Lets hope its good news for BMI and bmibaby! :D

Im bored of waiting now. I feel a damp squib coming on.

Maybe Richard Branson is about to buy BMI!!!

Wishfull thinkin, but would be nice to have Virgin up at Manchester with a similar smart op like they have an America!!

Wishful thinking not!
Most of us are hoping anyone else but Virgin.

Anyone else BUT virgin???? huh?:confused:

Explain that one please...

I would be VERY surprised to see VS buy BD. There are alot of domestic flights operated by BD which would be in comptetion with their trains although there is demand for both and it would provide great connections for VS long haul from LHR.

I also would like to see the Virgin American interior at MAN. Would definately be better than taking the train to LON!;)

Well I don't know which crew room you have been gassing in but that is most certainly not the view that most people express. I think the general view is almost the exact opposite.

This thread has become a complete waste of time!

I agree...

What exactly were you congratulating??

Yeah, why not spill the beans and put us out of our misery

"Yeah, why not spill the beans and put us out of our misery"

I think you'll find they were being sarcastic. Nothing to tell!

boring, change the record please.

I'm bored of this too, I'm also bored with moaning exBMED crews. Nobody forces them to work there!!

In all fairness to BMED crews, it wasn't what they signed up to either when they joined that airline. Yes, BMED would have gone under had it not been for bmi stepping in, but at the same time they've seen a massive change in their working conditions, so there was always going to be griping, bmi are not an easy company to work for.

I personally didn't see any benefit in a merger between WW/GSM given the number of new types to the fleet they'd be adding, operational complexity, a head office which would need to be disbanded and opening two new bases at airports with a strong EZY/FR local presence. It seems better to focus on existing bases and grow from there. WW have cornered a decent niche at BHX, and to a smaller extent MAN, and would be wise to protect them.

They knew what was happening months ago, + their seniority deal as far as pilots was pretty good. But like I said no-one forces them to work there, and it's tiresome to hear moaning all the time.

No takeover of GSM.

GSM are getting geared up for a successful S08, to get their rep back.

All routes are being flown by GSM A/C:

2 B767-300ERs will be used for SFB, YHM (on occasion), YVR, YYC routes UK-wide.

1 B757-200ER will be used for YHM UK-wide.

All B737s will be used for shorthaul routes.

4 B738s and 1 B736 based GLA
1 B73G based ABZ
1 B733 based MME
1 B738, 1 B733, 1 B73G and 1 B736s based EDI

Are all B738 not Glasgow based as always?

Does Sharm El Sheikh not need a 73H or can a 73G do the run as well?

Astraeus would be a more likely target for BMI........

The 738s are not always based at GLA. EDI had one there last summer.
SSH can be done on 73G.

Looking forward to getting our own aircraft back for long haul S08!


LJ

The bmi group are currently making it policy to look at growth through acquisition, but let's not forget SMB is a shrewd businessman, and if the right offer came along would sell any one of the arms of the company up the river a la British Regional, Manx and BMHS to name a few.

Is it true that Bmi/bmibaby have bought GSM?

Regards

Mike

Of course it is!!....they have also bought BA:}

And Flybe :E

I heard that bmibaby crew have recieved an internal message saying GSM has been bought. Is there any truth in this?

Regards

Mike

People are of course assuming that if this were to happen that it would be the whole of GSM and IMHO that doesn't make a lot of sense, getting involved with long haul ops would bring the same problems to baby that it did to GSM. Whilst it is true that the group(bmi) would be able to take this on, that doesn't fit what they do either, they aren't into package tours.

What would make sense would be for GSM to divest them selfs of the short haul product from EDI/GLA/ABZ/MME, the money from this would help develope the long haul side, make the operation that remaind much easier to manage.

For bmibaby they would have a fleet that fits with their current fleet (the NG is a couple of days in the sim) at a stroke it would give them a strong Scottish operation, baby have in place everything they need to do this both here and overseas.

It would allow them to operate early rotations between the EDI/GLA/ABZ and their current bases (that fly North) EMA/BHX/CWL which would allow them to pick up the more profitable early morning business traffic.

They could operate BHX-EDI-AGP-EDI-BHX with the BHX first wave whilst the Scottish first wave could operate EDI-BHX-AGP-BHX-EDI and still end up with all the crews in the right place, aircraft swaps down line to return aircraft to EMA for checks are common place within baby.

The plus for baby is that at stroke they would gain the airframes and crews that they need with out much additional cost to the cost base.

For GSM it would allow them to focus on their holiday business, they can still sell seats on the short haul stuff (baby have done this for years with various tour operators) not have to worry about facing down Ryanair at EDI, it would also give the CAA some confidence that they are serious about the long haul product (ETOPS) and who knows bmi (group) may be able to help them there as well as part of a deal.

This would avoid much blood being spilt in terms of back office staff for GSM

IF it is true, I wouldn't expect BD to keep the 76/75 fleet based up North, but move them to LHR for midhaul.

