jdcg
I think if one looks at how close Jersey European came to going to the wall, before Jack Walker stuck with it and re invented it as Flybe shows that almost anything can be turn around, given the will and the money to do it. DHL certainly have the money if that all that required? but without a step change in their business plan it would be throwing good money after bad, the very fact that the bmi group still exists indicates that DHL have not given up just yet.
I would expect to major changes in the group structure during the winter period, WPS clearly had to get the bmi (British Midland brand) sorted first, that fact that it took until last month to get the entire fleet in the bmi colour scheme, some 10 years after James Hogan started the rre branding says it all, the same fact that WPS has done this in under two years at a reported cost of 30m at a time when the company was bleeding cash show that DLH are very much behind the airline, for it would have gone bust other wise!!
The group needs at best two brands British Midland and bmibaby( i would call it something else) with all short haul eEuropean services and remaining domestics operated by a enhanced bmibaby type product, the regional operation could easily be iintegrated within British Midland, the idea that some how it ddoesn't loose money because its run out of ABZ is rubbish, it runs as it does because the bulk of its work is wet lease for either SN BMI or Airbus and a few domestic services some of which has been said elsewhere are marginal at best, it has no revenue control over its wet lease work and is protected from any increase in fuel costs within this wet lease work.
I think its 75% certain that the bmi group will be around in 12 months time, but its a 100% certain won't be as we know it, Jim
Could luck to all who work there and may the force be with you.