Emirates @ BHX
 

From June 1st Emirates second daily service ex BHX will switch to a 777-300 so both services will be operated with 777 equipment.
Daza

I'm afraid it begins to truly take the 'P' when we're in early April and flights are already being delayed as the now daily queue for T1 passenger security regularly stretches half way to Warwick. There is no other word to describe this other than 'unacceptable'.

Perhaps a sponsorship with disney ought to be in the offing. How does Birmingham 'Mickey Mouse' International sound?

You would have thought that they would want to get the pax into the departure lounge as quickly as possible seeing as the airport take a cut from the till, having long queues must cut down the chances of the pax getting fleeced waiting for their flights and the cut for bia, sorry extra revenue :ugh:

It happens every year! I can't believe so little has been done to resolve this situation, especially considering that pax security checks are even more stringent now than ever resulting in increased workload for staff and pax processing times. The security search area is bigger than when I worked at BIA in 2004 (back then pax queue for Security often went round the entire retail area and back on itself as far as Burger King) but its still too small to cope with peak pax demand. But seeing as I remember that the DH crowd only ever came into T1 to pick up their Boots meal deals i'm not surprised the queuing problems are still the same 5 years later! It would be a different story if they had to queue to get into DH !!! ;)

The reason why it happens every year is simple -a lack of personnel. Why is this? A combination of poor shift start/finish times, low pay and general morale IMHO. It can't be easy getting up in the middle of the night and work a split shift for the salary of an office junior!!!

Pay them and they will come...and hopefully stick around longer than two months!!! Not sure what they can do about raising morale??? Ideas welcome.

I take the point about split shifts and early starts, but they're not alone in this world in having anti-social hours for low pay. That's not an excuse for it, rather an unfortunate reality. In the current climate I can't imagine the moral boosting line from DH will be anything more than 'hey - we're in a hell of a recession but you've still got a job - arern't you the lucky ones!'

Plan is to turn the link building into one large security processing area. The filtration to T1 or T2 will take place then beyond the Search area.
Hopefully this will reduce the queues. It will also give Ryan Air what they want in T2 which is just a large Cattle shed approach.
Not sure when the process to convert will start.

Hi-Vis
 

CAA in the UK are insisting that if you wear hi-vis it should be fastened up, like its designed to be. Defeats the object of the hi-vis if its left open, particularly at night.

Hi viz.
 

When at night on stand, fair enough! When walking in daylight from my office to the toilet on designated walkways.... bol**cks! The only chance of getting run over then is by the idiots employed by un-named ground handleing agencies who insist on driving the wrong way around the one way system.

All the more reason to wear it correctly then, IMHO :rolleyes:

Hi-Viz
 

QED ! Thanks Chuzwuza, explains it perfectly:D

Health and safety
 

I think you will find that companies and managers are liable if safety equipment is provided and you choose not to wear it or wear it incorrectly. If managers are aware and do nothing and you get run over by one of the idiots you mentioned eatrlier then they are for the high jump and thats upto and including corporate manslaughter.

I have read some legitimate moans on here but hi viz jackets is not one of them.

Centre cities

Health and Safety
 

Above post is right. Your supervisors have to issue you with an instruction to comply with Health and Safety regulations. If you choose not to do this, they have to warn and/or discipline you, otherwise questions will be asked why they didn't and they may be liable.

Common sense is irrelevant, however. There may be times when a hi-vis coat is evidently necessary and other times when it evidently isn't. But in all walks of life it's all about covering one's back. (No pun intended).

Couldn't agree more - surely you people have more interesting things to talk or worry about :ok:

Out here in Oman where health and safety has yet to take its miserable grip, airport staff rarely wear hi-vis jackets and all seems to function well - although to be fair MCT airport is not half as busy as BHX!

On a slightly different note, thinking of trying for a dispatcher job at either EMA o
 

Aviance. :ok:

Emirates
 

BHX have now issued a press release re the EK37/38 upgrade.

2009 Press Releases

Notice that first class is not mentioned despite the config
will be 12/42/310.

