Saudia

[Karl C]

The 78X will most likely only be common at BHX if demand requires it. Looks like demand is requiring it

 

[gulftraveller]

It’s not always demand given the flight will be sold as a B789 (unless a B78X is pre-scheduled). It is very often a question of aircraft availability. Occasionally, cargo will have a role.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

To me it looks like Saudi are trying to keep 3 weekly flights as best as they can

 

[Karl C]

It’s not always demand given the flight will be sold as a B789 (unless a B78X is pre-scheduled). It is very often a question of aircraft availability. Occasionally, cargo will have a role.

It looks as though 78X's are being pre-scheduled more and more. Seems like BHX are doing quite well with this newish service to Jeddah. Long may it last!

 

[Scania1800]

To me it looks like Saudi are trying to keep 3 weekly flights as best as they can

And yet your here making false claims no matter how much you are told, they are not trying their best, they want this service to be a daily hence why they applied for slots, the airline wants this to be done by July, and a possibly evening service discussion going on with the company.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

And yet your here making false claims no matter how much you are told, they are not trying their best, they want this service to be a daily hence why they applied for slots, the airline wants this to be done by July, and a possibly evening service discussion going on with the company.

Obviously you’ve missed read.I mentioned it in my own prediction of an opinion .Didn’t say it was official mate

 

[Kevin Farnell]

I don't think Scania1800 has 'missed read' your post. I think you don't explain clearly what you are trying to say. I don't understand your above post and there have been several others that I have not understood. Think about what you are trying to say and be more descriptive.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

For Kevin and Scania.
I personally think the airline or the airport will want to try and keep the 3 weekly flights going with upgrades of aircraft.I would not mind if it went to 4 weekly with a 787-9 Dreamliner operating the 4 days.Remember there are connections around the world that go to Birmingham.Istanbul,Frankfurt,Dubai,Delhi and Doha and many more.If this don’t answer your question then god forgive me

 

[Scania1800]

For Kevin and Scania.
I personally think the airline or the airport will want to try and keep the 3 weekly flights going with upgrades of aircraft.I would not mind if it went to 4 weekly with a 787-9 Dreamliner operating the 4 days.Remember there are connections around the world that go to Birmingham.Istanbul,Frankfurt,Dubai,Delhi and Doha and many more.If this don’t answer your question then god forgive me

But that’s what I said? The airline doesn’t want to keep 3 weekly.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

But that’s what I said? The airline doesn’t want to keep 3 weekly.

If it goes daily then it shows how’s much the airport has increased.Fair play.I apologise for my outburst

 

[gulftraveller]

Why is the airport looking for an evening service? If they looked closely they would see that it was of little use for connecting flights from JED heading eastwards. SV do not yet have a multiple wave concept. Expect the BHX service to follow the trajectory MAN had with a fourth weekly flight this summer.

 

[tompo]

At last- some sensible comment regarding this fledgling service. The airport has little control on an airline’s self -development apart from slot allocation etc.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

I've looked online, and can't find any information showing aircraft on order for Saudia (please correct me if I'm wrong). It will be difficult to have any significant route expansion without new aircraft (and crews).

 

[rollo]

On the official Saudi website they announced an orderlast March for 39 787-9 and 787-10 and reuters also reported that this bought the total on arder to 79 of the type all to be delivered by 2030 in line with their planned expansion objectives to compete with the MEA big three.
Some may end up with new subsidiary Riyadh Air.

An increase in frequency and or capacity next summer looks a good bet for BHX.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Saudi 787-10 is full inbound today !

 

[nwoody2001]

Wow what an odd conversation this thread turned into...

Why anyone would think SV or BHX would "want to keep a route at 3x weekly" without any insight into the financial operations of the route is beyond me. Both SV and BHX are in this for the money. If SV or BHX can make profit from the route at 1x, 3x, 5x of 14x weekly and have the means to do so, then they will.

I SUSPECT SV and BHX will be looking for growth in capacity over time, potentially increasing to daily over the next few years in order to compete with other airlines in the region, but that will be over a number of years as the route establishes and the airlines capacity increases. Hopefully we could see and increase to 4x weekly at peak season in 2024 but thats all I'm hoping for at the moment.

The route has got off to a good start with loads across Jul-Nov being very healthy. This has proved there is a market for the route, its not just a case of establishing and growing that market in due course. Numbers have dipped in Dec/Jan but this is to be expected for an airline focused towards a VFR market in southern asia, hopefully load will pick up again later in Jan and increase towards easter and summer with some modest growth on 2023 levels. This will of course have the potential to be effected however depending on how other competitor react - namely PC/TK/EK and QR!

Time will tell...

 

[mullion]

All the middle east airlines are looking for something other than oil related as the sales are going to fall and need to be replaced, property is a big one and it can be seen all over UK not just London. Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham are all seeing large property portfolios within the Mid eastcountries

 

[Nibbles]

One trick is being missed though, i think. My boss travelled to Mecca over the Christmas break. He lives in London, and flew from Heathrow to Riyadh, then an internal flight to Jeddah, then a coach. Despite landing on time in Riyadh, they missed the connecting flight and ended up sitting around in the airport for 5 hours.

It appears (on Google Flights) that you can fly direct to Jeddah from LHR, but on the two sets of random dates i picked there was a significant premium to do so (~£550 vs ~£800). I checked the same dates from BHX, its actually cheaper than LHR direct Jeddah.

He had no idea about the flight, but when I mentioned it was interested and would certainly look that way in the future. He did mention that his flight was part of a package including hotel in Mecca etc. There could be quite a market to tap in to there...

 

[rollo]

All the middle east airlines are looking for something other than oil related as the sales are going to fall and need to be replaced, property is a big one and it can be seen all over UK not just London. Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham are all seeing large property portfolios within the Mid eastcountries

Very true, all the major Middle East airlines are effectively an arm of their governments even if some like Emirates claim differently and are part of much bigger very long term projects involving construcion, inferstructure including government funded mega size airports,tourism, and sport as well as buying up overseas assets.

Profit is not the be all and end all for them as their governments are playing a long-term game.

 

[Scania1800]

Why anyone would think SV or BHX would "want to keep a route at 3x weekly" without any insight into the financial operations of the route is beyond me. Both SV and BHX are in this for the money. If SV or BHX can make profit from the route at 1x, 3x, 5x of 14x weekly and have the means to do so, then they will.

I asked the same question to antmc, however he seems to act like he knows more apparently.

Why is the airport looking for an evening service? If they looked closely they would see that it was of little use for connecting flights from JED heading eastwards. SV do not yet have a multiple wave concept. Expect the BHX service to follow the trajectory MAN had with a fourth weekly flight this summer.

The airline recently had a discussion into all UK routes (incl airports not served), it was a consideration the airline will take, however discussions always don’t make it out to life