Route Development & Rumours

[Birmingham Aviation]

I want every airport to do well!

Sadly, we have to face the truth that PLAY are not performing very well at all on their current UK routes. I don’t see this changing

If they operate Gatwick,Birmingham and Manchester then it would be very good for their business for connecting flights to us ,Canada

 

[jfy1999]

If they operate Gatwick,Birmingham and Manchester then it would be very good for their business for connecting flights to us ,Canada

LGW, BHX, MAN etc might perform better than the routes they have now, but it’s worth bearing in mind that their predecessor WOW Air served Edinburgh and Dublin (very strong transatlantic markets) as well as Gatwick and it didn’t work out for them.

Looking back through news reports on WOW Air suggests they were quire notorious for dirt cheap fares. I suspect that they were struggling to fill their planes, even though they flew from many European airports which had strong transatlantic markets.

It’s also worth noting that WOW air went bust before COVID when the UK-US market was much stronger than now.

 

[jfy1999]

@Karl Cunningham and @laviation

please can we stop the argument. If you think someone is being deliberately impolite and breaking forum rules then please message a moderator without continuing to debate about the other person’s actions on the thread.

 

[laviation]

My point of view on PLAY is that it is not a BHX problem, more a PLAY problem.

As @jfy1999 has already stated, their de-facto predecessor WOW flew to DUB, EDI and LGW - the strongest transatlantic markets in UK + IRE outside of LHR, and went bust pretty quickly.

It’s this alone that makes me think WOW Mk.II launching routes to three more regional airports simply won’t work. As I have said, this is not an issue with any airport in particular..

 

[nwoody2001]

Iceland Air cut their BHX-KEF route in 2017 nearly a year before Primera even announced its intentions to launch from BHX. Iceland Airs decision to cancel their BHX route had nothing to do with Primera.

 

[rollo]

I think Birmingham would do well with a stable and reliable Icelandair service. Sadly the route was cut when Primera came about but I can foresee it returning.!

If I recall correctly it was suggested on here Iclelandair pulled out of BHX at short notice after failing to reach agreeable terms with the airport at around the same time American and United pulled their services, The twice weekly service appeared to do well and the 757 in the aurora colour scheme was superb.

Play could do well on Reykjavik to the US/Canada route, personally I would prefer Icelandair back as they have a long well established operation.

 

[laviation]

In my eyes they better option for the airport is definitely Icelandair. PLAY, they may very well go bust within the next half decade.

In time it would be great to see United return on Newark with the A321. Once the economic situation recovers this feels like one that can return.

 

[jfy1999]

@rollo

I agree that Icelandair might have a better chance of making BHX work than PLAY. This article suggests that Icelandair are doing quite well.

https://simpleflying.com/icelandair-reports-yearly-increase-passengers-may/

However, I remember reading somewhere (in a discussion of why the UK-Orlando market is so weak at the moment) that the market for passengers originating from the US is currently stronger than the market for passengers originating from the UK. The UK is especially being squeezed by inflation at the moment. If this continues then it doesn’t bode well for the UK-US market.

@Karl Cunningham and @laviation

I’ve decided to delete a few posts as the argument was getting off-topic.

Stimulating debate is one of the purposes of this forum, and every member should be welcome to participate in a debate on any thread, providing that their contributions are genuine and polite. If you think that someone else’s comments are NOT genuine or polite, then you should stop responding on the thread and start referring it to the moderators. otherwise, the argument is likely to escalate and derail the thread.

 

[mullion]

The problem with Orlando market is that it is so expensive and been for a while but as soon as exchange rate changed the market changed, Disney etc is terrible in the costs. The US market is much changed in that costs for basically a tour holiday is not what people want anymore but would rather go to New York for a week or so even though clothes etc which used to be cheap are not anymore. What I do think is holidays abroad with new mortgage rate will take a plummet on all destinations

 

[Timberwolf]

If I recall correctly it was suggested on here Iclelandair pulled out of BHX at short notice after failing to reach agreeable terms with the airport at around the same time American and United pulled their services, The twice weekly service appeared to do well and the 757 in the aurora colour scheme was superb.

Play could do well on Reykjavik to the US/Canada route, personally I would prefer Icelandair back as they have a long well established operation.

Yes that's what was reported on a number of sites.
The allegation reported from someone who was allegedly in Diamond House and on the same floor. wmWas that a blazing row between Icelandair and BHX bosses which spilled into the corridor.
This allegedly over BHX decision to give Primera a nice cheap deal to that Icelantic carrier.Which was not offered to Icelandair.

I have no idea of the truth of this but that was what was reported.

Just checking the timelines ;

Primera and BHX airport press release announcing Primera were to start from BHX, was made on 20th July 2017 for a start date in May 2018.

Further details were released on 7th December 2017.

On 11th December 2017 Icelandair announced they were ending their Birmingham flts and would not be returning..

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Whilst I've always suspected that some major disagreement occurred between BHX and Icelandair (and may well have involved Primera starting), I can't for a second believe that Icelandair would have had any knowledge of the financial agreement between BHX and Primera. This would have been confidential information, that neither airport nor airline would divulge.

 

[Timberwolf]

Whilst I've always suspected that some major disagreement occurred between BHX and Icelandair (and may well have involved Primera starting), I can't for a second believe that Icelandair would have had any knowledge of the financial agreement between BHX and Primera. This would have been confidential information, that neither airport nor airline would divulge.

Yes for me the last part might point to a disagreement.

Never seen an airline say when announcing an axeing of a service, that they will not be returning..

 

[nwoody2001]

The reality is that if there is money to be made, airlines will fly the routes. its that simple.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Whilst I've always suspected that some major disagreement occurred between BHX and Icelandair (and may well have involved Primera starting), I can't for a second believe that Icelandair would have had any knowledge of the financial agreement between BHX and Primera. This would have been confidential information, that neither airport nor airline would divulge.

You are correct

 

[Brum X]

C'mon then Andy give us flights to the US, maybe pay an American airline to come here just like the Scottish and Welsh governments do to lure airlines, he he he he he he

https://twitter.com/x/status/1675100564479156225

 

[laviation]

Certainly “watch this space” for JetBlue @EDI, GLA, MAN, BHX once they get a good few more A321s. I feel a JFK-BHX seasonal is certainly something that is possible, a few years down the line.

 

[laviation]

Royal Air Maroc

RAM aim to start Birmingham flights at some point from 2027-2037.

Many thanks SPD Travels on Twitter

https://www.atalayar.com/en/articul...-global-carrier/20230713162853188182.amp.html

 

[gulftraveller]

What a strange article. Talking about new routes to launch even four years from now seems pointless. As for route launches in 14 years…..

 

[Timberwolf]

Royal Air Maroc

RAM aim to start Birmingham flights at some point from 2027-2037.

Many thanks SPD Travels on Twitter

https://www.atalayar.com/en/articul...-global-carrier/20230713162853188182.amp.html

That's in my diary now

 

[mullion]

That is a very strange aim, the way things are I wouldn`t even dream of taking any notice of that