BIRMINGHAM - 5

[OltonPete]

Winter 2011/12

Schedule flights see little change to last year but a quick overview and of course all subject to change.

Lufthansa

FRA - Four daily every day with the only LH operated service moving slight earlier and scheduled to be a B733 most times. The three BMI A320's add significant weekend capacity compared to last winter.

MUC - Same frequency as last winter with three daily in the week and two at weekends. However a reasonable capacity increase last winter as the first and last inbound to BHX are 116 seat EMB195's compared to CRJ900's last year.

DUS - No Contactair F100 this winter but capacity is difficult to judge due to the adhoc use of the 737. The Thursday evening seems to have the 733 scheduled. flybe of course will also increase once the elusive 175 turns up.

SAS - The morning service appears to be increased with the weekday a MD80 scheduled and a new Saturday service (or re-instated).

Air France - The most significant increase of the winter schedule (but not previous ones) with the introduction of mainline on all three services with the A318 on the afternoon and evening run replacing the RJ85's - yippee

KLM Again the most significant aspect is the removal of the F70 with the EMB190 taking over making 2 of the 5 services with this equipment. As for the other three services these change from a mix of 737-700's and 738's. The usual is 2 x 700 and 1 x 800 but sometimes it is 3 x 700's.

Aer Arann - Finish on the Waterford mid month but via Aer Lingus Regional double daily Cork and single Shannon both increases on 2010/11 due to the Saturday operation.

PIA - Currently like last winter starts as 3 x 77W's but their timetable shows it soon back to four a week from 18/12 with the 772.

Aer Lingus Thursday as well as Friday sees four daily Dublin and Sunday is three daily as with Monday-Thursday (Sat is two).

easyjet - Restart 10th December on GVA & GNB weekend only but GVA
by the 15th is daily (double daily Saturday and Sunday). At times Saturday operates at three daily but Tuesday doesn't always see a flight. Both routes end 15/04/2011.

BMI Baby - Three based but mainly two in service and Malaga stops half through November as planned. Alicante breaks in the New Year again until February half-term. Prague is the boost with it four weekly and five for a couple of weeks in December.

Ryanair - 61 flights I think I counted which is up on last November I believe with Kaunas re-instated and Alicante increased yes increased to four a week. Malta did not start until December 2010 so that is also an increase along with an extra Arrecife rotation. Three out of the four based operate with KRK and NRN lost from last winter. I think the three Dublin on a Saturday is an increase and of course the twice weekly Faro and FUE.

Monarch - Some cuts from last winter no doubt due to the FR FUE and increase on ACE but possibly also due to what is looking like an all A321 operation compared to a based A320 operating every day last winter. FUE does operate off and on, with frequency reductions on TFS, ACE, LPA, LCA
and AGP (Nov only as it was reduced in the New Year).

Little or no change on the rest, TK is 5 a week (738/A320), SN have cut the Saturday morning (was BMIR 145), CO is the same as last winter other than Wednesday appears cut until May rather than March and Swiss plus City Airline is no change.
Charter/IT

Thomson start on the back foot with a 738 operating alongside two 757's and the occasional 763. Friday is a disaster with one Med flight to TFS after the HUG and Marsa Alam were pulled. HUG does operate Friday with Thomas Cook.

Boa Vista is added as new route for Thomson on Tuesday but the long-running all year round Saturday Alicante is now November, Feb onwards.
Taba and Luxor have been lost due to the obvious reason.

Long-haul is also not looking good with Cancun on a Thursday and Montego Bay on a Sunday in November and early December before it changes to Bridgetown in late Dec. There are some cruise flights.

Thomas Cook is two based 757's and they operate every day in November with the usual December reductions. Banjul is still going on Tuesdays.

Ski I will touch upon in more detail another day but it looks similar with the Austrian INN still bookable for Saturdays and so is the new flybe ILD. Flybe are quite busy ski wise.

Pete