EAST MIDLANDS - 4

[Flyboy543]

Some news from the ramp, as of 1st April Menzies will be handeling easyJet at EMA. This has been confirmed from Servisiar management so isn't a rumour anymore!

We'll see what happens in the next few weeks with a few other carriers.

[paul atkins]

ba-tenerife

flights to tenerife from october have been withdrawn from ba's flight booking engine i hope this is a error otherwise middle of may it is the end of ba's flights from ema

[almost professional]

I think they were always going to be winter only?

[Fried_Chicken]

In addition, the flights were marketed using the "BA Connect" brand (despite being operated by GB) which has recently become part of the FlyBE product & with BA looking at its franchisee partners (Bmed has fled to bmi), the aircraft may be better suited elsewhere.

Fried Chicken

[egnxema]

Its probably a good idea to keep an eye on the GBAirways thread - many rumours about the airline's BA partnership on there - plus a look at the airline's own website seems to have a strong resemblance to another very red airline - have a look.

[bmibaby.com]

I can't really see the GB Airways service returning, and was a bit sceptical of the route in the first place. Tenerife is already well served by all of the charter airlines at East Midlands, and now that TFS will be served a few times a week from Thomsonfly branded as a scheduled service - plus Monarch Scheduled flying from BHX - I wondered how BA expected to fit, especially with a BA Connect branded service which was decisively low-cost. I know there is a market for Tenerife, but expect if there is a scheduled service it will be operated by Thomsonfly this winter. No chance of WW on the route, besides the fact I'm not sure if the 733 can make it, it's too long a sector length for us.

Sadly no chance of our much promised sixth aircraft, but I'm sure the existing five could be used more efficiently to squeeze more routes or frequencies out of them.

[Mike16]

Hi Guys

How is everyone ?
This is bad news for UKIA, i really hope this carrier does take off.....
I was wondering how the MYT service did the other night, i see there first flight took off for Mombassa, was the loads good ?
It is so nice to see EMA doing well now.
Does anyone know how the booking s are going for the Jamaica and China flights are doing ?
I must say, this is great news, but where are the adverts ??????
I see XL and the odd EZY advert in the Derby City Centre area and in the local Derby press.
Also any new pics on the new pier ?

Take care all

Mike

[karnak]

but that is the exact strategy of bmi not just bmb you need some strategists I agree ryan will probably take things over but bmb are a better brand and it would be a shame if it didn't expand at EMA the way it is at BHX

[bmibaby.com]

I agree with you that bmibaby is an excellent brand, and following the new open for business package which was launched recently, we ought to be considerably more competitive in the low-cost airline arena. The problem is, a number of markets that we've tried in the past or considered trying, have now been taken up by Ryanair, and there is no chance that bmibaby would entertain the idea of competing, particularly in discretionary leisure travel markets where price is key. Add to that easyJet's stagnant but forboding presence, and a bigger Thomsonfly scheduled service, bmibaby are surrounded by all angles as to where they could expand to next. At the moment with BA Connect being merged into flybe, BHX provides excellent opportunities to soak up the demand which the new flybe will not be able to handle alone.

Eventually, I'd probably predict the battle ground will be drawn between Ryanair and bmibaby at EMA, with Thomsonfly also operating in key Med leisure markets. If EasyJet's base was loss-making they would have pulled out, but if it was doing very well they would have expanded, and I imagine the airline is potentially looking at markets where the Airbuses could potentially be better utilised (BRS and LPL following the flybe merger could accomodate the odd extra Airbus for the loss of certain BA routes at BRS and MAN). Considering they are now in their fifth year of flying from EMA and have just announced a new handling agent, I'd say they're safe for now, but it surely makes more sense for them to operate from airports with growth potential.

[cozzy]

BMIBaby

From a user of both the former BMI full service offering and BMI Baby from EMA for business use, I must say I can only praise BMIBaby - as per a previous post of mine I can't fault the service I've had.

I was sceptical I have to admit how BMI would risk the business revenue out of EMA by dumping all of the full service operations in favour of Baby's flights - judging by fact that during my 50 or so flights to Dublin during 2000/2001 the aircraft was moved from the Embraer to the F100 (and on one occasion I recall the A321 - but that was more for tech reasons I suspect) and the loadings were healthy with suits.

But I've flown twice recently to AMS on business since and for such a short flight, who cares if you don't get a free wrap and glass of wine, so long as the flight's on time?

Give me BMI rather than Mr Ryan's wgas attitude any day - for that reason I'm sort of pleased I don't have to travel to DUB any longer...!

[SAM-EMA]

With the recent merger of TUI and FCA, will we still get the much promised FCA 757 for the winter here at EMA?

As reagards to the charter fleets in the future, we will probably see 3 or maybe 4 a/c from the FCA/TUI merger over summer periods and 2, or maybe 3 from the MYT/TCX merger. Yes, four airlines down to 2, but still looking positive, even if it is 2 very nice liveries gone.

