BMI
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press release here
bmi the airline for war zones
next stop Kabul
30 April 2009
bmi the airline for war zones
next stop Kabul
30 April 2009
Baghdad interest from bmi
- airline CEO meets Iraqi Government officials
- bmi ready and willing to launch services
- airline CEO meets Iraqi Government officials
- bmi ready and willing to launch services
bmi, Heathrow’s second biggest airline, has said that it wants to re-establish air links with the Iraqi capital Baghdad from London. bmi has met with senior Iraqi Government officials and told them that bmi is ready and willing and ideally placed to provide flights between the two countries. The meeting took place as over 300 delegates with Iraqi business interests met at a forum in London attended by the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Malikiand and Lord Mandleson, Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise, to discuss investment in Iraq
Nigel Turner, chief executive officer of bmi who also attended the conference said: "I have handed a letter to Iraq’s transport minister Amr Abduljabber Ismail and told him that we recognise the considerable efforts that are being made to get business and commerce between our two countries to develop and grow. In order for those efforts to succeed normal transport links have to be in place. The ability to travel by air between Heathrow and Baghdad is vital in supporting the considerable energy that is going into bringing business ties and investment back to normality.
"bmi has a great depth of experience in serving the Middle East and it makes both geographical and economic sense for us to add Iraq to our growing network of services to the region. Iraq is surrounded on four sides by countries that we already serve from Heathrow. We are carrying an ever increasing number of passengers who, at the moment, travel from Baghdad to Heathrow via our existing intermediate point of Amman. As trade and business ties grow we envisage that these numbers will grow.
"As the situation returns to normality we are seeing a small number of scheduled services from Baghdad being launched within the region. At the moment we are unable to commence services to Heathrow until the UK Government permits UK aircraft or British registered carriers to fly in and out of Iraq. Nevertheless, I have told Iraqi officials and business that subject to the required levels of operational integrity and
safety being satisfactorily achieved and appropriate governmental approval, bmi is ready and willing to once again re-establish air links between Heathrow and Baghdad."
ends Nigel Turner, chief executive officer of bmi who also attended the conference said: "I have handed a letter to Iraq’s transport minister Amr Abduljabber Ismail and told him that we recognise the considerable efforts that are being made to get business and commerce between our two countries to develop and grow. In order for those efforts to succeed normal transport links have to be in place. The ability to travel by air between Heathrow and Baghdad is vital in supporting the considerable energy that is going into bringing business ties and investment back to normality.
"bmi has a great depth of experience in serving the Middle East and it makes both geographical and economic sense for us to add Iraq to our growing network of services to the region. Iraq is surrounded on four sides by countries that we already serve from Heathrow. We are carrying an ever increasing number of passengers who, at the moment, travel from Baghdad to Heathrow via our existing intermediate point of Amman. As trade and business ties grow we envisage that these numbers will grow.
"As the situation returns to normality we are seeing a small number of scheduled services from Baghdad being launched within the region. At the moment we are unable to commence services to Heathrow until the UK Government permits UK aircraft or British registered carriers to fly in and out of Iraq. Nevertheless, I have told Iraqi officials and business that subject to the required levels of operational integrity and
safety being satisfactorily achieved and appropriate governmental approval, bmi is ready and willing to once again re-establish air links between Heathrow and Baghdad."
Join Date: May 2005
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Interesting that this wishful thinking, 3 years down the road PR can make it to the front of the bmi intranet. Yet the previous article, that was at the header on the front page giving staff guidance as to how to protect themselves at work from Swine Flu, still seems to go lead to a non existant webpage. Perhaps, it's just my computer?
That just about sums things up. Without seeming too alarmist, I heard figures that 50% of the UK population would come into contact with the virus. If true, what contingency programme do we have in place, should a large % of the work force phone in sick, what happens next? Realistically unlikely that 50% do call in sick on any one day but with a combination of cancelled public transport, petrol station closures and reliance on correct number of cabin crew, pilots, engineers, dispatchers per aircraft etc there is little doubt that significant disruption could potentially occur.
Are there any measures in place to deal with the aircraft recycled air that we will breathe from the virus riddled public?
But hey nevermind, there is the slightest chance we could be going to Baghdad in a couple of years time, thats really important.
Cough, cough
That just about sums things up. Without seeming too alarmist, I heard figures that 50% of the UK population would come into contact with the virus. If true, what contingency programme do we have in place, should a large % of the work force phone in sick, what happens next? Realistically unlikely that 50% do call in sick on any one day but with a combination of cancelled public transport, petrol station closures and reliance on correct number of cabin crew, pilots, engineers, dispatchers per aircraft etc there is little doubt that significant disruption could potentially occur.
