Route Development & Rumours

Not sure how I mist it but I've just been reading about Birmingham Airport’s multi-million dollar incentive package aimed at securing a direct, daily scheduled service to New York for summer 2027. It's a bold move, but it feels like the airport has been down this road before?

We’ve seen various carriers try and ultimately drop transatlantic routes from BHX over the years. Some argue the catchment area is absolutely there, but passengers just default to Heathrow or Manchester out of habit or for better alliance connectivity. Others reckon that with the right aircraft (like the A321XLR), a daily NYC rotation is a goldmine waiting to happen.

What do we think? Will this financial backing be enough to tempt a major US legacy carrier or a low-cost disruptor to make Birmingham stick long-term, or is the shadow of LHR just too big to overcome?

#BHX#Transatlantic

Hi there Ray, I fully understand what you're saying, yes the runaway did finally arrive in 2014, but the serious valid point I'm making, that if local funding was available in 1992, why did the airport executive board including the council, not apply for the funding at the time to put the A45 under a tunnel, to then extend the runway, yet chose not to do this, but make excuses, which hasn't helped the local economy in the area at all. They just sat on the fence and waited, therefore, missing the opportunities that Manchester airport took and has succeeded.

Aviador said:

Some argue the catchment area is absolutely there, but passengers just default to Heathrow

Click to expand...

This seems to be the biggest hurdle to me. There's just so much choice of times and airlines plus I often hear that it's considerably cheaper. LHR also attracts the USA based pax whereas BHX would most likely see the vast majority be UK based and America doesn't seem to be the biggest draw at the moment.

Anecdotal evidence I know but last year I spoke to someone who used Qatar out of LHR because 'the Birmingham flight left too early in the morning and I did't want to get up then'. The penny didn't seem to drop that they still got up at a similar time to make the drive to London. I've seen numerous people in my office use London airports as 'they're cheaper' yet when you add on the cost of fuel and parking the difference ends up being negligible.

I'm not a route development professional and I'm sure they've done their homework but if there is a pot of money available I wonder if Cathay or Singapore would be a more productive target? Or are they worried about the effect on EK and QR?

The airport management in the 90s, messed up, but they don't want to admit there failure, why should they. Then the airport cried wolf, because they couldn't afford to put the runway over the A45, Coventry Road as too expensive. So the executive board of the 90s, including ex-boss Tilsley, plus in other Councillors at the time, who decided against it. They are the reason why Birmingham airport only handling 13-14 million passengers now, instead of 25 million passengers plus now, this would have been a massive economic strategy hit, that would have given the whole of the west midlands and Warwickshire a tremendous boost, but no, it didn't. It caused slow economic growth and high unemployment in the area, even today, now the whole area looks very sensitive, brexit has also been a complete non helper.

andrew.clarkson said:

The airport management in the 90s, messed up, but they don't want to admit there failure, why should they. Then the airport cried wolf, because they couldn't afford to put the runway over the A45, Coventry Road as too expensive. So the executive board of the 90s, including ex-boss Tilsley, plus in other Councillors at the time, who decided against it. They are the reason why Birmingham airport only handling 13-14 million passengers now, instead of 25 million passengers plus now, this would have been a massive economic strategy hit, that would have given the whole of the west midlands and Warwickshire a tremendous boost, but no, it didn't. It caused slow economic growth and high unemployment in the area, even today, now the whole area looks very sensitive, brexit has also been a complete non helper.

Click to expand...

This is all in the past and can't be changed. It's been talked about ad infinitum / ad nauseum. Let's look to the future and hope it's a bright one...with careful growth and a dose of optimism in mind

andrew.clarkson said:

The airport management in the 90s, messed up, but they don't want to admit there failure, why should they. Then the airport cried wolf, because they couldn't afford to put the runway over the A45, Coventry Road as too expensive. So the executive board of the 90s, including ex-boss Tilsley, plus in other Councillors at the time, who decided against it. They are the reason why Birmingham airport only handling 13-14 million passengers now, instead of 25 million passengers plus now, this would have been a massive economic strategy hit, that would have given the whole of the west midlands and Warwickshire a tremendous boost, but no, it didn't. It caused slow economic growth and high unemployment in the area, even today, now the whole area looks very sensitive, brexit has also been a complete non helper.

Click to expand...

I can't understand your obsession with the runway. Our runway is plenty long enough for just about every need.
Years ago a second parallel runway was suggested, and plans drawn up, which was just south of the existing runway. That obviously never went ahead, probably due to cost and the need to demolish many houses in Sheldon.
Regarding unemployment, BHX supports thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly.

HPsauce said:

I can't understand your obsession with the runway. Our runway is plenty long enough for just about every need.
Years ago a second parallel runway was suggested, and plans drawn up, which was just south of the existing runway. That obviously never went ahead, probably due to cost and the need to demolish many houses in Sheldon.
Regarding unemployment, BHX supports thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly.

Click to expand...

Gatwick handles 48m pax on a single runway so need for even thinking about at BHX with 13.7m pax

Hi there Karl C, I understand your point, but my issue, is that this huge mistake in the 90s, has cost the airport in passenger numbers, investment late been implemented, local economy has had a major impact on the area. If these investments had been done in the 90s, Birmingham airport would have been in a much better position, plus challenging Manchester airport and chasing after either Stansted, Gatwick and ultimately Heathrow. But unfortunately Birmingham airport is chasing Edinburgh, Luton, Stansted, which it will never match or overtake them, but chasing there shadows, that's my point. All that Birmingham Airport can do, is just keep chipping away and expanding and increasing it's passenger numbers, year in and year out. The airport management needs to promote Birmingham Airport as much as possible, bringing in a Can Do Attitude.

andrew.clarkson said:

Hi there all, as I mentioned in my previous posts about lost opportunities for Birmingham airport in the 90s, there was an local incitive called Advantage West Midlands agency was created by Central government as a funding tool for all regional and local businesses to help to create and expand local businesses, so with three billion funds available, why didn't the airport apply for any funding needed, like runway extension across a45, via tunnel, no they came up with excuses, which let other airports like luton and Edinburgh, just walk straight past, so the council, Councillors and airport board and management are at fault for big missed opportunities, this has resulted in lack of growth in the area and prevented the airport being in a much stronger position than what it should be.

Click to expand...

How did you figure that one out?

- Edinburgh and Luton has the same length runway or shorter runway than BHX did even before the runway extension. So how did BHX not having a runway extension earlier help airports with smaller runways pass BHX?

- And can you PLEASE let me know how on earth you know what BHX did or didn't bid for with Advantage West Midlands? just the smallest amount of digging on the internet will show you that AWM invested a lot into BHX and even contributed to Route Development Funds at BHX.

- and the reason BHX didn't get the runway extension earlier than 2014 is that there simply wasn't the case for the runway. between 2003 and and 2013 was completely stagnant with passenger growth and the airport terminal was completely incapable of handling any more wide-body aircraft than in did at the time. this is why the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 redevelopments and the construction of the international pier was needed before the runway was extended.

What are the main of focuses of Areas for bhx this year and next year?

City’s?
Long haul?
Winter sun?
North Africa?
Italy,Romania?
Building up route relations with airlines?