Birmingham-7

[FQTLSteve]

What a difference a year makes I remember the stats being reported then with BHX pulling ahead of EDI quite strongly in the key summer months. A complete turnaround. Not good when traffic is generally up. Not a rosy future.

[MANFOD]

Many thanks Pete. That link worked.

[ATNotts]

Originally Posted by OltonPete

Source: CAA

July 2018 Passenger figures 1313887 (1436756) down 8.55% - 2017 in brackets

Passenger transport movements 10007 (11594) down 12% - Cargo 247 (250) down 1%

The difficult summer continues and only slightly better in August I believe.

What is left of long-haul was not too bad with Qatar just 7 pax down on July 2017, Emirates averaging just shy of 500 and Amritsar/Delhi service was slightly up at just over 13000 and Islambad was also up.

Pete

From a business perspective I imagine the airlines will be pretty pleased that aircraft movements are down a greater percentage than passengers, which might suggest that there is a higher load factor generally, which ought to be leading to higher yields. Obviously however only the airlines themselves know the extent to which that may be true.

It does suggest that there is probably room for organic (rather than explosive) growth over the next few years, though that should be cautioned since still nobody knows what Brexit will bring - hopefully another 20 months breathing space (till Dec. 2020) for things to be properly sorted out.

[LGS6753]

From a business perspective I imagine the airlines will be pretty pleased that aircraft movements are down a greater percentage than passengers, which might suggest that there is a higher load factor generally,

...or that larger aircraft are being used.

[ATNotts]

Originally Posted by LGS6753

...or that larger aircraft are being used.

I'm sure Pete has the actual numbers, but my gut tells me that with ZB 321s being effective replaced by LS 738s, and fewer E195 and E170s from FlyBe the average number of seats per aircraft may be a little less.

Over to you Pete!

[OltonPete]

Aircraft size and Jet2

Originally Posted by ATNotts

I'm sure Pete has the actual numbers, but my gut tells me that with ZB 321s being effective replaced by LS 738s, and fewer E195 and E170s from FlyBe the average number of seats per aircraft may be a little less.

Over to you Pete!

Not really worked out the seats comparison from summer 2017 compared to summer 2018 or the aircraft type used but in general what ATNotts has stated is true. BHX had between 6 and 7 Monarch A321's operating in 214 config but Jet2 have just the one A321 based. Flybe reduced by around 6 flights a day but replaced by nothing on those lost routes and frequencies. Roughly in high summer BHX lost 7 x 214 seats on a 2/4 sector day, 3 x 174 seat A320's, 2 x DH8D/175 with 78/88 seats on 4 to six sector days and 1 x FR 738 on 4 sector days replaced by a few FR away based 189 seat 738's, 4 x 189 seat Jet2 on 4 sector days and 1 x 220 seat Jet A321, 1 x Primera 189 seat B73H on 4 sector days and 1 x 189 seat TUI 738 on 4 to 6 sector days. The ACL had the seat loss report but I am sure it was between 12-15% but pax have been down just under 10% high-summer.


Jet2

Although the Corfu ends early September as planned and the extra frequencies to Rhodes, Heraklion and Mahon also finish they have had a reshuffle with some aircraft in October only operating just the one flight such as 3 of the 9 aircraft on a Thursday but overall there are still 9 on based when originally it was 8 operational after the second week in September.

The good news as well as Prague returning on Monday and Friday as scheduled they have added a second Malaga Saturday morning within 10 minutes of the first, the Palma away based on a Sunday becomes based departing just 5 minutes after the first morning Palma. Saturday sees an extra Antalya added, Sunday and extra Arrecife and Friday afternoon a second Tenerife again departing shortly after the first. Monday gets an extra Antalya.

I make Saturdays 20 flights in early October as the away based Alicante's remain away based.

Certain routes see planned reductions or end early such as Zante, Almeria, Thessaloniki, Ibiza, Kos so no surprises as all originally scheduled.

The Primera base seems to close at the end of September with the Malaga an away based aircraft from Stansted.

