A
report in today's Telegraph (UK)
That's quite a bold move for an airline with ~50% LF.
I'm assuming the plan is to put bigger aircraft on the routes with more growth potential if the fares can be lowered substantially. That's not a bad strategy, but I wonder if it suggests a direction of travel away from being a niche/business/"full service" airline into the fray of LCC activity? If you can't fill an ER-145 BRS-MUC at £300-£400 r/t, then don't fares have to drop to fill a 319?
Last time bmi tried to be an LCC, it didn't play out well with the high yield business customers, and the activity got wound back. (
link,
link) (Admittedly, out of LHR on competed routes like DUB/EDI/GLA). Maybe a better execution will work out more successfully.
I'd love to see bmi A319's working out of BRS, but not if that growth puts the airline at risk of survival.