Route Development & Rumours

[58terminus]

I'm not sure.It has the ring of people just being polite and saying maybe next year before they move on to the next stand.

 

[Ianbutty]

Thanks for the info Ian, it is encouraging that both Jetblue and Westjet have been mentioned.

Interesting that the article pretty much confirms the airline or am i reading too much into it ?

(btw loving my new (Im not sure) emoji. I use this one quite alot.

Unlike the press release last week this is more positive. I like the fact that the airport has deliberately decided to scale back and get the place functioning right...take note Stansted and Luton. But, spend too much time on that and competitors will eat us alive. Some encouragement.

Just need to big master plan and brings the Routes conference to Brum....PK and Andy Street get on the promo bus.

 

[Ray Finkle]

It comes across as a measured approach which is to be commended but I really hope that they know what they are doing and that their timing is right.

You turn based aircraft away they just go to your competitors.

Not sure what the shareholders have to do with the decision about replacing the Monarch capacity?

 

[Ianbutty]

It comes across as a measured approach which is to be commended but I really hope that they know what they are doing and that their timing is right.

You turn based aircraft away they just go to your competitors.

Not sure what the shareholders have to do with the decision about replacing the Monarch capacity?

I fear attract new airlines and stop the exodus an options proposal was put forward by officers to the board to break the fees and charges limits and take a short term 'fight fight fight' approach or take stock, look at capacity and rebuild steadily. The board fearing loss of income to them, decided on the latter as it was the right long-term approach and probably had better short term financial benefit.

I would not be surprised if a few of the departed airlines post Monarch, the 'loss' of Hainan, and the Primera fiasco, played hard ball, were not offered anything, threatend to also leave knowing the airport would be desperate, still offered nought and went elsewhere, but will return once the offers are tabled.

They will be back. Brum is too important a city to be off the radar for long.

 

[58terminus]

Not sure what the shareholders have to do with the decision about replacing the Monarch capacity?

I'm not sure either Ray but they must have invested a lot in recent years particularly in the runway extension and possibly not happy with their return?
Maybe they were not happy with the dog eat dog situation that was encouraged by the previous management regime which ended up with few winners and a lot of losers not least the airport .I would think they want to avoid a repeat,
I guess if you keep offering reduced rates to new customers for a year as an investment on future earnings and they keep leaving after a year the shareholders will take umbrage.

 

[GliderPilot]

Again a funny one, not sure what to take from it so i'll just wait for something concrete

 

[smithy108]

While sharing the current frustration, the statements made are more strategic in nature and demonstrate a sense of direction for the longer term. New airlines would be great but we need them to stay and build solid platforms and then grow as with Jet2
I do agree this is about getting your tactics right and we could miss out on opportunities if we get the timing wrong which then wont help the longer term aims.

 

[rollo]

I think smithy is right imagine if say either Norwegian or Vueling along with Bhx had the forsight to develop longer term plans we might have an operator/operators of substance serving some of the routes we sadly miss at present.

Of course its easy to tell other businesses how to run things and spend their money for them.

 

[Ray Finkle]

We also don't know the details of any offer that BHX may or may not have turned away.

If an airline approached BHX with a view to starting Lisbon, Athens, Valencia, Stockholm etc and they were turned away I think we'd all be pretty annoyed. If an airline suggested basing more aircraft just to further flood the sun routes, purely in competition with TUi, Jet2 etc, then they'd probably be right to politely decline.

Lets just hope that the long term plan (if there is one) is successful

One thing the article tells me is that Primera won't be back for S19, unless they are the 'option'.

 

[Ianbutty]

I agree with the comments above which is why I was more encouraged by the latest statement. As a strategic planner myself the long term gain is always the goal. Short termism never works and maybe PKs strategy was short term which got all of is so excited.

More of the same routes to the sun is the last thing we need. Looks like TATL is out of the picture for a while also.

