Think most of any BHX-BOS traffic would be connecting onto other destinations in the U.S. Would maybe work for someone like AA but can't see astreus making it work
On another topic it's very dissapointing not to have got Qatar, it was really our only chance of a new long haul this year. EK loads recently have been fantastic, and apparently they're looking at a 3rd daily from MAN with BHX not too far behind (think the A380 situation is messing things up a bit), could QR nip in and beat them too it???
Article from local paper:
Emirates Airline – now regarded as the premier carrier at Birmingham
International Airport – is again planning an increase in capacity
after notching up a 71 per cent rise in the number of passengers
using its Birmingham services in just two years.
From 187,000 customers flying with the Dubai-based international
carrier in 2004/2005, the latest figures for the year to March have
hit 320,000 for its twice-daily services from Birmingham.
It means that Emirates will be looking to use larger aircraft at
Birmingham from summer onwards – and increases the chances of the
introduction of a third service in about a year's time.
Emirates says that as well as the growth of Dubai as one of the
world's leading business and tourism destinations, the popularity of
Australian destinations has soared as Midlands travellers turn their
back on London's airports to fly direct from Birmingham.
Four of the top seven destinations for Emirates passengers are now in
Australia – compared with two in 2005 – with Perth, Sydney, Brisbane
and Melbourne overtaking Delhi and Dhaka in popularity as travellers
take advantage of connections through the carrier's Dubai hub.
Laurie Berryman, Emirates manager UK North, said yesterday: "Air
travellers in the Midlands have realised there's little point in
travelling down the M1 or M40 to the London airports when there's our
choice of services on their doorstep.
"There is a significant time saving by flying direct with Emirates
from Birmingham International to our destinations in the Middle East,
Asia and Australia.
"Business class passenger numbers have actually grown faster than
economy, in part due to our very popular chauffeur-drive service
within a 70 mile radius of BIA."