BIRMINGHAM - 6

[Fairdealfrank]

Hang on, are we not concatenating inbound tourism per se with visiting family in an ethnic minority community? Hence what works well in one part of India does not scale up in remotely the same manner to anywhere else? Or am I missing something really obvious. Again.

No you're not. It's likely that people with family links in Birmingham have links with north India: the flight is to/from Delhi and Amritsar. That being the case, it is unlikely that a flight to/from, say, Bombay or Bangalore would work.

The geographical size of India should not be underestimated.

[ATNotts]

Fairdealfrank

Once again you and Skipness are taking the rather stereotypical "metropolitan" standpoint that there is no life outside the M25, and little or no business demand for direct air services.

Granted London does suck up most of the business travel demand to the UK, but Indian businesses, and Chinese for that matter do invest (amazingly) elsewhere in UK, surprising though that may seem.

I would absolutely agree that the chances of direct daily AI services from places like Bangalore and Mumbai (it hasn't been Bombay for years!) are tantamount to nil, 3 x weekly from Bangalore via Mumbai, or via Delhi couldn't be ruled out so easily. I have no evidence whatsoever that they are in the planning stage today though.

I do recall you had to eat your last hat over the arrival of AI - hopefully you got a "2 for 1 offer" from your local milliner, as at some stage you may need to take a chunk out of the other one!!!

[OltonPete]

July pax up 4.5%

CAA is the source.

1049499 pax for July.

Rolling year 9454990 up 5.4%

Pete

[Fairdealfrank]

Fairdealfrank

Once again you and Skipness are taking the rather stereotypical "metropolitan" standpoint that there is no life outside the M25, and little or no business demand for direct air services.

Don't have a "stereotypical metropolitan point of view" (not sure what that particular cliche is supposed to mean in this context). Have a completely independent point of view, as you know. Any danger of explaining exactly what you mean?

Granted London does suck up most of the business travel demand to the UK, but Indian businesses, and Chinese for that matter do invest (amazingly) elsewhere in UK, surprising though that may seem.

Have never suggested otherwise, but you need to look at the evidence.

I would absolutely agree that the chances of direct daily AI services from places like Bangalore and Mumbai (it hasn't been Bombay for years!) are tantamount to nil, 3 x weekly from Bangalore via Mumbai, or via Delhi couldn't be ruled out so easily. I have no evidence whatsoever that they are in the planning stage today though.

Indeed.

As for Bombay, it is Bombay in the English language, Mumbai is Bombay in Marathi (local language in Bombay). Similarly, although you declined to comment on that one, Bangalore is Bangalore in the English language, Bengaluru is Bangalore in Kannada (local language in Bangalore). These are translations, nothing more. Doubtless you wouldn't say Lisboa, Roma, Vien for Lisbon, Rome and Vienna, etc..

As for your comment "3 x weekly from Bangalore via Mumbai, or via Delhi couldn't be ruled out so easily", yes it can be ruled out. Travellers between Bombay or Bangalore and Birmingham won't have that particular choice (and that is not a hat-eating issue).

It's either an Air India via Delhi or Emirates Airlines via Dubai.

I do recall you had to eat your last hat over the arrival of AI - hopefully you got a "2 for 1 offer" from your local milliner, as at some stage you may need to take a chunk out of the other one!!!

Trust me, direct flights between Bombay/Bangalore and Birmingham are not going to happen on Air-India.

As for eating hats, yes, you are right, it was a "BOGOF" offer.

That was about Air India not getting its act together, not about Birmingham airport managers not being able to attract longhaul routes, and that was made clear at the time.

[cornishsimon]

July seems a good month on BHX-NQY again.

Even though nothing is currently loaded for summer 15 I very much expect this route will return.


cs

[jon01]

Monarch

According to the Sunday Times, a third of the workforce to go, all charters axed and the fleet reduced by 12:

Monarch airline axes 1,000 jobs in attempt to lure saviour | The Sunday Times

Does this mean that Birmingham to Zakinthos, Skiathos, Corfu and Preveza will be axed, or are they safe as they are bookable after the review? There is no date quoted when the axing of charters is to take effect. It's confusing because there are chartered (Inclusive Tour) seats and flight only seats bookable though the Monarch/Avro websites on all their services.

I wonder if Thomas Cook knew this was coming before their expansion at B'ham was decided?

[Bagso]

Is Monarch Engineering separate company ?

[ATNotts]

jon01

I wonder if Thomas Cook knew this was coming before their expansion at B'ham was decided?

Given the lead time that tour operators work to this would appear very unlikely.

Also, given the (often) unreliable reports that come out of the press, why should the ST article be any more accurate that a lot of the other rubbish they print?

[airhumberside]

Does this mean that Birmingham to Zankinthos, Skiathos, Corfu and Preveza will be axed, or are they safe as they are bookable after the review? There is no date quoted when the axing of charters is to take effect. It's confusing because there are chartered (Inclusive Tour) seats and flight only seats bookable though the Monarch/Avro websites on all their services.

According to a Travel Mole article, a Monarch spokesman told them "some existing charters might be axed while others will switch to scheduled services"

[Ian Brooks]

All charters will finish by 4/15

[canberra97]

I wonder if the Banjul flights will go scheduled?

[chinapattern]

MON don't fly to Banjul from BHX, only TCX do.

[canberra97]

I meant Banjul flights from LGW, as I was reading the comments on here regarding Monarch I thought for a minute I was on the Monarch thread.

[kgoodall]

Air Transat

Looks like they have posted their flights for summer 2015. Pretty much the same as usual, weekly from May 13 to October 7th, starting with the A310 and swapping to the A330 for a couple of months in between.

[getonittt]

Pretty much the same as usual, weekly from May 13 to October 7th, starting with the A310 and swapping to the A330 for a couple of months in between.

How thoroughly underwhelming.

We have seen some reasonable increases in passenger numbers this summer compared to previous months but I get the feeling that 2015 will only be on a par or a tiny swing either way with 2014's figures.
These current increases are mostly down to the superb commitment of Flybe to the BHX base but we cannot expect further expansion on such a large scale as we have just seen . The other major player, Monarch , have already released their program and I would expect the same status quo from Ryanair and unless something is done with APD there will be little expansion on the Long haul front.
Sorry if it seems like a doom and gloom post, it isn't , nothing wrong with consolidation now and then

[111KAB]

Oh well getonitt to balance your gloom


Record July at Birmingham Airport - Birmingham Post

[BARKINGMAD]

LOOKING THE OTHER WAY.

BBC News - Birmingham Airport stowaway Lee Jezard said he was co-pilot

As l recently commented in the thread on mobile phones, laptops and other PEDs being scrutinised at airports, what is going on elsewhere whilst all eyes are focussed on the industry's customers?

Meanwhile, at a perimeter fence near you.........

[bhx bod]

Air France

I am hearing that AFR are switching many of it's UK services over to the HOP brand,but BHX services are going to be operated by Transavia France from next year.Can anyone confirm?

[FFHKG]

French media (LesEchos.fr) indicate that AF will make a major announcement on the future of short haul/European services on 11th September along the lines that you have indicated. It is likely to lead to a confrontation with the French Pilots Union who are prepared to strike about this.

[nigel osborne]

KGoodall,

Re Air Transat, there is infact a slight increase ,think another 4 weeks of the A330 compared with more A310 flights this year.

However its only crumbs for BHX really.


Nigel