Route Development & Rumours

[IanFarquharson]

Development projects | Birmingham Airport https://share.google/vRGhAMBW9zGZhfAHH

During winter 2025/26 we will be increasing the number of Code C stands through reconfiguration of current stands 80-83 which, at the moment, aren’t all of a suitable size for the newer A321s and B737s. There’s a jigsaw puzzle of works to do this, including surfacing the large grass area between the 70s and 80s to allow us to move ground equipment and bus parking, thereby releasing space for roads and expanded stands. The new stands will be set up for Aviramp use, enabling easier boarding for Assisted Travel passengers as well, meaning that we have space for planned new based aircraft from easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair in 2026.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Be interesting to see what jet2 still have to offer for next summer if there planning to add more aircraft : so far Samos and palmero as new routes.Increases to Greece Italy and Spain.I do expect another few routes.La palma and sitia please.

EasyJet I think it was mentioned about a 1 new spare aircraft so i expect at least 1/2 new routes: Agadir and Paphos are my predictions with increases to Gibraltar Antalya Dalaman Marrakesh and Prague.

Ryanair I dunno as I can’t predict there summer schedule but at least Tirana is back.

Ian mentioned about a possible new Turkish airliner.My guess would be Freebird airlines.

Lots of positives to come

 

[gulftraveller]

Why Sitia? It has no connections to UK and I would not expect the first connection to be BHX. It has a single seasonal international connection to Copenhagen. The airport is very restricted by size.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Why Sitia? It has no connections to UK and I would not expect the first connection to be BHX. It has a single seasonal international connection to Copenhagen. The airport is very restricted by size.

Sofia then

 

[IanFarquharson]

Be interesting to see what jet2 still have to offer for next summer if there planning to add more aircraft : so far Samos and palmero as new routes.Increases to Greece Italy and Spain.I do expect another few routes.La palma and sitia please.

EasyJet I think it was mentioned about a 1 new spare aircraft so i expect at least 1/2 new routes: Agadir and Paphos are my predictions with increases to Gibraltar Antalya Dalaman Marrakesh and Prague.

Ryanair I dunno as I can’t predict there summer schedule but at least Tirana is back.

Ian mentioned about a possible new Turkish airliner.My guess would be Freebird airlines.

Lots of positives to come

Freebird already serve BHX !

Sofia then

Ryanair fly to Sofia !

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Tho

Freebird already serve BHX !


Ryanair fly to Sofia !

Thoughts on what I said though?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Be interesting to see what jet2 still have to offer for next summer if there planning to add more aircraft : so far Samos and palmero as new routes.Increases to Greece Italy and Spain.I do expect another few routes.La palma and sitia please.

EasyJet I think it was mentioned about a 1 new spare aircraft so i expect at least 1/2 new routes: Agadir and Paphos are my predictions with increases to Gibraltar Antalya Dalaman Marrakesh and Prague.

Ryanair I dunno as I can’t predict there summer schedule but at least Tirana is back.

Ian mentioned about a possible new Turkish airliner.My guess would be Freebird airlines.

Lots of positives to come

Jet2 maybe a little bit of spin as peak S26 is showing as 17 based aircraft, we had 1 less this summer due to the A330.

Last I heard easyjet were planning 2 more based aircraft, one in 26 and one in 27. Ryanair hopefully another based for S26 with a bit more away based flying.

These things can and do change though but by Oct/Nov we'll get a clearer picture.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Ryanair cutting lots of Winter flights

 

[Nethercote2019]

Ryanair cutting lots of Winter flights

I think generally that a lot of people will have less money to spend be it on nights out restaurants or holidays, as these days most of our pax are leisure rather than business it’s inevitable that demand for ‘tourist’ flights will be less & particularly over the winter

 

[nwoody2001]

Ryanair cutting lots of Winter flights

I mean pretty standard and accords with what they have done for the last few years...

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Think that’s expected in winter from Ryanair

They have reduced majority of Spanish routes.Next summer I expect a big rise in route frequency

 

[HPsauce]

Ryanair cutting lots of Winter flights

Jet2 this morning announced 200,000 fewer seats available this winter 25/26 due to slow winter take up.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Jet2 this morning announced 200,000 fewer seats available this winter 25/26 due to slow winter take up.

The economy has and will continue to see less demand, could be tough (but record) Winter !

 

[jfy1999]

The economy has and will continue to see less demand, could be tough (but record) Winter !

I know it sounds counterintuitive but is it possible that tough times might result in some leisure travellers using airports more often, for example, if they are choosing to take two or three cheap weekend breaks every year instead of one lengthy package holiday? When I was a student in Austria, people were often jetting off to an obscure destination for the weekend because it was dirt cheap

 

[LichfieldBlue]

Jet2 this morning announced 200,000 fewer seats available this winter 25/26 due to slow winter take up.

This is a slightly misleading headline as the number actually on sale is still 9% up on last year.

 

[nwoody2001]

This is a slightly misleading headline as the number actually on sale is still 9% up on last year.

Indeed.... Jet2 are still growing but have just cut back how much they are planning to grow. This also follows the decision to do a u-turn an not expand their new base from Bournemouth. Launched this summer with 2 aircraft, a 3rd was due to be added in 2026. This is no longer happening.

Alas Jet2 have over 130 A321's joining the fleet. Yes they will be replacing the 737 fleet but this is still growth ...and those planes have to go somewhere!

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

The rumours of this Spicejet have gone very questionable and quiet.When I say questionable I mean the rumour.Was it actually meant to happen or is it still going ahead

 

[IanFarquharson]

The rumours of this Spicejet have gone very questionable and quiet.When I say questionable I mean the rumour.Was it actually meant to happen or is it still going ahead

This is an Indian airline we are talking about and nothing is ever straight forward !

I have dates, times, flight numbers !

So more than a rumour but as I said above this is an Indian airline so dnt expect the start date to happen !

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Couple of updates.

Wizz air increases Budapest to 3 weekly from next summer

Pegasus have loaded daily flights to Istanbul next summer

 

[nwoody2001]

Interesting. W6 BHX-BUD was originally loaded as 3x weekly all summer but was reduced to 2x weekly.... seems the 3rd daily re-instated.

Hope Pegasus continue to add capacity on to BHX in 2026... they tend to be happy to add capacity last minute if demand allows so still hopefully they could increase to 5x weekly over winter. In August Pegasus carried over 11,000 pax with a LF of 180 per flight. Seems to be VERY popular to lets hope they go from strength to strength....