SAM-EMA

[OltonPete]

February Pax figure (provisional)

Per the CAA: -

A mere 331689 +25.2%!

Have I missed a previous post quoting this figure?

Some increase I have to say, even if it sticks in the throat a bit as a BHX local.

Wow!

OP

[bmibaby.com]

Considering there has been little talk of fleet reduction from both mergers; Thomas Cook and Thomsonfly, my guess would be the same number of aircraft will be based by each merged entity in S08 as we have now in S07, with the airlines using the overlap to either launch new routes, or boost frequencies on existing services to provide a schedule more suited to the independent traveller. The only thing I'd imagine would be fleet rationalisation, ie same number of aircraft but also same type. If the MYT longhaul flights are a success this year, then perhaps Thomas Cook will look into EMA as a longhaul base for the future. It seems the big winner from this will be Servisair who have the Thomsonfly contract and are aggressively targeting a post-merger Thomas Cook as the company has a lot of business with MyTravel in particular.

Happy 5th birthday to bmibaby!

[finding_nema]

Does anybody know whether the airport is still being considered for sale by Manchester Airport Group? Seems to be plenty of sales going on at the moment in the UK aviation industry, and I'll be particularly keen having just applied to bmibaby, to see how they end up in the bout of merger mania we're seeing.

[Lite]

I read that article with interest, but have to say bmibaby really have missed the boat when it comes to EMA expansion. Had the airline kept it's feet firm, which obviously it's harder to do as a start-up airline, they would have a major presence in large French cities; Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nice, Marseille and Lyon - and despite Ryanair not flying to any of these cities directly, the fact they serve provincial airports just up the road makes it difficult for WW to enter these markets. The same goes to Italy, Poland and the Spanish market.

If bmibaby does launch more routes, I think they're going to have to really get their act together if they want to do it for the summer season, the summer timetables have already begun and they'll want new routes up and running by May 1st to get the most out of the season. I'd imagine they'll tighten up their existing aircraft's schedules as some of them spend a fair amount of time sitting around, then maybe add an extra based aircraft, with the sixth aircraft having been promised to EMA staff for a while according to some of the baby people I know. My guess for new routes would be duplicating BHX routes plus maybe more Eastern European capitals.

[EMA01]

Its nice to know bmibaby still care about expanding at EMA with Ryanair moving in. I would have thought they should move the times for the Palma flight. 0110 in the morning it arrives. Lower pax on them flights then. I was on a flight from Belfast the other night into EMA and it was a B733 and it was full so they might possibly add another flight there. Who knows!

Is there any other information on when UKIA's aicraft is going to be coming to EMA might be a good spot when its landing.

EMA01

[bmibaby.com]

I don't think the case at all is that bmibaby don't care about the East Midlands market, but you have to remember that the airline is a business. I think because our head offices are just up the road, people expect us to be the flagship carrier for the airport, but that is no longer the case. Ryanair have expanded to a number of destinations that bmibaby have tried or mulled in the past, and are doing so with great success to the extent we could not re-enter those markets. Call that bad management or lack of foresight on our management's behalf, but bmibaby were one of the first low-cost regional airlines. The decision to expand the Birmingham base has been because an opportunity existed to enter markets following the demise of MyTravelLite and BA Connect, it simply made commercial sense to focus on that base. It would be nice if some of the BHX routes could be duplicated to EMA, but we will have to wait and see. With reference to Palma, I can only imagine that these times are better for short break customers - you arrive late on your arrival night but have the full day the next day and the day of your departure.

[paul atkins]

ukia 1st aircraft-ema

hey all had a email saying it is expected 7th or 8th of april and they are still hoping for may start , may concerns are still no sighting of these aircraft and you do not sell flights with 3 weeks of sales before operation

[EMA01]

Yes I agree. There website hasn't been finished yet either. By the way things are going I don't think they will do well. I might be wrong. Lets just hope they can attract passengers. I have just heard that bmibaby are looking at expanding services from EMA to Lisbon is this true. Are they looking at any routes into Germany e.g Dusseldorf for example. I know lots of people who have to travel to BHX to go to dusseldorf from Nottingham and Derby

[bmibaby.com]

bmibaby will not expand into Scandinavia or Germany at least until December, when the ECA finishes. Basically what this agreement means, was when half of the then British Midland was bought by SAS & Lufthansa, BM would cancel their services to that region unless LH or SK wanted them to operate it, and the three airlines would pool the losses/profits from the UK to Germany/Scandinavia market. Whilst there is definitely a market for flights from EMA to major German cities, Lufthansa will have any veto over these routes being launched, and slot availability is obviously a key factor. I've heard Aberdeen twice daily is a real possibility, plus more Med destinations.