Flybe

[rollo]

The are three flights showing as canceled on the Bhx departures board for today. Duseldorf, Glasgow and Newquay don't know if theres others across the network.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all, I'm afraid to say this, but now flybe is part of virgin Airlines or Atlantic, with stobart air and Cyrus investments consortium, this will be the start of slowly pulling all flights and operations at bhx over the next two years, because virgin don't have any flights from bhx at all, and there has obviously been some major issues many years ago that both bhx and virgin airlines fell out over, and so of, course any diverting from Heathrow or Gatwick for virgin aircraft, they refuse to land at Birmingham and prefer to land else where, so until any disputes that bhx and virgin has need to be resolved now to prevent any major emergencies in the future.. Andyc

 

[mullion]

No that won`t happen as they have KLM/Air France as well you know as part of the group. There will be changes and
I do see some/many at BHX but also at MAN because some routes just won`t fit to the plans whatever they are but
the trunk routes I am sure will last plus others which I have no idea

 

[rollo]

Maybe its worth just recapping just who owns Flybe. They are jointly owned by Cirrus, Stobart and Virgin, none of who hold a majority share of the company.

So far as Virgin are concerned they are actually owned or will be by Delta 49% AF/KL 31% and Richard Branson 20% therefore Virgin as as in Branson only have something like a 5% stake in Flybe. So this is how it might pan out.

The Virgin name is front of house and they have stated already will feed Delta /Virgin at MAN /LHR meanwhile CDG/AMS routes will be adjusted to suit AF/KL reqiurmnts Flybe already have a route share arrangement with Air France.
Stobart may be more interested in in the rest of the network although personally I would like to see Easyjet on say Glasgow and Edinburgh also say Milan and Stuggart etc for starters from BHX
Cirrus are venture capitalists and will be there for all the usual reasons no doubt, anyway only a bit of thinking out loud and no doubt things will become clearer in the coming weeks.

 

[smithy108]

Cirrus are venture capitalists and will be there for all the usual reasons no doubt, anyway only a bit of thinking out loud and no doubt things will become clearer in the coming weeks.

Agree with rollo, clearly there is a major route review going on at the moment, still no Winter 2019/20 flights on sale which in itself will be impacting cash flow and dents customer confidence. The next few weeks will be critical.
The changes to their jet fleet and the impact on the bases at Cardiff , Exeter , Doncaster and Norwich have been officially confirmed and no doubt, this is just the start.
If they want to stay as a major regional player then BHX should be confident that they have a major role to play but there is bound to be some impact . Lets stay positive that it will be minimal.

 

[Jerry]

I honestly think that the current downsizing that has been announced was planned before the sale and the new owners are lettingthe current management carry it out.
The one problem I see is that customer confidence in them will be shaken and people may well book with other airlines effecting their cash flow not to mention their are rumours that they are losing a lot of staff as well. I wouldn't be surprised if there may well be more base closures to come.

 

[Matt995]

there has obviously been some major issues many years ago that both bhx and virgin airlines fell out over, and so of, course any diverting from Heathrow or Gatwick for virgin aircraft, they refuse to land at Birmingham and prefer to land else where

Andy I don't think there is any dispute between BHX and Virgin, they just don't see a market for transatlantic flights from BHX, and with MAN. LHR and LGW easily accessible from the Midlands, they are correct there is no market currently. I'm sure if they see fit they will divert into BHX if they have to, but makes sense for them to divert to an airport where they have staff/handling etc or onwards connections, more cost effective.

As for their impact with Flybe, who knows, we will have to see, i'm sure it will impact BHX, only time will tell, and we can only hope that any lost routes will be picked up by another airline(s). Its a dog eat dog world in the aviation business, if airlines don't make money they will be gone.

