Lost Routes

[Coathanger16]

Whilst I definitely don't disagree aren't Ryanair renowned for building up route portfolios, giving huge passenger growth and getting airports to rely on them before demanding massively increased incentives to stay? Whilst I'd love to see more from Ryanair I think it's a dangerous game to play to have them as your primary airline. Whilst likely costing more easyjet would, for me, offer greater long term stability.

Whilst I'd rather have easyJet at BHX, and as a passenger I'd always pick them over Ryanair, can BHX really afford to be choosy? Isn't that part of the problem that has gotten the airport in this mess?

Surely a fare structure whereby Ryanair pays less in fees with the more passengers they bring to the airport (as a percentage per passenger) would prevent them 'screwing the airport over' by demanding massively increased incentives to stay?

It's in Ryanair's interest to get more passengers to fly from BHX then. If Ryanair doubled their presence at the airport and than demanded more from the airport if they wanted Ryanair to say, what happens if the airport says no? Are Ryanair really willing to walk away from serving several million passengers by that point?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Are Ryanair really willing to walk away from serving several million passengers by that point?

Ryanair will do what suits Ryanair.

I get what you are saying and if BHX could get to that point with Ryanair then I'd be more than happy, they seem to be a tough airline to deal with though and very unpredictable. Anyone remember a few years ago when the BHX base was promised to rival Stansted with over one hundred new routes being planned? How did that one end up?

I sometimes see it mentioned that Bristol relies on easyjet for around 60% of it's passengers, I'd be very nervous if that was BHX and Ryanair as they've walked away from airports before.

Beggars definitely can't be choosers though and at the moment I'd take whatever was on offer.

 

[58terminus]

I'm reading these posts about the fear of an airport relying on one airline but nobody has mentioned the Elephant in the room.
Flybe have not been mentioned and although they might not be as dominant in the passengers numbers as some airlines are at other airports they are in terms of movements and their route portfolio is what keeps BHX hanging on as a respectable international airport.
Unfortunately i fear the worst.

 

[Matt995]

I'm reading these posts about the fear of an airport relying on one airline but nobody has mentioned the Elephant in the room.
Flybe have not been mentioned and although they might not be as dominant in the passengers numbers as some airlines are at other airports they are in terms of movements and their route portfolio is what keeps BHX hanging on as a respectable international airport.
Unfortunately i fear the worst.

Currently (January-September) Flybe account for approximately 31% of all arrival movements at the airport, Ryanair 14%, Jet2 11%, TUI 8%, Aer Lingus 5%, Lufthansa 5% - so yes of course Flybe do have much smaller aircraft, but 31% is very large, and we all know this percentage is only going to shrink next year, the virgin take over is now looking to be a disaster for us, I really hope behind the scenes the airport is doing all they can to replace the lost routes, and as Ray had said, the CEO has now had his feet under the desk for 10 months now, and what has changed?

Do we know what direction the airport is taking? Maybe something postive is required from the CEO to explain what they are doing? unless it would upset the shareholders.............

 

[Ray Finkle]

I think we all know which way Flybe are heading.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there Ray and all, as I have said before, Virgin are not interested in Birmingham Airport full stop, so come next year, they will start cutting routes galore, till they leave about 10-15% basic ops at Birmingham.

 

[Nethercote2019]

Virgin -I’m afraid never have had any interest in BHX, even with a mainline rail ststion next door with virgin trains- an ideal situation to sell thru tickets plane to train etc- they never did anything. Rumours of Flybe brum base being profit making is great but probably not part of the big plan, I hope I’m wrong!

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there nethercote2019, I agree, Virgins plans are quite simple, buy flybe to get more slots at Heathrow and Gatwick, that is what burying flybe was about nothing else. Andyc

 

[Jerry]

Hi there nethercote2019, I agree, Virgins plans are quite simple, buy flybe to get more slots at Heathrow and Gatwick, that is what burying flybe was about nothing else. Andyc

Flybe have no Gatwick slots and their Heathrow slots are restricted in their use.
Also you need to remember that Virgin are just a minority shareholder. I seriously doubt that the others invested in Connect for a few slots. They will want Flybe to be an overall profitable business.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Rumours of Flybe brum base being profit making is great but probably not part of the big plan, I hope I’m wrong!

British Airways operation out of Birmingham was profitable but look what happened there.

 

[David_itl]

Ultimately Connect needs to be profitable. And yes, Birmingham looks like it's not going to get new long-haul routes from Virgin. However... being a much smaller airline at Heathrow than BA, there is one way they can get the frequent flyers from the regions... the extensive non-MAN/LHR route network. Accruing frequent flyer miles to put towards a long-haul Virgin flight should count for something and could potentially entice a few BA diehards to switch allegiance. The major problem for Virgin is the 787 problem so they can't readily get the network they want, and now with the Thomas Cook situation, they've got the opportunity to do a big ramp up at MAN with potentially some of the TCX A332s. Once there's no fleet issues, I'm sure that if BHX approached them and offered constructive dialogue then you could be looking at possibly 1 or 2 A330s coming along (how does 5 weekly to JFK, 4 weekly to Orlando, weekly to Barbados, 4 weekly to Atlanta sound?)

 

[Coathanger16]

I'm sure that if BHX approached them and offered constructive dialogue then you could be looking at possibly 1 or 2 A330s coming along (how does 5 weekly to JFK, 4 weekly to Orlando, weekly to Barbados, 4 weekly to Atlanta sound?)

I think there's a better chance of Monarch, Thomas Cook & Primera coming back from the grave...

 

[Ray Finkle]

I'm sure that if BHX approached them and offered constructive dialogue then you could be looking at possibly 1 or 2 A330s coming along (how does 5 weekly to JFK, 4 weekly to Orlando, weekly to Barbados, 4 weekly to Atlanta sound?)

It sure would be nice but the last I heard was that if you look at Virgins radar for the foreseeable future BHX is most definitely not on it. Whilst things can and do change quickly in this game I certainly won't be holding my breath.

We also have to consider that this is an airport that has so far been unable to replace links to Athens, Lisbon and Reykjavik amongst others, what chance do they stand of getting Virgin to JFK

 

[Brum X]

BHX feels like a damp squib at the moment

 

[58terminus]

Whilst things can and do change quickly in this game I

I thought long haul took years of canvassing and negotiation before coming to fruition,and that is with airlines who supposed lhave BHX on their radar. That's what i keep reading when when a rumour starts and nothing happens

 

[Ray Finkle]

I thought long haul took years of canvassing and negotiation before coming to fruition,and that is with airlines who supposed lhave BHX on their radar. That's what i keep reading when when a rumour starts and nothing happens

Hence, I certainly won't be holding my breath

 

[Ray Finkle]

A few more to add to the list, I'm sure there are others that I have missed.

New York
Toronto
Goa
Phuket
Reykjavik
Stockholm
Valencia
Lisbon
Hanover
Hamburg
Athens
Chisinau
Banjul
Kalamata
Mytilene
Gibraltar
Toulouse
Florence
Vilnius
Varna
Rennes
Limoges
Orly
Nuremburg
Luxembourg
Bastia
Biarritz

Two down (I'll believe Goa when I see it), quite a few more to go

 

[Ianbutty]

Two down (I'll believe Goa when I see it), quite a few more to go

Two down though. It is a start. Better than adding two to the list, which was what I was expecting when I opened this thread.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Two down though. It is a start.

Three now

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all, why do we keep losing these routes for. Andyc