Route Development & Rumours

[jfy1999]

• The Rumor: There is persistent talk of Air Algérie launching a direct service to Birmingham (BHX) in 2026.
  
  
  
• The Debate: A user claimed there are 52,000 Algerians in Birmingham to support a 3x weekly A330 service. This was debunked by other members citing 2021 Census data, which places the entire UK Algerian-born population at approximately 31,000.
• Airline Strategy (2026): Air Algérie’s CEO has officially confirmed that Birmingham is a target destination for 2026 as part of their European expansion (alongside Budapest and Rotterdam).
  
  
  
• Expected Service: If launched, experts predict a narrowbody aircraft (Boeing 737) rather than a widebody A330, likely running 2–3 times per week to capture the "Visiting Friends and Relatives" (VFR) market.
• The Verdict: While the 52k population figure is an exaggeration, the route is strategically viable because Birmingham acts as a central hub for the Algerian diaspora in the Midlands and North of England.

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Is this an AI summary?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Only my opinion but if I was in route development Air Algerie wouldn't be one I'd put too much time and effort in to chasing.

Good luck to them if they do start but I won't expect it to last long.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there Mr R Finkle, what the route development team should be doing at Birmingham airport,is trying to fill all the unserved routes, that Birmingham airport doesn't fly to. That is where the airport will get it's business from...AndyC66

Does anyone know how many routes in total, that aren't served by Birmingham airport.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Hi there Mr R Finkle, what the route development team should be doing at Birmingham airport,is trying to fill all the unserved routes, that Birmingham airport doesn't fly to. That is where the airport will get it's business from...AndyC66

I agree.We need
Hamburg
Oslo
Helsinki

 

[gulftraveller]

Hi there Mr R Finkle, what the route development team should be doing at Birmingham airport,is trying to fill all the unserved routes, that Birmingham airport doesn't fly to. That is where the airport will get it's business from...AndyC66

Does anyone know how many routes in total, that aren't served by Birmingham airport.

There are thousands of unserved routes from BHX, LHR, MAN… I doubt that the route development team do much else but look at (reasonable) unserved routes.

 

[Ray Finkle]

The 'lost routes' thread (linked below) makes for some very upsetting reading. A little out of date now but there are definitely still some big holes in the network.

Lost Routes

For a bit of fun I’ve compiled a list of destinations once served from BHX that haven’t been picked up by another carrier. I’m sure I’ve missed loads so if anyone can recall anymore feel free to post them. It’s very interesting looking back - some were one season wonders and in some cases a two...

forums4airports.com

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

how do we think has done for Summer 2026.Me personally fantastic RK aircraft 5 new routes,EasyJet 6th aircraft and added routes,Jet2 expansion and Wizz air new routes.Are bhx finished for summer 2026?

I still anticipate more especially the morning slots

 

[IanFarquharson]

Interesting developments at Wizz UK, they have submitted apllication for flights to the US, from one or more cities in the UK and the US.

 

[jfy1999]

Interesting developments at Wizz UK, they have submitted apllication for flights to the US, from one or more cities in the UK and the US.

Would normally welcome the prospect of direct flights again but Wizz need to considerably up their standards before they’d attract my custom on a long haul flight.

Having been a regular Wizz flyer (Gatwick-Vienna), I found 2 hours in their seats was a bit of a strain. their ground handling was also the most haphazard I have ever encountered, on any flight it was a coin toss as to whether you’d be able to disembark through the rear doors or not. It often made it impossible for flights to depart on time.

I could see the budget airline way of doing things causing a lot of stressed and irritated passengers at the end of a transatlantic flight!

 

[HPsauce]

Would normally welcome the prospect of direct flights again but Wizz need to considerably up their standards before they’d attract my custom on a long haul flight.

Having been a regular Wizz flyer (Gatwick-Vienna), I found 2 hours in their seats was a bit of a strain. their ground handling was also the most haphazard I have ever encountered, on any flight it was a coin toss as to whether you’d be able to disembark through the rear doors or not. It often made it impossible for flights to depart on time.

I could see the budget airline way of doing things causing a lot of stressed and irritated passengers at the end of a transatlantic flight!

I noticed some of the Villa fans used Wizz from LGW to IST. 4 hour flight. They were glad to get off the plane!. Very cramped seating.
They would need to provide a bit more comfort for transatlantic ops.

 

[RichL]

Would normally welcome the prospect of direct flights again but Wizz need to considerably up their standards before they’d attract my custom on a long haul flight.

