Birmingham-8
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I expect the ‘expansion’ probably refers to the ones already announced that are starting this summer - Ryanair, Jet2 and EasyJet all have new routes starting this summer. Hope to be proven wrong though. Hope there”s positive news soon regarding Saudi or Qatar, with the A380 coming back and Aegean returning it would round things off quite nicely.
Join Date: Aug 2007
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There are rumours floating of possible twice daily Air India flights.
Given that Hans Airways still seems to be a non starter and AIs expansion plans in the UK I suppose we should never say never
Given that Hans Airways still seems to be a non starter and AIs expansion plans in the UK I suppose we should never say never
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Article in Birmingham Mail about BHX expansion in S23, spokesperson quoted as saying further new routes and expansion to be announced
According to SeanM on Twitter, QR have not yet fully confirmed their S23 UK schedule due to slot issues in DOH, so there's still perhaps a hope for BHX-DOH to return?
According to SeanM on Twitter, QR have not yet fully confirmed their S23 UK schedule due to slot issues in DOH, so there's still perhaps a hope for BHX-DOH to return?
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Saudia - great news if that turns out to be trueQR - am hopeful but wouldn't put a bet on it!
AI - have also heard rumours about second daily flight, not surprised given that e-visas are once again available to UK citizens visiting India (instead of time consuming and difficult to arrange appointments at the Indian Embassy)
Short haul showing decent schedules, nice to see EZY expanding to hub city breaks not just bucket and spade. Would be nice to see IB Express and Icelandair back as well as BER on EW.
AI - have also heard rumours about second daily flight, not surprised given that e-visas are once again available to UK citizens visiting India (instead of time consuming and difficult to arrange appointments at the Indian Embassy)
Short haul showing decent schedules, nice to see EZY expanding to hub city breaks not just bucket and spade. Would be nice to see IB Express and Icelandair back as well as BER on EW.
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Well. What a massive surprise. Hans Airways’ 330 is being de-registered and is not available to fly.
who knows, maybe they have another aircraft lined up but I’m not holding my breath.
Yet another start up that promised everything and delivered nothing.
who knows, maybe they have another aircraft lined up but I’m not holding my breath.
Yet another start up that promised everything and delivered nothing.
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Are efforts not better spent encouraging QR to return, AI to increase capacity, and EK to go three daily again / twice daily with the A380?
EKBromsgrove,
Agree with you 100%. Ironically, positive as Hans AW actually succeeding might have been a likely and unwelcome consequence may well have been the loss of Air India.
Agree with you 100%. Ironically, positive as Hans AW actually succeeding might have been a likely and unwelcome consequence may well have been the loss of Air India.
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Handling Agents
Is TUI still planning to move from Swissport to Assured? I find it amazing an airport this size doesn’t have other big name handling agents such as Menzies and Dnata etc
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I think at this late stage, it's highly unlikely any of the outstanding summer 2023 slot requests (QR to DOH, SV to JED and EW to BER) will now come to fruition. BHX will have to continue to rely on LS, FR and EZY for short haul expansion as the remaining 'legacy' carriers are seemingly treading water and as for scheduled long haul, well it looks like it will only be EK and AI for the foreseeable. It's very disappointing to see T5 returning to the UK at STN in favour of BHX, even using the old BHX flight numbers for the new STN - ASB service starting end of March
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Unless they re-start their flights to India there isn’t much point in Turkmenistan returning to BHX. It’s surprising neither EK/TK don’t fly to Amritsar when you think about it.
On the plus side Turkish seem to be doing very well at the moment, another A330 tomorrow - I make that four on the bounce now and they’ll be back to double daily for the summer season.
On the plus side Turkish seem to be doing very well at the moment, another A330 tomorrow - I make that four on the bounce now and they’ll be back to double daily for the summer season.
