Chinese Charters

[IanFarquharson]

Hainan to announce Beijing from Manchester with 787's
A 787 is due to fly to Manchester and David Cameron and the Chinese Leader will make the announcement this Friday
I just hope does not kill the charters from BHX ?

 

[Ray Finkle]

This was from one of the press releases earlier this year

and HNA Group of which Caissa Touristic and Hainan Airlines are a part of.

With Caissa being part of the same group as Hainan you'd think it would make more sense to sell any tours on an already existing service rather than having the hassle of charter flights. It would also give the new route a bit of a boost over the summer. The groups generally tour around so I can't see the entry point to the UK being a big deal.

As for BHX I guess it depends how tight they are with Caissa and whether they are committed to another programme next year? Could it be done without Caissa? I'm not so sure?

I guess we'll find out in March

 

[jfy1999]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/mi ... t-10291750

I have to echo Ian Farquharson's worries after seeing this.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Yet more pandering to the North from Osbourne.

George Osborne told Chinese President to visit Manchester instead of Birmingham

This bit also made me smile

A Government Minister has boasted that Chancellor George Osborne is only willing to provide funding for schemes in the north of England.

James Wharton, the Minister responsible for the Government’s “Northern Powerhouse” project, made the claim at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.


It happened before and it's happening again.

 

[User001]

What's more interesting is that people will blindly follow what the press tells them, and the press reports what it wants to report in a style that suits them

The Mail article quoted is nothing more than sour grapes.

Yes, Birmingham does have lots of investments to look forward to, but, so does Manchester. Why does Birmingham believe it had the sole right to entertain the Chinese but not Manchester?

Funny that the article states 'the Chinese wanted Xi to visit Birmingham' but offers no proof to this, the Chinese also wanted Xi in Manchester, due to several projects set to be announced and investments to be made. Maybe Manchester just batted harder this time.

The president visited Brum on his last tour of the UK, maybe Brum should let other areas get a bit of the limelight, instead of the huge dose of Irony that 'Manchester gets everything' while piling on the 'we want everything too' rhetoric.

I don't care if I get flamed for my post, you can't ***** that Manchester gets everything and eating all the pie when you are trying to get the same pie too.

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Looks like we have to look after ourselves again Ray.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Looks like we have to look after ourselves again Ray.

It sure does.

I've long thought that our region spends too much time feeling sorry for ourselves and not enough time shouting about all of the great things we have but there are only so many times you can be kicked down before you start to feel that it is personnel.

I'm not bothered where the visit goes (most of the work will be done behind the scenes anyway) but if, however, a visit to Birmingham to announce the HS2 stuff was on the agenda and Osbourne has stepped in to send him north instead in some attempt to bolster his northern powerhouse fantasy then I'm afraid it's not on.

 

[Brum X]

Ive got to agree with a lot of what user001 has said, it is just Birmingham mail "sour grapes" and the person who wrote the article probably isn't even aware that the Chinese premier visited Birmingham back in 2011 and did not visit Manchester on that occasion. Birmingham indeed cannot expect it is the centre of the universe when it is not, every part of the uk is crying out for some of this Chinese investment, im sure the people of Scotland are equally upset he is not visiting this time.


Re: Chinese charters:

I really have no idea what will happen with these, maybe they will go back to China Southern and sort out a deal with them or have departures from other cities in China, it doesn't have to be Beijing all the time and then it wont "conflict" with the MAN-PEK route ????

 

[Brum X]

Looks like we have to look after ourselves again Ray.

We are not looking after ourselves though, HS2 college will be located in Birmingham, HS2 headquarters are locating to the Snowhill 2 office building in central Birmingham. These could of gone to Mancs or Leeds but they are coming to Birmingham, a real asset to the city.

HSBC UK retail banking is coming to Birmingham.

Deutche Bank are expanding in Birmingham

And strong rumours of another "big" company moving to central Birmingham.

Exciting times in Birmingham atm, the city centre is one big building site atm, this means we are developing our city to be bigger better and more successful.

 

[User001]

I'm not bothered where the visit goes (most of the work will be done behind the scenes anyway) but if, however, a visit to Birmingham to announce the HS2 stuff was on the agenda and Osbourne has stepped in to send him north instead in some attempt to bolster his northern powerhouse fantasy then I'm afraid it's not on.

