Birmingham Airport - General Thread

[Brum X]

Isn’t most airport revenue from sources other than airline charges? I have no doubt we’ll see parking, drop off and trolley charges increase in time but certain developments make me think the days of airports offering “sweeties” to airlines aren’t necessarily over, especially in the case of airports that have lost some of their biggest airline customers. Wizz are looking to fill the BA/Norwegian short haul void at LGW and Aer Lingus are reportedly looking to fill the TCX long haul void at Manchester. In the case of BHX, a lot of Flybe gaps still need filling and we’ve had several new airlines already jumping in.

Airports will be motivated to get passenger numbers and the parking/shopping revenue to something resembling normality as quickly as possible and if that requires new airlines or new bases due to incumbent airlines going bust or pulling out then a forward thinking management team should be going for it.

Yeah but do we have that forward thinking management team

 

[JENNYJET]

Good question Brum X, I never like talking down without good reason my local airport but current crisis aside, I feel BHX is governed by Capt. Mainwaring and his glorious platoon scattered amongst the Council chambers of the West Midlands.

 

[Brum X]

Already rumours than MAN where Wizzair have never operated from are to open a x 4 aircraft base for S21 and you can pretty much guarantee that will happen, whilst at BHX where they have operated for a number of years we will be stuck with a few away based routes forever just like with Easyjet pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft

Kind of answers my question imho

 

[Ray Finkle]

Wizz have applied for slots at both MAN and EDI for 4x based A321's. At BHX the ACL report shows just 18 slots applied for, 3 for Vilnius and 2 each for Riga, Craiova and Iasi.

It shouldn't be a surprise as it's been this way for as long as I can remember.

Don't worry as this region doesn't need a comprehensive European network with flights to key destinations, we'll have more to Malaga and Palma along soon.

 

[Coathanger16]

Wizz have applied for slots at both MAN and EDI for 4x based A321's. At BHX the ACL report shows just 18 slots applied for, 3 for Vilnius and 2 each for Riga, Craiova and Iasi.

It shouldn't be a surprise as it's been this way for as long as I can remember.

Don't worry as this region doesn't need a comprehensive European network with flights to key destinations, we'll have more to Malaga and Palma along soon.

Question is, is it lack of interest from airlines...or is it BHX not playing its part.

Earlier in the year airlines like Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air said following Covid, airport should be bidding to get these airlines in and expand.

I can fully see the likes of MAN and EDI have done that, whereas BHX haven't.

Alternatively, BHX may also have done it, but they've once again pitched themselves in the same league as LGW/MAN/EDI, whereas airlines view BHX more like LPL/LBA/BRS etc.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Probably a combination as I think the interest was there.

I saw a Tweet recently suggesting that MAN have offered easyjet and Ryanair 4 years of no landing fees. I have no idea if that information is accurate or not as I don't know the person who posted it but if there is any truth then it's something that BHX can't, or won't, compete with.

The article below makes an interesting read.

anna.aero | Temporarily Unavailable

 

[IanFarquharson]

I would imagine BHX would have pitched for a Wizz base only to be outdone by Manchester and maybe Edinburgh.
Same would apply for Aer Lingus base.

 

[Brum X]

I would imagine BHX would have pitched for a Wizz base only to be outdone by Manchester and maybe Edinburgh.
Same would apply for Aer Lingus base.

Well it is time then BHX went dirty, yes get a quote from MAN and come back to us and we will better any deal they offer you ? Supermarkets do it, why not BHX ?? This is the only way we can expand our offering ??

 

[Vile8er]

Well it is time then BHX went dirty, yes get a quote from MAN and come back to us and we will better any deal they offer you ? Supermarkets do it, why not BHX ?? This is the only way we can expand our offering ??

Cant see this as being BHX's way of doing business sadly

 

[Ray Finkle]

Look at the meteoric rise of the locos over the last couple of decades then ask yourself why BHX is where it is.

 

[Vile8er]

Look at the meteoric rise of the locos over the last couple of decades then ask yourself why BHX is where it is.

Good point

 

[IanFarquharson]

Well it is time then BHX went dirty, yes get a quote from MAN and come back to us and we will better any deal they offer you ? Supermarkets do it, why not BHX ?? This is the only way we can expand our offering ??

Or maybe get a good quote from BHX then get MAN to beat it !!

 

[Brum X]

Or maybe get a good quote from BHX then get MAN to beat it !!

But that's what I am saying Ian, at that point it is obvious BHX just give up, unlike other "progressive" airports ?? That isn't being dirty enough obviously ??

 

[Ray Finkle]

Do they have the financial clout to be dirty enough or do they just have a level they won't go beyond?

Without being there we'll never know.

 

[Coathanger16]

Thing is Wizz is really trying to expand in the UK, so I don't think its a case of MAN or BHX and they go with whoever offers the better deal.

Wizz will have looked at the numbers for BHX (which will be more accurate than their numbers for MAN as they actually fly to the former) and will come out with a number.

If BHX offers better than that, hey presto a new base. If it's worse, what'd you know, no base.

With long haul, what goes on North and South of BHX plays a part. With short haul, IMO I think it's largely irrelevant.

To restate the point I made the other day, without a new based airline, or Ryanair substantially expanding their presence, I just can't see BHX getting past 15mppa.

 

[JENNYJET]

Sgt. Wilson will recommend extreme caution as Capt. Mainwaring dithers as airlines find more progressive airports willing to assist with growth plans. Wizz could become a replacement for Monarch in terms of size and service footprint but will BHX bother to cultivate any potential?

 

[Ray Finkle]

To restate the point I made the other day, without a new based airline, or Ryanair substantially expanding their presence, I just can't see BHX getting past 15mppa.

Unless BHX get something to replace the lost Flybe capacity they may struggle to get back to 13 million?

 

[Coathanger16]

Unless BHX get something to replace the lost Flybe capacity they may struggle to get back to 13 million?

How many pax did Flybe carry? 1m? 2m?

All of a sudden the thought of BRS overtaking BHX this decade doesn't seem quite so outlandish!

 

[IanFarquharson]

Number of movements from UK Airports 17.11.20

Heathrow – 293

East Midlands - 132

Stansted – 118

Manchester – 62

Edinburgh - 51

Birmingham – 44

Glasgow - 41

Luton - 30

Gatwick – 22

Doncaster – 10

Liverpool - 10

Bristol – 6

Leeds - 5

 

[JENNYJET]

I fear Halfpenny Green ( Wolverhampton Business Airport ) might just get some momentum if BHX continue with inertia over route development, anything might occur!