Quote: "AI BHX to Amritsar.. Air India said made large amounts of money.. only stopped to save landing rights at LHR..."
Don't understand how the two are connected. There is a fairly liberal (if not open skies) agreement between the UK and India. It was, for example, liberal enough to allow BA, BD, VS, AI and 9W on LHR-BOM (BD dropped out and IT came on later) with BA and 9W twice daily.
Quote: "Plans to rename BHX Ozzy Osbourne International Airport anyone?"
Hmmm, Heathrow-Dick Turpin Airport ?
Heathrow-The Black Hole Airport? (see below)
No, let's not waste money on frivolity, leave it as the much more sensible Birmingham-Elmdon.
Why not name our railway stations and football grounds after celebrities first? Once we've made ourselves look silly nationally then maybe we can make ourselves a laughing stock globally.
Quote: "Why the families UK home for many many years has been leafy Buckinghamshire and close to the end of the metropolitan tube line "Chalfont St Giles"
A stones throw from the "blackhole"
Los Angeles was also home for a while, IIRC.
Quote: "As for India well lets say combined political interference global recession (In relevant tech industries) and shear weakness of all airline candidates will prevent any UK regional service for some years.
Kingfisher - Effectively bust
Air India - Corrupt political tool and also broke
Jet - More concerned with *A membership and deciding whether to remain in Brussels or move to Munich."
Yes, forget about AI to ATQ coming back, forget about IT and/or 9W starting up, never going to happen. Why? because it's too late.
The low yield VFR traffic to northern India has been sown up by EK in particular (offering multiple destinations in India via DXB) and, to a lesser extent, TK. Doubtless QR and EY will be on this bandwagon before AI gets it act together.
As for the premium business and high yield, that heads further south these days to Bombay, as always, and the growing cities of Bangalore and Hyderabad and Madras.
Over the years there has been a change, a move to the south and nonstop UK-India flights now reflect this: they go to BLR, HYD and MAA rather than ATQ and CCU. BOM is the main centre for business finance, and commerce, DEL is the capital and the centre of the tourist trade, so they have always had the most flights and this won't change.
As far as BHX and the sub-continent is concerned, would expect Pakistan and Bangladesh to be more important direct destinations. As far as India is concerned, LHR appears to have its routes sown up.
Last edited by Fairdealfrank; 28th Dec 2012 at 18:35.