jmbfrance

Contemplating the present AF disaster, I must add that HOP! is a great success.

Departing from small airports, it is very easy to park and get checked-in, it boosts small cities economy, taking the early morning flight and returning with the evening one gives you a full day in Paris, prices are low.

orbitmic

I fully agree with you that direct routes between regional airports are most pleasant to use. What is not yet clear is whether it will be a success in terms of being profitable, which I guess is the no1 priority here...

jmbfrance

I suppose the companies operating these lines receive some help, and that the company is chosen after an "appel d'offres".

Calchas

But HOP! is not a new service is it—it is just a rebranding and reorganization. Are there any new routes that did not previously exist?

NickB

IIRC, only a handful of routes operate under a closed PSO regime (mostly Corsican routes and a few others). The overwhelming majority operate under normal market conditions, with no prior authorisation/allocation system.

[edited] I looked it up. As of late 2013 and excluding Corsican routes, the following were ongoing until at least 2015:
Brest to: Ouessant;
Lyon to: Castres/Rodez, Lorient, La Rochelle;
Orly to: Agen, Aurillac, Castres, Le Puy.

The following expired between 2013 and now : Lyon to: Le Havre; Orly to : Brives, Perigueux, Tarbes and Limoges. Of these, the only call for tender i could find since then is for Orly-Perigueux (Orly-Agen and Orly-le Puy are also up for renewal in 2015) although i would not be that surprised if the others were up for renewal too and I missed them.

jmbfrance

I must add that the HOP! flights are full (like the U2 ones) at the present time. Maybe some people living in the eastern suburbs of Toulouse and having an half an hour drive to Blagnac (in uncertain conditions because of traffic) difficult parking at Blagnac and then a walk to crowded security, will drive fifteen minutes more to a small airport, park at 100 meters from "terminal", cross the 10 meters long concourse, and meet the 40-odds fellow passengers after the fast control.
A great pleasure is arrival : the ATR parks 50 meters away from terminal, the door is flung open and between the moment you use the stair and the moment you turn your engine on, only two minutes have elapsed.

jmbfrance

Nick is right. Here are the routes operating under this regime : http://www.developpement-durable.gou...P_juin11-2.pdf

orbitmic

I think that the present time is a bit unusual because of the strike. The difference is that U2 flights seem (based on both examples and reported load factors) to be pretty full all the time, while my (unrepresentative ) experience of A5 (all before the strike) has been very different. I have been on many A5 flights with under 50% of the seats taken, including several where the load factor must have been around 20%*. On the less anecdotal side, if my understanding is correct, A5 is not currently a profitable operation (strike apart) although the company hopes that it will "get there" in coming years.

* the emptiest ones were several flights to/from LYS and one from BOD

jmbfrance

I confirm, About A5, that "at the present time" meant "during this two-weeks long strike".