But this is an anti competitive move.
BMI have fought off any competition at EMA, in recent history, KLM in Amsterdam, and CityJet in Dublin.
This was done by increasing capacity, switching to Jets, lowering fares, etc.
BMI, and their owners SAS (my airline) and LH have a history of anti competitive behaviour. Just look at SAS in Copenhagen (with Maersk), SAS against Virgin express, LH against GO and Ryanair.
SAS tried the same thing recently against GO and FR in Stansted. I enojoyed the cambridge nightstops, pity we were carrying no passengers! The company must have lost a fortune here! I think that the same thing will happen with BMI.
It the GO case, BMI flew a full service A321 on STN MUC just to kick GO off the route. Fares, min stay, frequencies and schedules virtually the same.
BMI should focus on their loss making European operations ex heathrow, and finding a home for their underused A330 fleet at Manchester. NOT trying to enter yet another market segment that they have no history in. There is no room for two low cost carriers in East Midlands. Thats BMI's plan.
And I cannot believe that pilots just sacked by BMI will come back to BMI on a lower salary, and worse conditions! You would lose your redundancy payments, have to move home, and get paid less, just to be shafted two years down the line when BMI realise that they are spending too much money on this! Just like SAS did in Stansted.