Birmingham: New Route Development & Rumours

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Cheers mate.

I'm not convinced there is anything in it but, as you said, it would be nice to see them again 🙂

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Seeing as we haven't had any rumours for a while I heard three yesterday. It's only hearsay and there's nothing at all official so make of them what you will.

-Qatar will announce BHX this year for a 2016 start (haven't we been here before several times?).

Apologies for quoting myself but it appears that Mr Pearson has been indulging in the delights of Doha recently. Could it be that he was just enjoying a little annual leave and chose Doha for some R&R, or is it related to QR potentially starting BHX?

As ever, time will tell.

 

[Brum X]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

As much as i love what Emirates have done for BHX, it would be great to have another ME3 tail at the airport with another daily 787.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

I agree. I wouldn't have thought Emirates would be overly worried though, they have a huge network, superior brand recognition and if the rumours are true 2016 may see the A380 factor. With Qatar's connections to India they may give AI something to think about though, especially as the recent delays/cancellations haven't done them any favours with the travelling public.

Changing track slightly when asked on Twitter why BHX was the only UK airport without a flight to Prague Mr Kehoe replied:

"airlines advise they've got the market covered."

Does anyone else find this as concerning as I do? I mean high landing fees can be adjusted, if an airline is focusing on expansion on the continent then we can wait our turn but being told that the market is already covered is pretty much saying we don't need BHX! Over the years whilst BHX has stubbornly refused to embrace changes the likes of BRS, LTN, EMA etc have built up solid bases with the loco's and it now seems as though it's too late. Those same airlines are now happy for pax from our region to travel but what's even worse is it seems pax from our region have now got used to travelling elsewhere.

In the UK real expansion comes from either Ryanair or Easyjet, they are easily the two most recognisable brands. BHX has a gradually decreasing Ryanair base and one route from Easy. If these have no interest in BHX at all then things are going to be very difficult indeed in the future.

It seems that BHX's refusal to do a deal with the loco's is more serious than first thought and now the success of Norwegian and/or Vueling is vital, failure cannot be an option as it's there's no one else left.

 

[User0001]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

If BHX can anchor in Norwegian, they have got themselves a great tennant.

It needs to be warned though, they do expect good results at Norwegian, and have no sentiment whatsoever.

One to watch, however, could be Vueling.

There are rumours that a MAN base is coming, and even airports in Romania are saying Vueling is talking to them about MAN routes.

If BHX could get Vueling to base, they could link up the much needed sun routes as well as city ones, and with oneworld/IAG suddenly remembering where BHX is, could do wonders to feed the likes of American too.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

I think all airlines demand results these days, routes aren't flown on prestige alone anymore.

The key to the above though is that little word 'if'!

BHX have a very poor record with this sort of thing, big expansion always seems to lead to a hasty retreat a season or two later. Ever since BA left there have been a string of failures from My Travel Lite, the huge failure in not securing a base from either Easy or Ryanair, right through to the recent blood bath from Flybe and the pull out of Bmi Regional.

Norwegian and Vueling both have the potential to do wonders for BHX and finally provide the kind of route network that we all crave, if they can be persuaded to establish a base.

I desperately want to be proven wrong but I have very little confidence that those at BHX can pull it off.

 

[Brum X]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Mr Kehoe did admit in that recent video that BHX had failed to attract the locos, so maybe and its a maybe they are gonna pull out all the stops for either Norweigan or Vueling ?????

 

[BHXsupporter]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours - Airport costs

A lot is said about BHX charges although I don't know the details vs other airports. However I've seen in the Aer Lingus Group plc Preliminary Results 2014 the following
(http://corporate.aerlingus.com/media/co ... -FINAL.pdf) wrt Heathrow charges:

Airport and en-route charges: 12% price increase in London Heathrow and increases from other stations. (p31).

Can BHX take advantage of this?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Mr Kehoe did admit in that recent video that BHX had failed to attract the locos, so maybe and its a maybe they are gonna pull out all the stops for either Norweigan or Vueling ?????

