Route Development & Rumours

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there Ian, so what is stopping or preventing bhx from getting direct flights from China on a regular basis and not charter flights... AndyC

 

[IanFarquharson]

Hi there Ian, so what is stopping or preventing bhx from getting direct flights from China on a regular basis and not charter flights... AndyC

Nothing really as the number of permitted flights had increased in recent years but you have to convince the airlines there is a market and that they can make money !

 

[Coathanger16]

Given the performance of the MAN - PEK route (by no means awful, but could be better), I'd agree that BHX would probably struggle to make a Beijing route work at the moment.

The routes that Cathay Pacific fly to Hong Kong on the other hand from Manchester & Gatwick have had enormous growth over the past few years indicating (to me at least!) that Hong Kong would be a much better target for BHX than Beijing.

As others have mentioned however, Hong Kong likely isn't going to happen until 2020/21.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Hi there IanFarquharson, so when do you think that birmingham will get a direct service to China, now or never.. AndyC

They haven't even been able to replace the likes of Lisbon, Athens and Valencia so what chance of Beijing?

The routes that Cathay Pacific fly to Hong Kong on the other hand from Manchester & Gatwick have had enormous growth over the past few years indicating (to me at least!) that Hong Kong would be a much better target for BHX than Beijing.

Totally agree

I think a larger market and much greater scope for connections down to Australasia. I'd certainly be tempted.

 

[Brum X]

Blimey, i wish i hadnt logged on tonight.

MAEL going nowhere and the days of a 787 here and an A330 there are long gone. No interest it appears.

Then we are told forget the US routes, China and the far east is the place to go and now we are told MAN cant even fill a flight so no way jose BHX.

Turkmenistan are unsafe and Flybe are again Flymaybe and its future on the rocks.

Think i will stick to my crane spotting, i have 24/7 action in the city centre.

As for the aspirations of BHX im

Aviador if you are watching, you need to start Forums4Scrapers, i will be your number 1 poster

 

[Ryan Kirkpatrick]

They haven't even been able to replace the likes of Lisbon, Athens and Valencia so what chance of Beijing?



Totally agree

I think a larger market and much greater scope for connections down to Australasia. I'd certainly be tempted.

I do agree think is it best to try & get Hong Kong before anything else when it comes to the next East Asia route.

Saying that since Turkmanistan has been banned from flying into the UK (Sad though it is) I think this will benefit Air India. The damand for India/West Midlands links are very strong. We could see more flights from AI between Birmingham & Amritsar/Delhi, upgrading to a 777 or adding more routes like Chennai, Mumbai or Bangalore as a result.

But best to wait & see. But I'd love to China Southern to come back even if it is charters again.

 

[Coathanger16]

There's a number of new airlines starting up in Asia e.g. Bamboo Airways is a Vietnamese airline that has commitments/MOU for up to 24 A321NEO's and 20 B787-9s, and currently operates 4 A319/A320/A321NEO.

I know Primera didn't work out, but most of these new Asian airlines are full service not low cost, so perhaps BHX should be looking to those airlines?

 

[nbdm]

Air India still fly LHR-EWR

When trying to, I'm unable to book it, I thought they ended it last year as mentioned here.

 

[Deleted member 8277]

Hi there Ian, so what is stopping or preventing bhx from getting direct flights from China on a regular basis and not charter flights... AndyC

Lack of passengers and an unwilling airport to subsidize the route springs to mind.

 

[IanFarquharson]

When trying to, I'm unable to book it, I thought they ended it last year as mentioned here.

My mistake they were flying EWR 4pw until a few months ago now all 4 daily LHR flights just go to India

 

[Coathanger16]

Another pondering post from Coathanger - thinking out loud

Was reading an article about BA planning to move into American Airline's Terminal 8 at JFK and was wondering how many TATL routes AA has left from JFK.

Turns out American now has just 6! TATL routes from JFK (Heathrow, Paris CDG, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and Milan) the smallest of which, Milan, is twice as big as BHX.

Looking at AA's other hubs, there are 4 hubs with more TATL flights than JFK; Chicago with 7, Charlotte with 8, Dallas Fort Worth with 9, and Philadelphia with a whopping 19! (PHL accounts for a third of American's total TATL destinations!)

Made me wonder if BHX should try targeting a route to Philadelphia with American rather than JFK.

American Airlines currently (or from this summer) serves 4 destinations 'smaller' than BHX from PHL: Venice, Bologna, Shannon & Dubrovnik (some of which are likely American tourists visiting Europe as opposed to business travellers or Europeans visiting the US).

