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New ATC Tower
Passed thro BHX yesterday and it looked like work had started on the site for the new tower, or is this something else? No mention of the planning application has been made about the new tower which I thought was all part of the package.
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We're on the way, great news! :ok:
All we need now is for our Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands to hand over their promised £25 million and we're off. Could the Minister call in the application for a revue at this late stage? |
When is the new tower planned to be up and running? What else will it have based there? Any plans for Apron's permanent home to be over there? What's happening to the old Elmdon ATC rooms?
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Swissport think that anyone who comes to look at them are going to sign, just like US Airways didn't. AF/KLM are doing the rounds apparently because Aviance want to double the price. Very strange that Swissport now want to handle them as they couldn't have cared less when they had the chance to use the worldwide agreement and prevent redundances:ugh:
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Originally Posted by PhilBHX
(Post 4883809)
When is the new tower planned to be up and running? What else will it have based there? Any plans for Apron's permanent home to be over there? What's happening to the old Elmdon ATC rooms?
I believe there are plans to refurbish all the Elmdon building. Some changes to the apron areas when the Ryanair hangar is built and the hangar for the Police helicopter. No time scales to hand at this time. |
Project Blue
Heard a rumour that Peter Vella (business development director) has departed BHX.
This is ahead of tomorrow's "Project Blue" announcement. Did he jump or was he pushed??? |
Heard a rumour that Peter Vella (business development director) has departed BHX. Worrying times for all concerned, good luck to everyone.:D |
No more free trolleys
BHX moves to a 'pay to push' system tomorrow - payment machines have been installed in both arrival halls.
S78 |
Pay to push??? Are Paul Kehoe and MOL related???
As GTF says, good luck to all that may be affected in tomorrows announcements. |
Any news on project blue announcements yet?
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Runway extension
No regional airport needs a runway extension unless locos start using single-engine take-offs to save more fuel.
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No regional airport needs a runway extension unless locos start using single-engine take-offs to save more fuel. I would argue however that no regional airport needs 2 runways especially when they have barely enough flights to justify one runway!! |
Smooth Radio reporting up to 50 jobs going. Positions in "Frontline Security and Safety" will go. BIA blame economic downturn and need to be more efficient.
Nothing on BIA site yet, just Peter Vella's departure. |
For the sake of clarity....44 redundancies...None in Security/Front line staff. None in Airfield safety.
Further revues taking place with further changes come September.........I won't give any further details yet as people are still being told they are to be let go.... |
Originally Posted by roverman
(Post 4891819)
No regional airport needs a runway extension unless locos start using single-engine take-offs to save more fuel.
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Thanks for clarifying Call 100
I managed to get through to my source at BHX who says that there will be two waves of redundancies - 44 posts this now and then another 40+ in September. BBC now showing this on the website BBC NEWS | England | West Midlands | Birmingham Airport to axe 50 jobs |
Roverman:-
That is one of the most banal things I have read here for a while - and I've read a few banal things!! I appreciate that Manchester is the hub of the known universe, outside of London at least - so it may surprise some oop north that BHX does already enjoy service from a rich mix of carriers both lo-co - generally operating with the full compliment of motors running - and full service carriers, some, including Emirates, PIA and Continental would certainly benefit from a few extra metres. Perhaps they should all be politely told to move to Manchester? |
Well as someone who regularly operates out of BHX and MAN I can say hand on heart BHX wins in every area, MAN is hard work and hassle compared to BHX. But both are massively better than LGW and LHR which must be two of the worst airports for both pax and crew.
My sympathy to those effected by this bad news I hope you all secure new employment very soon! |
Originally Posted by grundyhead
(Post 4892345)
Thanks for clarifying Call 100
I managed to get through to my source at BHX who says that there will be two waves of redundancies - 44 posts this now and then another 40+ in September. BBC now showing this on the website BBC NEWS | England | West Midlands | Birmingham Airport to axe 50 jobs Obviously they are waiting until September so that nothing happens during the Summer period. |
The rumour in he office last week was that Apron Control would go. Now that is quite frightening as the allocation of stands would pass to Terminal Control who seem pretty much maxed out most of the time anyway without having something new dropped on them. I think the summer could be a very worrying time for many at BIA:(
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We've been hearing not of Apron Control going but Apron, Terminal control, BMC and possibly Security Control going into a central, dedicated, control centre providing functions for all these services. Presumably applying for new roles within the pool of people doing the current jobs.
Its pretty rotten to make good people work the summer season, knowing this is coming their way and get the chop as soon as it is over. |
You are right Phil...Lucky for the aiport those people will behave with nothing but the professionalism that they always have until the end....
There is no justice. I hope the shareholders will be happy....I hope that not too many Canadian teachers get made redundant this year!.....:* |
Rumour has it that stand allocation will possibly be handed over to ATC to deal with.
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Rubbish rumour...
When the combined control room is up and running, that is where Stand allocation will be done from.... They are intending to combine the control rooms not advocate responsibilities. |
Unfortunately its always the shop floor takes the hit whilst the dicks at the top stay in their cushy positions living of their heavy pay packets:ugh::ugh:
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bhx
call 100 hope it will not be that bad i know what it is like as with cvt
all the best to you all at bhx 0523 covman |
Glad to hear it won't be the whole department going, it's still going to be a long hard summer for all the staff involved. Been there, got the t shirt, know exactly how everyone is feeling and it isn't a nice situation to have to work in.