The airport quote 96 business seats which is 42 on EK39/40
and the 54 on EK37/8. I assume the 12 will be used for
business upgrades?

The Manchester thread seems to mention first class to be
introduced on one of their services which I assume would
surely mean less seats offered from Manchaster? Don't they
get two HD 77W's at present?

Pete

EK and MAN
 

Ah but the caveat is that a "larger" aircraft will be on service with 1st class on board. Alternately, 2 A332HDs and 77WLD is the other way forward.

For BHX, I presume the EK capacity increase is catering for the lack of AI, with the expectation that not too many people will go with Air Sylhet. But it does look like a "waste" of a 3 class aircraft if they are to offer only 2 classes.

The aircraft are showing as 54J310Y so it would look like some lucky J class pax will get the good seats, for now anyway!!

emirates
 

Ringwayman

Cheers re the clarification re MAN EK information.

As for BHX, most of the Indian pax head for Amritsar and as yet EK
don't fly to ATQ from DXB.

Some would no doubt use EK via Delhi and then go by road or rail onwards but not too many I would have thought.

I think DXB-ATQ was rumoured to start but with flydubai but whether
that is true I don't know.

Pete

BHX Easter Traffic up 0.5%
 

Reported on the local news BHX up half a percent on last year.

Is this 0.5% up on the period 30 March - 10 April against last year (which didnt include easter), or the actual easter week. I think its probably the former because it has been dire in the airport the last week!

easter
 

masterblasterCWLBHX

It will be compared to the week up to Easter Sunday in 2008.

Whether 0.5% is that good with four extra 189 seat Ryanair
aircraft based compared to 2008 (one to two less baby's), I
can't really say but I have heard/seen some pax numbers
quoted from last week and they were excellent, in fact so
good I am surprised it was only up 0.5%.

Pete

Extra T5 14APR09
 

Extra T5 pasing thru BHX tommorrow 767-300ER EN-ROUTE TO THE US FOR A 'C' CHECK.

ASB-BHX-SKF (KELLY AFB, TEXAS)

ARRIVAL 0830Z- DEPARTURE 1000Z

easyjet are back
 

Probably sounds a bit strange before they have gone but only just!

Winter 2009/10 Geneva has been released with the same amount
of frequencies except Monday decreases to daily but Saturday
goes three daily.

Mon - Friday in 1105 out 1135
Friday also sees an afternoon service 1505/1535

Saturday
1030/1105
1330/1400
1925/1955

Sunday double daily
1110/1140
1355/1425

The flight numbers are similar to now so I assume easy Swiss and
I was wrong with my guess, as it is not one of the Stansted based
units as I had suspected.

Grenoble is not bookable but that was a Gatwick aircraft and
their flights are still to be released I think.


Pete

MARCH CAA stats
 

Passenger figure 674301 down 6.9% (terminal pax per CAA) or
7.7% per the airport which I assume includes transits.

Individual route analysis show a few weak ryanair routes
but a general slowing in the decrease in pax on the business routes.
This would of course would be helped by Easter falling in April
this year, conversely some leisure routes were hit hard.

Highlights include Emirates record monthly figure of 38901
somewhat helped by several 77W's on the A330 flights.
The average was 314 per flight or 81% load factor, which should
be fairly accurate as I have the different configs and matched
them against the aircraft operated per acarsd.

PIA was down 500 to 9064 but only three weekly flights this year
and this makes the average pax per flight 324 around 82% load factor
(that is a guess as I don't know the 77W config).

Newark was down 600 or 700 hundred but still 75% load factor.

Other services looking a touch weak are Air France Lyon
down from 3173 to 1947 and Aer Arran Waterford at 1406.

The lack of Cheltenham extras made little difference as
Dublin was up - just!

Pete

Air Sylhet
 

Anyone know whats happened to Air Sylhet/Akal Airways. Have heard rumours of bankruptcy already

Air Shylet departed about 2 hours ago for Vienna & Amritsar.

Is only operating once a week.

The Wednesday flight will be re-instated when the rainy season is over.