I think they are going to need to pull out all the stops, from Mr Kehoe's reply I just wonder if it's too late. During all those years that BHX failed to embrace the rise of the loco's they were creating extensive and very successful route networks from other airports and now feel they simply don't need BHX. They can offer more direct destinations at a lower cost than the full service airlines and obviously feel that the price conscious passenger from our region is prepared to travel.

Prague is one of the most popular city break destinations yet the airlines feel that the airport serving a City of almost 1.2 million people, a City Region of nearly 3 million people, a Metropolitan region of nearly 5 million people doesn't need a flight as the 'market is covered' elsewhere. To me that is very worrying.

The one thing that concerns me is that Easyjet and Ryanair are household names, even those without any interest in aviation know who they are. NAS and Vueling are relatively unknown and it's going to be a big task to convince people that if they want to fly from the UK to Spain their best option is using an airline called Norwegian. I think Mr K himself said it has taken Vueling along time to establish themselves at Cardiff, I think they have been there four years now and still only have four sun routes.

I really do hope BHX have had a change of policy and can help both be successful as it feels like last chance saloon :shok:

A lot is said about BHX charges although I don't know the details vs other airports. However I've seen in the Aer Lingus Group plc Preliminary Results 2014 the following
(http://corporate.aerlingus.com/media/co ... -FINAL.pdf) wrt Heathrow charges:

Airport and en-route charges: 12% price increase in London Heathrow and increases from other stations. (p31).

Can BHX take advantage of this?

I think we heard a while ago that they were looking at Belfast - BHX, I wonder if anymore has been discussed or whether with Flybe and Easyjet offering 10 flights per day they feel there is no more room.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Hi there ray and all, well what can we say about Mr Kehoe, and his management board and tea. Since he Arrived in August 2008, what's he achieved as Chief Executive of the airport since he's arrived, well resigned up three, and two new carriers, all in the last seven years that hes been at Birmingham, not really alot, which adds up to two every three years, not very good or positive for someone who's paid all that money, and charges high landing fees, and expects airlines to question up and pay, well those big airlines have shown him that bhx is not worth the high price when you can use Manchester for a third of what Birmingham is charging, and that's the difference between Birmingham, Manchester and heathrow..Andyc

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Since he Arrived in August 2008, what's he achieved as Chief Executive of the airport since he's arrived

Off the top of my head:

The arrival of Turkish Airlines. Obviously they have been fantastic at BHX but with the rate at which they have expanded would they have arrived anyway?

The return of Air India. Some would say it was only a matter of time but they can't have been easy to deal with.

A new Ryanair base soon to rival Stansted. Who can remember the quote "By 2012 , Ryanair’s will have 10 aircraft based in Birmingham, which will deliver 5M passengers p. a. sustaining 5,000 jobs."? Obviously this didn't last long and they have been retreating, and still continue to retreat, ever since. Incidentally I think it's been nearly three years since we had a new route from them.

Flybe - Again big expansion followed by a hasty retreat.

Emirates - Since they went double daily in 2005 it's taken ten years to get to 3x daily. Could more have been done to entice Qatar to create some competition?

US Airways - Joined the one season wonder club.

Biman Bangladesh and a whole host of paper airlines. Too embarrassing to discuss.

BMI Regional - Yet another that came and quickly went.

We've seen bits and bobs from the full service carriers but not too much has stuck. Germanwings dabbled and have now cut, SAS started and then quickly ended ARN, Ireland which historically performs well is now down to two routes.

Although I appreciate them sticking at BHX United have done very little and have stagnated to a single daily 757 with the winter programme being steadily reduced.

Up until this year we haven't seen much from Thomson and Thomas Cook. 2015 looks like an improvement but there is still much more to be done.

Thomas Cook also said they would listen to cases for new long haul leisure routes. Stansted, Glasgow and Belfast managed to get some but BHX couldn't even get a seasonal flight to Orlando. Canada also remains seriously under capacity, other airports have managed to get high season services from Air Canada Rouge whilst BHX remains stagnant at 1x weekly Air Transat.

