BMI

[chrism20]

Originally Posted by Flightrider

Good news re regional developments.

LHR-Aberdeen will be an entire bmi regional operation - all five weekday flights will be flown by Embraer 145 this summer.

Will it return to full service or still mainline BOB service on a regional a/c? - are BD's loads that low on ABZ/LHR?

Using an ERJ on MME services makes sense considering the poor loads on Airbus equipment.

What are the Airbuses going to be used on then? Jersey has been mentioned as a possibility where else?

[Count von Altibar]

Who knows? We've heard about baby, regional but what for the mainline? I think the Jersey is pretty much a certainty as I mentioned earlier. I guess it will be a hefty charter programme then again this summer to keep the sheckles rolling in!

[Gertcha]

Perhaps the Airbuses will be freed up for use on more "mid-haul" services, or to cover for when the last of the A321's will be returned?

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by chrism20

are BD's loads that low on ABZ/LHR?

Yes. About 25 pax in an A319 on the 1745 BD677 departure from ABZ only last night.

[onion]

The problem with the MME-LHR is that the timing of the flights and the fact that there was bad press with the pull out of bmibaby. Yes true the way things are going at the moment a ERJ is more suited to the route. BMI have ruined the route and anyone who works at the airport or uses the service will tell you that. It wasn't long ago when 16,000 to 20,000 were using it a month now its down to under 10,000 the last time i saw figures. AMS was handling more out of MME.

[The Moo]

Q. So whats the fixed 330 up to ?
Q How's the DME going ?
Q What are 20 new a/c up to when the 321's that have been in old colours for 6year are going ?

Any ideas

[chrism20]

Poor loads

Originally Posted by WHBM

Yes. About 25 pax in an A319 on the 1745 BD677 departure from ABZ only last night.

Are they all like that? Or are there some that are busier.

I would have thought a 1745 departure would have had better loads than that, or is everyone using the BA service at 1715?

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by onion

The problem with the MME-LHR is ..... BMI have ruined the route and anyone who works at the airport or uses the service will tell you that.

Indeed. Disregarding the new temporary 0630 "slotholder" from Heathrow (which you have to get up in the middle of the night to use), the first departure from Heathrow gets to MME at 1100, which means by the time you get to an office the working day is half gone.

The train from Kings Cross get you to Darlington (especially) or industrial Teesside notably earlier.

As one who has used DC9s (five times a day), F100s, A319s, and now apparently downsizing to Embraers, the current schedule is as useless as can be. Two of the four southbound flights are now after 7pm in the evening.

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by chrism20

I would have thought a 1745 departure would have had better loads than that, or is everyone using the BA service at 1715?

I would have thought so too. Most surprised on boarding to find behind the overwing exit was just bare. Though last night those who chose BA probably regretted it as the 1715 was forecasting a departure at 1900 (after the next BA flight ! )

[Flightrider]

1/ Don't know about the on-board service on the ERJ on Heathrow-Aberdeen. However the airline seems to be increasingly cutting its costs to hold slots at Heathrow - it is the only one now regularly using 50-seat jets into LHR.

2/ The fixed A330 is going/gone to Virgin Nigeria until May when it is being replaced by the two 767-300s that Astraeus will fly for VN. Its return seems to tie in to bmi's return of the Arkefly 767-300 and so presumably it will just take over the LHR-Saudi flying.

3/ DME - 60 is a good load, 40 is a bad load. Not setting the world on fire, but then you never quite know what the average ticket prices are. It might be their most profitable route if the fares are high! Still rumours of using A319s on Dammam. If they are going to operate Jersey, it looks as though they would need to pull off something (Heathrow-TeesSide?) to free up the slots.

4/ Airbuses released from the Heathrow ops by the ERJ will displace A321s slowly being phased out plus the one A320 operating a full-week charter programme from Leeds this summer for MyTravel.

[airhumberside]

Originally Posted by Flightrider

However the airline seems to be increasingly cutting its costs to hold slots at Heathrow - it is the only one now regularly using 50-seat jets into LHR.

LH use CRJ's on all Stuttgart flights. Theres also KLM's Fokker 50's to Rotterdam and Eindhioven (not jet but still 50 seats). Luxair also use ERJ-145's on weekend flights

[Flightrider]

Announcement apparently coming tomorrow that all CDG operations will stop at the end of February, including LHR, LBA and EMA.

