British Airways Cityflyer

[Seasider]

Yes I get the reasons for these flights.
What I don't get is why now.The ERJ fleet has gradually grown over the 10 or so years they have been in service,but only now have they decided to utilise them during quiet times at LCY.
I think it was started last summer or the summer before from either EDI,or GLA or both to various destinations.
This summer will see an increased program including flights from the above mentioned airports.
The aircraft have also been used on an ad-hoc basis previously,again mainly at weekends.
Perhaps we are looking to deeply into this,but like I said earlier,ops at LCY have been like this since the airport opened.Why only now have they decided to get more use out of aircraft that would otherwise be sitting idle?

BA have been operating the ERJ (at weekends) from GLA/EDI for many years now and they have also used MAN and HUY these last 2/3 years. They have recently received more planes so that is the reason they are expanding now.

 

[David_itl]

The majority of weekend ERJs at the regionals in the recent past has been at diddly squat risk to them - pure charter work. They tried all of 1 scheduled route out of EDI and 1 scheduled route out of GLA and found it didn't work there. Aiming services where there's (a) substantial catchment area and (b) a reasonably large passenger base of travellers using BA should help a lot more.

 

[Bhx_fifteen]

Interesting new article with Paul Kehoe. A highlight for me:

“British Airways’ decision to come back to Birmingham ten years after going could be big,” Kehoe says. “BA’s recognising it can’t fulfil the needs of customers via Heathrow alone. BA’s the most favoured brand in the world. And it’s a great vote of confidence that BA’s back on our runway.

“It’s a small start. But if business travellers respond to that, I’m convinced BA will recognise and make more investment, and the opportunities will start aligning. Businesses in the region need to work together to recreate the magic that this area had when Birmingham was the powerhouse of the UK, where things were made. If business makes it happen for us, we’ll make it happen for business.

Full article: http://www.bqlive.co.uk/midlands/2017/04/03/news/high-speed-growth-25443/#.WOKc3IZtSNk.twitter

 

[58terminus]

“It’s a small start. But if business travellers respond to that, I’m convinced BA will recognise and make more investment, and the opportunities will start aligning.

I'm a bit confused as to what he is referring to.The Cityflyer flights are to holiday destinations and the timings mean
they will have zero appeal to anyone who happens to have business at those destinations.Can anyone enlighten me?

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there 58terminus, I quite agree with what you are saying, I think that Mr Kehoe is missing the point, the whole point of this is because London City airport is closed on Saturdays after 1:30pm, means the ba city high flyer would be sitting on the tarmac doing nothing at all, but the flight timings at Birmingham in May are at 11:00pm on wards, meaning a two hours of more flight to Palma wouldn't get you there till 2:45am the next morning, not really an ideal time to arrive, which wouldn't have any impact on any tourism or business at all... Andyc

 

[58terminus]

I think its all a bit of spin by Mr Kehoe
BA,new flights,business traffic,possible expansion.
These are the words he wants to get into the media and today's media are unfortunately not interested in details, just headlines and sound bites.
To give Mr Kehoe credit plays that game very well.

 

[nwoody2001]

Hi there 58terminus, I quite agree with what you are saying, I think that Mr Kehoe is missing the point, the whole point of this is because London City airport is closed on Saturdays after 1:30pm, means the ba city high flyer would be sitting on the tarmac doing nothing at all, but the flight timings at Birmingham in May are at 11:00pm on wards, meaning a two hours of more flight to Palma wouldn't get you there till 2:45am the next morning, not really an ideal time to arrive, which wouldn't have any impact on any tourism or business at all... Andyc

Haha I love the fact you think you know better than the CEO of the airport!!! I'll get on the phone and tell PK he can relax and retire now

 

[Brum X]

Haha I love the fact you think you know better than the CEO of the airport!!! I'll get on the phone and tell PK he can relax and retire now

That's a bit harsh nwoody2001

 

[58terminus]

Haha I love the fact you think you know better than the CEO of the airport!!! I'll get on the phone and tell PK he can relax and retire now

Glad to know you are on such good terms with him.Maybe you can explain the reasoning behind the statement
or is that privy to the two of you.

 

[Deleted member 8277]

I think its all a bit of spin by Mr Kehoe
BA,new flights,business traffic,possible expansion.
These are the words he wants to get into the media and today's media are unfortunately not interested in details, just headlines and sound bites.
To give Mr Kehoe credit plays that game very well.

I think Kehoe is on 1400 spin !!!!!!!

 

[Deleted member 8277]

Haha I love the fact you think you know better than the CEO of the airport!!! I'll get on the phone and tell PK he can relax and retire now

Bit arrogant that. If kehoe thinks mainline BA are going to start BHX ops on the back of this, he needs to offer them a stupidly good deal like paying BA to operate out of BHX. #HOTAIR Kehoe, China flights total embarrassment to him and BHX

 

[David_itl]

The focus for BHX (and MAN for that matter) is to not have the "partial week bases" from BA Citiflyer but a full blown base with 1 (preferably 2) aircraft but then it becomes a question of where would BA be able to be most competitive: AMS would be too competitive given the KL/BE frequencies, CDG with the AF/BE frequencies, DUB with the FR frequencies (and I don't envisage them wanting to usurp the EI operation), FRA would have slot issues, etc. The current night-time plans could still form part of the big plan. It really does depend where the BA flyers from the BHX catchment area predominately fly to from LHR, and also how big a fleet BA Cityflyer end up with.