Some unserved European routes:

Shannon
Knock
Waterford
Derry
Porto
Lisbon
Budapest
Warsaw
Prague
Split
Toulouse
Oslo
Gothenburg
Stockholm
Pisa/Florence
Valencia
Marseille
Basel
Cologne

In fairness to Mr Kehoe we have just been through the biggest global recession ever seen and we have had things happen that are out of his control, the demise of BMI Baby, the problems with Monarch, Air Blue's financial issues etc.

Also we've seen the arrival of Aegean and Icelandair, American will be finally be back and we have two new airlines in Vueling and Norwegian. How successful these will be remains to be seen but at least we have a chance.

I'll leave it to others to weigh up the good against the bad and more importantly whether the good is because of Mr Kehoe or despite Mr Kehoe.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Hi there ray and everyone, as per my previous post, Mr Kehoe arrives in August 2008, after the previous managing director, Mr John Heard was killed by a tree on his way to work, by those strong winds we had in 2008. The runway extension planning application that had already been submitted prior to kehoes arrival in August 2008 had already been passed, consent and granted by Feb 2009, yet, it a further 12 months were taken to deal with the environmental issues that had been raised, that's now March 2010, but then it takes the airport management team some two years and four months to find and announce a contractor to undertake this mammoth project. by this time we all know that London has successfull in bringing the games to Britain, kehoe then, makes an announcement in an interview with someone, that airports runway extension will be up an ready for business by this time, yet even after his announcement which was in the June 2011, no runway project had even started yet, then he kept saying "once the funds are in place" and then in another " now there in place ". Yet the first spade hit earth in June 2012, just one month before Olympics started, which meant completion in 2014, some two years later. Andyc

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

I think the original plan was to have the runway extension fully operational by 2012 in anticipation of flights arriving from all around the world for the Olympics. When it was clear that there would be very little or no extra traffic I think they decided there was no rush and they could take their time, we were still in the midst of a recession and I don't think too much immediate growth was forecast.

The delay after that was not to do with the funding of the runway extension itself but more to do with the diversion of the A45. I can't remember the exact problem but there was an issue over what was then Advatage West Midlands part funding the project. At one point there were rumours that the whole thing could fall through so they did well to get it done, of course if you believe some people they say that doing the runway extension was a condition of sale by the previous owners so they had no choice.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

It's been reported elsewhere that all the Small Planet flights have now been replaced by Enter Air.

Monday - Corfu

Thursday - Zakynthos

Saturday - Kefalonia

Also the Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday so we are to expect a Ryanair invasion from DUB. Aer Lingus will also be using A321's and have added extra flights.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

VLM are to start Waterford at the end of April, 4x weekly on days 1,3,5 &7.

Also rather than bump the American thread I'll post it here that JFK remains daily throughout January and so far for the first week of Feb.

 

[Brum X]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

VLM are to start Waterford at the end of April, 4x weekly on days 1,3,5 &7.

Also rather than bump the American thread I'll post it here that JFK remains daily throughout January and so far for the first week of Feb.

Great to see one of our irish routes re-instated and a new airline to BHX.

Welcome VLM



Mon Wed Fri departs at 13:40
Sun departs at 14:40

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

There is a rumour at the moment that Qatar will be starting BHX in September using an Airbus A350. I would have thought a 787 more likely but their A350's only have 29 more seats.

We've been here before so we'll wait and see.

 

[Brum X]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

There is a rumour at the moment that Qatar will be starting BHX in September using an Airbus A350. I would have thought a 787 more likely but their A350's only have 29 more seats.

We've been here before so we'll wait and see.

787 or A350 would be awesome, lets keep hoping and perfect timing for Qatar to muscle in on the BHX Middle east traffic, especially when Emirates would of started there 3rd daily rotation.

 

[thunderchild]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

A350 would certainly be a coup although I agree the 787 is still the more logical choice. As an aside is it just me or is the A350 one hell of an ugly airplane?

 

[Aviador]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Are you serious, it's a beautiful aircraft :whiteflag:

A350 at BSL by BSL-2KM, hosted on Forums4airports.com