In light of Flybe planning services from EMA does anyone believe that Flybe may expand their route network from Birmingham? WW routes to BCN, LIS, NCE, GVA, NOC could work with smaller BE aircraft with increased frequency. Flybe seem to have little interest in expansion at Birmingham only adding one new route for many years.
My view is that it's all about risk. I should imagine Flybe think there is little chance of Baby continuing at EMA and so are effectively staking a claim at some of their 'preferred' routes, which appeal to both business and leisure traffic, with no direct competition (assuming Baby folds). BHX is, of course, entirely different. Baby routes at BHX for which there is no competition (those you mention, excluding GVA) offer greater risk, with the exception perhaps of NOC (and even that has Ryanair at EMA). I can't see Flybe desiring to take on the likes of LIS and BCN which I think would be new destinations for them when there's easier pickings at a nearby airport instead.
I'd have thought that BCN certainly would have been a natural addition to ZB and perhaps LIS too.
As with you, I sincerely hope a buyer for Baby will be found so all of this remains simply talk.
Flybe has waded in to the EMA market and will surely be offering a proper daily business service on the routes between EMA and Scotland, Amsterdam and Paris.
The routes you have mentioned are all essentially leisure routes, currently operated on a less than daily basis (I suppose that BCN could be deemed a business route but given the state of the Spanish economy at the moment whether a daily service could make money is open to discussion). Flybe's business model these days is more scheduled business and leisure based.
It would be great if Flybe did take on some or all of these routes, but I doubt they will consider it until the fate of BMI Baby is resolved.
WW routes to BCN, LIS, NCE, GVA, NOC could work with smaller BE aircraft
They might do , but if they plan to cherry pick the best 2 routes WW have (AMS & NCE) as well as BCN and work it into their plans for W12/S13 don't you think they will be overtrumped by another player?
Canny old EMA, well done to them for striking a deal with BE and finding a replacement routes that could be lost if WW shuts down. Like AT Notts, I would doubt that BE will take on any WW routes from BHX, concentrating instead on much easier business pickings at EMA, an airport where there is a gap in the market for the kind of high frequency business/hub routes they specialise in. BHX already has these services, operated in the main by legacy carriers. The routes that would be vacated by WW are in the main low frequency leisure which for reasons I cannot fathom never seem to do well at BHX.
So, in the (sadly) ever increasingly likely scenario that WW is shut down in October, i'm afraid as it stands I don't see any obvious candidates for their routes - LIS, NCE, BCN, PRG and NOC I think are the only ones WW operate exclusively from BHX and will therefore more than likely be lost - but being positive, BE do fly to NCE from SOU and NOC from EDI and LBA. NCE also seems to do well on load factors from BHX. And BE did step onto WAT pretty quickly when that went vacant. ZB who have been in expansion mood at BHX maybe for BCN and LIS? Of course it would be so very nice if EZY stepped ito the breach but IMO I think that is unlikely.
What worries me is that PK and his team seem so utterly focused on the runway extension and getting a long haul route to China that the bread and butter of short haul will yet again take a hit at BHX with the loss of another carrier (not BHX's fault I know) and no one in the wings to take over lost routes and pax - unlike EMA who already seem already well prepared for the sadly seemingly inevitable.
Aer Lingus increased Cork to three daily today (Mo/Wed/Fr) and yesterday they started their first BHX - DUB adding to the three daily mainline service
Air Transat returned albeit the A310 for 3 weeks before the A330 takes over
Yesterday saw the first ever scheduled service to BHX - Heraklion, which was operated by Monarch and they also started their two a week Dubrovnik. Bodrum started today earlier than last year and increased from two to three a week.
Thomson sprung a surprise of sorts with the 4th aircraft arriving Tuesday and it was the 757 and not the 738. The latter is due June making it the 5th short-haul based aircraft.
flybe start Almeria Sunday week on behalf of Airtours which was one addition that slipped past me.
Charter flights will still be down due to the lack of Skywings and the Olympic Holidays schedule all on Thomson or Monarch until the 30th May.
BMI Baby
Very sad if this is indeed the end and if it is, Amsterdam is one route I expect to be filled quickly. Remember Aer Lingus Regional had flight numbers for Knock this summer before switching the aircraft to the above mentioned Dublin.
My thoughts are with the Baby employees and passengers and hope that IAG do the decent thing for all concerned and at least maintain the schedule (if possible) to the end of September.
TOM have flights bookable BHX-RAK next summer weekly on Thursdays starting 2/5/13, 1755 out, arrive back 0215 TOM262/263. I know this route was canned after being on sale for a short time this year but they must think there is demand to have it bookable again for next year. Lets hope it lasts this time! Catania still in drop down list but no flights listed or bookable. It would also seem that there are no flights to the Dom Rep from BHX, surely this must be the first time in quite a few years that this destination is not available from BHX?