Are there any measures in place to deal with the aircraft recycled air that we will breathe from the virus riddled public?
But hey nevermind, there is the slightest chance we could be going to Baghdad in a couple of years time, thats really important.
Cough, cough
Join Date: Aug 2002
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They are of course contracted to buy SMB intrest (50%+1 share) and they knew that when they bought both SN & AA
Austrian surely? OS not AA.
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On the disappearing Israeli matter bmi told The Times the following :
British airline wipes Israel off the map - Times Online
Which "recently acquired" aircraft would this be?
BMI insisted that the map had not been drawn with an anti-Israel or political agenda in mind — rather the aircraft in question were recently bought from a bankrupt charter company that largely flew to Arab countries.
Which "recently acquired" aircraft would this be?
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On the disappearing Israeli matter bmi told The Times the following :
British airline wipes Israel off the map - Times Online
Which "recently acquired" aircraft would this be?
British airline wipes Israel off the map - Times Online
Which "recently acquired" aircraft would this be?
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So BMI sees BMED as
Oh you can just feel the love (!) BMED were a scheduled BA Franchise holder.
a bankrupt charter company
Last edited by Skipness One Echo; 2nd May 2009 at 11:32.
I'd say thanks to BMED routes it is now saving BMI's 
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Why would they task a YTS apprentice to write the response to this serious accusation?
Israel is important to BMI yet inaccurate information is again pushed out.
As Ness says above, the current midhaul routes really are saving BMIs bacon at the moment. I would fell far more uncertain as to my tenure with LH looking over the company had the midhaul routes not been proping up the accounts.
I'll wager that the writer never flew on a BMed service. If they had they would know that BMI should aspire to offer a inflight service like BMed used to offer. Don't get me wrong BMed's service also had a few negative criticisms but it had a far more professional feel. The Better for Business is a step closer in the right direction from where it was but still is not close enough. It really needs to be more like Lufthansa to really win passengers away from the rival carriers, it's all about offering something better for less in the business world, along with sensible schedules.
I think Sir Alan would have a few choice words to say on that bad PR, especially as the cabin crew have been fielding Israeli complaints for ages, yet the powers that be have failed to implement the necessary changes.
Cabin crew are such a valuable commodity and their thoughts and coments from pax should be taken far more seriously.
Israel is important to BMI yet inaccurate information is again pushed out.
As Ness says above, the current midhaul routes really are saving BMIs bacon at the moment. I would fell far more uncertain as to my tenure with LH looking over the company had the midhaul routes not been proping up the accounts.
I'll wager that the writer never flew on a BMed service. If they had they would know that BMI should aspire to offer a inflight service like BMed used to offer. Don't get me wrong BMed's service also had a few negative criticisms but it had a far more professional feel. The Better for Business is a step closer in the right direction from where it was but still is not close enough. It really needs to be more like Lufthansa to really win passengers away from the rival carriers, it's all about offering something better for less in the business world, along with sensible schedules.
I think Sir Alan would have a few choice words to say on that bad PR, especially as the cabin crew have been fielding Israeli complaints for ages, yet the powers that be have failed to implement the necessary changes.
Cabin crew are such a valuable commodity and their thoughts and coments from pax should be taken far more seriously.
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mutualswap
Nigel Turner, chief executive officer of bmi who also attended the conference said: "I have handed a letter to Iraq’s transport minister Amr Abduljabber Ismail and told him that we recognise the considerable efforts that are being made to get business and commerce between our two countries to develop and grow. In order for those efforts to succeed normal transport links have to be in place. The ability to travel by air between Heathrow and Baghdad is vital in supporting the considerable energy that is going into bringing business ties and investment back to normality.
"bmi has a great depth of experience in serving the Middle East and it makes both geographical and economic sense for us to add Iraq to our growing network of services to the region. Iraq is surrounded on four sides by countries that we already serve from Heathrow. We are carrying an ever increasing number of passengers who, at the moment, travel from Baghdad to Heathrow via our existing intermediate point of Amman. As trade and business ties grow we envisage that these numbers will grow.
And I expect BA will sit back and allow NT to walk in and corner the market............
"bmi has a great depth of experience in serving the Middle East and it makes both geographical and economic sense for us to add Iraq to our growing network of services to the region. Iraq is surrounded on four sides by countries that we already serve from Heathrow. We are carrying an ever increasing number of passengers who, at the moment, travel from Baghdad to Heathrow via our existing intermediate point of Amman. As trade and business ties grow we envisage that these numbers will grow.
And I expect BA will sit back and allow NT to walk in and corner the market............
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And I expect BA will sit back and allow NT to walk in and corner the market............
