All this talk of BA and the regions, just want to put my 2 cents in:
I can understand why BA focus on heathrow as a hub. Its the capital, their base and where a good pax base comes in.
Just like EK serve MAN from their hub, AA from theirs, QR from theirs and so on, BA are serving routes ex-LHR from their hub.
Thats fine and dandy, but my main bone of contention is that they are now looking to expand elsewhere, and this place is MAD.
Again, I understand the IB tie in, but rather than give MAN a chance, expansion is going mile and miles south of the UK. Its BRITISH airways, not LHR-MAD airways!
Now, Id rather see BA set up a small hub at MAN, displacing some high frequency routes to MAN, for example LHR-NYC where AA has 5 or 6, and LHR has 9 (EWR/JFK).
Im sure LON pax would rather travel 100 miles up to MAN, or as seen as many pax originate north of the midlands anyway so not far for them to travel anyway, rather than send them hundred of miles south before bringing them northwards back to NYC, adding hours to their journey.
British Airways is a UK airline, so why not give the UK a chance? Im not expecting a full blown super hub with hundreds of flights to every world airport, but a MUC-esque hub similar to what LH have.
Now, this middle eastern dominance issue.
Yes, there are lots of pax travelling that way, and it is taking an ever increasing market share, but this is because it is the current best route. There is no viable/worthwhile competition at the moment, why would you travel MAN-LHR-SIN-SYD when you can travel MAN-MID EAST-SYD?
If the service was there, im sure pax would use it as the pax figures are obviously there.
I cant remember where the figures are, but I saw that 138000 pax travelled MAN-LHR-HKG, and thats just LHR, how many more via DXB/AUH/DOH/FRA/AMS and so on?
If you cant make at least 4 weekly flights work with that sort of figure, then you really are in trouble!
Now for yields. 138000 obviously like the price of the tickets MAN-LHR-HKG, and the CEO'S obviously like the price of the tickets MAN-LHR-HKG so why not start MAN with the same prices, meaning yields are there but costs are lower due to lower airport fees and dropping of the need of a MAN-LHR flights.
Just an idea but like I say, its just my 2 cents