Route Development & Rumours

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all, so have Kuwait airlines been given their slots at Birmingham Airport at all...AndyC

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Hi there all, so have Kuwait airlines been given their slots at Birmingham Airport at all...AndyC

According to this tweet Middle East airline Kuwait airways applied for Birmingham slots to operate 2 weekly flights ( I presume to Kuwait City) but weren’t taken up.

Hi Andrew

Reading CM's post,'but weren't taken up', could imply that the slots were granted, but for some reason the airline didn't start operations. This could be for any number of reasons. We don't know why Kuwait Airways applied for them in the first place. Perhaps it was to apply pressure to LHR for more or better slots. It would have been great to have them at BHX, but I doubt we will ever know the reason for the slot application or why no service ever started.

Kevin

 

[Nethercote2019]

Only a guess but… covid maybe the answer for it not going ahead

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Only a guess but… covid maybe the answer for it not going ahead

A good point, which is why I asked above if it was a pre-COVID application.

Kevin

 

[IanFarquharson]

Kuwait is cargo only

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Kuwait is cargo only

Does that mean it's still going to operate?

Kevin

 

[IanFarquharson]

They have certainly spoke to BHX about a series of cargo flights.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I might have missed this on the thread somewhere but the winter 21 ACL report showed Ryanair applying for Agadir slots from BHX, just wandered how accurate those reports actually are?

They also applied for Beauvais at the same time I believe but obviously that was taken up either. In recent years Ryanair have also applied for slots to several destinations in Turkey which again never happened. We did however see the release of Lisbon, Milan etc.

The ACL reports are interesting but personally I certainly wouldn't rely on them. I think it's a case of picking and choosing what is likely to happen.

 

[Matty_85]

They also applied for Beauvais at the same time I beleive but obviously that was taken up either. In recent years Ryanair have also applied for slots to several destinations in Turkey which again never happened. We did however see the release of Lisbon, Milan etc.

The ACL reports are interesting but personally I certainly wouldn't rely on them. I think it's a case of picking and choosing what is likely to happen.

Thanks for the informative updates Ray, it’s great to have your point of view on BHX

Do you think 2022 might be a good year at BHX? I’d love an easyjet base or significant Ryanair expansion (sorry but I can’t get excited about flybe2)

 

[Ray Finkle]

Do you think 2022 might be a good year at BHX? I’d love an easyjet base or significant Ryanair expansion (sorry but I can’t get excited about flybe2)

I really hope so but I think there are just too many unknowns at the moment to be even close to an accurate prediction. Only my opinion but if 2022 gets close to double figures, circa 10mpppa, I'd see it as a very good year.

easyjet, and Wizz for that matter, look to be firmly in BHX's sights now and hopefully Nick Barton is the man to make it happen. I fear that 2022 may just be a step too far for a base though but I desperately hope to be proven wrong. That said, strange things do happen in this game so who knows? I'd be more than happy if easyjet gave some of the away based sun routes that never got going this year another shot.

I've given up even trying to predict Ryanair. It's great to see so many new routes but they seem to blow hot and cold so I guess it could go either way

Lots happening behind the scenes with Flybe MK2. Not going to say too much but if it happens BHX should be the first UK base, although things can and do change. I wouldn't expect anything dramatic to start with though, it's going to take time to build.

 

[JENNYJET]

Is it likely Commonwealth games traffic routes through Heathrow instead of Birmingham, depressing the figures?

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Is it likely Commonwealth games traffic routes through Heathrow instead of Birmingham, depressing the figures?

With the nearest Commonwealth nations (other than UK) being Canada and those in Africa, I would guess that anyone attending from those places are likely to book scheduled flights which would imply LHR or LGW. Perhaps there is a possibility of some charters, but time (and COVID) will tell. Emirates could well be busy.

Kevin

 

[mullion]

Its going to be tricky for games, they have never generated much traffic as most competitors arrive over a period and if its like the Olympics they were only in the country a few days and departed as soon as their event was over. Manchester I don`t think had any charters as they all arrived on scheduled flights either LHR or MAN so don`t expect too much

 

[Ray Finkle]

If we're lucky we might see an aircraft upgrade or two but I'm not expecting much. I imagine those that can will use existing services into Birmingham with the rest just using LHR.

 

[Llandudno]

Its going to be tricky for games, they have never generated much traffic as most competitors arrive over a period and if its like the Olympics they were only in the country a few days and departed as soon as their event was over. Manchester I don`t think had any charters as they all arrived on scheduled flights either LHR or MAN so don`t expect too much

Manchester did see charters, there are pictures on the net of the ‘wunalula dreaming’ Qantas B747 bringing the Aussie teams in for the games as one example, and in pretty sure there were more.

I think there’s a good chance of charters for Birmingham. Countries and teams will likely still have a small degree of covid paranoia even in 2022, and therefore might want to keep the teams as separate from the public as they can, so might bring charters with them

 

[Ray Finkle]

Countries and teams will likely still have a small degree of covid paranoia even in 2022, and therefore might want to keep the teams as separate from the public as they can, so might bring charters with them

That is a very good point and one that I hadn't considered. Here's hoping.

 

[mullion]

I think the Qantas was a church charter that used to come each year and was chartered by a local church

 

[Llandudno]

I think the Qantas was a church charter that used to come each year and was chartered by a local church

No, while that charter does exist, the Wunala dreaming definitely came in for the commonwealth games. There were pictures of the athletes boarding it on stand 55.

 

[JENNYJET]

What kind of Church can afford the charter of a 747? Makes me wonder sometimes about organisations pleading for donations etc. Does Manchester have a large Scientology presence?

 

[Llandudno]

What kind of Church can afford the charter of a 747? Makes me wonder sometimes about organisations pleading for donations etc. Does Manchester have a large Scientology presence?

it was all a bit secretive to be honest. No one ever really knew what the purpose of the visits were, other than for about 5-6 years, this charter came in every year.