But, like I have said Ray, the Chinese President visited Brum on his last visit to the UK. Why should Brum have the sole right to entertain the president. Maybe it was a simple Brum or Manc, not both visit. The fact is, while Brum does a lot of trade with China, the North is picking up some pace too. The 'love' has to be shared. How do we know for 100% undeniable fact that Xi himself asked to visit Manchester. He is a known football fan with a love of a certain Northern team. Anecdotal, but, maybe he wanted to see things himself.

Maybe the Government wanted to let him see the other projects his country are helping to fund.

I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot you wouldn't be kicking up a 'not on' fuss..... Like I say, you can't complain someone is stealing the limelight when that's exactly Brum wanted to do the,selves by being the secondary point on both his last visits. That's what is 'not on'.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Like I say, you can't complain someone is stealing the limelight

Please do tell me exactly where I have done that?

Ive got to agree with a lot of what user001 has said, it is just Birmingham mail "sour grapes" and the person who wrote the article probably isn't even aware that the Chinese premier visited Birmingham back in 2011 and did not visit Manchester on that occasion. Birmingham indeed cannot expect it is the centre of the universe when it is not, every part of the uk is crying out for some of this Chinese investment, im sure the people of Scotland are equally upset he is not visiting this time.

Read the article again, the frustration is not about where the PM is going, it's about how he was allegedly prevented coming to Birmingham personally by the Chancellor in favour of his pet projects elsewhere. If Birmingham was never on the agenda to begin with then I have no problem at all, if it was and Osbourne has stepped in to redirect them elsewhere (and don't forget where his constituency is) then I think it is wrong. It sends a very bad message if your own government isn't interested in you.

Does this sound like just sour grapes or something that Greater Birmingham should be concerned about?

A Government Minister has boasted that Chancellor George Osborne is only willing to provide funding for schemes in the north of England.

James Wharton, the Minister responsible for the Government’s “Northern Powerhouse” project, made the claim at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.

He told a fringe event at the conference that Ministers in every department of the Government had realised the only way they could get support for their projects was to link them to the Northern Powerhouse.

 

[Brum X]

The reason why the chinese are going to Manchester and not Birmingham is becouse there politicians are forward thinking, the problem for Birmingham is our politicians are backward thinking.

The reason why George Osbourne will only invest in projects in the north is becouse to my knowledge the only combined authorities that have been agreed and confirmed are in the north so its obvious he is going to invest in these areas. Meanwhile down the M6 we have only just been able to come to the conclusion that our area is to be called "West Midlands Combined Authority" which will only become "in force" next spring. This will then have to be "in force" for a good couple of years just like they have done in Greater Manchester for the government to even consider giving us the same treatment. So yes Greater Birmingham does need to be worried, very worried in fact.

So can you blame Mr Osborne if this is what has happened, i cant to be honest. And thats coming from a proud Brummie. This visit is Manchester's moment, whether Birmingham likes it or not.

 

[IanFarquharson]

MAN will be getting 2 routes PEK & PVG
If the rumours are true !

 

[User001]

As far as I know, Manchester was always on the agenda, due to several projects and announcements needed. The visits are planned months in advance.

I don't believe for one second the Chinese President was prevented from going to Birmingham, the UK Plc is sucking up to China in a big way at the moment, so, I have no doubt that if the Chinese president seriously wanted to visit Brum, he would have.

In terms of George Osbourne, of course he will promote the North West and his powerhouse idea, it's his constituency after all, and, down to basics, it's the area he is elected to represent, regardless of his extra commons duties as Chancellor.

In terms of Hainan at MAN, the general consensus is that indeed both PEK and PVG are being announced, hence the big deal of an empty B787 being flown in just for an announcement.

 

[Ray Finkle]

The reason why the chinese are going to Manchester and not Birmingham is becouse there politicians are forward thinking, the problem for Birmingham is our politicians are backward thinking.

Meanwhile down the M6 we have only just been able to come to the conclusion that our area is to be called "West Midlands Combined Authority" which will only become "in force" next spring.

