Would be interesting to see destinations Ex Bristol not served from Bhx
Looking at the BRS website these are the scheduled destinations they serve that BHX don't are:
Prague, Beziers, Limoges, Marseilles, Toulouse, Budapest, Reykjavik, Naples, Pisa, Riga, Lodz, Poznan, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Lisbon, Olbia, Madrid, Valencia
Some of these of course could be summer only. MAD, PRG, WAW and LIS would be nice from BHX thanks. On the flip side, remember, BRS also has only three full service interline providers, SN via BRS, AF via CDG and KL via AMS and no scheduled long haul.......
BHX does well with interline carriers to a few main hubs, traditional bucket and spade and the few niche long haul routes it has cultivated. These will continue to bring pax through the doors but will not provide an explosion in terms of routes and pax numbers, instead just steady but unspectacular growth. I really cannot see where any big growth will come from in the near future. TP and AY are shots in the dark but could happen. At present BHX has just one new route for S14, ZB to HRG. Both EDI and MAN have seen expansion to trans-atlantic services, BHX does not yet have a single new carrier or route that will need the runway extension, although has of course seen new routes and carriers to the Indian sub-continent. How long will T5 last though?
BHX allegedly have the 8th highest joint handling/landing charges in Europe,and more than twice that of MAN.
I assume they are not in a position to lower them much if they want to stay in the black.
Therein lies a major issue and constraint on growth - like it or not airlines chase good deals to land at airports. Landing fees that cannot be reduced because the airport has saddled itself with debts to pay off for capital infrastructure projects in the deluded hope it will become some sort of new long haul hub have put paid to striking any kind of deal with Easy, Jet2, Norwegian or indeed anyone and therefore strengthening the short haul network. Other airports must invest and manage to cultivated successful deals with such airlines yet BHX can't/won't.
As far as BHX is concerned I'd say the ICC and NEC
Sadly I don't think so compared to the days that used to see wide bodies from LH and extra flights from LX, TK etc to cope with the upsurge in demand for shows like the Spring Fair and Motor Show. Yes there are still a lot of shows at the NEC but not those that see business pax needing to fly into BHX in any great numbers
I really think BHX has to come up with a commercial proposition to entice airlines rather than constant comparisons with Manchester
Agreed - and hanging onto the coat tails of LHR to provide future growth is even worse. But what is that commercial proposition? Brummies seem happy to interline to get to their chosen destination or fly off on a bucket and spade holiday. Anything else more out the box seems of no interest to the local populace or is worth the journey to another airport to get there.