Hassaan13

Well-Known Member
Jan 10, 2011
672
28
This thread is for all rumours & news about Qatar starting BHX. I sent BHX an email a while ago asking them to consider new routes, and QR was one of them. I wrote about how it would benefit the community (opening up new destinations) and it has been forwarded to the Route Development team, so fingers crossed!

Back in 2006 there were rumours about a four weekly A332 QR service to BHX, but it turned out to be false. There have been rumours going on about the airline almost announcing BHX as a destination. Here is the QR extract of my email to BHX for those who are interested:
Qatar Airways - This is an airline that is very highly needed at BHX. Lots of people would fly on the airline, as, like Emirates, it can connect to many destinations worldwide. The reason for this is that BHX will prove to be a huge 'feeder' destination for its new ATQ bound flights as well as contribute decent volume of traffic bound for ISB, DEL, BOM, LHE, CMB, DAC, HKG, KHI, China, KUL and IKA via DOH. It can also contribute passenger on board Qatar's new SYD/MEL bound flights. From BHX, Qatar's primary competitor will be EK and to Pakistan PIA. Air India suspended BHX flights in 2008 and thus lost its BHX-ATQ/BHX-DEL route which saw good loads year round. The UK Midlands region needs a second 'quality airline' to serve the region with wide bodied aircraft heading eastwards to the ISC and Asia-Pacific region and QR fits that role perfectly. To/from BHX, the flight timings should be:

QRXX Dep DOH 0700 Arr BHX 1200
QRXX Dep BHX 1400 Arr DOH 2300

These flight timings mentioned above allow perfect connections via DOH in both directions to India, Pakistan, Australia, HKG, SIN, DAC, CMB, DPS, KUL, PEK, PVG, KIX, CGK, CAN and GCC. This should be enough to fill up the flight on a year round basis.
 
Qatar has an excellent reputation amongst most of its passengers and would be a fine acquisition for BHX if it ever came about.
 
I wonder which aircraft they could use on the route. After all, Emirates started out with an A332, but maybe there is demand for an A333... It'd be too wise to think about 773's for now or even A340's.
 
The absalute best you could hope for is an A332, The A333 is used for higher density flights, and the B777 even more so. The A346 is used for 'prestige' routes such as LHR/CDG/FRA so the chance of BHX getting one upon opening the route are 0%

When MAN was opened, it used the old A300-600, and most recent openeings have used the A319, so, it wouldnt be wrong to assume QR may go for that to start with, after all, even the likes of BCN/CPH started with it.
 
Even though BCN or CPH started with an A319, whether there may not be an issue with flying with that aircraft, there would be an issue with people flying on it. People may find Emirates more convenient if such an aircraft was used. An A332 would service the such demand.

We already know that the 773 can operate from BHX, they'll only do it if there is demand. I'd hope for a daily or four weekly A332 DOH-BHX.
 
Erm hassan,

Why is a A319 good enough for a city twice the size of BHX, but not BHX?
You seem to have this wierd 'superiority' thing for BHX, where only the biggest and best will do.
If an A319 is warranted, then an A319 will be used.
In terms of people, half of passengers dont know whether they are on a B737, A320, B777, A330 so do you honestly think that the avarage person with no aviation knowlege will go ''urgh, an A319, I dont think so!''.
Just for comparative terms, the A319 also offers the same IFE/comfort wise as the A332 fleet, just a little bit smaller anyway.

Ive said it before, I admire your enthusiasm for the hobby, and I hope you do persue aviation as a hobby, but aside from news articles and reading up destinations, you seem to have very little grasp of the knowlege behind the scenes, and no matter how many people tell you otherwise, you seem to be ignoring that advice and persuing lost causes.

For example, somewhere else you stated that you wanted to see B767's on a route purely because BHX sees too many B737's. Thats is absalutly no way to run an airline, and I can assure you, no one will take you seriously when you make comments like that.

Also, Just because a route carries a lot of passengers, does not mean a route will make money. For example, If I started an airline, and offered tickets to New York for £1 all in, I can imagine I would get a LOT!!! of passengers, but I will loose money faster than than a chocolate bar will melt on a log fire!!!