It is far from all doom and gloom and to cap it all an extraordinary week of GA movements plus MAEL seeing Virgin, Norwegian 787's and a DHL 757. Elmdon side is booming. Still a long way to go with the route mix but still heading in the right direction.

Pete

[jon01]

SAS Stockholm

Service reinstated for Xmas 2018, operating on 22nd, 26th Dec & 3rd Jan 2019

[GayFriendly]

Woah 2 Stockholm flights over Christmas, there was me thnking the bhx route develipment team had given up....

[OltonPete]

Summer 19 & winter 18

Wizz

Summer 19 showing Bucharest at 3 a week (no change) and Cluj 2 a week which has yet to start. Other routes not released

Ryanair

An extra Krakow added for summer on a Monday with an away based aircraft.

The only other summer change is the second Thursday away based Malaga has been moved to a based evening flight on a Wednesday.

Winter now sees Malaga 6 a week with the away based Sunday the most recent addition, Alicante is daily with Tuesday the latest addition around a month ago. They have shaved a rotation off Dublin on Tuesday and Thursday to make it 5 daily Tuesday-Thursday but still up slightly on last winter when Sunday, Monday and Friday were just 4 daily but they will be 6 daily this winter if nothing changes. Faro was the only other increase going from 2 to 3 a week.

Jet2

Very fluid and generally positive with the changes mainly around Easter with Naples now twice a week from mid month, Antalya 4 a week (Thomas Cook 5 a week at Easter), Dubrovnik 2 weekly and Rhodes staring at Easter. I have not noticed any high season changes for summer 19 recently but still a lot afternoons with 14 departures requiring 12 aircraft. Summer 18 retains use of the 9th based as they have retimed some flights from mid September.

Air India

Troubling as Friday Delhi has now been off-sale about a week from 12 October thus making it only 6 a week from 18 October and it does not appear again thereafter.

No TAP

15 new destinations including Dublin but no surprise BHX is over-looked as they have never said they would operate from BHX but they must have such a stunning network to ignore up to 6000 pax a month. I can't believe it would affect the Manchester service too much as at present most would be heading to Luton or Bristol for O & D although some connecting pax would be using Heathrow (If not AF from BHX) and this could be an excellent opportunity to take passengers off any airlines and alliances

Flybe.

A lot of chopping and changing with the winter 195 with it mainly on the seven a day Amsterdam rather than Paris. Some winter cuts after Christmas - Lyon from 7 a week to 5, Milan between 5 and 8, Knock 3 a week at times both HAJ & HAM 4 a week even Inverness loses the Saturday service at times.

Pete

[jon01]

Thomas Cook winter 18/19

The extra based aircraft, a Thomas Cook Balearics A320, will be operating as below:

Mon: Fuerteventura*
Tue: Tenerife* Antalya*
Wed: Tenerife*
Thu: Tenerife* Las Palmas* Arrecife* Antalya*
Fri: Tenerife* Arrecife* Dalaman* (Nov night flight)
Sat: Tenerife* Fuerteventura* Grenoble* Antalya*
Sun: Palma* Tenerife

* Not operating every week

The schedule is quite flexi depending on Xmas & school holidays, two flights a day only on certain Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays

[FQTLSteve]

I read on here that Primera would make a decision about the transatlantic services early in 2019. In view of the plethora of announcements, including the latest Madrid, on new transatlantic services, is there likely to be an announcement sooner, in order to have time to promote and encourage reservations?

[ATNotts]

Originally Posted by FQTLSteve

I read on here that Primera would make a decision about the transatlantic services early in 2019. In view of the plethora of announcements, including the latest Madrid, on new transatlantic services, is there likely to be an announcement sooner, in order to have time to promote and encourage reservations?

I'm not a betting man, but I wouldn't put a 10p piece on Primera returning to BHX, certainly not transatlantic. That ship has sailed, they've set their sights 1) outside the UK, for perhaps obvious reasons, and 2) on major cities. If they had, say, announced services from Hannover, or Lyon I might have had more hope for BHX.

