Ryanair - Vigo (VGO) to Dublin (DUB) - B738 - AUG 2016

[Charlie Roy]

I wasn't expecting to do a trip report, in fact this is my first one. But I guess Vigo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigo%E2%8 ... or_Airport) is a European Airport which most of you have not had the opportunity to travel from, and I noticed a few interesting things, so here it goes:

FLIGHT
Date : 18 AUG 2016
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 (One of the new Sky Interior ones)
From-To: Vigo - Dublin (VGO - DUB)
Seat: 20F
Scheduled/Effective Time of Departure: 14:30/14:53 (GMT+1)
Scheduled/Effective Time of Arrival: 16:00/16:09 (GMT)
Scheduled/Effective Duration of the flight: 2 hr 30 min/2 hr 16 min[/b]

GETTING TO THE AIRPORT
There's a regular bus from the centre of Vigo to the airport. Every 30 minutes.
The bus costs 2.32 euro. Most bus passengers seemed to be travelling to an industrial estate next to the airport (to work), but I noticed a few Irish people travelling to the airport to catch the same flight as me.

TERMINAL
The terminal building is airy and modern, clean, similar in size to Charleroi I would say. Not so busy. Their were 2 Iberia (Air Nostrum) aircraft due in from Seville and Bilbao, that were then going to be used for departures to London Luton and Paris Charles de Gaulle. There was an Air Europa aircraft in from Madrid. All seemed to be 100-seater jets of some sort. Sorry I didn't take note or photos, not expecting to be writing this. You can view the runway (limited) before going air side. Land side there's also a good size cafeteria that I did not use, but as I passed it looked perfectly acceptable. Passengers were all calmly enjoying food and drink in a very relaxed atmosphere.

There were 4 "active" departures when I went through security (Luton, Paris, Madrid and Dublin). Security checks were quick and efficient.

Air side there were 10 gates, and disappointingly only 1 small café with limited choice. No "duty free" or shopping of any sort. The poor guy running the café was besieged by Dublin and London bound passengers: "Where can we buy cheap cigarettes and spirits?!". Answer: nowhere. The airport is missing a revenue opportunity here.

BOARDING
Screens showed that the Dublin flight would depart from Gate 7. And yes we did ultimately board the aircraft via Gate 7's airbridge, but a paper sign at the gate signalled to passengers to queue at Gate 9 where Border Control would check our passports before boarding.
The inbound aircraft from Dublin landed on time at 13:55 (GMT+1) despite having departed Dublin 20 minutes later than scheduled. At first I was surprised by the prescribed 35 minute turn around (particularly long when you consider it's Ryanair at a tiny airport), but later I saw why 35 minutes was needed, and ultimately not enough.

Before boarding could start, the 2 border guards needed to check all passengers disembarking the inbound aircraft. Very inefficient, but this allowed me the possibility to easily count how many passengers were on the inbound flight. I counted 188 = a load factor of 99.5%.

When everyone had disembarked and had their passports checked, then it was our turn for border control followed by immediate embarkation via an air bridge. Another element that would have increased the turnaround time, and another surprise given this was Ryanair at a small regional airport.

We departed 100% full, 23 minutes late, but arrived only 9 minutes late.
In all the Ryanair aircraft was 1 whole hour on the ground in Vigo, which again is what surprised me at this small, quiet, Spanish airport.

Interestingly, a few weeks into the summer schedule, the flight times of this flight changed (30 minutes earlier). I wonder was it anything to do with Vigo airport.

INFLIGHT
The flight itself was uneventful. Friendly staff. Clean aircraft. In-flight service was relativity quick.

CONCLUSION
The load factors certainly suggest it is a successful new route at a new Ryanair airport, and I see Ryanair have more routes planned for Vigo. I am optimistic Vigo can get through the growing pains. Their terminal has a theoretical capacity many times greater than its current usage.

[sn26567]

Very interesting and detailed first report, Charlie Roy even without pics or videos.

I have been in Vigo (Galicia), but not at the airport. Spain has built a lot of airports in recent years, many of which are under-utilised. Vigo is probably one of them. Strange that there isn't a duty-free shop

With a late aircraft, you certainly missed the trumpets of glory upon arrival

[cathay belgium]

Hi,

Underused maybe, but my friend travels twice weekly for work to Vigo!
Mostly on Air Europe via MAD !
A lot of high quality components there for the nuclear industries which needs proper check ups...
As FR also landed there I guess it will be one of the fast growing airports in Spain ...

Wasn't there also no direct flights from BRU announced few years ago by Air Nostrum ?
Vueling ?

CXB

[-SCQ-]

Wasn't there also no direct flights from BRU announced few years ago by Air Nostrum ?
Vueling ?

CXB

Vueling flew a seasonal VGO-BRU in 2010, Air Nostrum (with a mix of CRJ200-900) in 2011. Both heavily subsidized by local authorities and with very poor occupancy rate.

Air Nostrum announced in late 2015 twice-weekly flights VGO-BRU from june to october '16.
After the Brussels bombings Air Nostrum, in full consultation with the Vigo county council, decided to replace BRU by CDG due to the disappointing ticket sales ...

[sn26567]

But recently there were flights from Vigo to Liege by both Enter Air and TUI fly.

Oh, you said football charters? Sorry