Route Development & Rumours

[JENNYJET]

CAREFUL FOLKS , Mr. Barton ma well have an account with us and is keeping tabs upon us all. Clearly it is some dumbnuts behind such foolish activity.

 

[tompo]

Firstly ,my apologies for revisiting my original post which has initiated some contrary views.The post was not designed to malign the new incumbent before arrival and potential results.The rather clumsy statement was my intention to flag my general concern of BHX's current operational management top down (the Board through to marketing and route development). I follow the the progress of the Airport with great interest but from a distance (My local airport is now MCY (Sunshine Coast, Queensland).
However I have some experience to draw on as I worked for Luton Airport Authority (as it was then) and Birmingham Airport ( Elmdon and new site) from 1978 to 1989. In both of these tenures I recognised that extreme optimism clouds judgement and inevitably realism must be applied with subsequent adjustment .
In my career I learned that it is far harder (and costly) to chase new clients (airlines and passengers) than servicing and keeping the existing ones happy.A common a dage was:"keep the clients happy and new work will ensue".There is nearly always a need to to expand the business (whatever model) but never at the expense of the golden goose. Measured expansion helps maintain a solid and profitable business.
The role or specific responsibility of an Airport CEO, among other objectives, is to expertly communicate, make deals and manage subordinate staff. Extroverts who are eager to go out on the road and tell (sell) the Airports story is a prerequisite.Individuals who are decisive, adaptable and forward looking fit the bill. Undoubtedly, PK fitted that description admirably with the results to match.However, in my opinion, his supporting legacy group ( the marketing and development teams) have not performed to his standards in the lead time to the new appointment.There should be no excuse for not maintaining the impetus created.This is when the Board should have identified the issue and taken the appropriate steps to remedy that.
In my opinion this indicates a weakness which may be reflected in the inordinate time taken to recruit the post.There were a great number of eligible candidates in the field and I do not believe that a lack of quality is relevant.
Nevertheless, the decision has been made and some of the background comments refer to the UK's fastest growing airport as a positive factor.
This growth however, has come from long established UK and loco foreign based airlines for which the location and cost base formed a perfect fit.Fortuitously, at the same time, a new owner was prepared to invest many hundreds of million Pounds .The result was a marketing dream in that people and airlines were flocking at the door.
As followers of this forum are aware, it takes an inordinate amount of time to identify, capture and establish new routes/airlines and I doubt therefore that Luton Airports' recent accelerated expansion can be attributed to one person.
What is fact however, is that the new development (completed this week) and the massive rise in passenger figures has come at a huge image cost.The incumbent CEO has presided over Luton Airport being voted the UK's most detested Airport (2015/6/7).This does not fit in with the current Boards objective of ensuring that the passenger experience is paramount. A point which Ray has mentioned more than once.

I look forward to a successful 2019 with a dynamic Board encouraging an overloaded and successful CEO resulting in the addition of prestige airlines, a manageable growth in traffic, a happy work force, enchanted passengers and satisfied share holders who do not wish to see their pensions contract further. Good luck Nick.

 

[Ianbutty]

Good post Tompo.

You are right it is a team afford. My optimism stems for NBs success at Luton which would have including the principle functions as the CEO. Sadly on PK's leaving the good team he had around him left and the team who have followed have done an admirable job, but as has been posted in here by many, the recent downturn fortunes of the airport followed PKs departure, suggesting that he and the team he had built we the rock that provided the foundation for the growth in airlines and routes.

My hope is that NB repeats the Luton success and thereby emulates PKs success here.

But I remain concerned whether the board, and in particular the local authority side, have the stomach to aim beyond 18 mppa by 2030. It will be interesting to see what NB really thinks of the master plan and what his priorities are for route development.

I am confident that assuming airlines continue to operate, the shake up at BHX is at an end.

 

[Coathanger16]

I recall Saudi Arabia/Jeddah being mentioned recently on here as a possible future destination:

https://www.businesstraveller.com/b...adeal-to-purchase-up-to-50-b737-max-aircraft/

Maybe one for BHX to target?

 

[Ryan Kirkpatrick]

I recall Saudi Arabia/Jeddah being mentioned recently on here as a possible future destination:

https://www.businesstraveller.com/b...adeal-to-purchase-up-to-50-b737-max-aircraft/

Maybe one for BHX to target?

I would like to see a Saudi Arabia airline as BHX rather that be Saudia, flyadeal or Flynas but never could find any news or talk about them looking in to the Midlands. Always hoping to adding new China or USA routes to Birmingham. Never the less it would be nice to Suadia 787-8 or A330-300 at Birmingham.

(Saudia 787-9 at Manchester from my rescent visit)

View attachment 11747

 

[BHXsupporter]

JetBlue fears Delta's joint venture could hinder ability to serve Europe

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...deltas-joint-venture-could-hinder-abi-454807/

How about (re?)considering BHX?

 

[Ray Finkle]

From what I hear things are far more advanced than the article suggests with a preliminary schedule already submitted.

We shall see.

IndiGo to start Delhi-Istanbul daily flights from April; Birmingham & Moscow on the cards


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[IanFarquharson]

BHX should be daily Airbus 320/321 and an evening arrival into BHX a little later than the Air India

 

[Brum X]

From what I hear things are far more advanced than the article suggests with a preliminary schedule already submitted.

We shall see.

IndiGo to start Delhi-Istanbul daily flights from April; Birmingham & Moscow on the cards


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Great stuff Ray

 

[Coathanger16]

Whilst this is great new for BHX, I did notice:

"The low cost carrier expects to get “double digit” A321 Neos this year and is going to start one-stop flights to the UK
where it is looking at Birmingham and London Stansted and Gatwick as the options."

Presumably the stop is Istanbul - would this be a permanent feature or just until IndiGo gets aircraft with the range to serve India - UK non stop?

BHX should be daily Airbus 320/321 and an evening arrival into BHX a little later than the Air India

I'd be happy with flights on the days Air India doesn't serve Delhi as a start!

 

[Ray Finkle]

Presumably the stop is Istanbul

Unless things change it won't be Istanbul used as a stopover. The destination suggested is not too far from Turkey though.

 

[Jerry]

Unless things change it won't be Istanbul used as a stopover. The destination suggested is not too far from Turkey though.

Athens or maybe Cyprus?

 

[IanFarquharson]

Close !

 

[BHX492]

Somewhere in Egypt ??

 

[Ray Finkle]

Somewhere in Egypt ??

Wrong direction.

 

[thunderchild]

Wrong direction.

Tel Aviv? Beirut? Tbilisi? Baku? Varna? We could be here a while!

 

[Brum X]

Turkmenistan=Ashkabad ?

Uzbekistan=Tashkent

 

[BHX492]

Erbil??

 

[Brum X]

At least it gets the forum engaged, im bored tonight anyway.

 

[Brum X]

And it makes me chuckle when nothing for months and a whiff of a new route and we all start flocking back like a pack of flies around a pile of