Andy,

CX and SQ wouldnt even contemplate EMA with pax services as the only seen to concentrate on the major players of LHR and MAN. the only time we will see/have seen SQ and CX is in the form of 744F's. EK we wont see due to BHX so its a Etihad link that we could only hope for, like i have sed with a A332 or 763ER. The earliest we would see anything like EY is 2008 i think. but when ever they do come, it wont be soon enough.

We really need to attract someone, such as DL or AA to a US destination or a few and poss an Asia carrier (but would we be able to attract with no air bridges?)

Or do we try and get on with more and more IT charters. which the market doesnt seem that steady at the mo and more people sorting their own arrangements

Regards

Stu

I see everyone's point of view - but let's not get carried away with a wish list for every carrier and aircraft model we ever hope to see grace the apron at EMA.

The facts as they stand right now show that growth is coming mainly from LoCo and long-haul IT (new FCA routes, Gambia, Kenya etc)

While I 100% wish to see a major hub operator link EMA to their hub, I think mentioning EY EK CX SQ etc is just wishing.

I think the BEST thing in the short future would be to woo KLM back with a 3 or 4 times daily link to AMS offering all the onward connections of the KLM/Air France group.

It is interesting how closely FR monitor the Ryanair thread on here. If something is mentioned about the FR website - it is normally fixed within hours!!:ok:

I wonder if anyone from the EMA Commercial or Route Developement departments reads this thread????

If you are there - Push push push KLM!!!

Thats exactly what it is! ;)
Thats would be good. Would be good to be able to go on day spotting trip to AMS. :ok: They would have to compete wit Bmi Baby on price as well so it might keep cost from getting too silly.
Andy S

Andy,

What u have to take into account is that KLM arent that much more than bmibaby on routes from BHX to AMS as EMA to AMS with WW.

KLM would be a welcome addition and a much needed one

Regards

Stu

Wish List
 

NEMA is having exeptional groth passenger wise at the moment and has targeted the market that it is good at.

If it aint broke dont fix it.

The last thing needed is investment in expensive terminals, leave that to the regional airports that are having a drop in passenger numbers

Centre cities

Anyting could happen. BRS attracted CO to EWR without airbridges. I know we probably wouldn't achieve this routes considering the close proximety to BHX but I'm just trying to say that anything can happen.

Regards SAM-EMA

I've always thought that if bmi were a more crucial player in the Star Alliance, that we might have had more hope of seeing foreign Star carriers launch flights to EMA. For example, the lack of a Central European hub feeder service could have been operated by a Lufthansa regional airline to FRA, or the lack of a trans-atlantic flight to a major American city & hub might have been served by United to ORD. However, with a predominantly bmibaby presence at EMA, and bmi not being one of the majors in the alliance, this sort of dream thinking will never happen. I for one would love to see longhaul at EMA, but it's all a wish list, BHX is scraping to get longhaul scheduled traffic and as the UK's second city Birmingham really ought not have these problems finding airlines to fly there, the problem it seems is north of London the yields shrink heavily - even with a lack of competition! EMA has done a great job in the last four years expanding our low-cost portfolio which is currently the airport's bread-and-butter. Surely the airport could therefore be concentrating on encouraging baby to add the promised sixth aircraft, or easyJet to add a fourth, rather than some pie in the sky dreaming of a daily flight to EWR.

Yes baby's 6th a/c or easy's 4th would be good but an American link would be great. I think your 'pie in the sky' comment was not appropriate bmibaby.com. We all have our own opinions.

SAM-EMA

Totally agree, would be great but it isn't going to happen (anytime soon).

