Route Development & Rumours

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray and all, read the large article from Mr Kehoe, yes in principal, Manchester went forward in the late eighties and invested, that's why its airport now handles twenty plus million passengers per year plus ,where as Birmingham's management led by Mr Bob Taylor , who was the airports MD in the late eighties, just sat on the fence and did nothing along with council leaders including Richard Knowles, who were just happy with handling a few million passengers per year and not really thinking ahead like Birmingham's motto forward, so those persons in charge of the airport in the mid eights - is the council and airport are to blame for Birmingham being behind Manchester twenty years, but also when you look at the airports runway charges it quite clearly states, chargeable only for maximum weight of takeoff of £10:00 per tone or part .....instead of normal standard charge,....andyc

 

[Ray Finkle]

There is no doubt that BHX suffered from massive under investment for many years but what's done is done and can't now be changed.

Over the last 18 months I've seen a side to BHX that I didn't even know existed, with great strides being made forwards. I think we all know that there is still a hell of a lot more to do though. The problem is that route development takes time, talks being held with airlines now may not lead to an actual service for 3...4....or even 5 years. Talks are being held though. We've also seen new airlines arrive and I'm confident that in time they will grow further but it's not going to happen overnight, they need time to become established.

I found Paul Kehoe's recent interview quite an eye opener about the state that BHX had been allowed to get into, it's clear now why many airlines gave them such a wide berth. Unfortunately it meant that these airlines became established elsewhere and many passengers from our region found themselves travelling to use their services. As Mr Kehoe said, it's going to be a long road when it comes to changing passenger and airline habits.

All we can do is use BHX as much as we can and tell all of your friends about the new services

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray and all, looking at Bhx landing fees, it says that they charge only for the total weight when an aircraft takes off at the rate of £10.00 per or part tonne, this is where Birmingham needs to have a transparent fee to all airlines like Manchester does at £1,848.oo per aircraft to land and take off, by this other simpler method, aircraft know where they stand with any simple charge amount, this is where I see and know where bhx may be having difficulty in attracting other larger, medium and smaller airlines to Birmingham and why they go to Manchester or other airports instead.....Andyc

 

[nwoody2001]

Andy, there is no point looking at the official land charges. Airlines looking to start new routes and any airport will (almost certainly) never pay the advertised fees. Landing fees and charges I suspect are top of the list when it comes to negotiating routes!!! The only planes likely to pay those are ones which have no choice (diverts etc)

 

[nwoody2001]

So its official.... the BHX east-bound long-haul scheduled route map for Summer 2016 is looking as follows!!! Not bad for the 7th largest airport in the UK and one that has only just passed 10m passengers.... Looking great is you ask me!

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Cheers, nwoody. But I think you need to add at least 2 westbound services to that map.

Regards

Kevin

 

[nwoody2001]

sorry, was focussing on the east-bound, there are a lot more than 2 going westbound lol

 

[Kevin Farnell]

No probs, nwoody. It's getting difficult to keep up with the new services/airlines at BHX.

Kevin

 

[nwoody2001]

The full long-haul network for Summer 2016... hopefully the coming months will allow us to add more...

 

[richard winterbourn]

What seems like a month ago now, there were postings regarding a likely new airline (6m pax) recruiting for a new base at BHX. Since then, there has been nothing posted.

Has this trail gone completely cold or are there rumours bubbling beneath the surface? If so, can they be shared with the rest of us?

 

[nwoody2001]

Well, with now being the time to announce your winter schedule, if something is to come from this, then it should be soon. Norwegian announced their LPA/TFS winter routes from BHX in May last year so the april/may window is when new routes for winter are likely to be announced...

Something to also bear in mind that from tomorrow until Tuesday is the Routes Europe Congress 2016, this year hosted in Krakow, purely speculation, but with any airlines wanting to announce new bases, then this would be a perfect time to do it!

 

[Ray Finkle]

That map is looking healthier and healthier. There may be one missing though, see who gets it first

 

[User001]

DWC?

 

[nwoody2001]

DWC is not a summer destination, nor is Gambia.... so nope, I'm at a loss...

 

[Ray Finkle]

Sorry missed the 'summer 16'. Apologies.

 

[nwoody2001]

#BOOM!!!!!

 

[User001]

I missed S16 too. Doh!

 

[nwoody2001]

So, for conversation perhaps but here's by 'realistic' wish-list. We have come great strides in the last 3-4 years to expand out long-haul route network. im hoping that the map below wouldn't be too unrealistic in the next 3-4 years...

Current summer peak routes...

2020 summer peak (dream list)

 

[Ray Finkle]

Add YVR and somewhere in Cuba and I'm in

I hope we'll have those by 2020

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Add YVR and somewhere in Cuba and I'm in

I hope we'll have those by 2020

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