Route Development & Rumours

[Ray Finkle]

Routes Europe this week in Seville and i am guessing that Tom screen will be attending?

There’s a private flight to Jerez tomorrow.

List of attendees.

Birmingham Airport is on there

Attendees | Routes Europe 2025 | Routes

Routes Europe 2025 will unite decision-makers from airlines, airports, destinations and aviation stakeholders that are invested in the future of European air connectivity.

www.routesonline.com

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Another successful Routes conference in the bag. Busiest diary ever at a Routes Europe event and lots of positive discussions around Birmingham Airport and the West Midlands. My heartfelt thanks to… | Tom Screen

Another successful Routes conference in the bag. Busiest diary ever at a Routes Europe event and lots of positive discussions around Birmingham Airport and the West Midlands. My heartfelt thanks to the fantastic Andrew Pelham for his hard work. And thanks to all my colleagues and friends across...

www.linkedin.com

Credit tom screen and Andrew Pelham at routes Europe Seville.
Courtesy of LinkedIn

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Thread 'Birmingham Airport Soars Ahead: Strategic Moves to Capture Long-Haul Opportunities'
https://forums4airports.com/threads/6951/

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Thread 'Birmingham Airport Soars Ahead: Strategic Moves to Capture Long-Haul Opportunities'
https://forums4airports.com/threads/6951/

Are we actually in talks with these airlines?

 

[gulftraveller]

Are we to take this report seriously? Rwandair does not have sufficient aircraft to operate to FRA, AMS or FCO, so why BHX? UK is not a huge market for Vietnam Airlines, at this stage. When there are plenty of good targets for the airport, this seems very strange.

Airports are normally very tight lipped about serious prospects, so CEOs tend to leak stories about airlines they have emailed or sent anniversary cake to. The cynic in me makes me wonder whether it is to justify ‘work visits’ but I am sure I am wrong.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Are we actually in talks with these airlines?

BHX will be talks with most airlines, the fact NB has quoted these airlines then maybe more advanced talks.
Saying that previous quoted BHX were in advanced talks with Finnair & Cathay but these two are not mentioned in this latest article.

 

[Deleted member 8277]

.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Securing new airlines and routes can be a lengthy process. Paul Kehoe said they were talking to Air India for 3 years then a change of boss meant it took another 2. He also said that they were talking with Jet2 for around 5 years before getting the base up and running.

The vast majority of the route development work will be done behind the scenes away from the public eye, as it should be. Whilst it's nice to get a few snippets here and there I like them to talk when they have something to say. Over the years I've seen that many articles mentioning a whole host of target destinations yet I'm still waiting for many of them.

 

[Aviador]

I recently spoke to the boss of LBA and he said just that.

Basically airports are in constant dialogue with airlines, current airlines and target airlines. Lots of things can change in a short time. Landing fees at a competing airport could be increased, a new market could be emerging. There are lots of reasons to continue networking.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I think the one exception was Czech Airlines which, if memory serves, was around 6 weeks from the meeting at Routes to the service starting.

There are lots of reasons to continue networking.

Definitely. Just because we're not hearing about it doesn't mean that it's not happening.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Nick Barton talking about NY.

“The constraint at the moment is aircraft availability. There are a number of carriers who are interested in restarting that route – but subject to aircraft delivery, which has been tied up in the supply chain woes of aviation for some time.

HS2 will mean trains from London to Birmingham Airport in 32 minutes

Exclusive: Link from Old Oak Common in west London will be faster than the Stansted Express

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1919805154934579479

I don’t know how true this is?

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

How come we don’t have a year round flight to KEF.
Icelandair just announced a new route to Edinburgh Great connection swap and holiday destination.Except we have Dublin an hour away for connections and Heathrow a two hour drive.See this is where cheap low cost comes in here

 

[nwoody2001]

How come we don’t have a year round flight to KEF.
Icelandair just announced a new route to Edinburgh Great connection swap and holiday destination.Except we have Dublin an hour away for connections and Heathrow a two hour drive.See this is where cheap low cost comes in here

i think you answered your own question....

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Via the group chat I’m on.

As a side note, I just find it absolutely bonkers that the only way to fly TATL from BHX nowadays without backtracking is via Dublin

Credit Norman

 

[nwoody2001]

Via the group chat I’m on.

As a side note, I just find it absolutely bonkers that the only way to fly TATL from BHX nowadays without backtracking is via Dublin

Credit Norman

Why is that? is it that crazy?

Look at other airports across Europe that are of a similar size to BHX that are not tourist destinations for comparison...

Dusseldorf (DUS): 20,040,193 pax - Seasonal Charter to MBJ Only
Budapest (BUD): 17,526,000 pax - No TATL Flights
Luton (LTN): 16,735,984 pax - No TATL Flights
Bucharest (OTP): 15,946,791 pax - 4x weekly flights to JFK Only
Hamburg (HAM): 14,830,000 pax - No TATL Flights
Birmingham (BHX): 12,848,201 pax - Year-Round CUN/MBJ and Seasonal BGI/LRM/PUJ
Marseille (MRS): 11,167,485 pax - Daily flights to YUL Only
Lyon (LYS): 10,248,000 pax: - Daily flights to YUL Only

There are capital cities in Europe that carry millions more pax than BHX that don't have direct flights across the Atlantic, even to the most popular tourist destination. BHX at least has 5 routes across the Atlantic with TUI. All of the above airlines have just one route if that!

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

It would be nice to get a year round flight to Iceland connection or not it would do well

 

[CL44]

It would be nice to get a year round flight to Iceland connection or not it would do well

If a route would do well from BHX it would already exist. Airlines will only place an Aircraft onto a route if they know they will make revenue out of it. Airlines will go back through records to see how many passengers / how much freight was moved from point to point and check to see what sort of revenue might have been made for each. If the revenue is not there then the route will not start. The same process applies for a route which is struggling. If the Airline can use the Aircraft from a different Airport, and make more money by doing so, then that is where they will operate from.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Why is that? is it that crazy?

Look at other airports across Europe that are of a similar size to BHX that are not tourist destinations for comparison...

Dusseldorf (DUS): 20,040,193 pax - Seasonal Charter to MBJ Only
Budapest (BUD): 17,526,000 pax - No TATL Flights
Luton (LTN): 16,735,984 pax - No TATL Flights
Bucharest (OTP): 15,946,791 pax - 4x weekly flights to JFK Only
Hamburg (HAM): 14,830,000 pax - No TATL Flights
Birmingham (BHX): 12,848,201 pax - Year-Round CUN/MBJ and Seasonal BGI/LRM/PUJ
Marseille (MRS): 11,167,485 pax - Daily flights to YUL Only
Lyon (LYS): 10,248,000 pax: - Daily flights to YUL Only

There are capital cities in Europe that carry millions more pax than BHX that don't have direct flights across the Atlantic, even to the most popular tourist destination. BHX at least has 5 routes across the Atlantic with TUI. All of the above airlines have just one route if that!

Cheers for that woody.Wonder what the next new Airline will be at bhx next year if there is one.My guess is ITA

 

[gulftraveller]

Cheers for that woody.Wonder what the next new Airline will be at bhx next year if there is one.My guess is ITA

Why? ITA does not even fly to Heathrow or Gatwick!