American has quite an extensive onward network from Philadelphia to the rest of the US, as shown below (note that not all US destinations that American serves are shown - just the 'major' ones).

View attachment 12230

So question is this: would/could Philadelphia be a better gateway into the US than NYC for BHX?

(Side question - are members OK with posts like this being posted in the Route Development and Rumours thread seeing as this post isn't about a new route and neither is it a rumour about a new route? Was considering creating a new Route 'Ponderings' thread or posting it in a Route Wishlist thread as an alternative).

 

[Ray Finkle]

(Side question - are members OK with posts like this being posted in the Route Development and Rumours thread seeing as this post isn't about a new route and neither is it a rumour about a new route? Was considering creating a new Route 'Ponderings' thread or posting it in a Route Wishlist thread as an alternative).

I am happy for it.

In the past we've had types of threads similar to the ones you mention and it's quite easy for posts to get mixed up between the two and information lost or difficult to find. I'd prefer to keep things all in one place but others may disagree?

Totally agree with the above in regards to Philly but the vibes given out by representatives at the recent BHX road shows were that there is slim to no chance of seeing one of the main three US carriers.

 

[IanFarquharson]

I am happy for it.

In the past we've had types of threads similar to the ones you mention and it's quite easy for posts to get mixed up between the two and information lost or difficult to find. I'd prefer to keep things all in one place but others may disagree?

Totally agree with the above in regards to Philly but the vibes given out by representatives at the recent BHX road shows were that there is slim to no chance of seeing one of the main three US carriers.

As Ray quoted BHX think there is very little chance of DL, UA or AA at BHX or at any other regional airport in the future.

JetBlue is the answer

 

[58terminus]

Another pondering post from Coathanger - thinking out loud

Was reading an article about BA planning to move into American Airline's Terminal 8 at JFK and was wondering how many TATL routes AA has left from JFK.

Turns out American now has just 6! TATL routes from JFK (Heathrow, Paris CDG, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and Milan) the smallest of which, Milan, is twice as big as BHX.

Looking at AA's other hubs, there are 4 hubs with more TATL flights than JFK; Chicago with 7, Charlotte with 8, Dallas Fort Worth with 9, and Philadelphia with a whopping 19! (PHL accounts for a third of American's total TATL destinations!)

Made me wonder if BHX should try targeting a route to Philadelphia with American rather than JFK.

American Airlines currently (or from this summer) serves 4 destinations 'smaller' than BHX from PHL: Venice, Bologna, Shannon & Dubrovnik (some of which are likely American tourists visiting Europe as opposed to business travellers or Europeans visiting the US).

American has quite an extensive onward network from Philadelphia to the rest of the US, as shown below (note that not all US destinations that American serves are shown - just the 'major' ones).

View attachment 12230

So question is this: would/could Philadelphia be a better gateway into the US than NYC for BHX?

(Side question - are members OK with posts like this being posted in the Route Development and Rumours thread seeing as this post isn't about a new route and neither is it a rumour about a new route? Was considering creating a new Route 'Ponderings' thread or posting it in a Route Wishlist thread as an alternative).

Fact is it is already a route wish list and tease thread and hasn't had credible rumour for some time.Probably because there are no credible rumours.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Fact is it is already a route wish list and tease thread and hasn't had credible rumour for some time.Probably because there are no credible rumours.

New York to be back soon.

New service to Mumbai coming.

Both were suggestions from the BHX road show that they are 'confident' of.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Correct BHX did say that.
But I think the 'B' word has put everything on hold.
Liverpool announced yesterday that they had two airlines lined up but both have now changed their minds due to Brexit uncertainty

 

[58terminus]

New York to be back soon.

New service to Mumbai coming.

Both were suggestions from the BHX road show that they are 'confident' of.

Are you being serious or facetious Ray?
As you mentioned the BHX road show i presume this rumour origInated from a DJ doing a beach show..

 

[Ray Finkle]

Definitely serious and the person who said it is someone who is to be listened to.

Correct BHX did say that.
But I think the 'B' word has put everything on hold.
Liverpool announced yesterday that they had two airlines lined up but both have now changed their minds due to Brexit uncertainty

One way or another this bloody mess needs sorting out

 

[IanFarquharson]

Definitely serious and the person who said it is someone who is to be listened to.

Yes as he does the negotiations - no better source !

 

[58terminus]

Very good. New York to be back soon. We all have different interpretation of soon What is yours?.