Birmingham: New Route Development & Rumours

[Ray Finkle]

I believe Tony Fernandes said he wanted London up and running by the end of the year. A couple of weeks ago LGW appeared in their drop down menu briefly so that could be a sign.

Like I said normally I wouldn't even mention it but as BHX were close to getting them in a few years ago (see the article below) I wondered if anyone else had heard.

City in line for no-frill long haul flights

It maybe one for when their A330NEO's arrive in 2017/18 and Air Asia India will have a more extensive network by then.

Flights to London and other European cities will be an option when the carrier’s Airbus A330neo orders begin arriving, AirAsia X CEOAzran Osman-Rani tells Aviation Week. He expects first delivery of this aircraft to be in either late 2017 or early 2018. AirAsia X, the long-haul member of the AirAsia LCC group, has 55 of the A330neos on order.

http://aviationweek.com/commercial-avia ... ing-europe

 

[CL44]

The last I heard was that Air Asia would never come into BHX again (following a diversion years ago). If this has changed then fantastic but from what I remember Tony Fernandes seemed very adamant that BHX would not see another Air Asia flight for a very long time.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Would Air Asia have any traffic rights on the DEL-BHX-DEL sectors?
I have no idea what the bilateral agreement is and if Air Asia have any fifth freedom rights.

Kevin

 

[User001]

I don't see Air Asia serving BHX.

They got their fingers burnt on their ultra long haul sectors, and are very weary of returning to London, let alone BHX.

I'm afraid that I personally would file this one under 'believe it when the dunlops hit the tarmac'. Not just BHX, but any ULH for a while from AAX.

Tony Fernandez was scathing of BHX back when one of his A340's diverted there.

Also, I do question realistically how close BHX was to getting Air Asia X back in 2007. 99% of all the press releases back when they launched mentioned Stansted and Manchestee only, this Birmingham Mail article is one of the only articles I've seen that stated mentioning a BHX flight, and, I used to know a guy who was the European market analyst for Air Asia X, and not once did I ever hear him mention any possibility of a BHX flight in all the time they served the UK.

It's just one I have a very very hard time believing. I hope to be proven wrong, but, I also don't see why BHX would try and target a transit flight like this at the risk of pissing off an airline that took you 5 years to secure and offers you a dedicated, direct flight over being another routes 'tag on'.

it just doesn't add up....

 

[Brum X]

The last I heard was that Air Asia would never come into BHX again (following a diversion years ago). If this has changed then fantastic but from what I remember Tony Fernandes seemed very adamant that BHX would not see another Air Asia flight for a very long time.

Apparently AA said the same when they left BHX on the ORD route all those years ago and they are back. :hatsoff:

 

[User001]

AA never said such a thing BrumX? Not sure where you heard that?

 

[Brum X]

AA never said such a thing BrumX? Not sure where you heard that?

I did say "Apparently" so may or may not be true but its been discussed on various websites over the years.

But yeah they probably didnt say it but as we were discussing if Air Asia X said a similar thing, i thought i would mention it.

 

[nwoody2001]

I don't know about AA, But Ryanair certainly said they would never expand out of BHX in the early/mid 2000's when they axed all their routes with the exception of DUB-BHX... I think they cancelled something like 8 routes, but then less than 6 years later, Ryanair re-launched their BHX Base....

the reality is that the aviation sector is an every changing environment. airports and airlines can never say never... Look at BHX. BA once based here. BA said they would never pull out of BHX, but they did. Granted its been a hard and long process, but 15 years ago, BHX was a completely different airport to what it is now, and a much better one!!!

 

[thunderchild]

Couldn't agree more - who would have ever thought BHX would have x3 daily flights to Dubai, charter flights to Beijing or daily flights to India? Even airlines such as Turkish and Icelandair would have been impossible to imagine years ago. There is no denying BHX management made mistakes along the way but they do appear to making up for it now.

 

[Bhx_fifteen]

The aviation industry is certainly a volatile one, however take caution when using Ryanair's track record to predict other airlines' moves. Ryanair are known for pulling routes out of nowhere and suddenly returning to airports when they get their way regarding lowered airport taxes.

I emailed AA in 2013 and asked if they'd consider returning to BHX (I didn't specify to which destination) and they said they couldn't fly to BHX as the any route would need to be at least daily, and demand wasn't there. 2 years later and they're here with daily JFK route!

So yes, definitely take what airlines say with a pinch of salt.

 

[nwoody2001]

money makes the world go round.... and more importantly, money makes plans fly around that world!

 

[jfy1999]

Thomson appear to have dropped their extra weekly Cancun, at least temporarily.

I checked on FR24 and there were no flights this week or last. :s_no

 

[Ray Finkle]

It was always planned as so in the schedule as a couple of their 787's have had a short haul refit for the summer peak season. The second weekly Cancun returns mid Sept :smile:

 

[jfy1999]

While we're on the subject of Thomson, I've noticed that the suspension of the second weekly Cancun seems to have taken with it the outbound flight to Orlando Sanford.

 

[Brum X]

While we're on the subject of Thomson, I've noticed that the suspension of the second weekly Cancun seems to have taken with it the outbound flight to Orlando Sanford.

This doesnt sound right to be honest. Suspending Orlando at the peak summer season ??????

 

[IanFarquharson]

The 787 does extra flights from Glasgow around this time every year, their schools finish earlier than ours.
BHX suffers as a consequence

 

[Ray Finkle]

Couldn't agree more - who would have ever thought BHX would have x3 daily flights to Dubai, charter flights to Beijing or daily flights to India? Even airlines such as Turkish and Icelandair would have been impossible to imagine years ago. There is no denying BHX management made mistakes along the way but they do appear to making up for it now.

These are some of the notable arrivals for next Monday the 3rd of August. Back then if someone had suggested BHX would see this in one day you would have laughed.

06:55 AA130 American Airlines - New York - JFK
07:10 UA27 United Airlines - New York - Newark
07:50 EK41 Emirates Airlines - Dubai
08:00 HU7949 Hainan Airlines - Beijing
10:15 TK1967 Turkish Airlines - Istanbul
11:25 FI494 Icelandair - Reykjavik
12:15 EK39 Emirates Airlines - Dubai
14:55 TK1969 Turkish Airlines - Istanbul
16:50 T5412 Turkmenistan Airlines - Ashgabat
18:00 AI113 Air India - Delhi
19:35 EK37 Emirates Airlines - Dubai

When you factor in the Thomson long haul and the likes of Air Transat and PIA which don't operate every day you realise just how far BHX has come. There's still plenty more to do but I'd say things are moving in the right diection :smile:

 

[nwoody2001]

but also the variety of LOCOs which have joined us... again, something the people who remember 'No Loco bhx' would never have thought in the past...

I can still remember BHX and MAN turning Easyjet away.

Norwegian I can understand as there is still much potential for them but getting Wizz shocked the hell out of me. They're an airline I'd always hoped may one day look at BHX but I never thought it would actually happen.

Long may it continue though :drinks:

 

[Ray Finkle]

but also the variety of LOCOs which have joined us... again, something the people who remember 'No Loco bhx' would never have thought in the past...

I can still remember BHX and MAN turning Easyjet away.

Norwegian I can understand as there is still much potential for them but getting Wizz shocked the hell out of me. They're an airline I'd always hoped may one day look at BHX but I never thought it would actually happen.

Long may it continue though :drinks:

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Why did BHX turn away easyJet yet accept MyTravelLite as a base in 2002, the time when low cost airlines were beginning to proliferate around the UK?