Route Development & Rumours

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray, regarding the Los Angeles advert on bhx main website, spoke to lady at airport that deals with the website, states no direct flights at present, but only the usual connection from jfk or newark...andyc

 

[Jon Dempsey]

I've travelled through T2 a number of times @ rush-hour.

It could do with a bit more seating, but has always coped well in departures.
Arrivals may be an issue with 2 international and 1 domestic carousels.

Land-side arrivals will be a bit of a game though. I've never understood why, when the latest development was carried out, passengers from either terminal are pitched against each other and meeters & greeters. Always a recipe for a bit of a ruck I would have thought.

Checked the offers for Birmingham to Los Angeles. BA have a service - BHX-DXB-LHR-LAX!!

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray, regarding website of Bhx with rodeo drive on it, I quizzed the young lady, who then said that, no direct flights as such only the connecting ones from jfk and Newark... But it would be great it there was...Andyc

 

[Ray Finkle]

Land-side arrivals will be a bit of a game though. I've never understood why, when the latest development was carried out, passengers from either terminal are pitched against each other and meeters & greeters. Always a recipe for a bit of a ruck I would have thought.

That area can be heaving at times.

Now that the service road at the front of the terminals is out of action I wonder if the ground floor arrivals area could be extended outwards? I imagine it wouldn't be overly expensive, relatively speaking, the main cost would most likely be relocating Costa?

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray and all, I've just checked Atlanta airports passenger numbers total for last year 2015, incredible figures 101,489,887, that's one hundred and one million passengers world wide have made Atlanta airport or should I say Hartfield Jackson, the busiest airport in the world I think, Ive not checked with the others yet, but ray, what a figure, puts Birmingham to one small corner, now that's a target to try and beat if ever I've seen one...Andyc

 

[nwoody2001]

a prime reason if there was any that having a connection to the worlds busiest airport could have great benefits to BHX... lets hope.... I don't think the two cities have ever been connected in the past

 

[Brum X]

a prime reason if there was any that having a connection to the worlds busiest airport could have great benefits to BHX... lets hope.... I don't think the two cities have ever been connected in the past

Yes I agree, if BHX was to get a new US link in the next couple of years I would prefer it to be BHX-ATL with Delta, rather than BHX-ORD with UA/AA. As you say, why would you not want to be connected to the busiest international airport in the USA. And Delta offer great connections too. I really hope our routes team this year are talking about this link as much as the links to China/Far East etc etc

 

[Brum X]

Korean Air have today unveiled 3 new charter flights into Glasgow in August from Seoul. Nice little coup for that airport. Definitely one that would fit the BHX portfolio, im sure the people of south korea would also find this region interesting just like the Chinese.

 

[Ray Finkle]

That will be a great one for Glasgow. I believe BHX held discussions with ANA about a programme from Japan but obviously nothing came of it.

There seems to be some conflicting rumours about this years Chinese flights doing the rounds at the moment, hopefully we'll hear something official soon.

 

[DaveBham]

Oh, don't leave us on a cliffhanger Ray - tell us what you know!

 

[Ray Finkle]

As we know Capital Airlines applied to the CAAC for a weekly Beijing and a weekly Hangzou, those slots have been allocated and looked ready to go.

There now seems to be a rumour that it will not be happening, the Chinese economy was suggested as a possible reason. This comes from an unsubstantiated source though so until we hear something official it could simply be a case of 2+2=5.

The last two announcements have come in early March so with this years programme intended to start slightly earlier I hope we hear something in the next few weeks.

As always until it's official it's only a rumour :good:

 

[Ray Finkle]

There are reports on another forum that Ryanair flight departures from Hamburg, Bucharest and Sofia now indicate based aircraft, to go along with the already announced bases at Toulouse and Timisoara.

No doubt they will be going up against Wizz and Blue Air in Eastern Europe so I wonder if they will go head to head on Bucharest and Sofia at BHX? It could be that they are after new UK markets, effectively beating Wizz to it, or possibly even open up EMA giving indirect competition?

Hamburg would, in my opinion, be great for BHX. Ever since Flybe dropped it I think it is definitely under served.

The same forum also reports that Easyjet are undertaking a feasibility study for a new base at Bournemouth. I realise that there is much less competition there but it makes you wonder what BHX has to do to get a sniff? I still think that we need significant growth from a based carrier to carry the pax increases into 2017, talk of a Norwegian base has gone very quiet and I can't see Ryanair adding another 2/3 aircraft.

Apparently the routes are potentially to be Funchal, Palma, Bordeaux, Nice, Gibraltar, Seville, Almeria, Barcelona, Venice and Faro. That could slot perfectly into BHX?

 

[Daza]

Ray maybe Ryanair could try BHX-TLS? Flybe seemed to attract numbers (numbers wise it performed better than any of their "magnificent seven" BE tried). Maybe three times a week would work? I am always curious as to why TLS hasn't worked ex BHX. It has industry and is itself a beautiful city with leisure links in its region too and even ski potential in winter.
I guess yield wasn't there for BE? I have to say I don't think FR are particularly interested in developing BHX. :s_cry
Daza

 

[Ray Finkle]

Yeah Toulouse has come and gone quite often over the years, just when it appears to be doing quite well Flybe go and drop it :smile:

Thomson serve TLS in the winter so maybe Ryanair could make a go of it.

 

[BHXisLife]

Route Development and Rumours

Would the flights to China be all year round or charter flights, like Hainan Airlines and China Southern to Beijing? The fact that Schiphol is the only European city to have connection to Hangzhou, In my opinion, it would be a big step for Birmingham to be the second airport to get direct link to Hangzhou. :smile:

http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/2015...rect-flights-between-birmingham-and-hangzhou/

 

[Brum X]

Re: Route Development and Rumours

Would the flights to China be all year round or charter flights, like Hainan Airlines and China Southern to Beijing? The fact that Schiphol is the only European city to have connection to Hangzhou, In my opinion, it would be a big step for Birmingham to be the second airport to get direct link to Hangzhou. :smile:

http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/2015...rect-flights-between-birmingham-and-hangzhou/

I believe Beijing Capital airlines now flies between Madrid and Hangzhou ????

 

[Ray Finkle]

Welcome to the forum BHXisLife.

The slots applied for run until mid October so it's unknown if they'll carry on into winter. There's probably more chance of it being just a summer operation but until we get the official announcement we won't know for sure.

I believe Beijing Capital airlines now flies between Madrid and Hangzhou ????

Started Dec 28th :smile:

http://airlineroute.net/2015/11/27/jd-mad-dec15/

 

[BHXisLife]

Welcome to the forum BHXisLife.

The slots applied for run until mid October so it's unknown if they'll carry on into winter. There's probably more chance of it being just a summer operation but until we get the official announcement we won't know for sure.

Thank you for the information, Ray. :good:

 

[IanFarquharson]

LOT are on Instagram mentioning BHX !

 

[Ray Finkle]

Brave move going up against Wizz.

Superb I really want to fly with you guys will you ever consider coming to Birmingham!


so let's fly with us! Birmingham is also on our way

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBP5ZFHKeEi/