With the exception of a couple of routes such as LHR-TLV and LHR-CAI where competition/government authorities at each end of the route might not like all the British capacity to be in the hands of a single carrier, I can't see much of the rest of the network being too much of a problem. Plus bung some of the (underworked) BA B767s onto routes such as LHR-AMM, LHR-FNA, LHR-ADD, LHR-ALA etc whilst retaining some of the former BMED Airbus aircraft for the other routes (which, I believe, were BA spec anyway?) and you'd have a potentially quite efficient operation.
...and would this actually be too much of a problem for the UK/EC competition people, if it were the case that Lufty group retained the lion's share of the current BMI LHR slots portfolio and shared it between 'group' carriers, perhaps something like this:
- LH Cityline take the LHR-UK domestics plus LHR-DUB for feed into Star Alliance carriers at LHR
- Brussels Airlines takes something between four and six daily LHR slot pairs for BRU-LHR, insodoing collapsing the current (4x daily?)BMI ERJ LHR-BRU and SN (2x daily?) LGW-BRU into one 'solid' operation
- a couple of LHR slot pairs perhaps disappear off to SAS to allow them to put morning LHR flights on routes like BGO-LHR and SVG-LHR
- whatever is left could go to funding a Lufthansa Italia move onto LHR-FCO, or Austrian to do LHR-SZG or perhaps even to fund Star Alliance group carriers US Airways or TAP Portugal to consolidate their position at LHR from LGW
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Considering BA already have their flight numbers for marketing use on the old BMED flights. BA still has an interest in these routes because they take a certain amount of money off these flights with pax still booking via ba.com.
LH is not going to split up their latest toy. They want to make it work for them and give BA a run for its money and the other OneWorld members. And why would LH sell the part of bmi that is making money??? LH what bmi to be profitable.
I still note that after all the hype about BA coming back to the RUH and JED route I don’t see any flights yet.
LH is not going to split up their latest toy. They want to make it work for them and give BA a run for its money and the other OneWorld members. And why would LH sell the part of bmi that is making money??? LH what bmi to be profitable.
I still note that after all the hype about BA coming back to the RUH and JED route I don’t see any flights yet.
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BA flights to RUH & Jed commence as far as the trade circulars state on the 1st June. Flights are operated by a 767 aircraft and flights have been sold out for a while know. This year capacity for pilgrims to Jed from the UK seems to be in short supply on direct carriers, which is odd given that there is 3 from the UK.
One thing that also ammuses me is that LH are offering JED fares via FRA at £50.00 plus taxes, whereas BDs fares with tax comes in at 345.00 including taxes and the flights operates to RUH and then JED.
One thing that also ammuses me is that LH are offering JED fares via FRA at £50.00 plus taxes, whereas BDs fares with tax comes in at 345.00 including taxes and the flights operates to RUH and then JED.
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Regarding low capacity on the JED route when BD flew direct to JED out of the big pilgrim migration the yield was low and the load factors were not great. At the moment it is Omra season so the flights to JED are busy. But out of season they can be very quite.
If BD can succeed on the TLV route where they entered a market that was already well established with BA and EL AL and a year on down the line the aircraft type has been upgraded.
I think if BD keep their game up then the RUH and JED route will stand up to BA re-entering the market.
If BD can succeed on the TLV route where they entered a market that was already well established with BA and EL AL and a year on down the line the aircraft type has been upgraded.
I think if BD keep their game up then the RUH and JED route will stand up to BA re-entering the market.
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mr flaps
LH is not going to split up their latest toy. They want to make it work for them and give BA a run for its money and the other OneWorld members. And why would LH sell
If I were LH I would want to steal the bread right out of BAA/BA's mouth. Why continue to fly connecting pax from CAI (say) into LHR when I have a better/cheaper/more convenient hub at FRA/MUC?
Eastbound connections through LHR can be done courtesy of Star Alliance into CDG/AMS/FRA.
Why does Willie want a 3rd runway?
If I were LH I would want to steal the bread right out of BAA/BA's mouth. Why continue to fly connecting pax from CAI (say) into LHR when I have a better/cheaper/more convenient hub at FRA/MUC?
Eastbound connections through LHR can be done courtesy of Star Alliance into CDG/AMS/FRA.
Why does Willie want a 3rd runway?
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The latest twist in the Lufty takeover...
Lufthansa’s BMI bid hit by cash row - Times Online
With the decision of the European Commission on Lufthansa's takeover expected by May 14, isn't it too late now to start asking for more money? I thought it was pretty much a done deal.
Lufthansa’s BMI bid hit by cash row - Times Online
With the decision of the European Commission on Lufthansa's takeover expected by May 14, isn't it too late now to start asking for more money? I thought it was pretty much a done deal.