Birmingham: Route Development & Rumours

[GliderPilot]

Bit like me going the gym that, i’ve been saying i’ll go for months on end but i never do

 

[58terminus]

Hasn't that been the case for the last 15 years?

Not really Ray. N.America has been quite well served for 13 of those 15 years for an airport of BHX size.(but not for a city of Birmingham's size) That just makes it sadder to see all these statements over the last 2 years that always start with "hopefully"

 

[Ray Finkle]

Sanford once weekly for how long.......the continued absence of MCO.......the one season wonder that was Philadelphia.......the 1.5 season wonder that was JFK.......the continued slide of United.......the failure of Air Transat to get above once weekly before pulling out. When it comes to Birmingham I can't put North America and well served in the same sentence.

I do take the point though

 

[58terminus]

How about 25 years? Daily Chicago.daily New York. Both services lasted a number of years and were far from one season wonders.
At the same time a choice of operators to Canada and Florida. . As i said,sad to see where we are.

 

[Coathanger16]

I don't think the lack of N.American routes is just a BHX problem. How many regional airports have lost routes over the last 10 years?

Times have changed. Emirates carried as many passengers from BHX last year as United have in the last 9!

I really can't see any N.American airline touching BHX or any other regional airport, especially considering the vast network at LHR, a large choice of flights from MAN, and one stop options such as Dublin, Paris & Amsterdam. The vast majority of passengers seem to be 'happy' with those options so why should things change?

I can forgive BHX for its lack of connection to New York and Toronto for the above reasons, but the one thing that I cannot forgive is the feeble excuse for capacity that BHX has to Orlando. For every UK airport that has a route to Orlando, it is usually by quite a margin, the N.American destination with most passengers from that airport. If the likes of Glasgow and Belfast can manage 747's to Orlando then how is it BHX can only just about handle a single weekly 787?!

 

[58terminus]

As Coathanger16 says tines have changed.
I think if you look at the c.v. of the newly appointed ceo the airports shareholders have made it clear what strategy they want the airport to take and i agree with them.Concentrate on European routes.. Stop wasting time and money chasing ego routes. The ego resigned a while ago.
As regards Orlando i have not heard any feeble excuses or any valid excuses or indeed any excuses at all.It just doesn't happen.
Mystifying.

 

[rollo]

Yes times have certainly changed back in the 1990s we had daily BA with 767s,757s , Continental 757s, DC10S to New York and American 767s to Chicago operating at the same time. Orlando over the period had various operators includingThomson, Airtours, Monarch, U.K.Leisure,JMC plus maybe Air 2000 and First Choice and practically all useing wide body aircraft.

Toronto had Wardair 747s DC10S, Air Transit 757s and didn't Air Canada operate a one season wonder and was there somebody called Royal Air?

All of these at an airport handling something like eight or nine million passengers at the time

Just remembered Highland Express both NYC and Toronto but short lived.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Toronto had Wardair 747s DC10S, Air Transit 757s and didn't Air Canada operate a one season wonder and was there somebody called Royal Air?

Just remembered Highland Express both NYC and Toronto but short lived.

Air Canada certainly did operate YYZ-BHX for one season, mainly with L1011 Tristars but, B767's may also have been used. I was there for the inaugural flight, where Ruth Madoc (Hi-De-Hi - anyone remember that), was the 'celebrity' (nothing against Ruth Madoc, I just don't think actors are celebrities, when compared to our emergency services and those who dedicate their lives to improving health or eradicating diseases) appointed for the press release. I also heard it alleged that Air Canada only came onto the route in order to hurt Wardair.

Air Tansat used L1011 Tristars, but I don't recall them having 757's. You can add to that list CPAir (DC-8), Nationair (DC-8), Canada 3000 (757) and Worldways (DC-8 and L1011 Tristar).

I remember the continual late start of Highland Express. This was before the days of social media or internet forums and my only info came from Flight International magazine. Each week, a new start date was announced and I would get up early on a Saturday morning and make my way to BHX. So many times I was disappointed. Finally, I did get to see the B747 but the service didn't last long (I believe it operated via Prestwick on each route). I read that they had reached an operating profit, but the debts they had incurred to that point proved too much.

Kevin

 

[rollo]

Air Transit definitely used 757s, maybe Tristars also dont remember. We definitely flew on a 757 from BHX although I might be getting my time lines mixed up (I claim old age) Highland Express did operate indeed at some point via Prestwick flights originally operated fom Stansted, the airline was formed by a bloke mamed Randolph Fields a poor mans Freddie Laker as it turned out.

Happy days
rollo

 

[Kevin Farnell]

I stand corrected, with regard to the AIr Transat B757's. I just don't recall seeing them. Air Transat Tristars were regular visitors (my photo).

View attachment 13101

Regards

Kevin

 

[Coathanger16]

What are the chances Air Transat would return to BHX using A321NEO? They have 17 on order (2 NEO and 15 LR)

They plan to operate them to Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow currently.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/b...t-a321neo-ahead-of-introduction-on-uk-routes/

 

[Creguk]

How good were the loads?

 

[Panam2019]

I would really love to see Air Transat return to BHX mainly because I love Toronto.

 

[Ray Finkle]

How good were the loads?

Aside from the first and last few weeks of the season I don't remember seeing a reported load of less than 95%.

 

[Brum X]

What are the chances of a direct flight from BHX to Mainland China after today's news of EDI-PEK being cancelled from Sept 2019.

I would say pretty slim.

 

[Ray Finkle]

China? At the moment I'd be happy for Lisbon, Athens, Valencia and Reykjavik!

I think most of us gave up any hope of China after the Beijing Capital saga

 

[thunderchild]

What are the chances of a direct flight from BHX to Mainland China after today's news of EDI-PEK being cancelled from Sept 2019.

I would say pretty slim.

Next to zero I’d say, it’s all LHR centric and with EDI cancelled with MAN picking up the tour packages I can’t see what BHX can offer. Hong Kong is the one you want.

 

[Ianbutty]

Next to zero I’d say, it’s all LHR centric and with EDI cancelled with MAN picking up the tour packages I can’t see what BHX can offer. Hong Kong is the one you want.

Or Shanghai.

 

[Brum X]

Next to zero I’d say, it’s all LHR centric and with EDI cancelled with MAN picking up the tour packages I can’t see what BHX can offer. Hong Kong is the one you want.

Well for starters thunder we are supposed to be the only region in the UK with a trade surplus with China. BHX should be able to attract both Business and Leisure passengers.

 

[Jerry]

Cathay Pacific is probably the only Far East airline that maybe a possibility in the future for airports like BHX and EDI.