More work for A330/B757 bmi cabin crew
Seen on ATW Daily News,more midhaul less shorthaul?
Bmi will lease two 757-200s to expand its medium-haul network further from London Heathrow. In December, Chairman Michael Bishop told ATWOnline that bmi was looking for additional capacity, possibly 757s or 767-200s, to support growth on several former BMED routes that were performing well (ATWOnline, Dec. 24, 2007). The aircraft have been wet-leased from Astraeus for two years with an option to extend. Two separate cabins will offer a mix of business and economy service.
Bmi will use the 757s to introduce nonstop services from LHR to Almaty and Freetown beginning May 1. Both routes currently are served with a stop. In addition, the airline's new LHR-Tel Aviv service, which it said is "selling beyond expectations," will upgrade to a 757 from an A320 shortly after the March 13 launch. The introduction of the two 757s also will enable schedule enhancements and increases in capacity to existing A321 destinations. Services from LHR to Yekaterinburg and Yerevan now will not operate to destinations beyond, thus boosting point-to-point capacity. An improved daily schedule between LHR and Tehran will be introduced, while flights to Dakar will be suspended.
"The delivery of suitable Airbus A330 aircraft is a little way off and we do not want to delay the range of service enhancements unveiled today," CEO Nigel Turner said. "By leasing the two Boeing 757s, pending the sourcing of suitable A330 aircraft, we are able to accelerate our Heathrow growth and ensure that we can maintain the momentum of our mid-haul route strategy, laying strong foundations for future developments in this important market."