BHX5DME

Any more news on the proposed restarting of Mahan Air flights to Tehran?

Good to see BHX has again fared well compared to other airports in March on pax figures, it is interesting that the airports recording double digit growth for many months (BRS, EMA, EXT and so on) are the very same airports now recording double digit decreases. Good job BHX for keeping a mixture of carriers on board.

EDI is worrying though - I reckon they could pip BHX this year for pax, FR has chosen some pretty solid routes for their EDI base, I still cannot get over why FR are offering BIQ, PGF and so on from BHX through the winter and no SXF, TSF, MAD or BUD, surely these would be a better bet in winter for load and yield?

Mahan Air
 

starting 21/6, 4 x weekly




S78

guys,
i had a friend on the TOM396 inbound BHX from Sharm last wed 15th,landed at around 2310 local.She asks why they were kept onboard for about 40 mins after landing.does anyone know what the problem or incident was. Thanks.

Couple of things
 

The Air Sylhet is a programmed reduction, love the way a flight dosnt operate and someone mentions bankrupcy. Where did these rumours come from ?

On the subject of Pax numbers dont get to excited.

There are 4 extra Ryaniar aircraft till May/June when this reduces to 2 till Novenber compared to lasy year.

For the summer there are several less Baby aircraft.

The large scale pax reductions is just taking a little longer to kick in but it will.

The addition of Turkish and US air does not compensate for the loss of based units.

Unless an operator bases another unit for the winter it will be well into double didgit reductions.

Bristol will benefit from an additional 2 based units soon and it will be the other way around


Centre cities

Centre Cities - thanks for the information but am a bit confused, are you saying there will be just two FR a/c based over the summer at BHX, I thought the schedule needed four? Didn't know that BRS is due two additional a/c I thought they were already there. I agree I think we will see more significant reductions in pax numbers but I do think BHX is well placed to ride the storm.

I know FR made a big hoo-haa about having 10 based a/c at BHX by 2010 and that this was announced before the current economic crisis but is there any hope of extra based units in the foreseeable future, it seems even despite economic conditions that FR having pretty much seen off Baby have now lost their initial push to expand at BHX. Despite things I think there are still a lot of viable route options for them.

S78 Thanks for the Mahan info, great news at 4 times a week but still can't find it on their website!

I "think" Centre Cities is pointing out that BHX is benefiting (figure wise) from having 4 based FR now compared to 0 based this time last year. In May/June this will be 4 vs 2 based last year and in November will be 4 vs 4 so the pax figures will start looking worse as time goes by...

Thanks, that is exactly what I meant to say but you put it much better than I did.

Centre cities

Thanks guys for the clarification :) I know exactly what you're on about now! It will be interesting to see exactly how BHX fares this year compared to others - so far so good but perhaps the worst as you say is to come

March Route Analysis
 

The passenger figures are from the CAA but the average per flight and
load factor is my estimates. I really mean estimates for load factor due to the differring aircraft used by LH, KLM, ZB, WW, BE at certain times and on certain routes.

I actually copied the daily flights down which should me the average
per flight should not be too far out. However late cancellations would
have been missed.

Some figures are not too bad but you can see why flybe have cut
Stuttgart and Milan.

Ryanair need to be a bit smarter with their choice of winter destinations
but overall they could have been worse. I trust Cuneo won't see the
light of day again.

A definite slowing of the rate of decrease on some of the business routes
but frequencies were trimmed during the month by most airlines.

Aer Arran Waterford is a little low and the Air France Lyon at double daily
is a worry but at least fares on that route are fairly high.

Cork will improve as BMI Baby have finished, the load factor on Shannon
should increase as it is back to daily from 10 weekly and of course
Easter would have had a major impact.