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Originally Posted by 0523 cov man
(Post 4894579)
call 100 hope it will not be that bad i know what it is like as with cvt
all the best to you all at bhx 0523 covman And thank you to everyone else...I'll make sure those who need to know, know that some people do care.... Thanks again... |
Originally Posted by legalize
(Post 4894446)
Unfortunately its always the shop floor takes the hit whilst the dicks at the top stay in their cushy positions living of their heavy pay packets:ugh::ugh:
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Summer Charter programme
Does anyone know of any highlights in the Summer Charter programme?
Is it just Thomsonfly and Thomas Cook? Daza |
Certainly seems so far that the names named ( and the very best of luck for a better future to all affected) are not the middle/senior managers we were told were most at risk - obviously some in there but not the majority. I'm not sure we have heard of all 44 - good few short of that on our list - are we just behind the times or are there more announcements still to come this week.
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It is extremely saddening to see that BHX has gone the way of so many other companies in the UK and is callously asset stripping its best asset - its staff just to keep shareholders and DH fat cats happy. The fact that BHX is (normally) such a pleasure to fly through is its staff, those on the front line and behind the scenes who work tirelessly to ensure that everything is continually set up and organized to make sure that people like me can breeze through from parking my car right through to boarding my flight with the minimum of fuss - something as passengers we expect and take for granted but rarely give gratitude for.
I worked in Terminal Control for two years (2002-2004) and know how hard that summer season is - the thought of going through that and not knowing if you will still have a job at the end of it is unthinkable. I still have friends in TC and Apron which makes this even more sad. My thoughts are with you and indeed all others at BHX, good luck for now and the future. On a slightly more positive note, I see that Qatar announced recently to the press that they are planning to introduce new flights to SYD, MEL and more importantly ATQ from November this year - as well as two new but unstated Europena destinations. Looking at their European routes there is some strong competition (AMS, BRU, DUB, DUS amongst others - as well as a rumour I read about QR looking at GLA) but surely with ATQ on line from Doha and the recent EK upgrade, BHX must now be in with its best fighting chance for them to start flights? |
is BHX just that too close to MAN for Qatar to consider it?
i know EK have a passenger base but Dubai is far more popular than Doha surely? |
Envoy - If Doha was the final destination then yes I would agree. However I think it is transfer traffic (whether locally in the Middle East or further afield) that would be the main reason to start this route. I fly regularly on EK Muscat-Dubai-Bham, in my experiences there seem to be proportionally very few actual Dubai-Bham customers on the flight. With Amritsar being an underserved market from BHX and the growth in demand at BHX for EK, there is now enough market base for both EK and QR to operate from BHX? As for being too close to MAN, well i'm sure that was probably said about EK, PK and CO when they started yet they all continue to operate successfully from both.
From a purely personal point of view, I think perhaps in this economic climate QR are perhaps looking at other European cities for that all important high yield business but as a pax from the Middle East, a bit of competition for EK into BHX would not go amiss.......:ok: |
Things must be getting very tight at Birmingham. Having approached the organisers of the Solihull festival last October with an offer of sponsership this offer has now been withdrawn. On the other hand now they have local authority approval for their runway extension perhaps they do not need to curry favour with the locals anymore.
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Birmingham may gain Athens link Friday, May 01, 2009 Chris Gray Greek charter carrier Hellenic Imperial Airways is in negotiations with Birmingham airport about starting its first flight from the UK. The carrier plans to start a Birmingham-Athens service this spring, which would connect to a service to Jeddah from the Greek capital. It believes there is a market for the route to Athens among the West Midlands’ Greek community. The connection to Jeddah could also be attractive to Birmingham’s sizeable Muslim community. The Saudi Arabian city is the gateway to Mecca, which Muslims are required to visit once in their lifetime. Hellenic Imperial was set up three years ago to operate charter flights in up to 115 countries in the Mediterranean and Middle East, using four Boeing 747s. The proposed Birmingham flight would be its first scheduled service and first UK flight. Its UK representative, Ahmed Chowdhury, said the Birmingham-Athens service would operate four times a week, with an Athens-Jeddah connection twice a week. On the two days when the Jeddah flight operated, passengers would stay on the aircraft at Athens while other passengers boarded and the aircraft refuelled, he said. Flights would leave Birmingham at 6pm. Fares would start at £199 plus tax return to Athens and £350 plus tax return to Jeddah. Chowdhury added that the airline had helped repatriate customers after the collapse of the XL group last year. A spokeswoman for Birmingham airport said it was in negotiations with Hellenic but no dates for the start of the service had been confirmed. Lets hope Birmingham pull this one off! :ok: |
Brilliant News, this will be very popular, Hellinic Imperial have some 747's!
The price is very steep though..! |
Monarch flights now on sale for BHXLCA for Winter 09-10. Twice a week by the looks of things.
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Monarch/Mahan Air
Monarch
Yes good news, Larnaca ops Wednesday & Saturday and is bookable although I could not get the month view to show seats available. Tenerife is also showing nine weekly at certain times and at worse six weekly. Mahan Air It has been posted elsewhere that it is now in certain reservations systems - four a week with onward connections to Amritsar. Pete |
Sorry, but a B747-200 would be totally unsuitable for BHX-ATH, and connections to JED are a bit of a red herring except during the Hajj season when point to point charters are far more suitable.
A daily service in an E195 would seem more suitable, but I can only assume BE have looked at it, and decided that for whatever reason it isn't worth doing, presumably they can get better yields from elsewhere without burning so much fuel. But either way, they would still be able to offer a much more economical service than the fuel guzzling beast Hellenic are proposing, however nice it might be for the spotters! |
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