You really do need to gain more knowlege of your subject before making the demands you have done so far. Its no good using news articles when its the confidential earnings of a route that will determine its future. Put it this way, If BHX-DOH is as lucrative as you think it is, why is it currently unserved.

Deffinatly more homework needed.
 
I was actually speaking to some one from QR recently and the question was raised as to BHX being a target for them to start services. From what we discussed it does not seem likely at the moment. As I have previously said in other posts, the more variation in Airlines seen at BHX the better for me work wise. If I can use a local flight for my shipments going out all the better for me instead of paying to transport goods down the motorway to LHR or up to MAN. While I agree with Hassan13 that different Airlines are needed at BHX, the bean counters at the Airline head offices are checking to see how much revenue (read profit) they can make before they commit to sending any type of aircraft into BHX, let alone organising accounts for immigration charges, ground handling, check in etc. If you will pardon the expression "bums on seats pay the bills".
 
Seems BHX is going to have to wait a little longer, as MAN is going 2 daily, and a 2nd A330 is going to add the UK capacity they need
 
That's a great shame.

I was hoping to try Qatar later this year or early next from BHX to the Antipodes.

We used EK in the autumn and they were fine, apart from Dubai Airport - what a hellhole, but Qatar regularly gets better reports and marks on trip report sites.

So it will now be Qatar or Singapore Airlines from LHR or EK from BHX again.

Hmm! What do I dislike least - DXB or LHR?
 
I actually agree, BHX could have really utilised QR if just for the ATQ connections.

Seems BHX isnt having a good year of it so far, most other UK airports are looking forward to new routes or increases in some way, but they even lost out on some KLM expansion, where KLM seem to have increased most other UK points too.
 
It seems more of a battle than Emirates. Emirates started at Manchester in 1990, then got a second daily service in 2003. They started at Birmingham in 2000 and got a second daily service in 2005. A single daily service at MAN for 13 years, makes me think it wasn't doing that well back then.

I've emailed Qatar on a couple of occasions and all I get back is that while Birmingham is an interesting city, there are no plans or they can't give any more info. It's a shame because not only would Qatar provide connections to Amritsar, but also it would open up a lot more destinations and people would have a good experience as it's possibly the only 5 star airline BHX can get with the current runway length.

It would help if someone who works at BHX/visits it often could speak to some people relevant to new services and mention to them 'a poster on a discussion forum has suggestions about Qatar operating into Birmingham when the summer season starts next month, I believe you should consider it as the airline would open up more destinations and Birmingham needs a high quality airline and it would also benefit the community. The possible schedule could be a four times weekly with an Airbus A330-200 from Doha'. If someone could do that maybe they would consider it since there is customer demand. I would definitely fly with it, as it's a high quality airline and another connection to Pakistan where I regularly visit.

This seems to explain the second daily QR Manchester service: http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/q ... requencies

It's kind of irritating that BHX still doesn't have a service. If there is some way we can get it here it would be great.
 
TheLocalYokel said:
That's a great shame.

I was hoping to try Qatar later this year or early next from BHX to the Antipodes.

We used EK in the autumn and they were fine, apart from Dubai Airport - what a hellhole, but Qatar regularly gets better reports and marks on trip report sites.

So it will now be Qatar or Singapore Airlines from LHR or EK from BHX again.

Hmm! What do I dislike least - DXB or LHR?

Hmm! I'd say LHR, busier! way busier!

But if you help us try to get Qatar at BHX then you may be able to use it without travelling to MAN or LHR. If not then the above options are your choices.
 
A single daily service at MAN for 13 years, makes me think it wasn't doing that well back then.

Some might argue that the rate of growth in regional airtravel was much bigger after 2000 than it was in the ten years previous.

As for Qatar, i would'nt waste your time Hassaan, clearly BHX is not high up on their agenda (if at all), and there is nothing us on a forum can do to change that.
 