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Agreed and I meant to mention this in my previous pos about the lack of Indian connections from ASB,, T5 @ BHX survived on connections to ATQ and DEL, without those it would not make much sense - however I'm still not sure it makes sense from STN either if the service is going to rely on P2P travel to/from ASB only.
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Agreed and I meant to mention this in my previous pos about the lack of Indian connections from ASB,, T5 @ BHX survived on connections to ATQ and DEL, without those it would not make much sense - however I'm still not sure it makes sense from STN either if the service is going to rely on P2P travel to/from ASB only.
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Saudi
https://www.saudia.com/pages/experie...ase-02032023-1
02 March 2023
By collaborating with airlines to expand their operations in Saudi Arabia, ACP seeks to promote growth and development within the tourism and aviation sectors, working to strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a leading destination for international travel.
"The opening of four new air routes across three different regions is the result of strong collaboration between the Saudi tourism and aviation ecosystems," said Ali Rajab, CEO of ACP. "We are proud to have been part of these efforts. These new routes offer a diverse mix of travel opportunities in the Kingdom, unlocking its rich cultural heritage and inviting travelers from around the world to experience the beauty and diversity of this remarkable destination.
“Air connectivity will play an increasingly important role in enabling tourism growth and creating new opportunities for businesses and tourists alike. We look forward to building on this momentum to unlock new destinations, and create a brighter future for the Kingdom,” Ali Rajab added.
Capt. Ibrahim Koshy, CEO of SAUDIA, highlighted the airline's ongoing commitment to investing in operational expansion. “We are dedicated to continue optimizing our modern fleet to meet current and future expansion requirements,” he said. "In addition to the recent launch of the new service “Your Ticket, Your Visa” which is the first of its kind in the world has increased airline's competitive position with a market share of 40% for flights and seat capacity in the past year.”
Koshy also emphasized the importance of initiatives aimed at increasing SAUDIA's international market share, simplifying and facilitating travel procedures, and enhancing the travel experience for guests. In addition to increasing the Kingdom’s air connectivity, these initiatives also help grow the country’s budding tourism industry while improving its existing Hajj and Umrah-related travel networks.
Saudi’s tourism ecosystem has an ambitious target of reaching 100m visits annually by 2030, with air connectivity being a central part of achieving this goal. Saudi Tourism Authority's strategy focuses on understanding consumer demand and identifying key source markets. These new direct flight routes have been launched as a response to the uptick in consumer demand from travelers looking to visit or transit through Saudi from Beijing, Birmingham, Kano, and Johannesburg.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board of Saudi Tourism Authority added that “Today’s announcement of four new routes demonstrates the power of the tourism ecosystem to work with airline partners to bring new capacity online. Through cross-government collaboration, we are continuing to build ease and connectivity to transform Saudi into a top tourism destination and meet our ambitious target to welcome 100m visits by 2030. This is significant as direct flight options are not only good news for international travelers but also create growth, opportunity, and investment in Saudi and across the world.”
MATARAT CEO, Eng.Mohammed Al Maghlouth, noted: “At MATARAT we are working with our ecosystem partners and airlines to enhance the airport experience for both air carriers and passengers in Saudi Arabia. Our focus is on delivering world-class services that meet the highest international standards, thus improving the travel experience for everyone. Al Maghlouth also stated that the inauguration marks a significant milestone in our efforts, as several airlines have announced plans to introduce direct flights from Saudi airports to new international destinations. This strategic initiative is aligned with the National Aviation Strategy's goals, a critical component of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to achieve the objectives outlined in Saudi Vision 2030 by adding 250 new international destinations and increasing passenger capacity to 330 million.”
