Qatar Airways

[Ray Finkle]

Considering Emirates are switching their A380 flight to the evening service in order to provide better connections at Dubai, may this suggest the A380 hasn't performed as well as they'd hoped? (at least on the lunchtime service)

The evening flight has always seen the highest load factors out of the three and most people assumed that it would be first to see an A380, in a similar way that LGW did.

Personally I think they put it on the lunchtime service to compete with Qatar, possibly taking some of the limelight away from their launch.

When it swaps to the evening service it will hopefully relieve a bit of pressure off EK41/42, which still needs time to grow. Coming straight in with a 77W, then switching to a high density layout only 6 months later, is a huge amount of extra capacity in itself.

Qatar will increase but only when the time is right. I think we have to remember that they have only been here for 7 months, it took Emirates 4 years or so to go double daily. The positive is that loads are very encouraging.

 

[Coathanger16]

I'm sure the A380 has performed really well on the lunchtime service, it has been reported on here many times that load factors are above 600 on many days.

Emirates have pretty much always done well out of BHX so I didn't doubt it was doing well.

I suppose my view is that if its regularly achieving above 600 pax then switching the A380 service to the evening one will reduce capacity on the lunchtime service by 30%. Those passengers will then switch to one of the other services (after having been flying the A380, they'd probably go for the evening A380 service instead of the morning B773). By switching those passengers to the evening service, I don't see much room being available on that evening service for new growth. I.e. the extra capacity the A380 will provide will just be used up by those people switching from the current lunchtime A380 flight. I suppose if the aim of switching which service is operated by the A380 is purely to improve connections in Dubai, then capacity isn't an issue.

My other thought was that it has been suggested that BHX could get a second daily A380. It would seem strange to switch the A380 to the evening service, to then upgrade the lunchtime service back to an A380 at some point in the near future. I'm sure it would eventually happen, but it would be strange to downgrade from an A380 for just 6 months say.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Only 185 pax on Thursday's inbound A380
However, as quoted above many loads are really good and should be over the half term holiday starting next Saturday, as Ray stated a huge number of seats to sell but overhaul QR & EK both doing well.

 

[Ray Finkle]

British Airways will add a code share to Doha.

DOH-BHX BA2883
BHX-DOH BA2884

 

[nwoody2001]

How interesting ...good for midland avios holders

 

[123]

Although its old news now here is Doha News take on the reduction in services on some Qatar routes.

http://dohanews.co/qatar-airways-cuts-flights-due-to-aircraft-shortage/

 

[BHXsupporter]

Well BHX stands up as well as any other airline in the minor cuts, and better than many. We also have daily services still which others don't after their cuts so overall I would interpret this as good news.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Whilst it is far from accurate FR24 is showing a 77L on QR35 tomorrow morning. A7-BBD is listed.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Back to a 787 now !

 

[Ray Finkle]

Birmingham are sending a delegation to Qatar this week to discuss investment opportunities, this comes ahead of the UK-Qatar Trade and Investment Conference which we will host in March (it's first venture outside of London).

There is only one real snippet, from the first link below, There is growing interest in enhanced passenger and cargo links to Qatar. The rumours have been there for a while, lets see what, if anything, happens.

https://www.alrayanbank.co.uk/usefu...-engine/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

http://businessbirmingham.com/media...&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn&utm_source=Twitter

 

[BHXsupporter]

Ooh an A330-200F!

 

[Hassaan]

Have we had an aircraft other than the 787 in so far? (from Qatar)

 

[IanFarquharson]

NO

 

[58terminus]

NO

Rude

 

[ethanegcc]

I don't know whether it was meant to be all in upper-case or...?

Hassaan, as you may have noticed, Flightradar showed QR as a 77L into BHX earlier this week/last week but unfortunately it didn't materialise. The 788 is the only aircraft that has operated in to Birmingham

 

[ethanegcc]

I don't know whether it was meant to be all in upper-case or...?

Hassaan, as you may have noticed, Flightradar showed QR as a 77L into BHX earlier this week/last week but unfortunately it didn't materialise. The 788 is the only aircraft that has operated in to Birmingham

 

[ronnoc1k8]

I think it may have been an error, sometimes it happens with FR.

 

[ethanegcc]

I think it may have been an error, sometimes it happens with FR.

Yes, it showed SQ SIN-MAN as a 77W on the second day of the much-hyped A359 operation. It also showed a JetAirways liveried EY a/c arriving which got all the spotter's hopes up but, again, it didn't happen so probably an error.

 

[Ray Finkle]

FR24 is showing A330-300 A7-AEJ for today, due just after 13:00 if it's not a mistake.

 

[ronnoc1k8]

The first time in nearly one year that we've had something different from Qatar.