Birmingham Airport - General Thread

[jfy1999]

David Cameron says he would back a bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Birmingham is currently deciding whether to bid.

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/david-cameron-urges-birmingham-be-11330005

 

[Ray Finkle]

I hope that we do go for it, I just worry that Birmingham City Council haven't got the balls to do it.

Liverpool and Cardiff are apparently also going for it so the competition would be stiff. With waterfront settings both cities are probably more aesthetically pleasing than Birmingham but we have some huge projects coming to fruition in 2026, so Birmingham would have to sell the 'vision'.

We shall see what happens.

 

[User001]

Did a similar thing on the MAN thread, so, thought it would be fun to add here.

BHX finished 2015 as the 50th busiest airport in Europe, with 10,187,000 passengers.

Just above them at 49 was Budapest with 10,298,000.

48 was Cologne with 10,338,000 pax
47 was Bergamo with 10,404,000 pax
46 was Stuttgart and 10,512,000 pax
45 was Alicante and 10,574,000 pax

Last but not least, 44 was Gran Canaria and 10,627,000.

43 was EDI but that then jumped to 11,110,000 and given the UK is growing, may be harder to catch them.

So, to the question, which rank do you think BHX will finish 2016 on?

I'm going for 46, potentially 45. Reason I say that is, I feel BHX could go past BUD/CGN/BGY/STR, but, due to the huge growth in Spain thanks to it being flavour of the year, ALC and LPA may be harder to get past, LPA could just about be done if BHX grows well.

What do you guys think?

 

[Ray Finkle]

I'd hope to get back up to around 46, although Budapest is seeing some good growth at the moment too.

Alicante have around 45 new routes starting this year and saw 25% growth in March, they will be hard to catch. Las Palmas is doable though if we have a good summer.

Looking at two airports behind, Bucharest is at number 52 with 9,274,629 +11.2%. They've seen some good growth in recent times with more to come this year, including a new Ryanair base. Tenerife is at 54 with 9,117,637. It dropped 0.6% in 2015 but we know that the Canaries are to be very popular this year.

Those in Diamond House seem to think the BHX 12 month rolling figure will pass 12 million by next March, it'll take something significant for winter for that to happen.

 

[jfy1999]

Those in Diamond House seem to think the BHX 12 month rolling figure will pass 12 million by next March, it'll take something significant for winter for that to happen.

Well maybe they know something we don't...?

 

[Brum X]

And doesnt this show just how many airports there are in europe to compete with. Its nice to finally be in the top 50, but its crazy that there are 49 other airports that are busier than BHX. So when we are talking about the rivalry when it comes to getting new routes into the UK airports (China for example) there are indeed lots and lots more airports to compete with than just the BHX/MANs of this world.

 

[Ray Finkle]

We were 47th in 2014 and 2013, 48th in 2012 and 2011 and 45th in 2010.

It would be nice to get into the 30's but that would mean overtaking the likes of Prague, Nice and Warsaw. Luton has done it though so it's possible

The ranking for the last 5 years are on this link for those interested.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_busiest_airports_in_Europe

 

[BHXsupporter]

Well we were leap-frogged by 4 airports over 2015 so first their growth needs to be exceeded.

 

[Ray Finkle]

If Diamond House predictions are correct we should move up around 6-8 places (obviously depending on growth from the other airports).

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray, I totally agree with what you are saying about diamond house, so they are predicting 12 million plus by March 2017, do they realise, that's a two million plus extra growth in passengers, so if they know something, then they should inform everyone and not think, so could it delta airlines, jet2 are also going to join the party.. We will have to see...Andyc

 

[Ray Finkle]

Some winter schedules so far, things may well change between now and then.

Vueling

Alicante

Saturday & Thursday

ALC 07:00 BHX 08:45
BHX 09:25 ALC 13:00

Tuesday

ALC 15:10 BHX 16:55
BHX 17:35 ALC 21:10

Barcelona

Monday & Friday

BCN 11:40 BHX 13:05
BHX 13:45 BCN 16:50

Malaga

Tuesday & Saturday

AGP 15:00 BHX 17:00
BHX 17:40 AGP 21:30

Tenerife

Tuesday & Friday

TFS 14:00 BHX 18:20
BHX 19:00 TFS 23:30

Iberia

Madrid

Monday & Friday

MAD 08:45 BHX 10:00
BHX 10:45 MAD 14:05

Sunday

MAD 15:45 BHX 17:00
BHX 17:35 MAD 21:05

 

[Ray Finkle]

Wizz Air

Bucharest - A320

Sunday

OTP 06:00 BHX 07:40
BHX 08:10 OTP 13:25

Friday

OTP 19:25 BHX 21:05
BHX 21:35 OTP 02:50

Budapest - A321

Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday

BUD 15:05 BHX 16:55
BHX 17:30 BUD 21:00

Poznan - A320

Saturday & Tuesday

POZ 20:05 BHX 21:25
BHX 21:55 POZ 00:55

Sofia - A321

Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday

SOF 17:00 BHX 18:30
BHX 19:05 SOF 00:25

Warsaw (Chopin) - A321

Tuesday, Thursday (Dec & Jan) & Saturday

WAW 05:50 BHX 07:35
BHX 08:10 WAW 11:35

Wroclaw - A320

Monday & Friday

WRO 19:50 BHX 21:10
BHX 21:40 WRO 00:55

 

[Ray Finkle]

Norwegian only have two routes on sale at the moment so we'll see what happens with them.

Czech Airlines have started to upload winter. At the moment it stops for the first three weeks of November then returns 2x weekly, on Sun and Mon, then in Jan a Thursday flight is added. Operating on just a Sun and Mon seems a little odd so we'll see if anything changes in the coming weeks.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Looking at the above list it's Tuesday that is shaping up to be one of the most interesting days for winter with 3x Vueling A320's, 1x Wizz Air A320 and 3x Wizz Air A321's. Blue Air also have a Tuesday flight.

In other news Thomson aircraft number 6 should arrive tomorrow with number 7 due next week ready for the school holidays.

 

[jfy1999]

In other news Thomson aircraft number 6 should arrive tomorrow with number 7 due next week ready for the school holidays.

What's our full base for this summer? We have a 787 for part of the week, then is it three 757s and three 738s? I think they were going to lease a 738 from Sunwing—will that be the 7th aircraft?

 

[Paulsstrange]

Reference Czech releived we are loaded in for winter and no doubt some tweaking to take place ...but great to see long term commitment...I'd settle for 3 or 4 weekly then back to 5 or 6 next summer....

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray, if you think that up 39 aircraft serve Birmingham, 18 serve Luton and 30 serve Edinburgh, you would think that the amount that serve Birmingham is just over twice that serve Luton and yet Luton pax 12 plus million passengers, where as Birmingham that has 39 aircraft serving it can only pull in just over 10 million, that's two plus less than Luton. It just makes you wonder why Birmingham isn't ahead of Luton instead of behind like it is, needs more airline announcements to help boost it's numbers past Luton once and for other...Andyc

 

[IanFarquharson]

Andy
What do you mean 18 serve Luton ?
Do you mean based ?
Easy have 18 then there are based Ryanair, Monarch, Thomson etc
Now Vueling, ElAl, Transavia
They have 40 Wizz per day !
BHX wont catch them for a while.
Ian

 

[nwoody2001]

Andy, we have been through this before, the figures you are using are incorrect... Luton have more and bigger based aircraft than BHX... simple!!!

 

[Ray Finkle]

I think they were going to lease a 738 from Sunwing—will that be the 7th aircraft?

I believe that the Sunwing 738 is due towards the end of next week.