AirGuru

We can only expect a Baby announcement after the sale of BMI has been completed with IAG in my opinion. What happened to the two interested parties that were rumoured a while ago, one was a EU based one and one was Welsh if i recall ?

Arkroyal

FR

It is really quite simple.

Since October last year we've been told we'll all know in two weeks.

In two weeks time, when we know nothing we'll be told after another 14 days.

After 14 days when we are told Jack sh1t we'll know after a further fortnight.

Simples

Flying Wild

Apparently the Welsh lot were preferred buyers until they realized they had their sums wrong. DLH went back to the EU group with an unrealistic timescale to complete. it'll probably complete after IAG take possession, but then again could happen before that.

AirGuru

Thank you Flying Wild ! Hmm, yes that does now look possible then ! So there aren't any current bidders then, at least not speculated by the media. I believe that the welsh ones involved previously wanted to set up their own airline, but must have made some serious miscalculation when it came to Baby !

Flying Wild

Wind back the clock several months and both the Welsh and EU groups were in the frame (probably the two term sheets previously mentioned). Two bids were submitted to DLH, one significantly lower than the other. DLH in their collective wisdom went with the unknown Welsh quantity and look where we are now.
If they'd taken advice from those in the know and hadn't just gone with the cheapest option, perhaps we wouldn't be in this situation now and Baby would have an idea of it's future... As it is they had to go cap in hand to the EU group and ask them to proceed.

AirGuru

Cant have looked very good for the Baby representatives then !
I just do not understand, why DLH went with the lower offer ? And then why the welsh group pulled out. Surely, if you had the intention, you would just put your head down and go for it. But that doesnt seem the case ?

sjm

If the rumours at baby are true, you couldn't make it up, if it wasn't mine and others futures on the line I would find it funny....it amazing that a company the size of LH didn't know what a shower this lot were.

Disclaimer : I have no factual evidence to back this up( purely hearsay) no animals were hurt.

You haven't seen me right!

Standing by for the incoming phone call .........

runway30

One of the directors of the company was declared bankrupt before the term sheet was signed.........you'd think that Lufthansa would have noticed.

eastern wiseguy

If folks like INKJET are to be believed .Baby has a heap going for it.......why not a staff buyout?

AirGuru

Yes, indeed R30, i would have thought that any potential buyers were financially checked out by DLH before any term sheet was signed ! True shame, i thought that they could have done well at Baby, but hey ho, im sure baby will find a buyer.
Then again, the only thing going for it is its amazing staff members, and its established brand and route network. Other than that, there are severely outdated aircraft still in operation, and a huge saddle of debt for any buyer to jump onto ! If i was interested in getting an airline, i would rather start afresh than to acquire baby, if im honest. Whereas an established airline could say the same, why would we need baby's fleet etc. where we have our own, and are quite capable of expanding by 14 Aircraft. But as i said, FR and EZY among others would love to see the demise of baby, to hook into the market at baby's bases.
Personally though, i wish they are saved, a good, historic British airline with British bias and great staff who i have dealt with before. Don't want to see them gone to waste !

Flying Wild

My Bold. I understand that they may have neglected to factor in the massive maintenance costs which are looming on the horizon for the classic 737s.
Sounds like a pretty basic thing to get wrong.

From my perspective, Shame on DLH for not looking into the background of prospective takers. They've wasted several months now and it isn't helping morale.

Justin Cyder-Belvoir

What a brilliant plan

There are enough staff to make it viable

Over to Inkjet for the reasons why not

TwinAisle

Can I suggest that some recent posters who clearly know nothing but speculate a lot just do everyone a favour and shut up? I refer particularly to AirGuru - or should we call you Aviation Wales, Benjiman or what? - and FlyingWild - several posts of speculation based around a speculative newspaper article adds up to nothing.

Let those who are involved do what they need to do; you aren't involved, those that are will be under serious NDAs and won't be writing on here, and all you are doing is adding to the tension amongst people with a career interest in this affair. Stop it.

TA

Say again s l o w l y

There's a lot of total nonsense been posted recently about Baby by people who really do seem to know naff all.

MANTHRUST

Rumour Network?

Say again s l o w l y

I would use a phrase that more closely resembled "Rollocks Network" rather than Rumour in this case.

pwalhx

There is a subtle difference between rumour and speculation, unfortunately I suspect there has been more of the latter.

INKJET

The BR may lift a little tomorrow!

nitefiter

lifting it a little won't help, from the general mood amongst the troops it needs to go ways up.

BAladdy

The sale of BD to IAG is on track to be completed in just over a week. Under the terms of the deal LH must sell WW by the start of May. If they fail to do so then they are required to pay compensation to IAG to cover the cost of disposing of WW.

According to the following article IAG have already a drawn up a plan of what to do with WW should LH fail to sell it.

What future for Bmi Regional and Bmibaby? | ABTN

I am guessing that the IAG plan to do one of three things:

1. They have a buyer lined up already

2. Pay another carrier to take WW of there hands as they did with BACON to BE

3. Close the airline down and dispose of it's assets