02 March 2023
IN COOPERATION WITH THE AIR CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM, THE SAUDI TOURISM AUTHORITY, AND MATARAT, SAUDIA ADDS (4) NEW INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS
The national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, SAUDIA has collaborated with the Saudi Air Connectivity Program (ACP) and Saudi Tourism Authority, to launch four new international destinations: Beijing (PRC), Birmingham (UK), Kano (Nigeria), and Johannesburg (South Africa).Representing a significant expansion program for 2023, the route development follows the national carrier’s signing of an agreement with ACP and is in line with the program's objective of enhancing the Kingdom's point-to-point air connectivity and its reach to target international markets.By collaborating with airlines to expand their operations in Saudi Arabia, ACP seeks to promote growth and development within the tourism and aviation sectors, working to strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a leading destination for international travel.
"The opening of four new air routes across three different regions is the result of strong collaboration between the Saudi tourism and aviation ecosystems," said Ali Rajab, CEO of ACP. "We are proud to have been part of these efforts. These new routes offer a diverse mix of travel opportunities in the Kingdom, unlocking its rich cultural heritage and inviting travelers from around the world to experience the beauty and diversity of this remarkable destination.
“Air connectivity will play an increasingly important role in enabling tourism growth and creating new opportunities for businesses and tourists alike. We look forward to building on this momentum to unlock new destinations, and create a brighter future for the Kingdom,” Ali Rajab added.
Capt. Ibrahim Koshy, CEO of SAUDIA, highlighted the airline's ongoing commitment to investing in operational expansion. “We are dedicated to continue optimizing our modern fleet to meet current and future expansion requirements,” he said. "In addition to the recent launch of the new service “Your Ticket, Your Visa” which is the first of its kind in the world has increased airline's competitive position with a market share of 40% for flights and seat capacity in the past year.”
Koshy also emphasized the importance of initiatives aimed at increasing SAUDIA's international market share, simplifying and facilitating travel procedures, and enhancing the travel experience for guests. In addition to increasing the Kingdom’s air connectivity, these initiatives also help grow the country’s budding tourism industry while improving its existing Hajj and Umrah-related travel networks.
Saudi’s tourism ecosystem has an ambitious target of reaching 100m visits annually by 2030, with air connectivity being a central part of achieving this goal. Saudi Tourism Authority's strategy focuses on understanding consumer demand and identifying key source markets. These new direct flight routes have been launched as a response to the uptick in consumer demand from travelers looking to visit or transit through Saudi from Beijing, Birmingham, Kano, and Johannesburg.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board of Saudi Tourism Authority added that “Today’s announcement of four new routes demonstrates the power of the tourism ecosystem to work with airline partners to bring new capacity online. Through cross-government collaboration, we are continuing to build ease and connectivity to transform Saudi into a top tourism destination and meet our ambitious target to welcome 100m visits by 2030. This is significant as direct flight options are not only good news for international travelers but also create growth, opportunity, and investment in Saudi and across the world.”
MATARAT CEO, Eng.Mohammed Al Maghlouth, noted: “At MATARAT we are working with our ecosystem partners and airlines to enhance the airport experience for both air carriers and passengers in Saudi Arabia. Our focus is on delivering world-class services that meet the highest international standards, thus improving the travel experience for everyone. Al Maghlouth also stated that the inauguration marks a significant milestone in our efforts, as several airlines have announced plans to introduce direct flights from Saudi airports to new international destinations. This strategic initiative is aligned with the National Aviation Strategy's goals, a critical component of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to achieve the objectives outlined in Saudi Vision 2030 by adding 250 new international destinations and increasing passenger capacity to 330 million.”
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Can't find any start date or frequency for Saudia but apparently it is happening
Qatar due to make a big summer 23 new routes announcement at the Berlin routes event on 7th March, I hope this will include BHX!
Qatar due to make a big summer 23 new routes announcement at the Berlin routes event on 7th March, I hope this will include BHX!
Still for the life of me I can't see what traffic Saudia are after for BHX unless its looking to hoover up for PIA passengers that used to use the direct ISB/BHX service.
If the Saudi route takes off, where will they fly from Jeddah or Riyadh? Considering the country is dry with some of the most strictest conservative laws I can't see it really working, apart from Mecca during the religious periods. Don't forget Saudi fly from Manchester as well.