BRUSSELS/9372/40 PAX/40-45%
BILLUND/2813/108 PAX/57%
COPENHAGEN/6091/66 PAX/70-75%
BIARRITZ/1785/99 PAX/52%
CHAMBERY/1182/66 PAX/86%
GRENOBLE/2410/93 PAX/56%
LYON/1947/2O PAX/41%
NICE/2806/94 PAX/67%
PARIS CDG/27081/53 PAX/60-65%
PERPIGNAN/1300/72 PAX/38%
POITIERS/205/103 PAX/54%
DUSSELDORF/11736/34 PAX/50-55%
FRANKFURT/19186/56 PAX/60-65%
HAHN/2760/77 PAX/41%
HAMBURG/1727/38 PAX/52%
HANOVER/2893/55 PAX/71%
MUNICH/9836/55 PAX/70%
WEEZE/102 PAX/54%
STUTTGART/2765/20 PAX/35%
CORK/9030/107 PAX/67%
DUBLIN/58001/124 PAX/68%
KNOCK/3295/87 PAX/60%
SHANNON/9599/112 PAX/59%
WATERFORD/1406/31 PAX/46%
BOLOGNA/1934/107 PAX/57%
CUNEO/267 PAX/33 PAX/18%
MILAN MXP/2669/26 PAX/31%
PISA/2508/96 PAX/51%
AMSTERDAM/78 PAX/70-75%
FARO/7796/162 PAX/85%
OPORTO/2493/139 PAX/73%
ALICANTE/17660/158 PAX/80-85%
BARCELONA/3143/112 PAX/80%
GIRONA/3266/126 PAX/66%
MALAGA/18396/144 PAX/76%
MURCIA/4593/153 PAX/81%
PALMA/5794/121 PAX/68%
REUS/4275/113 PAX/59%
ARRECIFE/2754/153 PAX/70-75%
TENERIFE/9167/148 PAX/68-75%
GOTHENBERG/1351/25 PAX/68%
STOCKHOLM NYO/4349/121 PAX/64%
OSLO TORP/24550/98 PAX/52%
GENEVA/14502/101 PAX/68%
ZURICH/10979/58 PAX/58%
ISTANBUL/56 PAX/
PRAGUE/10178/106 PAX/65%
KUNAUS/2354/131 PAX/69%
BYDGOSZCZ/2622/146 PAX/77%
GDANSK/3259/125 PAX/66%
KATOWICE/2981/106 PAX/56%
KRAKOW/3359/129 PAX/68%
RZESNOW/2183/121 PAX/64%
SZCZCIN/1064/67 PAX/35%
ASHKHABAD/5125/142 PAX/75%
DUBAI/38901/314 PAX/81%
ISLAMABAD/9064/324 PAX/82%
NEWARK/8092/131 PAX/75%

Pete

Runway extension planning permission has been given unanimous approval. Solihull council agreed to the Section 106 and Planning Conditions proposed by the airport company.
Next step it goes to Government Office of the West Midlands for ratification/approval.

Runway Extension
 

Hallelujah ! :)

What does this mean now in terms of timing - is this the last 'hurdle' to jump before actual work can begin? How long will it take to be ratified? And if quickly, when will work actually begin and will it be completed before the oft-quoted 2010 deadline for the Olympics? Sorry lots of quetions but I have no knowledge of planning procedures or of building runways for that matter

March Route Analysis
 

Ryanair state they had a 78% load factor for feb 09 overall. Most BHX loads seem well below this. One thing is no shows who ryanair count but I assume the CAA do not. Is there any data to show how many were booked but did not travel? Also whats stops ryanair making some seats unavailable for travel so that the load factor told to shareholders can be far higher then reality.

As I understand it at the moment....The ratification won't take long...The problem now is ensuring BHX own all the land needed....Apparently this is not a major problem.
The next big problem is moving the airspace 400 meters West (I think) which in itself has some planning issues and CAA involvement. Then the next big task is getting the money..:uhoh:
I don't think the 2012 Olympics are achievable now. Would be nice though....
Some indication that the A45 diversionary work will commence in the new year including the tunnel that will take it under the extension.
First construction project should be the new ATC tower on the west side of the runway. Though no dates for anything have actually been confirmed as yet.
Hope that answers some questions. They are as I understand the situation to be. If anyone else knows different I won't take offence.:)