 

[TM3]

The focus for BHX (and MAN for that matter) is to not have the "partial week bases" from BA Citiflyer but a full blown base with 1 (preferably 2) aircraft but then it becomes a question of where would BA be able to be most competitive

I would say:

Madrid. IAG hub but doesn't have sufficient frequencies from BHX to really be effective.

Helsinki: Finnair is in a JV with BA for flights to Asia and these destinations aren't particularly well served by BA from LHR. They must lose a fair amount of Asia traffic to Lufthansa group/KLM, maybe also Emirates but BA is effectively competing with them through it's arrangement with Qatar.

 

[Coathanger16]

Whilst at first glance, it may appear as if PK is going OTT on BA Cityflyer, perhaps could he be doing it deliberately for a purpose?

Cast your minds back to 6 months ago. Was anyone really talking about BA operating in any form from BHX. Not really and certainly not in any serious context.

Now? Just look at this thread...

By making a big deal about BACF, it gets people and businesses talking about BA, with the intention that BA will catch on, recognize the demand and offer more flights from BHX and other airports.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray and all, regarding ba city high flyer at Birmingham, if for instance that at 1pm on Saturday afternoon, the ba city high flyer was to fuel up, take off before 1:30pm, then land at Birmingham at 2pm, refuel, then take off at just before 3pm, land in palma at 4:30pm uk time, 5:30pm Spanish time, then refuel again, then take off at 6:30pm, back into birmingham at 9:00pm, refuel again ready for take off from birmingham at 10:00pm, this type of schedule would work and create demand, and not the ridiculous 11:00pm slot time given. Remember the early bird catches the early worm....Andyc

 

[Butty]

Blimey. Someone gets on a podium to promote Brim and we moan. I agree that at this stage there is some wishful thinking that BA would establish a non-London hub, but such is the success of BHX (and MAN and EDI) that maybe they are taking a second look at testing the appetite for the BA brand in these catchment areas.

PK is one of the regions high profile marketing assets. His message is very simple and he is doing exactly what I would expect him to do. Confidence breeds confidence.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Anna Aero have an interview with Alex Cruz. There's nothing of major interest but he mentions the new weekend operations starting this summer and confirms that they are a continuation of the STN operation which he says that they were 'very pleased' with.

When asked about future expansion he says that it is very much 'wait and see'.

aa: “BA will be beginning new flights to Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol this summer. How are these new services performing in regards to sales? Could we see more expansion from the UK regions in the near future?”

AC: “BA CityFlyer, based at London City Airport, will indeed be operating form Birmingham, Manchester, even Dublin this summer. It is the continuation of the project that we started last year from Stansted. We are very pleased with the results of that small but interesting operation from Stansted, so we are going to expand it to some other cities, but we will wait and see. It is still a very small regional operation, but we found out that there is a sufficient small number of premium travellers that have interest in going to Alicante, for example, and other places like that. So, it is a continuation of what we started last year and we will see where it takes us in the future.”

http://www.anna.aero/2017/04/10/anna-aero-speaks-alex-cruz-ceo-british-airways/

 

[Brum X]

Planting little acorns comes to mind.

 

[Brum X]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1466808780049730

 

[Ray Finkle]

There's nothing new in here but I guess that it doesn't hurt to be reminded



British Airways’ first flight from Birmingham Airport in a decade will take off to Florence this weekend.

The airline returns to the second city after a 10-year break with a flight to the Italian city, departing at 7.20pm on Saturday.

The other summer-only services that will operate every weekend are to the popular Spanish sunspots of Malaga, Ibiza and Palma.

British Airways last flew from Birmingham in 2007 when the regional airline business was sold to Flybe.

Customers will travel direct from their doorstep on modern Embraer 190 jet aircraft, with spacious cabins and two abreast seating so everyone can have an aisle or window seat.

Each way fares, available to book on www.ba.com, from £29 to Malaga, £35 to Ibiza, £35 to Palma and £47 to Florence.

Holiday packages are also available on ba.com.

One week on a room only basis at the three-star Es Bolero Hotel, Cala D’Or, including return flights from Birmingham to Palma in June from £221 per person, based on two people sharing.

One week on a room only basis at the three-star Las Rampas Hotel, Fuengirola, including return flights from Birmingham to Malaga in June from £266 per person, based on two people sharing.

One week on a room only basis at the ApartHotel Reco des Sol Ibiza including flights from Birmingham to Ibiza in June from £311 per person, based on two people sharing.

One week at the four-star Style Florence Hotel, including return flights from Birmingham to Florence and 23kg hold baggage in June from £573, based on two people sharing.

https://www.greaterbirminghamchambe...tish-airways-to-make-first-birmingham-flight/