Ash

Well-Known Member
Oct 14, 2012
142
128
Europe
Thought we could do with a thread to discuss this something of an "oddball" airline at BHX.

So, how much longer can Turkmenistan last? Given their low fares they are reliant on high load factors to remain profitable and their numbers seem to be in continual decline, and AI hasn't even started up yet.

A few other thoughts:
- They seem to be in the process of developing a new website. It would be nice if they give this one a functioning booking engine that allows BHX bookings (and not in Russian please!).

- I've had a look at their schedules and it seems a wasted opportunity that they offer no connections other than ATQ. They could offer dirt cheap seats to PEK, DEL, AUH and BKK if they wanted to and expand the appeal of their BHX and other European flights.

- Finally, why do they fly to BHX at all? The airline is obviously heavily subsidized both directly by the state and indirectly by minuscule oil prices over there, yet they go about chasing poor yield UK-India economy passengers and stay at it for over a decade? Why do they bother? Birmingham is not your typical prestige route for airlines to whom money is no object...
 
All good questions. Their online reviews are horrendous but the fares are dirt cheap, how long will local travel agents be pushing customers onto their flights now AI are back? They survived Air India last time so it will interesting to see what happens this time, possibly a permanent reduction to the 738?

They could offer dirt cheap seats to PEK, DEL, AUH and BKK

Mahan used to offer connections to BKK as well as India, from what I remember it was used but not in massive numbers.
 
I honestly cannot see a future for them at BHX in their current form with AI back. They need to diversify from solely serving ATQ onto other markets to save the BHX route and bring their website into the 21st century while they're at it.

There will always be a market for poor service if the price is right.
 
They have only survived this long because of people using it for ATQ connections. I would replace them at BHX with a 'less of an oddball airline'.
 
I'm not sure about replacing them, after Air India I don't see who else there is. Whilst they are still using the airport they bring in revenue and pax that will spend in the shops, so if they can happily co-exist with AI then why not let them. As Ash pointed out There will always be a market for poor service if the price is right.
 
Turkmenistan Airlines at least stayed when others didnt even start, Armavia anybody ???

So for that reason, Turkmenistan Airlines have my respect 100% and they have stood by BHX for many years.
 
Brum X said:
Turkmenistan Airlines at least stayed when others didnt even start, Armavia anybody ???

So for that reason, Turkmenistan Airlines have my respect 100% and they have stood by BHX for many years.

:good:

It looked good for Uzbekistan Airways at one point when they started using 763's via BHX to JFK. If memory serves they suspended flights due to 9/11 then returned with just the original BHX-Tashkent service.
 
ray finkle said:
It looked good for Uzbekistan Airways at one point when they started using 763's via BHX to JFK. If memory serves they suspended flights due to 9/11 then returned with just the original BHX-Tashkent service.

Actually, they returned with the Tashkent-BHX-JFK service in March 2003 - then dropped it again a few months later.

I wonder if Turkmenistan were to ever offer flights to JFK via BHX?
 
I wonder if Turkmenistan were to ever offer flights to JFK via BHX?

Id think the demand for that flight would be near single figures.
 
From what I hear Turkmenistan have been hit hard by Air India with many travel agents saying bookings have dropped dramatically. Heard that it will most likely drop to a permanent 738 (only 83 pax on the 757 one day last week) also that there could be a reduction to 2x weekly. I wonder if they'll try and see it out this time or just give up altogether.
 
Surely they have got to give it a go. Some people will try Air India if they get a good deal but these will not last more than a couple of months. At the end of the day most people go on price.
 
I hope so. They must have envisaged an initial drop when AI started so switching to the 738 until numbers pick up seems like the sensible thing to do. I guess it depends on how long it takes for bookings to improve again but they survived last time and as said, there are always people who will put price above anything else.
 
Now Turkmenistan have got there 777 could they use it on u.s flights like biman plan to do with a stop off in the uk?
 
I've read they are planning on launching YYZ; but as the 77L should be able to do it non stop I doubt there would be much need to stop at BHX unless to pick up passengers. Whether T5 could pick up the same BHX-YYZ market Air India did I'm not sure, infact I'm not sure how big that market was/is as I recall lots of contradicting facts on how many pax AI actually picked up on the BHX - YYZ leg.
 
There's reports on another forum that Turkmenistan will be using the 777 to BHX from next month due to high passenger bookings and the need for more cargo space. Whether it will be used on all four weekly flights or just one or two I don't know but it'll be nice to see if it does happen.

The same report also suggests that many Air India flights throughout the summer are already sold out with very healthy bookings on the rest.
 
Ray Finkle said:
There's reports on another forum that Turkmenistan will be using the 777 to BHX from next month due to high passenger bookings and the need for more cargo space. Whether it will be used on all four weekly flights or just one or two I don't know but it'll be nice to see if it does happen.

The same report also suggests that many Air India flights throughout the summer are already sold out with very healthy bookings on the rest.

I really hope that these 2 airlines are succesSfulL, they have both been loyal to BHX and have a loyal passenger base.
 

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