Having been a regular Wizz flyer (Gatwick-Vienna), I found 2 hours in their seats was a bit of a strain. their ground handling was also the most haphazard I have ever encountered, on any flight it was a coin toss as to whether you’d be able to disembark through the rear doors or not. It often made it impossible for flights to depart on time.

I could see the budget airline way of doing things causing a lot of stressed and irritated passengers at the end of a transatlantic flight!

You missed a trick there - you should have said you were a regular wizzer.

 

[jfy1999]

You missed a trick there - you should have said you were a regular wizzer.

well I the fact I was often “taking a Wizz” caused plenty of laughs and groans among my friends in Europe whenever it was mentioned

I imagine a lot of American customers might struggle to take them seriously if this ever gets off the ground!

Anyway, on a more serious note, I think it would be best for Wizz to copy what Indigo Airlines have done with their long haul flights. They should try to find an airline like Norse Atlantic that they can lease widebodies from. Then they can simply end the partnership if it doesn’t work out.

also, i wouldn’t be surprised if it just ends up with Gatwick being the only place to get US flights, but we can always hope…

 

[Iron Duck]

Maybe this is why Manchester were courting Wizz !

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

What is great to see is the city break demand from Birmingham in the last couple of years.However it needs improvement in some areas of Europe for example Copenhagen,Oslo,Riga and Germany .I think it’s primarily pivotal that jumped on the bandwagon and made progress out of bhx.They are doing it slowly but surely.

This is what I’ve found for S26

Rome:16 weekly
Krakow:12 weekly
Amsterdam:40 weekly
Paris:45 weekly
Barcelona:20/21 weekly
Madrid:6 weekly
Milan:9 weekly
Verona:9 weekly
Istanbul 4 daily 28 weekly
Bucharest 10 weekly
Lisbon 5 weekly
Malta 11 weekly
Dublin 93 weekly
Belfast 68 weekly

It’s great when u look at that.

Just missing the odd route as I mentioned above.Oslo is one I expect in the next 1-2 years and also Riga

 

[HPsauce]

What is great to see is the city break demand from Birmingham in the last couple of years.However it needs improvement in some areas of Europe for example Copenhagen,Oslo,Riga and Germany .I think it’s primarily pivotal that jumped on the bandwagon and made progress out of bhx.They are doing it slowly but surely.

This is what I’ve found for S26

Rome:16 weekly
Krakow:12 weekly
Amsterdam:40 weekly
Paris:45 weekly
Barcelona:20/21 weekly
Madrid:6 weekly
Milan:9 weekly
Verona:9 weekly
Istanbul 4 daily 28 weekly
Bucharest 10 weekly
Lisbon 5 weekly
Malta 11 weekly
Dublin 93 weekly
Belfast 68 weekly

It’s great when u look at that.

Just missing the odd route as I mentioned above.Oslo is one I expect in the next 1-2 years and also Riga

Warsaw, Rome and Prague are popular too, plus others.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Warsaw, Rome and Prague are popular too, plus others.

There no flights to Warsaw !

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

There no flights to Warsaw !

Modlin yes there is however I think Warsaw is a restart market so it will take a few years to gel in

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

2026 Registered Delegates | CONNECT Aviation

event.connect-aviation.com

Birmingham airport will be attending connect routes in Lublin next week
including
Aviation route development manager-Andrew pelham
Senior Aviation Manager -Unknown who that is?
Aviation Manager -Do we have a new analyst since Tom left?

Rumoured airlines attending:
Finnair
Royal air Maroc
Royal Jordanian

Who we definitely gonna talk to then instead of saying hi and bye

 

[Matt995]

Who we definitely gonna talk to then instead of saying hi and bye

strange comment Ant? If the airport is attending i'm sure that will talk to as many airlines as they can, i'm sure they have a few in mind, but as we keep saying an event like this is just a chat, to secure new routes and airlines this can take months and years, and will envolve constant dialogue between the 2 parties.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

strange comment Ant? If the airport is attending i'm sure that will talk to as many airlines as they can, i'm sure they have a few in mind, but as we keep saying an event like this is just a chat, to secure new routes and airlines this can take months and years, and will envolve constant dialogue between the 2 parties.

I know it’s a strange comment Matt but isn’t it true that the airport says it’s negotiations,In talks,in discussions with different airlines?

Aren’t we a hello world airport.So doesn’t that mean we should say hello to new airlines and new routes expand our presence