A more measured and strategic approach focussing on B2B is the right strategy in the long term for the city region. For some reason much of that network has collapsed which is so frustrating. I would rather see Palma and Malaga cut and Luxembourg and Stockholm retained. People need to go on holiday but business traffic and incoming tourism is what creates wealth and a sustainable economy.

Back to Top Gear now.

 

[58terminus]

One thing the article tells me is that Primera won't be back for S19,

Or S20.. Or anywhere else i would predict.

 

[Ray Finkle]

So we just need an airline willing to commence flights to the many missing destinations in the BHX network but they must also be prepared to forsake the main sun routes in order to let their competitors enjoy higher yields.

Answers on a postcard to.......

 

[BHXsupporter]

So not United then with 787s!

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/united-to-fly-787s-to-europe-from-newark-in-2019-452001/

 

[Coathanger16]

So not United then with 787s!

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/united-to-fly-787s-to-europe-from-newark-in-2019-452001/

As likely as Primera returning at this stage I think

 

[jfy1999]

So not United then with 787s!

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/united-to-fly-787s-to-europe-from-newark-in-2019-452001/

I hope that UA or AA have a go at TATL flights with A321neo's at some point. It might enable them to consider relaunching UK regionals that were less viable with the old 757's.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

So not United then with 787s!

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/united-to-fly-787s-to-europe-from-newark-in-2019-452001/

'The aircraft will be staffed with 160 pilots, including 55 captains and 105 first officers'

Any room left for passengers?

Kevin

 

[jfy1999]

Just read elsewhere that CDG-MAN will be transferred to Joon in March 2019, which has me worried that we might be losing the Air France brand from BHX.

Joon have nothing smaller than an A320, though, so the fact that AF/HOP are more flexible in terms of aircraft size should militate against our losing the AF brand completely if they ever decide to use Joon on BHX flights.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Looking at recent history we have lost

American, United, Air Transat, Aegean, Primera, Icelandair, VLM, Fly One, BMIR, Norwegian, Cobalt, Eastern and British Airways.

We've also lost all links to

JFK, Newark, Toronto, Lisbon, Stockholm, Gibraltar, Valencia, Athens, La Romana, Phuket, Antwerp, Chisinau, Comiso, Limoges, Billund, Florence, Nice, Poznan, Graz, Luxembourg, Rennes, Orly, Toulouse, Nuremburg, Preveza, Varna and Keflavik.

We've had major cutbacks from Flybe, Vueling and Ryanair, stagnation from Thomas Cook, Blue Air and Wizz and Europe's two biggest airlines are barely interested.

I don't even need to mention huge frequency decreases to the likes of Rome, Berlin, Milan, Venice etc.

Admittedly not all of the above are the fault of the airport and several other airports are having a rough time of it but even by BHX standards, that's a pretty impressive list.

Time for a change of direction?

 

[Vile8er]

Was having a good day until I read this. Depressing

 

[Brum X]

Looking at recent history we have lost

American, United, Air Transat, Aegean, Primera, Icelandair, VLM, Fly One, BMIR, Norwegian, Cobalt, Eastern and British Airways.

We've also lost all links to

JFK, Newark, Toronto, Lisbon, Stockholm, Gibraltar, Valencia, Athens, La Romana, Phuket, Antwerp, Chisinau, Comiso, Limoges, Billund, Florence, Nice, Poznan, Graz, Luxembourg, Rennes, Orly, Toulouse, Nuremburg, Preveza, Varna and Keflavik.

We've had major cutbacks from Flybe, Vueling and Ryanair, stagnation from Thomas Cook, Blue Air and Wizz and Europe's two biggest airlines are barely interested.

I don't even need to mention huge frequency decreases to the likes of Rome, Berlin, Milan, Venice etc.

Admittedly not all of the above are the fault of the airport and several other airports are having a rough time of it but even by BHX standards, that's a pretty impressive list.

Time for a change of direction?

In one emoji