Birmingham may gain Athens link
Friday, May 01, 2009
Chris Gray
Greek charter carrier Hellenic Imperial Airways is in negotiations with Birmingham airport about starting its first flight from the UK.
The carrier plans to start a Birmingham-Athens service this spring, which would connect to a service to Jeddah from the Greek capital.
It believes there is a market for the route to Athens among the West Midlands’ Greek community.
The connection to Jeddah could also be attractive to Birmingham’s sizeable Muslim community. The Saudi Arabian city is the gateway to Mecca, which Muslims are required to visit once in their lifetime.
Hellenic Imperial was set up three years ago to operate charter flights in up to 115 countries in the Mediterranean and Middle East, using four Boeing 747s.
The proposed Birmingham flight would be its first scheduled service and first UK flight.
Its UK representative, Ahmed Chowdhury, said the Birmingham-Athens service would operate four times a week, with an Athens-Jeddah connection twice a week.
On the two days when the Jeddah flight operated, passengers would stay on the aircraft at Athens while other passengers boarded and the aircraft refuelled, he said.
Flights would leave Birmingham at 6pm.
Fares would start at £199 plus tax return to Athens and £350 plus tax return to Jeddah.
Chowdhury added that the airline had helped repatriate customers after the collapse of the XL group last year.
A spokeswoman for Birmingham airport said it was in negotiations with Hellenic but no dates for the start of the service had been confirmed.
http://www.ttglive.com/c/portal/layo...0Athens%20link
Lets hope Birmingham pull this one off!
