Route Development & Rumours

[whateverg]

Hainan have been on a 'fact finding' visit in regards to a Beijing service. We apparently came pretty close to securing something not too long back but it wasn't to be (and no George Osbourne wasn't involved this time as far as I'm aware ). A case of watch this space.

Cathay have been in talks over a service to Hong Kong. I have a feeling this may be a medium term one though.

Finnair as above.

Growth to India was apparently not too far away but that was a while ago and it seems to have all gone quiet since. Hopefully bubbling away in the background.

New winter easyjet routes out in the next couple of weeks, hopefully something for BHX.

We've had Nick Barton suggesting that there is appetite amongst the airlines for a service to the USA but not the aircraft. I think he said 2-3 years away?

Then we have Qatar applying for 2x daily slots, hopefully they'll actually take some of them up and increase, even if it's 10/11x weekly.

Thank you very much for your reply. Cathay/Finnair have been in the medium term for a long time! China/India/USA similarly have been bubbling for quite a while. Fingers crossed for Easyjet and Qatar

 

[TM3]

yes i am very well aware of the TWOV provisions, i used them twice this year. i have also previously got visas for China trips.

Which itineraries do you travel on and why didn’t you just use the visa?

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

emirates cargo will still carry on its Cargo Operations during may

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all, so if theres demand in the west Midlands for direct flights to the United States of America, why is it taking so long to try and reastablish it. People have asked me this question for ages, why should I have to pay extra and fly from another airport to get to America, when I only live thirty minutes away from my local airport. I replied, I don't have the answer, the same couple then said to me, the amount of extra business, jobs this would create in the west midlands is unimaginable, that extra money being generated in the west midlands economy would be fantastic, why should we fly from another airport and give them the business, when your own local airport should be benefiting from it and not losing out. She then said that she was going to email existing airlines at Birmingham airport and others to rethink about direct flights from Birmingham airport to America, I then said to them good luck, I then said to her that airlines will choose with airport they want to use.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Jet2 were meant to fly to New York a few years ago you can blame COVID for that antic.However I’m surprised Tui are doing Marella cruise flights to and from Newark Airport EWR I reckon every flight would sell out.I think the Airport are more focused on solar panels and security factors and EasyJet . Oh yeah also making more restrictions on viewing areas aswell need to be accessed feel like there’s only 3 viewing points
HS2 site of R33 (Viewable from as it’s public)
R15 Sheldon Country Park
Viewing Area in the Car park which u can’t see the whole runway due to Fuel farm

 

[rollo]

Jet2 did do a short season of New York flights for one year from BHX over the Christmas period but shut the operation down from all UK airports as not really being viable, nothing to do with covid.

Assuming you mean Tui aren't doing NYC cruise flights:
Tui will not do cruise flights to New York because Marella do not base any ships there and the flight destinations are solely dictated by the cruise lines.

 

[gulftraveller]

The problem is that the money is currently in tourism from USA to Europe and not v.v.

Claims about huge economic benefits and job creation by the introduction of routes are largely propaganda, given that the majority of passengers from e.g. BHX, would be outbound tourists/VFR. So job creation is on the other side i.e. US tourism. Nevertheless, BHX to USA will surely be back at some stage.

 

[Ianbutty]

Thought it had come back when I saw the Tui flight from Fort Worth on FR24. What the...

Things may change when HS2 is open which provides new opportunities.

But you only have to see the traffic jams at 35,000 feet each day from North America to LHR to realize that they have the monopoly. Even MAN has struggled to regain what it had pre-covid, although EDI seems to be going from strength to strength.

Time will tell.

 

[Matt995]

Hi there all, so if theres demand in the west Midlands for direct flights to the United States of America, why is it taking so long to try and reastablish it. People have asked me this question for ages, why should I have to pay extra and fly from another airport to get to America, when I only live thirty minutes away from my local airport. I replied, I don't have the answer, the same couple then said to me, the amount of extra business, jobs this would create in the west midlands is unimaginable, that extra money being generated in the west midlands economy would be fantastic, why should we fly from another airport and give them the business, when your own local airport should be benefiting from it and not losing out. She then said that she was going to email existing airlines at Birmingham airport and others to rethink about direct flights from Birmingham airport to America, I then said to them good luck, I then said to her that airlines will choose with airport they want to use.

Really no point in anyone emailing the current airlines at BHX to run flights to the USA, as none of them either fly to the USA, or dont have the aircraft to operate these flights, or have the desire to operate these flights. TUI will always only operate flights to Florida in the Summer, but these will ONLY be charters.

So what UK airline flys scheduled services to the US? British Airways, Virgin, and Aer Lingus UK. We know we have no hope of attractive BA and Virgin, Aer Lingus UK don't have enough aircrarft, and are only concentrating on Manchester.

So USA airliines America? Delta? United? JetBlue? - America/Delta/United have no interest in BHX, there is no demand for first class, only economy, so even on a modern A321neo, i doubt a daily service would generate enough revenue for these USA airlines to try a service currently.

Jetblue is a possibily, but we are way down the pecking list of European airports for them, and again they rely on "first class" passengers on their current A321s to generate most money, so doubtful we will see them soon.

And why would the likes of Air India, Emirates, Qatar etc want to operate to the US from Birmingham? It won't happen.

Our only hope maybe is Jet2, when they have enough A321neos in the fleet, and if they decide to expand into the USA leisure market, but this will involve a change of direction from them, and they are not an airline/tour company to take risks like this.

It's difficult to see any carrier taking the plunge at present, personally I can't see any regular service until 2030 at the earliest.....

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Wish we had flights to Humberside airport.
Costs me £200 travelling via train

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Saudia is adding a 4th weekly flight on Saturdays from 27th July 2024

Source :Ryan Kirkpatrick

 

[BHX492]

Saudia is adding a 4th weekly flight on Saturdays from 27th July 2024

Source :Ryan Kirkpatrick

Hopefully it’s happens but I’ve just looked but I can only see 3x weekly for the next few weeks after

 

[Karl C]

Hopefully it’s happens but I’ve just looked but I can only see 3x weekly for the next few weeks after

It's definitely happening

 

[nwoody2001]

Saudia is adding a 4th weekly flight on Saturdays from 27th July 2024

Source :Ryan Kirkpatrick

Prime example why we need to credit people, especially as it would appear Ryan used my tweet to post his but gave zero credit... nice...

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Prime example why we need to credit people, especially as it would appear Ryan used my tweet to post his but gave zero credit... nice...

Oops my bad

 

[nwoody2001]

Oops my bad

Not your fault, you weren't to know....

 

[Scania1800]

Wrong date given by just love planes, the real date is 27 July Saturday, which commences the 4X weekly service rather than the cancelled daily service

 

[rashmanj]

I heard rumours that Qatar are planning to go double daily. Any news on this?

 

[IanFarquharson]

I heard rumours that Qatar are planning to go double daily. Any news on this?

I have been told it will stay daily but maybe with an upgrade to a 77W

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Also heard a rumour of Ryanair operating flights to Rzeszow and Wroclaw during winter