Regarding the possibility of adding the 757/767;
Quote:
http://www.atwonline.com/news/other....12%2F24%2F2007
Bmi is looking for additional capacity, possibly 757s or 767-200s, to support growth on several former BMED routes, Chairman Michael Bishop told ATWOnline at the recent Star Alliance meeting in Beijing. "We are looking for interim aircraft to improve the competitive element of our operation to certain destinations, which I can't disclose at the moment. But I can say that three of the routes that we inherited [from former British Airways franchise operator BMED] look to us as if they are capable of almost immediate development and expansion into bigger aircraft," he said.
He added that bmi wants to introduce nonstop services on these three routes, prompting the need for "aircraft with longer legs." The former BMED routes currently are operated with A321s.
Bmi also is planning new routes for its mid-haul network "that will take us further distances away," according to Bishop. "Those will either come into the A330s at some stage in the future or in the immediate future we may be looking for some kind of interim lift to satisfy the demand." Bmi has five additional A330s on order with the first new aircraft expected to be delivered early next year (ATWOnline, July 11).
The interim lift could be provided by either a 757 or a 767-200 despite the fact that bmi's mainline operation is streamlined around an all-Airbus fleet. "Well, you have to adapt to change," Bishop conceded. "We're looking for something in the middle there [between A321s and A330s] to give us more range and more capacity. Besides, we [bmibaby] operate 737s."
Any thoughts?