Birmingham Airport - General Thread

[Kevin Farnell]

I always used to ask for a flightdeck visit. Sadly, 9/11 put a stop to that. Prior to that, I did manage a visit during flight on a Laker DC-10, Dan-Air One-Eleven, British Airways Viscount and an Air New Zealand B747-400. Those were the days!

Kevin

 

[Deleted member 8277]

I was lucky enough to occasionally fly on the flightdeck jump seats for charter flights and aircraft recoveries with past airlines. The longest was LGW-LRM and back A330, it was interesting watching and listening especially oceanic.
One trip returning on an A321 over scandinavia in cruise, bong went the master caution with an ELAC fault on ECAM and the crew subsequently following the ECAM actions to reset the failed ELAC.
Funniest was sitting in a 737 at palma. When the crew tried to start #2 engine there was no light off, the captain then turned to me who was sitting on the jump seat and asked "what shall I do" to which I immediatley replied "use the 2nd ignitor", one ignitor had failed.

The good old days

 

[jfy1999]

Nick Barton is finally in the news! - for having taken a 49% annual pay rise, which has drawn angry responses from trade union reps.

 

[HPsauce]

Nick Barton is finally in the news! - for having taken a 49% annual pay rise, which has drawn angry responses from trade union reps.

I was rather annoyed with the BBC ( who else!) Midlands Today hatchet job on Nick Barton's pay rise. Yes it's always going to be controversial in the current climate. However, when you look at the hard facts he has guided BHX quite well through an unprecedented difficult period in it's history. From some accounts i have heard from friends and family BHX has fared quite well overall.
The BBC had no need to compile historical problems together and put such a negative stance on this story.

 

[Brum X]

Sorry, I don't care if he managed to get BHX it's first direct flight to Australia, nobody, I repeat nobody should even be getting 25% pay rises atm (MAN big man for example), let alone 49%. That includes NHS, Train staff, pilots and people like me.

Absolutely disgusting

 

[Brum X]

I've just been told at my work that I will get a 6.7% pay rise.

6.7% some people might say is good, well it aint when inflation is over 9%. So basically I am getting poorer and poorer which probably will mean I won't be able to go on holiday next year, which will mean 1 less passenger at BHX, which will probably mean less passengers at BHX in 2023 compared to 2022

Yeah great work BHX, really makes alot of sense that, paying ya boss a 49% pay rise.



pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft

 

[Matt995]

Nick Barton is finally in the news! - for having taken a 49% annual pay rise, which has drawn angry responses from trade union reps.

I don't have a problem if he deserves it, and has made a massive improvement in the airport, but as we stand, how many new airlines has he brought it, and how may new routes? Is the airport in a better position then when he started? Is the airport more efficient? Is it making more money?

Yes we all know about covid over that last few years and the impact it had, and also I can understand they don't want him to leave, but serious a 49% increase now? The airport staff who work for him must be seething, and with all the aviation/rail strikes going out at present, is this really a good time for this to happen?? I have to say that Nick Barton to me has been nothing more than the invisible man!! 49% is a joke!

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Yes I agree, can someone tell me, since Nick Barton has been a Birmingham Airport, what and how many airlines has he brought to Birmingham Airport. Still no direct flights to the USA yet, apart from Emirates and Turkish Airlines, how many other big carriers fly out of Birmingham Airport. But what people have to realise is that Birmingham Airport is a private limited company and not private sector, thats the difference, but also, the seven councils that have a majority share in the airport, agreement would have come from them, plus other committee board members....AndyC

 

[nancledre]

And in true MTD format, the implication from the displayed departure board was that BHX had flights to Benbecula, Kirkwall and of course London Heathrow, amongst others

 

[tompo]

In December 2018 I posted a piece regarding the appointment. It was intended as a warning flag aund attracted some contrary comment. In the event my prophesy has been realised. Since that time BHX has slipped much further behind Luton. EDI and even BRS. It is time for him to be ousted not rewarded as he has done BHX no favours whatsoever.

 

[Matty_85]

I think it’s all relative, yes it seems a ridiculous amount of money but Heathrow’s CEO is on 1.5 million, MAG group 2.5 million so if you want a proven leader with the experience you need to pay the going rate. I also think he inherited a lot of bad decisions so give the guy time post covid.

 

[tompo]

Time? How much more time would you give him; 5 years or maybe 10. He is not a proven leader as there is no proof of substantiated success. He is a non entity regarding marketing and, more importantly, public relations. The CEO’s of the aforementioned are dynamic and have forged consistent results demanded by their shareholders.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Time? How much more time would you give him; 5 years or maybe 10. He is not a proven leader as there is no proof of substantiated success. He is a non entity regarding marketing and, more importantly, public relations. The CEO’s of the aforementioned are dynamic and have forged consistent results demanded by their shareholders.

