Birmingham: New Route Development & Rumours

[Ray Finkle]

That long? :smile:

 

[User001]

What about wow air? Heard they had been sniffing around BHX?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Although I welcome all new route development it wouldn't be my first choice. Icelandair are starting to really get going and have expansion still to come, I'm not sure there is enough room for two on the route.

William Pearson said they were close with at least one Middle Eastern operator. Qatar is the obvious one but their loads across the UK aren't exactly spectacular at the moment and they've expanded hugely at LHR. Other potential, but very less likely candidates, Saudi, Etihad, Gulf Air? I'd be surprised at any of them. Pakistan was another thought, a return of Air Blue has been rumoured but I'm not so sure at the moment. EMA has been suggested as a destination for Shaheen which, if true, rules them out.

Within Europe the big miss is TAP to Lisbon and their extensive network of connections. Prague is also a big hole in the network, possibly Czech Airlines?

 

[Brum X]

I want Qatar, that would be a big development for BHX and put aside (for now) the disappointment with all this china stuff.


Yeah Qatar for me please.

 

[jfy1999]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-o ... d-10306482

Hopefully we'll get some celebs arriving by plane for the Bond premiere and get a lot of much-needed publicity?

 

[Brum X]

Latest email has been sent to Paul Kehoe to find out about his 10th new airline and to ask for his thoughts on this 12 million air route development subsidy that he has said MAN received which helped them gain Hainan airlines.


This will be an interesting one if he reples. He has replied to my last 2 emails though.

 

[jfy1999]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/mi ... l-10320008
Surprise, surprise.

Looks like Brum X wasn't the only one to get riled up by the BBC report...

 

[Ray Finkle]

Cineworld is also inviting celebrities.

Shall we take a guess.

I'll go for Peter Andre, Ritchie from 'Five', Jamelia, Rusty Lee, Pato Banton, two ex contestants from Big Brother 7, Nick Owen, Shefali Oza, the trombone player from UB40, Adrian Chiles, Alison Hammond, Micah Richards, Adil Ray and the cast of TOWIE (well some of them). :smile:

 

[Ray Finkle]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/mp-slams-bbc-sneering-spiteful-10320008
Surprise, surprise.

Looks like Brum X wasn't the only one to get riled up by the BBC report...

It really was one of the most pathetic things I've ever read, even from the BBC. Thankfully Julian Knight MP seems to be standing up for us at the moment and god knows we need it.

 

[User001]

I would like to say, as someone who has been to Las Vegas countless times in the last few years, the resorts world looks amazing.

It's refreshing to see such a complex in the UK, and, if anyone who has been to Vegas finds out about this complex, there will be no 'tough selling' required.

Yes, may not have the heat of Vegas, but, it's certainly got some of its glamour.

A true asset to Birmingham, and one I shall certainly be visiting.

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Ironic how an outdated, bloated, out of touch organisation such as the BBC uses the word behemoth!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[offtopic]Acknowledging the danger that this thread may be veering slightly off course I would point out that the BBC has always prided itself on being a completely independent organisation that owes no favours and shows none to anyone. Even in WW2 there were some in the organisation who were worried that the corporation had become a mouthpiece of government during those critical times for the country.

When I visit Australia I am struck by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's tacit acknowledgement that it is part of that country when its news readers invariably refer to 'our government' or 'our prime minister'. Here with the BBC it's usually the 'British government' or 'the government' etc.

Incidentally, it's not just Birmingham and the West Midlands. Many of the members of a Welsh aviation message board I sometimes visit can be become almost apoplectic at the way they believe BBC Wales is biased against Cardiff Airport in many of its reports and I know that some have written to complain.[/offtopic]

 

[Brum X]

Reply from Mr Kehoe folks.

Sorry Ray but i didnt see your email until today otherwise i would of mentioned it (And to keep everybody in the picture it was about air fares being more expensive from BHX compared to LHR when travelling from Australia)


Here we go:
Dear Alan


Thanks for your email and your continuing support for BHX.

I will try to answer your questions as best I can.

Your maths is not bad. when I recently mentioned the number 10, I was overseas and believed that airline 10 had been announced, it has not but the announcement has been delayed by a week. I am hoping that we will be in a position to clear this up next week. We'll see.

I am glad you like the fact that NAS and Wizz have come to BHX - it has taken sometime but we have achieved that goal - we just need to make sure that we fill the aircraft. This is in addition to the other airlines we have secured like Vueling and the third Emirates service.

EasyJet operate a winter programme to the Alps and a year round service to Belfast. We would like them to do more but they tell us that they can serve BHX from LPL, BRS, MAN and LTN and the they have a big downer on the Midlands because of their poor performance at EMA a few years back. We now have 7 LCCs and will have Blue Air arriving next year.

As to BHX being expensive, over the last 7 years of my time at the airport, we have sought to reduce our operating costs and now have probably the lowest cost base of any of the larger European Airports. In fact a recent report by the Strategy arm of PWC has shown that BHX was the second lowest cost base in 2014. We have been able to pass these savings onto our airline customers, many of which have grown over the last two years.

We have known that Hainan was going into Manchester for about 18 months whilst we have been talking to them about our charter operation. The UK Govt have a massive focus on the Northern Po'rhouse and have been encouraging the Chinese to go to Manchester. So much so that through Visit Britain (from DCMS) and local tourism organisations in the north some £12m has been made available to support inbound tourism to that region. I asked the Sec of State if we could have some funding for our Chinese flight programme and although the Minister was initially supportive, he advised after discussions with civil servants that no such funds were available.

As to Manchester - I believe that they are a well run airport company but they are part of a group formation which does impinge on the competitive nature of the market. We have to live with it. They have been brilliant at Marketing and quite frankly have been in pole position of the UK non London Airports since 1960. My only issue, is that I want there to be a level playing field but that it is somewhat difficult, especially when they have Central Govt support led by the efforts of the Chancellor of the Exchequer who is a local Manchester region MP.

As to other routes let's see what the future brings.

I hope this answers the majority of your questions.

Best wishes

Paul Kehoe

Sent from my iPad

 

[Brum X]

Firstly who is Airline number 10 ?????? Ooooooooooooh

Secondly Re: Hainan at Manchester, im not convinced that this 12m was the reason they went to MAN, it was to support inbound tourism, not airline routes. Having said that if they can have 12m to support inbpound tourism them so should we. Thats the bit thats not fair in my opinion if that is the case.



Gotta say Mr K, always replies to my emails. :rockon:

 

[User001]

I have posted a reply to this email in the Manchester thread. here

 

[Brum X]

And talking about Visit Britain Tourism Partnerships, this has just appeared on the BHX website so i guess this could be a similar thing promoting Birmingham to Turkish Airlines Customers.


www.birminghamairport.co.uk/media-infor ... rtnership/

 

[User001]

Yup, funny how Mr Kehoe isn't kicking off about that. Oh wait, that's right, BHX is involved, that's why.

there was a big Midlands themed campaign a few years ago, funny how he didn't mention that either.

Or the various and very large visit Britain campaigns based around London.

Nope, just the latest North of England one is the only underhand and unfair one.

Funny that.

 

[User001]

On a lighter note, will be exciting to see who the new airline is.

This is why I love Autumn. Route announcements for the next summer are thick and fast!

 

[Aviador]

Well they are at some airports. We've had bugger all here at Leeds. 🙄

 

[justplanecrazy]

User001 you mentioned Wow could be a good bet in a previous post what do you think the chances of Rouge or west jet possibly being airline 10?