CAA Prov Stats
A worrying but not suprising set of figures.
This is the first month that Mytravellite figures are mssing from the stats.
No matter what your opinion of Lite they had a very strong Midlands brand and advertised aggresivly and they will be missed.
BHX seems to be in a catch 22. It is in my opinion the weekest of the major/full service carriers stations behind London and Manchester and is often the first to go in hard times.
It has a mix of so called lo cost carriers but with the absence of Lite nothing with a strong local or national image.
If I speak to non aviation related people about their holiday or booking a flight it is mostly Easy or Ryanair that they mention first, both with bases 40 odd miles up the road. These are the carriers experiancing groth.
It seems that BHX are anxious to hang on to the full service carriers they have. The attraction of more lo cost carriers may jepodise this.
The wish list is more longhaul which would be fine if the exisitng departures were not weight limited ( cargo ) by the length of the runway.
BA Connect are a major operator and their future must be considered uncertain following reviews and comments by the MD.
The IT market via tour operators where BHX was strong is declining, relaced by lo cost.
It would be interesting to know if NEMA and Ryanair struck a deal for the flights and how this will impact of the profits on NEMA compared to the financail results of BHX.
It is true that passenger numbers are not everything but they do generate other revenue in retail outlets, car parks etc.
Most airports have the occsaional blip to their passenger numbers and bussines and it is how they respond that counts. NEMA have responded by attracting Ryanair after their dissapointing results last year and they have introduced new flights that on the whole do not attack the existing carriers.
BHX had a large passenger reduction in 2004, recovered in 2005 by attracting Baby and Monrach BUT mostly on routes that were already catered for, RESULT the routes had over capacity and an airline withdrew. A short term gain only not sustainable.
When airports around are developing their route structures and passenger numbers a reduction in 2004 was unfortunate, a reduction in 2006 means 2 out of 3 years and that is rather more than unfortunate.
Some full service airlines will survive at BHX on connecting traffic, others wont. CSA sucumbed to Baby. Lo cost routes at Coventry or NEMA could account for others by making the passenger numbers not viable.
Time will tell who is correct but with runway restrictions BHX is working at a disadvantage on long haul.
Enough talk has been made of a second runway etc, the priority should be to get some length on the existing one otherwise the airport will loose out ( as it has done with First Choice already ) on the long haul charter market as better economics are offered else wher
Time will tell who is correct.
Centre cities