As im new to this forum and EMA is the nearest airport to me I often wonder what lies ahead in the future for EMA ? Is it likely we will see any presence from any international airlines , or see any routes bar the odd exception going internationally ?

She's also been around GLA too... Apparently not for good reasons though...?

Spitfirealex

re EMA.

I think EMA will continue to grow as a freight and charter airline hub.However BHX will be the one gaining more International sched airlines Qatar being the next.

With BHX also getting the runway extension opening April 2014 ,they are in a position also to attract airlines from further away if they want to come.

EMA does get the TOM 787 next summer BHX with a shorter runway does not.Not sure what will happen when it does will TOM want to share a 787 with EMA,or decide to have just 1 long haul base in the Midlands ?

Nigel

Gibraltar 2013
 

With the announcement of BHX getting the Monarch service does that mean the end of this route for EMA i thought the rumour was Monarch for EMA 2013

Thanks nigel

So is it highley unlikley we are to see the likes of emirates etc in the near future ? Is this down to lack of facilities or just the fact it is too close to BHX ? One final question are we likely to ever see KLM or any other national carrier take some of the routes that will be missing due to the closure of bmi baby ?

Alex

Possibly a change of mind by Monarch, although a few weeks ago, the Gib Tourist Minister, Neil Costa announced the EMA - GIB service and said Monarch would be annoucing it in due course. Cant see it making sense to operate now in addition to Brum....though stranger things have happened :rolleyes:..we shall see

Alex,

I'm afraid that the one advantage that EMA has over BHX - runway length - will be scrubbed out from Spring 2014 when the extended runway at BHX is ready. This will make BHX, with it's greater catchment area plus the ICC and NEC with it's many international events attracting inbound travellers a much more attractive for any long haul carriers that can be persuaded to look beyond London, or Manchester as gateways.

EMA needs "proper" scheduled airlines interlining at principal hubs - something that BMI Baby never offered. Their demise has resulted in FlyBe, that does offer interline facilities through Amsterdam and Paris CDG - in co-operation with Air France / KLM - so in some respects every cloud has a silver lining.

EMA is however an extremely successful cargo centre - much more successful than BHX, or most other airports outside of the South East will ever be, and I still believe that, less glamorous though the cargo side is, it is cargo that will make EMA - not long haul or full service scheduled passenger carriers.

I can't help thinking that the arrival of Flybe and Monarch at EMA is primarily a defensive move by them to protect their operations at BHX rather than having any major intentions for development of EMA services. If a new competitor had arrived at EMA (eg return of EasyJet) or even a major expansion by Jet2, this would be in direct competition with their major BHX operation. Now, with a small presence based on established and popular routes, they will hope to prevent any new competition and meanwhile a number of the 'secondary' routes that Baby were operating have not and probably will not get replaced - and indeed both Monarch and Flybe are now increasing frequencies on existing routes and starting new routes from BHX, presumably to pick up the ex EMA passengers. It seems to me neither Flybe or Monarch have so far lived up to their promises made in the initial hurried press announcements - delayed start ups, reduced frequency, old leased in aircraft etc and no news on any further routes. We shall see.

Thanks guys

Thats a shame to hear, is it too early to decide weather the departure of bmi baby will pan out to be a good thing for the airport or not ? Also with bmi now becoming part of the iag will the maintenance facilities at EMA that belong to bmi be just turned into an iag facility or sold on to another company ? Is very likely that EMA will see a rebuild or expansion of their terminal to feature airbridges and larger parking spaces if any international carriers ever decide to start a route there ?

Alex

Tweentown:

I think you being a little hard on Monarch and FlyBe. Both have stepped into the breach, and neither had planned to do so when their S12 season was being put together. Given that Monarch could hardly have located a handful of shiny new A320s at the drop of a hat, what exactly were they supposed to do (at either EMA or BHX). Sure at BHX Monarch's aim would have been to stifle any new player (such as Jet2 or EZY) muscling in on their territory when Baby's closure was announced.

Moving into EMA seems far less defensive, since Jet 2 are already ensconced and will for sure give them a run for their money.

So far as FlyBe are concerned they would surely have wished to move in on the domestics and AMS / CDG sooner, but if they don't have the equipment free what could they be expected to do.

It has to be said that Baby were losing money hand over fist, probably because they were carrying too many passengers for too little revenue, and some of the "secondary" routes are probably not really viable and as you suggest, and may be lost.

Running an airline is supposed to be about turning a profit, not putting bums on seats irrespective of the costs.

Regarding the likes of EK/EY or other big international operators, it would be great to see but in my own humble opinion I'd think any of the sort would be mightily unimpressed by the terminal facilities at EMA and as such prevent them turning up. Ideally it would be great to see the current terminal demolished and a proper new one built. Awful awful terminal!

Regards

If you think this one's bad, you should have seen the previous one... ;)

Maybe they will do EMA too. They were also supposed to do MAN four times a week this winter too although that is still not bookble either. Only three of the four days are.

Seeming the terminal is old as the airport its self the MAN group must be considering a new terminal as the current one is hampering any possible large movements into the airport and isnt really up to the standards of a high class modern airport even with the millions investd into upgrades

Alex

East midlands routes to Asian countries could do so well with large Asian community's in the 3 major cities around the airport, but the airport can't handle heavy movements, aircraft are being parked on cargo aprons due to the main apron being full, what impression does that give to the larger airlines? Plus I'm sure UPS was looking to expand At east midlands airport for 2014?

Forget your dreams of new terminals boys! The first thing airlines look for is volume of high fare paying passengers. If there are likely to be plenty of those the age of any terminal building is irrelevant.

The absence of the long haul airlines you wish for is due to the insufficient demand.

EK A380 the man in the mobile camera car would be a happy man grrh :\

I don't see EK etc at EMA but not because of it's terminal.......they along with countless other 'full service' carriers fly into other dumps of an airport much worse than EMA. Not that i'm calling EMA a dump.

It says in the article that monarch are one of several airlines looking to fill in where bmi baby used to fly , what airlines could these be ? Easy jet is the immediate choice that springs to mind ?

Alex