac is not very good, to put it politely.
My OH works in the aviation industry and is not surprised that Bergerac is in trouble. His words were that 'they are probably being raped by the airlines'. Some airlines only pay the airport approx. 50p per passenger. From that the airport have to provide all the services including air traffic control and fire.
A lot of airports rely on passengers spending money in the airport to make up for the loss (and make a profit) but having travelled from Bergerac myself last week it's impossible for that to happen there with what they have at the moment. They would need a lot more flights full of passengers and a few more outlets.
All I know is that speaking to somebody who has been living in the Bergerac airport for longer than passenger flights have been using it they say talk of closing Bergerac airport due to its deficit is a regular occurrence. It usually ends up going away when the cost of keeping the airport going is acknowledged as being dwarfed by the money it brings into the area. Until the next time anyway.
The only time I used that airport it was a hell-hole, few services, dirty loos, not enough seats… Had we purchased in that area, I would have gone out of my way to avoid it.
As it turned out, we are further south and close to Toulouse, Tarbes and Pau airports and Carcassonne in a pinch. I am sorry for the people who rely on it but I have never encountered such chaos, rude staff and frankly rude passengers as well.
Limoges airport is well situated near the A20 so the excuse for an airport at Brive could be scrapped to save money. Yes, a better rail link to Limoges from Bergerac would be the perfect hop to Limoges from the Bergerac/ Perigueux areas. Poitiers does 'ok ish' and is hanging on but here is anothet airport under threat.
Yes, perhaps doing something about the lamentable rail services would be a start. Also, Bordeaux could actually do with a better link to the station. It is ironic that a city with very good public transport has link buses that are subject to sometimes unreasonable delays that make people miss not exactly frequent trains. Do that and Bergerac would be back on its feet, the people living in the region who need air travel satisfied and one less 'bus stop' to look for funding for. It does actually show up regionalism's weak underbelly which is its folly in trying to be better than everywhere else, thus throwing away money that would probably be best used by sharing among the regions. Aquitaine has one very good airport, then too many little ones, why shouldn't Gironde share with Haute-Vienne, especially with the 'merger' of regions forthcoming that will see the end of Limousin on its own and bring on Limoges as the second airport in the region. No doubt a thousand reasons why not would gush out of Limoges' administration followed by another vast waste of money.
I'm sure the number of visitors to Bergerac will drop a bit initially but France can't continue with the luxury of unused airports. The sensible thing financially would be to regroup and re structure the network surely ? Limoges airport isn't exactly flush with money but they survive with handouts from La Ville, le Departement, le Région. The Ville de Limoges has recently been trying to sell-on or give away their large share in the airport because they can't sustain the losses. The Region is expected to take over that bit of the set-up to continue operating.
France is still the biggest destination for holidaymakers - over 80 million this year and people will always find a way to get to Bergerac if they so wish to do.
Peter the Nail has no feeling!!!
For me...I can use Bordeaux ...or no airport and, I find my clients
use all different ways of reaching their final destination.
I am told that Bergerac is not doing so well...
Perhaps if the airport was no longer there would be less visitors
to the the surrounding villages and Bergerac.I think so.