Regards

Mike

Can any Baby crew confirm receipt of this internal memo?

Don't be daft. This is a RUMOUR network. Hard facts and info not allowed:ok:

Globespan 'looking for a partnership'
 

From The Scotsman:

By ALASTAIR DALTON TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT
FLYGLOBESPAN, Scotland's largest airline, is seeking a merger or acquisition to fuel further growth, its new chief executive has revealed.

Rick Green, head of parent company Globespan, has disclosed that the firm remains firmly focused on expansion despite its impending first full-year loss, caused partly by major problems with hired-in aircraft used last year.

In his first interview since joining the Edinburgh-based company in December, Green said he was taking over operational command from chairman and former managing director Tom Dalrymple, who has run the business for 34 years.

Green was formerly managing director of Glasgow-based Direct Holidays, which became part of the merged Thomas Cook-MyTravel conglomerate last year. First Choice and Thomson Holidays owner TUI also merged months later.

The signals from Green suggest Globespan may be following a similar path. He said: "My role is to strategically review any opportunities that exist.

"We are looking for a strategic partnership, such as a merger or acquisition. We are not for sale, but every business has a price."

However, Green said there was "absolutely no truth" in rumours of interest from BMI.

He said Dalrymple, 62, would become "more strategic, less operational." He added: "Tom is the principal shareholder and will remain so, but I think his wife would like to see more of him."

Green will be looking for a less turbulent first summer season at Globespan than the hiatus caused last year by two problematic aircraft hired from Icelandair, which he admitted had cost the firm more than £10 million. Repeated faults with the Boeing 757s left transatlantic passengers stranded and others with disrupted journeys.

This will contribute to Globespan filing its first loss this month, for the year to last October, despite turnover rising 40 per cent to about £280 million. The previous year's pre-tax profits were £4.7m. Green said the firm had learned its lesson, and it now operated all of its own aircraft. It has a 17-strong fleet.

Six-year-old Flyglobespan hit further bad publicity in October when it became the first British airline to have a licence for flying directly across the Atlantic suspended following investigations by aviation safety authorities.

The licence was subsequently restored by the Civil Aviation Authority, but the airline has this year voluntarily surrendered the licence pending a reorganisation of its engineering division under new director Chris Hubbard, who joined from Thomas Cook.

Green is confident the licence will be restored by next month. In the meantime, twin-engine planes have to fly closer to land.

Confident that such problems will soon be history, Green was bullish about this year's prospects. He said bookings were up 10 per cent on last summer, despite the credit crunch, rising oil prices and increased competition, especially from Ryanair's expansion at Edinburgh airport.

The winter season had been the firm's strongest yet, Green said, with aircraft flying 82 per cent full – 4 percentage points up on last winter – despite a 6 per cent increase in seats.

He said: "Competition does not seem to be affecting us. We have regrouped and are stronger than ever."

Certainly is time for megers/take overs and acquisitions.

Could SilverJet be on BMIs radar screen? Especially as cheap airframes are required for their mid/longhaul routes.

Latest news on SilverJet

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Business airline Silverjet Plc. said it is in
talks about a potential takeover of the company.
The carrier, which flies from Luton to New York Newark and Dubai, said in a
statement that it had noted a recent increase in its share price.
"The company is currently in discussions which may or may not lead to an
offer for the issued share capital of the company," the group said. "A further
announcement will be made when appropriate."
Speculation has emerged about Silverjet's future following negative analyst
comment and results that disappointed investors.
One report suggested the business airline could become a takeover target for
easyJet Plc. after it said in January that it had appointed Amir Eilon, a former
board member of the budget carrier and friend of easyJet's largest shareholder
Stelios Haji-Ioannou, as a non-executive director.
In January, stockbroker Daniel Stewart initiated coverage on the airline
with a 'sell' rating and zero pence price target, saying it doubted the group's
business model. Silverjet hit back, saying it was confident the carrier would
achieve its first month of operating profit in March.
The group failed to achieve that target, but said earlier this month that it
flew 23 percent more passengers in March than it did in February.
In February, Silverjet said property tycoons the Reuben brothers had decided
against turning a 10 mln stg loan to the business airline into shares.
Silverjet launched services from the UK to the US in January last year. The
group's share price has fallen since it floated in 2006 and concerns have grown
about the feasibility of the all-business class, long-haul airline model since
US premium only carrier Maxjet Airways filed for bankruptcy late last year.
However, some analysts believe there could be space for different types of
premium-only carriers.
The group's shares closed at 15-1/4 pence on Wednesday. It floated on AIM in
May 2006 with a placing price of 112 pence per share.

If BA got the slots, whet slots are bmi using to fly the same routes??!! bmi kept most of the slots ..

BA does get the slots eventually, but bmi still has them for a while yet. After that, it will have to drop some routes or rotations to 'fit' the reduced number of slots.

Despite still having the ex-BMED slots, bmi have dropped a couple of routes and rotations in the past 18 months: INV and ALC/LYS have been axed and I think one of the DUB flights was dropped.