Route Development & Rumours

[IanFarquharson]

Have Turkmenistan or Austrian put slots in for this summer?

No

 

[Scania1800]

pretty certain PIA have not scrapped any 777s yet, a few are currently stored, and one 772 AP-BGL was damaged by the military during a training exercise and is unlikely ever to re-enter service again.

They still have 2 777-340ERs parked up collecting dust, should be enough what they have planned to operate when their allowed back in.

 

[gulftraveller]

Yes I think technically they are not scrapped but there are some they would not send to Europe or North America. This probably explains why their planned European operations on restart are very modest. The airline, frankly, needs to be dissolved and something professional set up in its place.

 

[Scania1800]

Yes I think technically they are not scrapped but there are some they would not send to Europe or North America. This probably explains why their planned European operations on restart are very modest. The airline, frankly, needs to be dissolved and something professional set up in its place.

Those aircraft require extremely heavy maintenance however, more expensive possible that the debt the airline is already in

 

[Ryan Kirkpatrick]

The government in Pakistan is looking at getting more investment in the private sector & selling shares of PIA. The 777s are only operating shorter routes within the middle East & Asia, besides Canada. The aircraft in storage at the moment out of fleet of 31, 1 ATR 42, 1 777-200ER, 2 777-300 & 4 A320s. It is likely PIA will add more code share with, Emirates, Etihad & Turkish. It will be a while before PIA or any airline from Pakistan will be flying to the UK. But it will be good news for Air India, Saudia, Emirates, Qatar, Pegasus & Turkish if demand keeps growing for Pakistan & Asia. We might see in a few years more flights from these 6, aircraft upgrades or maybe other airlines given BHX a go.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Routes that restart in March

Jet2:

Dubrovnik 30th March

Larnaca 30th March

Nice 11th March

Heraklion 29th March

Rhodes 31st March

Girona 29th March

Ibiza 29th March

Reus 29th March

Bodrum 29th March

Dalaman 15th March

Izmir 29th March



Tui

Larnaca 24th March

Paphos 9th March

Heraklion 28th March

Rhodes 27th March

Naples 29th March

Faro 24th March

Alicante 5th March

Antalya 26th March

Dalaman 25 March

Melbourne USA 18th March



Corendon

Antalya 24th March



Sun express

Dalaman 31st March

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Wonder if Tom screen and nick Barton will be attending the connect routes development event in Turin Italy tomorrow?

 

[TM3]

This article has been reported elsewhere about Singapore Airlines' amibitions for route expansions on Eastern seaboard America. (at the bottom of the article).

What’s On The Horizon For: Singapore Changi | Aviation Week Network

Peh Ke-Wei, Vice President of Air Hub Development at Changi Airport Group, discusses the reopening of Terminal 2 and Singapore’s route development targets.

aviationweek.com

I guess here we are talking about unconnected US cities like Boston, Washington, Miami, Philadelphia, Orlando, but also Canadian cites such as Toronto, etc. , I'd also throw Chicago into the mix as one of the USA's biggest metro economies.

Due to the distance from Singapore these cities need an intermediate stop. The ideal cities for these stops are large urban areas like Birmingham that are not sufficiently served or not served at all by their main airline. They are also talking about Geneva, which is a good example due to LH/Swiss's prefence to push transatlantic traffic through Zurich and Franfurt. Due to the way the Swiss government works I think this a fifth freedom there is likely to be approved, Madrid I think is a lot less likely.

Singapore has a very broad air service agreement with the UK that gives them the right to 5th freedoms from any UK city to an onward destination which puts it at an advantage over many other airlines who may be interested in doing something similar.

I've set this position out before but I think BHX represents an amazing oportunity for SQ to be only link between BHX and the North America and South East Asia.

I'd hope this was right at the top of the routes team's priorities.

Singapore is a major source of international capital which directs a lot of inward investment toward the UK, not just in London but to businesses around the country and I'm sure Birmingham in itself would also prove to be a great network destination for SQ.

 

[Scania1800]

The government in Pakistan is looking at getting more investment in the private sector & selling shares of PIA. The 777s are only operating shorter routes within the middle East & Asia, besides Canada. The aircraft in storage at the moment out of fleet of 31, 1 ATR 42, 1 777-200ER, 2 777-300 & 4 A320s. It is likely PIA will add more code share with, Emirates, Etihad & Turkish. It will be a while before PIA or any airline from Pakistan will be flying to the UK. But it will be good news for Air India, Saudia, Emirates, Qatar, Pegasus & Turkish if demand keeps growing for Pakistan & Asia. We might see in a few years more flights from these 6, aircraft upgrades or maybe other airlines given BHX a go.

PIA is being split up into 2 separate companies, so that may not be the case

 

[gulftraveller]

.
Singapore has a very broad air service agreement with the UK that gives them the right to 5th freedoms from any UK city to an onward destination which puts it at an advantage over many other airlines who may be interested in doing something similar.

I've set this position out before but I think BHX represents an amazing oportunity for SQ to be only link between BHX and the North America and South East Asia.

I'd hope this was right at the top of the routes team's priorities.

Singapore is a major source of international capital which directs a lot of inward investment toward the UK, not just in London but to businesses around the country and I'm sure Birmingham in itself would also prove to be a great network destination for SQ.

Except that in the past week the SQ CEO stated that he wants to do away with tag/one stop routes in the next few years. Also, I suspect SQ would already be flying any ‘amazing opportunities’ which exist for them.