Presumably this will free up slots for the Heathrow-Jersey given that LHR-JER and LHR-CDG are roughly the same sector length?

Air Humberside - thought the LH CRJs were CRJ700s on Stuttgart. Fair point re the turboprops though!

[bmibaby.com]

Originally Posted by Flightrider

Announcement apparently coming tomorrow that all CDG operations will stop at the end of February, including LHR, LBA and EMA.

The suspension of LHR-CDG is to do with the increased competition from other airlines, as well as the EuroStar - the latter which will become even more competitive next year after the move to St. Pancras International. LBA-CDG is ending because of low-cost competition from Jet2 as well as Thomsonfly just up the road at DSA, though the latter serves Orly.

There are no plans to cancel the EMA-CDG route as this is a profitable service which bmibaby have a monopoly on, and is under the jurisdiction of bmibaby at tiny town - not Donington Hall.

[airhumberside]

Originally Posted by Flightrider

Air Humberside - thought the LH CRJs were CRJ700s on Stuttgart. Fair point re the turboprops though!

Think they are CRJ-100's, could be wrong though

LBA-CDG is ending because of low-cost competition from Jet2 as well as Thomsonfly just up the road at DSA, though the latter serves Orly.

DSA-ORY ends at the end of the winter season

[MarkD]

When I read the 4 x 145 on Jethros, given the oil price still about $50 and the state of the 50 seat jet market I have to say I assumed "new to you" - especially since Flybe are looking to shed their BA frames in favour of 190s and Q400s. Embraer offering "sale of the century" prices to keep the line open?

[Tisme]

Originally Posted by Flightrider

Announcement apparently coming tomorrow that all CDG operations will stop at the end of February, including LHR, LBA and EMA.

Presumably this will free up slots for the Heathrow-Jersey given that LHR-JER and LHR-CDG are roughly the same sector length?

Air Humberside - thought the LH CRJs were CRJ700s on Stuttgart. Fair point re the turboprops though!

The announcement came yesterday.

[pzu]

Today 16 January - bmi & bmi regional drop Paris CDG

From another forum:

bmi & bmi regional to drop Paris CDG

What will they use the LHR slots for?

PZU - Out of Africa

[mathers_wales_uk]

I'm sure that the last BMI Bbay A/C will end up going to BHX in order to fight off competition from FLYbe.

But with Thomson having a 737 at CWL now doing a Barcelona and possibly thinking of doing the CDG which hasn't been operated since Air Wales left in april (operating on behalf of BMI Baby) could it be the wrong idea no to base the 4th A/C at CWL instead?

It looks like their just pushing the BHX operations at the moment which could be a big mistake with FlyBe sniffing at CWL from June.

[EI-BUD]

CDG Links Severed

bmi suspends services to Paris Charles de Gaulle
With regret, due to commercial reasons, our services to Paris Charles de Gaulle are to be suspended from our summer schedule.

• bmi services between London Heathrow and Paris will be suspended from 25 March 2007 inclusive (additional cancellations for this route during February and March may be possible and will be communicated when known)
• bmi regional services between Leeds Bradford and Paris will be suspended from 25 March 2007 inclusive

All passengers affected will be re-accommodated and further information will be available shortly.
We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and will endeavour to re-accommodate our passengers with minimum disruption.

The above is from the website, sad to see bmi pulling one of there long standing routes. Nice and Alicante to LHR is reduced for summer compared to last year, so much chopping and changing, no doubt more to come!

[uklad007]

So apart from the strongly suspected Jersey route which i think is a good thing (am v surprised there has not been a Jersey route from LHR for sometime and i hear that Jersey Airport has some sort of route development fund up and running of which this would have qualified) are the LHR slots soley going to be used for this or anything else too??.

In addition has the EMB at Leeds been earmarked for anything?.

Whilst it seems slightly odd for BMI to pull a destination like CDG completely from its schedule why compete with 2 other airlines at LHR which fly many times per day (BA/AF) and also against Jet2 at LBA - seems the right thing to do at LHR to pursue a route they will have sole operation of. I suspect the knock on effect might be a reduction in pax numbers on flights to LGW and LCY from JER providing BMI price correctly but it will also generate new customers who cant get onto the smaller capacity aircraft operated by BA/BE/VG into London.