BMI
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: southern spain
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A very sad day indeed, always enjoyed flying with BMI and when it was just British Midland. In my mind its demise just about sums up what has happened to the UK and most of Europe over the last 20 years - corporate greed and everyone for themselves and sod the rest!
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
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As a punter who had the pleasure of choosing to fly BMI, BMI Regional and BMI Baby countless 100s of times I'd like to say how friendly, professional and polite I found all staff to be at all times. This applies across the whole BMI family. Flying within or out/in of the UK will be a little less rich as a result of the end of BMI.
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Age: 39
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I only flew with bmi a few times, all in the last few years (pretty much since the rebranding to bmi took place). I must say that they offered a very nice product. I found them to be more comfortable than BA and the aircraft always looked like they were cared for a bit more on the inside, no worn or tatty seats. I know a lot of people who worked for them at various stages and thankfully most of them have been taken up by other airlines or handling agents in one form or another. Sadly, a few have lost their jobs.
I am missing them already as I book flights home from LHR to Edinburgh. Before there used to be good competition on flight times and especially prices. Now, while the times have more or less remained unchanged as both airlines had a pretty regular shuttle in both directions anyway, the prices however have shot right up. Now that the route has a sole operator, BA can charge whatever they want, really. The sooner someone else can step in and take away BAs monopoly on that route the better!
I am missing them already as I book flights home from LHR to Edinburgh. Before there used to be good competition on flight times and especially prices. Now, while the times have more or less remained unchanged as both airlines had a pretty regular shuttle in both directions anyway, the prices however have shot right up. Now that the route has a sole operator, BA can charge whatever they want, really. The sooner someone else can step in and take away BAs monopoly on that route the better!
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Slough, UK
Age: 35
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Yes all bmi owned aircraft are now at LHR.
The ones which haven't transferred across to the BA AOC are waiting outside the hangars at LHR whilst they try and rush them through. Transferring AOC is not just paperwork. It also involves fitting the aircraft with BA SEP equipment and the like. Usually the process takes 2-3 days per aircraft. Once the aircraft have transferred across, they will be released for line flights for BA. There is a complex schedule for getting the interiors changed and the aircraft repainted into BA Union livery.
The A321's take a while as the cabin upgrade takes about 5 weeks as new lie-flat seats and IFE are being installed as part of the new BA mid-haul product. This is part of the reason why Cairo is only moving to T1 and A321 ops in January as a substantial proportion of the ex-bmi A321's will be offline for cabin fitting or painting until the end of December.
So far, about 75% of the fleet has already been integrated into BA. G-MIDX (Star Alliance jet) is currently in the paint bay having her BA spray. G-DBCA is having her interior stripped of anything related to Lufthansa and being configured into BA configuration like her sister A319's as well as being transferred across to the BA AOC.
The last aircraft will be fully integrated into BA (cabin refresh, AOC, paint all completed) on 31st December when G-MEDG rolls out of Iberia's paint hangar in Madrid.
Champ
The ones which haven't transferred across to the BA AOC are waiting outside the hangars at LHR whilst they try and rush them through. Transferring AOC is not just paperwork. It also involves fitting the aircraft with BA SEP equipment and the like. Usually the process takes 2-3 days per aircraft. Once the aircraft have transferred across, they will be released for line flights for BA. There is a complex schedule for getting the interiors changed and the aircraft repainted into BA Union livery.
The A321's take a while as the cabin upgrade takes about 5 weeks as new lie-flat seats and IFE are being installed as part of the new BA mid-haul product. This is part of the reason why Cairo is only moving to T1 and A321 ops in January as a substantial proportion of the ex-bmi A321's will be offline for cabin fitting or painting until the end of December.
So far, about 75% of the fleet has already been integrated into BA. G-MIDX (Star Alliance jet) is currently in the paint bay having her BA spray. G-DBCA is having her interior stripped of anything related to Lufthansa and being configured into BA configuration like her sister A319's as well as being transferred across to the BA AOC.
The last aircraft will be fully integrated into BA (cabin refresh, AOC, paint all completed) on 31st December when G-MEDG rolls out of Iberia's paint hangar in Madrid.
Champ
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: East Midlands
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Airbus A321-231 - Large Preview - AirTeamImages.com
Sorry, but as a former long-term Midland employee I think that Airbus paint job is just wrong - and sad - on so many levels!
Sorry, but as a former long-term Midland employee I think that Airbus paint job is just wrong - and sad - on so many levels!
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Slough, UK
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EastMids - fear not. It will be rectified shortly. Time in the hangar was limited so this short term solution was used. I don't think it's right at all but it's 'unusual' and I like it.
Champ
Champ
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: LHR line
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There's no final decision on the bmi hangar (now known as TBD) but they are in the process of putting up the BA logo. It will probably continue to be used up until Christmas and then might be closed down and used as a casualty hangar.
No idea about the EMA hangar.
No idea about the EMA hangar.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: London
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Anyone know what's going to happen to the bmi Hangar at LHR?
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
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Last BMI Airbus departure from EMA in full livery, had a water arch see off
BA will take over the operation of the LHR hangar. The bmi branding has already started to be taken down & BA branding will be put up in it's place. It will also, quite appropriately, be named as 'TBD'.
The original T(echnical) B(lock) D, pulled down a few years ago, was the hangar block housing Bays 11-20, and many workshops, on the BEA Engineering (West) Base.
G-WWBD
Just saw a report that this 2001 built A330 is for the chop. You'd think it was still viable as an airframe rather than parts, given the (imagined) demand for the type. I know parts prices, blah blah, but a sad and premature end.
Join Date: Feb 2006
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And it's just had a big check done