On a slight tangent, I remember Havana being advertised as a TOM destination from BHX maybe in 2010 or 2011? Did these flights ever operate I never remember seeing anything more about them apart from an advert? There is no mention of Havana from any UK airport in the current TOM timetable. I think Cuba (Varadero) could be a destination on the cards from BHX once the runway extension is finished.
My thoughts are with the Baby employees and passengers and hope that IAG do the decent thing for all concerned and at least maintain the schedule (if possible) to the end of September.
All bmibaby (and bmi for that matter) flights will operate the full summer 2012 schedule. This brings into it all flights until the 31st October 2012. After this, things are still ofcourse unplanned...
I seemed to have forgot to post the Thomson 2013 summer schedule!
Yes RAK is back and should operate.
There are some other slight changes, Pula goes twice weekly and seems to have taken the Verona slot on Saturday. FUE is added on Saturday afternoon but making all five aircraft out to late evening yet Girona goes early evening so I expect some changes.
Sunday sees NBE on Thomson metal which means Malaga is displaced and is shown as operated by Monarch.
Hurghada operates next summer on a Monday and a Dalaman is added Tuesday evening
Long-haul - MBJ, CUN and SFB which is the same as now.
I agree Cuba could or should be one for the future.
I think there have been some winter changes with some days just two aircraft operating. Monday SSH has become Hurghada but SSH does operate Thu, Fri and Sat. Luxor I am sure was bookable and is still in the drop-down but I suppose one can understand that one not coming back just yet!
Summer 2013 should see another 738 added to Bhx at the expense of a 757. So i think you should see 3 x 757 , 2 x 737-800 and a 763 for part of the week doing long haul. On a seperate note, East Midlands will be all 738 from next summer onwards and Newcastle will also be seeing more 737 's too.
Monarch have announced 2 new services from BHX with immediate effect both 2x weekly to Dubrovnik & Heraklion. They will also operate these new services from LGW at x3 and x2 respectively. Good news for BHX it seems Monarch are investing.
So it would seem official, BBC News and the Baby thread reporting that Baby will cease all flights in Sept, from June all BHD flights plus BHX-NOC and BHX-AMS and a whole host from EMA are canned due to a/c leases expiring. The vultures are already cherry picking routes, so even if a buyer is found at the eleventh hour, how will the airline carry on? Confidence in them after this announcement will be shattered. So, following on from the BE news yesterday, ZB are now ramping up frequencies on BHX-AGP, PMI, FCO, ALC and introducing BCN. Also opening new base at EMA to serve WW bucket and spade routes.
Commercially speaking EMA has done very well out of this as an airport with two new based carriers in two days both of which enrich its airline portfolio. BHX am sure will see some more ZB expansion on the back of this and surely now this is finally the open door needed for EZY to step in/take over other former WW routes? This is a snippet from the ZB press release announcing the new base:
Quote:
Monarch managing director Kevin George said: "In light of recent industry changes, opportunities have opened up in the market. It has become clear that the Midlands will be underserved as a region in the future, and that there is a lack of quality carriers to serve customers travelling from the area.
"As an airline with over 40 years heritage and a stronghold in the Midlands already, the expansion of our existing services from Birmingham and the launch of operations from East Midlands makes perfect sense for Monarch, and accelerates the strategy we announced last year to focus on the development of our scheduled operations into key leisure destinations across the Mediterranean, the Canaries and North Africa."
Speaking personally, I am gutted that this has happened and my full sympathies go out to all the hard working Baby staff, I have had nothing but excellent service and flights from them and it is very sad to see the once illustrious British Midland/BMI name disappear. IMO it would seem to me as an outsider that they have been well and truly shafted. Good luck one and all and I will make sure that I get one last flight with you guys over the summer. A very sad day indeed
After WW impending demise.. Will we see Easyjet move in? After the announcement of BFS I can see them launching away based a/c from a number of routes and eventually, possible in time for summer 2013 a base.
I can also see Aer Lingus regional changing the mid morning Dub to Noc ASAP especially as this is what it was destined to be before WW ramped up Noc flights.
Good to see ZB expanding and taking BCN over and ramping flights up on Med routes..
Good luck to all WW employees.
And over the coming days n weeks we see the bhx marketing team doing some work on replacing WW at bhx
Really sad news re Baby, used them on a few occasions and always had a good experience, hopefuly some expansion from flyBE, Monarch and dare we dream of Easy will open up some opportunities for those affected