In any case, for a BHX North America route, what is needed is a JFK route with good feed onto a US airline. SQ does not need another JFK route and, on the one stop routes, they do not code share.

 

[TM3]

Except that in the past week the SQ CEO stated that he wants to do away with tag/one stop routes in the next few years. Also, I suspect SQ would already be flying any ‘amazing opportunities’ which exist for them.

In any case, for a BHX North America route, what is needed is a JFK route with good feed onto a US airline. SQ does not need another JFK route and, on the one stop routes, they do not code share.

Provide a link to source please.

Do you expect SQ to get rid of SIN-MAN-HOU? Or the very popular FRA-JFK link? SQ makes good money out of some 5th freedoms and they are unable to offer alternatives due to geography and the limitiations of modern long haul wide body aircraft.

There was a big interview, published in Forbes in the last week with SQ CEO Goh Choon Phong, but he doesn't make any mention of strategy around 5th freedoms.

Singapore Airlines Bets Big On India

Singapore’s flag carrier’s historic India deal gives it entry into one of the world’s fastest growing and biggest air travel markets.

www.forbes.com

He does express a considerable amount of optimism about growth in the Indian market, ahead of Vistara's proposed merger with Air India (which would leave SQ owing about a quarter if Air India).

He did talk about the benefits of selective codeshares. This would surely be a positive of any 5th Freedom though BHX as it would give it feed from Air India, which is something MAN doesn't have at the moment.

 

[gulftraveller]

If we accept what the CEO says then yes, MAN-IAH and FRA-JFK will go. If you look at BA, KLM And LH, for example, they have virtually done away with tagged routes, so it’s hardly surprising. As for Air India feeding SQ at BHX, we really are in a fantasy world now. Of the US airports BHX could sustain (including in premium), SQ have no need for a 5th freedom route to any of them. Until there is the slightest evidence SQ has an interest in any of this, this discussion seems pointless.

 

[TM3]

If we accept what the CEO says then yes, MAN-IAH and FRA-JFK will go. If you look at BA, KLM And LH, for example, they have virtually done away with tagged routes, so it’s hardly surprising. As for Air India feeding SQ at BHX, we really are in a fantasy world now. Of the US airports BHX could sustain (including in premium), SQ have no need for a 5th freedom route to any of them. Until there is the slightest evidence SQ has an interest in any of this, this discussion seems pointless.

If you look back at my post I provided a link to an interview with someone from Changi Airport saying they were actively looking at eastern seaboard America destinations. This is the kind of evidence I would have expected you to provide about the CEO axing 5th freedoms.

I also supplied record of the only published record of any interview I could find on the internet of SQ's SEO in the last month, and actually quite a bit longer where he doesn't even raise the issue.

At this point you really need to "put up or shut up" when it comes to some evidence as I'm sure it's apparent to everyone that you make these kinds of unsupported statements all the time, then try to close the subject when challenged on the evidence.

If you think SQ are dropping 5th freedoms maybe you should post that on the MAN routes forum as I'm sure many there would have a different opinion.

 

[KARFA]

Is it possible some have forgotten this is just an internet forum. Much as I enjoy reading and contributing opinions, none of it matters. None of us runs an airline or an airport, or has any input in what they are going to do. So perhaps dial down with the self-appointed pseudo-authority?

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Did anyone even acknowledge my question yesterday.

I wonder if Tom screen and nick Barton will be attending the route development conference in Turin?

 

[nwoody2001]

I cant speak for Tom Screen or Nick Barton specifically but BHX is listed as an attendee

2026 Registered Delegates | CONNECT Aviation

event.connect-aviation.com

 

[TM3]

Did anyone even acknowledge my question yesterday.

I wonder if Tom screen and nick Barton will be attending the route development conference in Turin?

I did reference it in my earlier post, which was a response to your post but I can see how this got missed as I didn't name the individuals only the routes team.

 

[nwoody2001]

The Delegates down for attending are:

Aviation Director - Tom Screen and

Senior Aviation Manager - Adam Parker

 

[Kevin Farnell]

If you look back at my post I provided a link to an interview with someone from Changi Airport saying they were actively looking at eastern seaboard America destinations. This is the kind of evidence I would have expected you to provide about the CEO axing 5th freedoms.

I also supplied record of the only published record of any interview I could find on the internet of SQ's SEO in the last month, and actually quite a bit longer where he doesn't even raise the issue.

At this point you really need to "put up or shut up" when it comes to some evidence as I'm sure it's apparent to everyone that you make these kinds of unsupported statements all the time, then try to close the subject when challenged on the evidence.

If you think SQ are dropping 5th freedoms maybe you should post that on the MAN routes forum as I'm sure many there would have a different opinion.

Can we please keep things civil, gentlemen. It's fine to request a link to support a statement, but then leave it at that. Telling someone what to do in blunt terms and then telling them where they should make a post is unacceptable.

 

[TM3]

Is it possible some have forgotten this is just an internet forum. Much as I enjoy reading and contributing opinions, none of it matters. None of us runs an airline or an airport, or has any input in what they are going to do. So perhaps dial down with the self-appointed pseudo-authority?

I'm happy for gulftraveller to post but if you are going to quote an external source you need to be able to back it up, otherwise it's just hearsay.

I think in this situation the onus is on him to stop posting or provide the link, not on everyone else to stop discussing the subject as he judges it to be "pointless".