Route Development & Rumours

[jfy1999]

I think easyJet are waiting to see what Flybe/Virgin do with the likes of CDG/AMS/MXP for 2020.

re: Spicejet, the concrete information is that they are setting up a hub in the UAE specifically to connect Europe and India, so any potential BHX service will not have to wait for wide-bodied aircraft. I'm guessing it partly depends on the MAX situation though.

Meanwhile the latest update from Jazeera mentions potential services to Manchester and "other UK cities".

Jazeera hints at Manchester if new London route performs

Kuwaiti budget carrier Jazeera Airways is to examine Manchester as a second UK route if performance on its new London Gatwick service meets targets. The airline is set to operate four times weekly to Gatwick from 27 October, using Airbus A320neo jets, and raise the frequency to daily starting in ...

www.flightglobal.com

 

[Ray Finkle]

Spicejet flying narrow body aircraft between Europe and India via Ras al Khaimah will have to be extremely competitive to go head to head with the likes of Emirates, Qatar and Turkish. I guess there is definitely a lower end market as Turkmenistan have demonstrated but price will be key there.

Meanwhile the latest update from Jazeera mentions potential services to Manchester and "other UK cities".

A quote from an interview a few weeks ago

The airline is considering additional long-haul routes to the UK to Manchester and Birmingham, and elsewhere in Europe to Munich, Malaga, Athens and Nice, Mr Ramachandran said.

Any potential long-haul expansion after the London Gatwick route is unlikely before the end of 2020.

“We are very cautious with long-haul expansion, it has to be carefully thought through, so we will wait and see how London performs before we proceed,” he said.

Do you think Ray they are still interested in more at BHX?

Apparently there is more to come but I'm not sure that we'll be seeing a base, unless things have changed.

I'd be very surprised if easyjet passed up the chance to get their hands on slots and CDG/AMS. Plenty of opportunities but can BHX persuade them to do more?

 

[Creguk]

I'm so hungry for some really juicy routes. Unfortunately, I'm feeling so pessimistic about the future of BHX.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I'm so hungry for some really juicy routes.

I think we all are mate.

We must be in line for something soon, in fact how long has it been since we had an increase on Alicante?

 

[Brum X]

I think we all are mate.

We must be in line for something soon, in fact how long has it been since we had an increase on Alicante?

Or Malaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaga

 

[Ianbutty]

I have heard from a work colleague who's wife's doctor's assistant's boyfriend has heard a rumour that BHX is to become the new UK hub for a new airline who will connect Euro business hubs though to a Stella intercontinental destinations on both sides of the Pacific rim with SF, Van, Sea, LAX, Soeul, Narita, HK, Sing and Chennai amongst others being mentioned.

Not sure how much is true, but I hope it will cheer CregUk up a bit and brings a smile to everyone's faces.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I have heard from a work colleague who's wife's doctor's assistant's boyfriend has heard a rumour that BHX is to become the new UK hub for a new airline...

Africaada UK?

 

[Ianbutty]

Africaada UK?

You heard as well? Darn it, Mr Finkle: you get hear everything!

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all, well if this rumour is correct, then this is the type of news that you would only associate with the likes of Heathrow, Amsterdam and Charles De Gaule as they are hub airports, but for another airline to want to use Birmingham Airport as a possible hub for further and future connections sounds great, yes a air of caution should be used, but let's just wait for the announcement, then we can take it from there...Andyc

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Hi there all, well if this rumour is correct, then this is the type of news that you would only associate with the likes of Heathrow, Amsterdam and Charles De Gaule...Andyc

Andrew, sorry to break it to you but I wouldn't associate it with anything other than Ianbutty having a joke. A little Friday evening fun to break the monotany of no news.
The clue is in the list of people that the rumour has come through. Like 'chinese whispers', the original story grows and grows with each re-telling.

Kevin

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Ah well Kevin, we all like to led on, don't we... Andyc

 

[Ianbutty]

Ah well Kevin, we all like to led on, don't we... Andyc

Sorry Andy. Breaking the gloom. Trying to cheer myself up as well. I wish it was true but alas....my nearby Southend airport is getting more route development than BHX at the moment. But I hope that the tide will one day turn.

 

[Ray Finkle]

....my nearby Southend airport is getting more route development than BHX at the moment

And we're still waiting for a direct link between the two

 

[JENNYJET]

Was that the point of FLYBE? Linking up domestic airports to each other using small efficient aircraft? Birmingham to Southend, Bournemouth and Exeter, ideal for midlanders vacationing at home and for connecting at BHX with Emirates and other top notch carriers instead of the London airports?

The flight shamers won't like it but flying is like chocolate, a treat!

As to Ian B, when I saw his post, it really felt wonderful and dreams are nice little treats.

 

[Creguk]

That did cheer me up a little I really don't understand how an airline with a little faith can't get some decent routes up and running. Like we've said over and over, NYC, Orlando, Vegas etc. One can dream!

 

[Coathanger16]

United Airlines reveals 'potential' for non-stop Liverpool to US flights

United, one of the biggest airlines in the world, spoke exclusively to BusinessLive as it made a raft of announcements

www.business-live.co.uk

So apparently it makes more sense to United to add flights to Liverpool (25 miles from Manchester) than to resume flights to BHX (almost 70 miles from MAN, and almost 90 miles from LHR).

They almost seem to be suggesting that LPL is to MAN what LGW is to LHR. Is MAN really that constrained they can't expand there so they have to look at other nearby airports to expand their presence in the North?

 

[IanFarquharson]

United Airlines reveals 'potential' for non-stop Liverpool to US flights

United, one of the biggest airlines in the world, spoke exclusively to BusinessLive as it made a raft of announcements

www.business-live.co.uk

So apparently it makes more sense to United to add flights to Liverpool (25 miles from Manchester) than to resume flights to BHX (almost 70 miles from MAN, and almost 90 miles from LHR).

They almost seem to be suggesting that LPL is to MAN what LGW is to LHR. Is MAN really that constrained they can't expand there so they have to look at other nearby airports to expand their presence in the North?

If this happens - then I give up !

 

[Llandudno]

If you read past the headline, it isn't quite what it seems.

The Vice President of UA didn't actually say Liverpool will be added. What he did say was that all of the UK airports are always under constant evaluation. The reporter, doing so from a Liverpool perspective, has insinuated that it could also mean Liverpool gets added.

What the VP did say that was they go for mature growth and upscaling. So now Manchester was a wide body year round, the next logical step was to start a 2nd route to Manchester. In other words, UA would add a 2nd US city to Manchester, not UA add a 2nd route from Newark to the North West and thus slightly lost in translation there.

So don't dispair, we are not about to see UA add Liverpool, far from it.

 

[jfy1999]

At least they aren't getting fixated on Heathrow R3 for their UK expansion plans.

 

[Coathanger16]

While he may not explicitly say Liverpool, he does say:

"We just have to have the right aircraft and the right economics to be able to serve the smaller cities in Northern England"

"With Manchester, we were flying a [smaller] 757 and we said 'this is doing okay, let's add more business class, more economy class', and so we did it by putting it in a larger aircraft. The next logical step in that would be adding it to another city."

At least they aren't getting fixated on Heathrow R3 for their UK expansion plans.

They may not have yet, but the other day they did announce the addition of a sixth daily Newark to Heathrow flight.

Perhaps the one positive I'll take from the article was that United are open to growth in the UK beyond their current destinations here - LHR, MAN, EDI & GLA. I think if by the time United get the 'right' aircraft, if BHX still doesn't have a link to New York United would seriously consider resuming services.