Sorry nitefiter - cruel to be kind! <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Like Electric Sky, I too am astounded by the recent replies. Those within bmi who are, or may be, affected by this initiative will have access to the BM_Allpilots list where senior management have openly (to my mind) answered the questions of BM pilots, i.e. which pilots and cabin crew, which AOC /aircraft etc. What appears here is mainlyill-informed speculation from those who have little or nothing to do with the airlines involved. (Check the profiles of some contributors!)
Like most successful businesses bmi had already conducted a feasibility study for the future; the low fare airline had already been looked at but the arrival of Go on the doorstep precipitated the decision to start. bmi has always relished competition and took BA head on out of DUB/BFS/EDI/GLA. BA no longer fly LHR - DUB and LHR - BFS and I understand are reviewing their other shorthaul routes.
There will always be those who wish to fly from a major airport to a major airport in comfort and willing to pay for it; likewise there will always be those looking for the best they can afford. The trick is to cover the widest spectrum of the market so that you don't put all your eggs in the one basket; it also ensures that you will be here when the pendulum swings back again. bmi have done this with the long haul, full service, charter, regional and now the low fare; meantime Go have concentrated purely on the low fare.
Good luck to both airlines and to those who work for them. I hope they enjoy working out of EMA as much as I did when I was based there.
Anne