I think this statement is a clear message that Qatar have no interest in BHX:

am pleased to say that from June 1, the extra flights will be introduced offering passengers from northern England and, indeed, the Midlands the opportunity to fly to Qatar and beyond

By saying MAN is the point of departure for the Midlands is a very bold statement that this is the way it will remain for the forseeable future, and this is comming direct from the CEO himself.

Also, with regards to EK

There was 13 years between 1 and 2 daily due to the fact the market dynamics were far more different to what they are today.
Back in the 1990's, the idea of transiting to AUS via the middle east seemed an 'exotic' option, but by the time BHX came online, it was an everyday and 'in thing'.

Whats important to remember is that MAN was one of EK's first European destinations (I think it was 4th-5th after LGW/FRA and CDG??), so MAN is a very important station EK.

Im very sorry to go off topic and bring out my pro-MAN stance, but to think BHX has doen better for EK than MAN, or is indeed better than MAN is very deluded.
 
Well, that's probably just for now, as we don't have any sign of Qatar starting BHX, that's probably why they say that.
 
Hassan, Qatar have obviously got no interest at BHX. It was always assumed that BHX would be brought online before MAN got a second flight. That has now happened and still no BHX.
It is also widely accepted that EDI will happen before BHX, and again, that still hasnt happened.

LGW is to be dropped, so if anything, by re-trenching into MAN and LHR, it seems QR have consolidated the UK market, similar to what EY have done, rather than want to grow the market.

As the financial crisis still hurts wallets, Id expect more of the same to be honest.
 
For the time being it's great that the airline has committed itself to additional flights from outside of London all be it from Manchester, but strategically Manchester is the best location to branch out to. This is not a case of the city of Manchester vs Birmingham but simply because of Manchester's central location within the UK. If this was a 'war' between cities I would say that Birmingham has the edge, but unfortunately Birmingham is just too close to London. If Heathrow fills up and airlines seek additional capacity there, then BHX could see further growth in this type of market.
 
I don't think Birmingham has an edge anymore. A recent study shows Manchester is overall a more 'liveable' city than London and Birmingham (Birmingham dint even feature actually) and there are more surveys if you look to show Manchester has outgrown Birmingham.

There's also something else you need to account. Bham city itself maybe more populated than Manchester, but the Manchester urban collective is bigger than bham. This means more people are living in bham city centre than man, which is beneficial for the man economy as it means man's city centre is used more for commerce than living, which brings more money in.

It shows how times have changed and how it helps Manchester be the bigger airport to Birmingham.
 
There's also something else you need to account. Bham city itself maybe more populated than Manchester, but the Manchester urban collective is bigger than bham. This means more people are living in bham city centre than man, which is beneficial for the man economy as it means man's city centre is used more for commerce than living, which brings more money in.

Eurostat, the EU stats section, has come up with the concept of Larger Urban Zones (LUZ) to measure urban populations. This is because so often the local municipal (as in the UK) population bears no relation to the wider urban area in which it sits.

This list shows the populations of UK LUZs with their position in Europe noted in the left hand column.

1. London 11,917,000

16. Manchester 2,600,000

22. Leeds-Bradford 2,393,300

23. Birmingham 2,357,100

32 Glasgow 1,747,100

41. Liverpool 1,365,900

45. Sheffield 1,277,000

58. Tyne and Wear 1,055,600

63. Bristol 1,006,600

78. Cardiff 841,600

79. Nottingham 825,600

82. Edinburgh 787,700

86. Leicester 772,400

98. Coventry 651,00

100. Belfast 641,600
 
Something can be done to interest QR into starting/considering BHX as a destination. I have heard from other forums a couple of months ago about QR considering BHX.

I have made an online petition in order for that to happen, 5000 signatures is what we are aiming for. I've also made a YouTube vid to promote it. 44 signatures at the moment with a signature every couple of hours. On average, 5000 signatures would mean around 16.5 flights filled up on an A332 on a 4 weekly service. It'll be sent off to the airline once it gets 5000, and hopefully they'll consider it.

LGW is closer to LHR, and some long-haul services have managed there, such as Emirates, US Airways etc. In terms to BHX, people would not want to travel along a busy motorway if the airline already operates there. I will post the links to the petition and video if you want.
 

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