 

[58terminus]

The Virgin name is front of house

Not sure how much of an asset that is these days.Many people probably consider it a bit naff and dated.
Virgin Airlines are a small fish in a big pond with many cutbacks recently and their latest publicity release about their flight attendants
not being required to wear makeup had many thinking i can't believe they had to in this day and age.
Virgin Trains are hardly the nations favourite company as they rake in huge profits on their smelly trains direct from the taxpayer.
Remember Virgin Cola, Virgin record stores etc?And of course Richard Branson is Michael O'Leary without the class!
A brand that has had it.s day?

 

[IanFarquharson]

Virgin are huge in the Orlando space, I know so many people who are going with them this year. BHX is missing out big time !

 

[58terminus]

Virgin are huge in the Orlando space,

So what? Much as i agree that this route is almost operated as a cartel it should not be regarded as a priority by BHX at the moment.
It is the daily and multi daily routes that business and leisure passengers use more than once a year that are the airports bread and butter
and are under threat.If i want to go to Disneyland once every 2 years and have to go to MAN its not a big deal.
If i want to set up a business in Birmingham and have to go to MAN to fly Milan or Berlin etc is is a big deal.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all, I understand what I said about Virgin Airlines not thinking that there is a market from bhx, trouble is that they have never tried at all, so until they try it with good advertising, they will never know and another missed opportunity.. Andyc

 

[mullion]

Virgin are actually going back into growing the airline with 3 new routes recently announced and expansion of the Manchester
sector which now needs upto 6 aircraft on some days Gatwick similar, of course B787 problems have made huge problems for them
over the last few months at Heathrow plus of course the A350 start to come on line soon.
As I have said before I really cannot see VS coming to BHX as it will dilute all of their other bases which is a pointless
operation.

 

[58terminus]

Virgin are actually going back into growing the airline with 3 new routes recently announced and expansion of the Manchester
sector

As i said.Naff

 

[mullion]

Thats life,Birmingham is really in the wrong place, but look back to the 70 and 80s Manchester had to fight
tooth and nail to get anything because in those days BA had the power to stop anything they didn`t like
and they were just be unpleasant and any airline that started long haul BA put a spoiler in until they forced
whoever off the route and they would drop it also leaving Manchester back a square one, Birmingham needs to have
another 100 miles clear of London and Manchester to really stand a chance

 

[Angie88]

I agree with the comments about short haul. Short haul should be a BHX priority moving forward as connectivity across Europe is really poor considering we are the UKs second biggest city. If I’m going long haul & can’t go direct I wouldn’t travel to MAN or London, just connect via AMS. BHX needs a decent low cost to step in first & then develop long haul.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there Angie88, I agree with you, but this is where bhx now needs to be having serious talks in getting easyJet in.. Andyc

 

[jfy1999]

From what I have read elsewhere the winter schedule is due to be released this week or next, and the Virgin brand will start being rolled out on the planes in October.

 

[DaveBham]

Thats life,Birmingham is really in the wrong place, but look back to the 70 and 80s Manchester had to fight
tooth and nail to get anything because in those days BA had the power to stop anything they didn`t like
and they were just be unpleasant and any airline that started long haul BA put a spoiler in until they forced
whoever off the route and they would drop it also leaving Manchester back a square one, Birmingham needs to have
another 100 miles clear of London and Manchester to really stand a chance

And yet New York and Philadelphia , also 100miles apart with similar conurbations, manage to attract plenty of business.

 

[mullion]

US is a whole different kettle of fish and always has been but Europe is worse than UK as we actually
have a lot of airports for the size of the country, try France and other than Paris and Nice maybe Bordeaux
not a lot.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

US is a whole different kettle of fish and always has been but Europe is worse than UK as we actually
have a lot of airports for the size of the country, try France and other than Paris and Nice maybe Bordeaux
not a lot.

Lyon is France's third largest city and second largest urban area yet its airport handles just over 11 mppa, noticeably less than BHX.

Nice is around 14 mppa and Bordeaux less than 7 mppa. Marseille is just above 9 mppa.

mullion makes a valid point about France.