Route Development & Rumours

[Ray Finkle]

As much as I'd like to see it I don't think United would be on LAX.

A 3x weekly ANZ 77W has been rumoured. If it did happen then I'm more inclined to think a 789 may be used, with only 300 seats it shouldn't be too much of a chore for Birmingham to sell 150 or so of those three times per week. The only reason I could see a 77W would be if there was a significant cargo element to the deal.

Personally, as much as I'd love it to happen, I think it's possibly just a step too far. We have to remember that BHX hasn't yet been able to secure the likes of Las Vegas, Vancouver, Cuba, Orlando International etc... Hong Kong and Bangkok I could possibly believe in but AKL-LAX-BHX-LAX-AKL?

I will remain cautiously hopeful though

 

[ronnoc1k8]

What other long haul airlines have BHX had talks with?

 

[Jerry]

As much as I'd like to see it I don't think United would be on LAX.

A 3x weekly ANZ 77W has been rumoured. If it did happen then I'm more inclined to think a 789 may be used, with only 300 seats it shouldn't be too much of a chore for Birmingham to sell 150 or so of those three times per week. The only reason I could see a 77W would be if there was a significant cargo element to the deal.

Personally, as much as I'd love it to happen, I think it's possibly just a step too far. We have to remember that BHX hasn't yet been able to secure the likes of Las Vegas, Vancouver, Cuba, Orlando International etc... Hong Kong and Bangkok I could possibly believe in but AKL-LAX-BHX-LAX-AKL?

I will remain cautiously hopeful though

I do wonder why Virgin haven't been doing the likes of Orlando and Las Vegas and Cuba? I would have thought they would've comfortably got full use of a based A330/A340 out of BHX?

 

[IanFarquharson]

I do wonder why Virgin haven't been doing the likes of Orlando and Las Vegas and Cuba? I would have thought they would've comfortably got full use of a based A330/A340 out of BHX?

I do wonder why Virgin haven't been doing the likes of Orlando and Las Vegas and Cuba? I would have thought they would've comfortably got full use of a based A330/A340 out of BHX?

BHX have openly said Virgin have no interest in BHX as their pax happily go North to MAN or South to LHR/LGW.

 

[Jerry]

I do wonder why Virgin haven't been doing the likes of Orlando and Las Vegas and Cuba? I would have thought they would've comfortably got full use of a based A330/A340 out of BHX?


BHX have openly said Virgin have no interest in BHX as their pax happily go North to MAN or South to LHR/LGW.

Ah i didn't know that.

 

[Ray Finkle]

What other long haul airlines have BHX had talks with?

The ones that I've heard officially mentioned are Westjet, AC Rouge, Norwegian Long Haul, Thomas Cook (MCO), Hong Kong Airlines and a couple of the Chinese airlines.

Alongside those there are quite a few rumoured, some more strongly than others.

 

[jfy1999]

I believe another long haul airline (not Delta) has been asking for handling quotes?

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there jfy1999, so who's this other carrier that's been asking for handling quotes, because this is really starting to get very interesting indeed, first it's jet2, then delta, who is next we wonder, are we now going to get a flurry of other carriers now starting to get twitching feet about wanting to start flights from Bhx, because if this is the case, I do hope that this has unlocked that door to a huge flurry of interested, who may now after ignoring Birmingham, have now realised that Birmingham is not that bad as they say, but a lot better to do business, but also the demand is now there more than it was previously.. Andyc

 

[jfy1999]

Hi there jfy1999, so who's this other carrier that's been asking for handling quotes, because this is really starting to get very interesting indeed, first it's jet2, then delta, who is next we wonder, are we now going to get a flurry of other carriers now starting to get twitching feet about wanting to start flights from Bhx, because if this is the case, I do hope that this has unlocked that door to a huge flurry of interested, who may now after ignoring Birmingham, have now realised that Birmingham is not that bad as they say, but a lot better to do business, but also the demand is now there more than it was previously.. Andyc

Hi Andrew. It's a Middle East carrier. No potential start date as of yet. The start of the service might possibly depend on aircraft deliveries, but I'll have to get permission from Ray to divulge their identity.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I don't think that it's any secret. It's been openly discussed elsewhere that their reps have supposedly been to BHX.

That doesn't necessarily mean that it will definitely happen though.

 

[JF57]

We could do with a carrier from the West or Far East. We have enough from the Middle East

 

[jfy1999]

Andrew - the carrier is based in Abu Dhabi if that helps!!

I would prefer a US service over Etihad though.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there jfy1999, if it's ethihad airlines, then looks like they may have been monitoring the situation at bhx with both emirates and now qatar and thought, ok it might be worth a try to see what the demand is with the likes of emirates and qatar as well....Andyc

 

[David_itl]

Just putting this here as the destination may well be LGW or LHR, but you never know..

"Charlie Airlines, the subsidiary of Russia’s S7 airline, acquired the licence to use defunct Cyprus Airways brand name, logo, and trademark over the next 10 years for flights from and to Cyprus, for a total of €2.04m, the finance ministry’s privatisation unit said.... The new company is expected to launch its flight schedule towards the end of the year, initially to three destinations in the UK, Greece, and Russia, using two Airbus A319 aircraft."

http://cyprusbusinessmail.com/?p=29154

 

[Aceshigh]

If it's EtIhad is there not the danger that EK QR and now Etihad are simply going to eat each other ?

A direct ling haul will have a unique USP and more chsnce of success but the MEBs all offer a not disimilar product.

Re ANZ I do wonder if LHR airlines simply use other airports as makeweights to negotiate lower fees at Heathrow?

 

[Aceshigh]

Do we know QR loads ?

 

[Ray Finkle]

If it's EtIhad is there not the danger that EK QR and now Etihad are simply going to eat each other ?

Especially with some of the rumoured expansion that EK and QR are supposedly planning.

If we think back to the Routes Middle East Conference Mr Pearson said that they were close to agreeing terms with at least one Middle Eastern operator, which we now know was Qatar.

It would be interesting to see the outcome though, the only way we'd know if Birmingham can sustain it is for it to happen.

If someone 15 years ago had said that we'd see 3x daily Emirates, 8x weekly Qatar, daily Air India, 4x weekly PIA, double daily Turkish, Turkmenistan 777's...I think the men in white coats would have been having a quiet word.

With London full it could just be our time.

 

[Brum X]

We could do with a carrier from the West or Far East. We have enough from the Middle East

I have read on another forum that singapore airline SCOOT are due to start some european destinations around October this year, i would really love it if BHX was one of them.

 

[Ray Finkle]

In 2017 Scoot will be getting 4x 787's with crew bunks enabling longer flights.

LGW has been rumoured but I think this is the type of operation that BHX would be after.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/airlines/2016/07/08/scoot-to-expand-services-to-europe-in-2017/

 

[JENNYJET]

If someone could render assistance here, if one wanted to go to Abu Dhabi using Emirates, as fine an airline that it is, does one get on a bus from Dubai or onto another airplane to get to Abu Dhabi?

Would we also wish to see Gulf Air if one wished to go to Bahrain nonstop? Sorry to appear so dim this afternoon!!!