I find that somewhat harsh. Nick Barton took over the helm at BHX shortly before the biggest downturn that commercial aviation has ever known. However, during that time the number of dedicated freight flights have increased significantly (OK, many of them are small aircraft), which have helped to continue revenue being generated for the airport.
As for him not being 'a proven leader as there is no proof of substantiated success', look at what he achieved at Luton and the growth of Easyjet at BHX.
Growth is never going to be an overnight task in commercial aviation. It often takes many years of discussion with an airline to deliver a new service (and we have no idea of what talks are going on on the background).
BHX will never have the 'clout' that MAG has with major airlines (although, personally I believe that MAG should be broken up as it has way too much of a monopoly outside of London). Be thankful that BHX is still operating. Had it been run poorly, you might now be seeing it bulldozed and turned into a housing estate and business/retail park.

Kevin

 

[Karl C]

Long thought the MAG group should be broken up. BAA got too big and was ordered to sell off some 'bits', only to be replaced by another group doing the same thing. Things are what they are, sadly it'll never be a level playing field. Seems BHX has to fight for every new route.
I'm sure Mr Barton's wage is applicable to the title he holds at the airport. Timing wasn't brilliant for the news to come out. I do agree that he should be more in the public eye and the return of previously cancelled routes and new routes should be forthcoming and high on his list. After all it's these that bring the money in and hasn't been much, if at all, for a long while.
When is the extension being restarted does anyone know?

 

[Llandudno]

I’m sorry but how has MAG got a ‘monopoly’ outside London?

A monopoly definition is ‘exclusive possession of a service or commodity’. Given there are approximately 30 airports offering scheduled passenger service in the U.K., MAG owning 3 airports comes no where near monopoly status.

BAA at the time of their ordered break up owned 7 U.K. airports which included 4 of the biggest airports in London and 3 of the biggest airports in Scotland, and that was even before you took into account what ferrovial owned on top of BAA. The MAG position is absolutely nothing like that scale, not even close.

Also consider MAG sold off Bournemouth airport so has actually reduced its portfolio, so not sure why MAG was singled out here aside from emotion getting in the way of a reasoned argument?

 

[Karl C]

Moving on.....anyone know when Qatar is returning to BHX? Have a flight to Phuket to book and don't really want to go to Heathrow if I have to. Have some QR miles to burn

 

[Coathanger16]

I’m sorry but how has MAG got a ‘monopoly’ outside London?

A monopoly definition is ‘exclusive possession of a service or commodity’. Given there are approximately 30 airports offering scheduled passenger service in the U.K., MAG owning 3 airports comes no where near monopoly status.

BAA at the time of their ordered break up owned 7 U.K. airports which included 4 of the biggest airports in London and 3 of the biggest airports in Scotland, and that was even before you took into account what ferrovial owned on top of BAA. The MAG position is absolutely nothing like that scale, not even close.

Also consider MAG sold off Bournemouth airport so has actually reduced its portfolio, so not sure why MAG was singled out here aside from emotion getting in the way of a reasoned argument?

Whilst perhaps it doesn’t have a monopoly in the strictest sense of the word, in April 2022, 23% of UK air passengers passed through one of MAGs airports.

The only airport operator to handle more passengers was Heathrow, but that’s through a single airport.

Surely if MAGs share of passengers hits 25% of the UK total, and it owns the 3rd and 4th largest airports in the country, some questions need to be asked about competition?

 

[Coathanger16]

Moving on.....anyone know when Qatar is returning to BHX? Have a flight to Phuket to book and don't really want to go to Heathrow if I have to. Have some QR miles to burn

When are you looking at going?

Qatar have retained their slots for this winter. They currently have almost half of their A350 fleet parked up presumably to the ongoing paint issues. No 787s are currently being delivered (though will hopefully resume in the next few months) and the 777X is still some years off so Qatar doesn’t really have any aircraft to expand their operation yet.

 

[Karl C]

5th November or thereabouts.....fingers crossed hey

 

[Llandudno]

Whilst perhaps it doesn’t have a monopoly in the strictest sense of the word, in April 2022, 23% of UK air passengers passed through one of MAGs airports.

The only airport operator to handle more passengers was Heathrow, but that’s through a single airport.

Surely if MAGs share of passengers hits 25% of the UK total, and it owns the 3rd and 4th largest airports in the country, some questions need to be asked about competition?

It seems to be a clutching at straws argument to be honest.

Yes, MAG own the #3 and #4 airports, but then consider that both of those airports combined still don’t match up to Heathrow’s passenger figure, I’m not quite sure how you can call into question the ‘unfair size of MAG’ or call it a monopoly?

Then where do we draw the line? Do we question BA’s monopoly on Heathrow slots? Or Easyjet at Gatwick? Or Ryanair at Stansted? Because they operate more than 25% of the passenger throughput of those airports, so that unfair surely?

Or should we also sanction Tesco? They have 28% of U.K. supermarket customers, over the 25% you state MAG should be investigated if they reach?

Seriously, straws in a clutch. It’s interesting LHR alone accounts for over 80m pax in normal times, versus MAG nearly 65m total, but it’s not the clear market dominance of LHR we should be investigating, it’s MAG? Really fighting the wrong enemies there?