The baby and Phil are spot-on regarding this one -
EMA is making good progress with the LCC/Charter market as it is,
sure would be nice to see more short-haul schedule airlines-
but scheduled trans atlantic - maybe when the kids are grown-up!
no need to run before we can walk!
regards
In my honest opinion.:)

It really wasn't intended to be rude, just a wake up call for a lot of people. This isn't a forum for wishful thinking, rather for people involved with the airport to seriously discuss what's up at the airport. There are a lot of people who use the airport who would love to have an American link, but if anything trans-atlantic competition in the midlands has contracted over the last few years since we lost both BA & AA at BHX, instead we're left with Continental serving EWR double-daily there, and no other airlines really showing any interest in the region. I think United would be great serving ORD for example, but chances of it happening are slim. Same with a Middle-Eastern airline, Emirates is firmly attached to BHX and it's not unreasonable to predict that if Gulf Air, Etihad or Qatar were to start flights to the regions, they would pick the airport serving the UK's second largest city rather than EMA. Instead, EMA's phenomenal traffic growth has come from no-frills airlines over the past four years, and surely the airport's growth plans as well as route development ought to be spent right now in ensuring that easyJet doesn't leave for another airport, that bmibaby consider EMA for expansion not just BHX, that Ryanair continue their expansion, and Thomsonfly consider some of their high-frequency flights from here. Also they could be looking at other no-frills airlines that don't necessarily need to base aircraft here. It would be nice for bmi to work with their Star Alliance carriers to bring someone in like Lufthansa but the chances are slim.

I'm a huge supporter of EMA, my place of work and local airport for over a decade now, but no matter how impressive the statistics of passenger growth, we are a regional airport, and predicitions of lots of new longhaul carriers & a need for airbridges are simply farfetched.

Any news on how the terminal developments are going?

East Mid's already has several transatlantic flights....

....unfortunetly, they don't carry passengers (although probably make quite a bit of moeny for the airport?)

FC

From the Leicester Mercury:

"A story in the prestigious magazine The Business last month said the airport's owner, Manchester Airports Group (MAG), was looking to sell NEMA.

The article talked about "sources familiar with the situation" saying that MAG was considering selling East Midlands, along with Humberside and Bournemouth airports, for £500 million.

Airport bosses have completely denied this. "

Hopefully these start ups won't go the way of flywho from up the road in Birmingham, ie considerably delayed start ups or tarnishing their own brands. There is an obvious market for flights to Asia from EMA, and I hope these flights start sooner rather than later, though I think it's inevitable EMA will get start ups or secondary operators, with the big mainline carriers choosing to go up the road to BHX if they do choose to launch flights to the Midlands at all.

Interesting news about MAG not selling EMA. Obviously considerable investment has already been given by MAG to the airport, and the latest round of this will become obvious on May 1st, and I have every confidence in the airport that it will be up and running for then ... :hmm: The airport authority have to be fair, spent a lot of money improving services, not least a revamp of the departure lounge over the last couple of years, and introducing bus services that people working airport-hours shifts can actually use, though on the buses to/from Loughborough there are still some improvements which could be made.

Sadly there's no news on bmibaby's sixth aircraft, which it seems has been promised as CWL's fourth! Somebody mentioned we have applied for slots at Munich, whilst this route was popular in our first winter, I wonder whether the lack of interlining to Lufthansa flights makes the route less appealing than the existing LH service from BHX. I'd love to see FRA back, but slots are a major issue.

Does anyone have information about how CUSS is going? The machines have been installed and used for a few months now, after the winter can we expect more airlines to come online next summer? I was hearing from some people at Menzies they're expecting a far larger presence at the airport next summer. Is this something related to the baby contract or are they planning a raid of Servisair?

The sale of NEMA seems to be gathering some pace. According to gossip the venture capitalists are sniffing around with the help of a couple of ex MDs. Manchester City Council supposedly need the money for the extentsion of the tram system so with Exeter and London City being sold for big multiples on earnings NEMA would be valued very highly. Lots of denials by management but no smoke without fire.......

Any idea which former MD's?

Airport masterplan and new name to be unveiled tomorrow :ok:

New name is "East Midlands Airport - Nottingham, Leicester, Derby"