[FQTLSteve]

ATNotts Very quick reply, cheers. I must say it did make me think likewise. So it looks bleak with no transatlantic services for the time being, there might well be a long wait ahead for any potential services if at all, apart from the TUI and Thomas Cook type of flights, not been at all good for BHX since last year. The tunnel seems vey long when comparing to other UK airports, as I've said before there are IMO far too many gaps now even on European services, key destinations remain unserved again for 2019 it would appear. The route development team have a lot of work to do I think, but they should have done better with such a wide and large catchment area and excellent transport links. Fingers crossed.

[ATNotts]

Originally Posted by FQTLSteve

ATNotts Very quick reply, cheers. I must say it did make me think likewise. So it looks bleak with no transatlantic services for the time being, there might well be a long wait ahead for any potential services if at all, apart from the TUI and Thomas Cook type of flights, not been at all good for BHX since last year. The tunnel seems vey long when comparing to other UK airports, as I've said before there are IMO far too many gaps now even on European services, key destinations remain unserved again for 2019 it would appear. The route development team have a lot of work to do I think, but they should have done better with such a wide and large catchment area and excellent transport links. Fingers crossed.

To be honest, if you take the London airports out of the equation (and we know London is a honeypot for TATL services) BHX is in good company when it comes to English airports without direct trans atlantic services. I'm struggling to think of any, apart from for Manchester that do now, with Transat having retrenched to London and Manchester, and not only BHX but also NCL and BRS having lost their direct services to the USA. In Scotland GLA is hanging on, EDI being the real pull in Scotland, and Cardiff - well unless a ship load of Welsh tax payers cash is thrown at an operator, they're not likely to see services anytime soon.

We just have to accept that a) the UK is essentially London Centric, and b) BHX is too close to London and Manchester; and has too little demand for front end passengers.

[ssflyer]

OP#664
Ryanair
You say there are no other changes for summer 19 but I see GRO is not yet bookable?
SS

[Plane.Silly]

Can anyone shed light on the runway closure last night? Mrs Silly was supposed to pick up a friend coming back from LCA, only to hear they got diverted to MAN

[Plane mad 134]

A Fedex plane had a Hydraulic leak on the runway so that closed it for a while and some flights got diverted.

[cheesebag]

Yep... I was on one of them... Brussles (cityjey) Sukhoi Superjet….. circled for a while then went to MAN. stayed on a remote there for a while, got tugged to a fuel point then finally made it back about half past midnight. Credit to the Captain, kept us in the loop with everything.

[sixchannel]

Baggage Delays?!

Met some UK friends at BHX yesterday afternoon from a L O N G SYD - DBX - BHX haul.
EK39 arrived 30 mins early which i thought was great BUT why does it take 90 minutes to get luggage?
Is there a developing problem at the airport?
In 10 mins of the A380 landing, there were also 2 Jet2 arrivals, 2 TUI, and 2 Flybee. Maybe BHX s at max capacity now and can't cope any more.

[kfsimpson]

Originally Posted by sixchannel

Met some UK friends at BHX yesterday afternoon from a L O N G SYD - DBX - BHX haul.
EK39 arrived 30 mins early which i thought was great BUT why does it take 90 minutes to get luggage?
Is there a developing problem at the airport?
In 10 mins of the A380 landing, there were also 2 Jet2 arrivals, 2 TUI, and 2 Flybee. Maybe BHX s at max capacity now and can't cope any more.

90 minutes is extreme - was it 90 to delivery onto the belt or to exiting the building and meeting them? But I have waited over fifty minutes for luggage from an EK arrival at BHX. You do need to allow for the fact that there will be 550 passengers if the flight is 90% full, and with Emirates' generous luggage allowance many of those passengers will have multiple items of baggage. No, I don't think luggage handling at BHX is tip top, and find I usually wait less time at Heathrow, but BHX has few full widebodies arriving, and therefore can't afford to have staff available all day and under-employed for much of the time waiting for the few arrivals which have more bags. I find I usually don't wait too long for bags from TK flights at BHX, so I really think it is just those few pressure points in the day.