So they finally came to a decision about the name, just how long did that take?

I wish we could lose the awful 'West Midlands' tag once and for all though.

Has Solihull decided whether it is joining yet or is it just too posh?

 

[jfy1999]

MAN will be getting 2 routes PEK & PVG
If the rumours are true !

There was a rumour of Air China starting 777 flights into Manchester alongside the rumour of Hainan starting with 787s. I believe Shanghai is dominated by China Eastern though?

 

[Brum X]

MAN will be getting 2 routes PEK & PVG
If the rumours are true !

Lets just wait shall we, there are already bits of information which is getting muffled like aircraft going to MAN just for the announcment but then its just going to MAN to pick up the extra pax that are not going on the Air China 747.

I just want an announcemnet and then we can all enjoy CHRISTMAS :rockon: :rockon:

 

[Brum X]

The reason why the chinese are going to Manchester and not Birmingham is becouse there politicians are forward thinking, the problem for Birmingham is our politicians are backward thinking.

Meanwhile down the M6 we have only just been able to come to the conclusion that our area is to be called "West Midlands Combined Authority" which will only become "in force" next spring.

So they finally came to a decision about the name, just how long did that take?

I wish we could lose the awful 'West Midlands' tag once and for all though.

Has Solihull decided whether it is joining yet or is it just too posh?

Oh yeah Ray, Solihull are defo joining. Also Tamworth, Lichfield and i believe Telford (Yes Telford and Wrekin) want to join. Having said that this would mean that the West Midlands Combined Authority would be much bigger than Greater Manchester but as we know Bigger is not always Better.

 

[nwoody2001]

can we move away from the political and talk about the airline and route???

politics will always be involved in these sort of things, especially when it comes to china. When our charters were launched, ever though they were 3 rtn flights, look at how many politicians turned up to announce the route!

when it comes to the flights themselves, I do sort of think this has been blown out of all proportion and would just like to re-iterate a few points which I think are valid which I think people need to remember:

a) BHX can NEVER have direct scheduled flights to China without changes to the bilateral agreements. These are public documents in the public domain. We know 2 years ago MAN was added to these and we also know that BHX was not. Consequently, this really shouldn’t be a shock to people that MAN has got such flights before BHX.

b) It’s safe to assume that since the bilateral agreements were signed, MAN have been talking to airlines arranging this route(s). I dare say these routes have been negotiated over the last months, if not years. THIS DECISION HAS NOT HAPPENED OVER NIGHT! Consequently, I don’t see why this should have an impact on our Charter flights, surely they are 2 very different things. If BHX were in talks with Hainan before these announcements, I suspect they will continue. Yes the charters could be added to the Manchester route, but equally they could also have been added to the London routes. As the tours go to London, Manchester and Birmingham, what has changed? There has always been another point of entry into the country but they chose BHX. Has anything changed?

c) This is the first scheduled flight to china to a regional airport. This IS a risk. It is in every regional airports interest for this to work. Yes it’s frustrating and yes I wish it was BHX and not MAN, but if this fails in MAN, it won’t be coming to BHX. All you need to do is look at Emirates as a casing point. If this is a success, expansion will happen, and hopefully it wil happen at our countries other growing regional airports. What BHX now needs to do is keep its charters, keep its great economic links with China and make sure it’s in the perfect position to be added to the bilaterals when they are next reviewed!

Having scheduled links to China would be great, but so long as we keep our charters AND they continue to grow and be a success, I am happy. The reality is that BHX has more important things it needs to focus on. It has seen a great year of growth for BHX but it can’t take its eye off the ball! Airlines are attracted to growing airports, so we need to make sure that the momentum we have gained over the last 12 months continues over the coming years!

 

[IanFarquharson]

Hainan now bookable

Hainan Airlines in summer 2016 season will launch scheduled operation to the UK, as loaded planned new service into the GDS. From 10JUN16, the airline plans to introduce 4 weekly Beijing – Manchester service, on board Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Reservation is currently available in full-fare Business and Economy Class (C/Y).

HU7903 PEK0145 – 0645MAN 330 x247
HU7904 MAN1200 – 0525+1PEK 330 x247