The original German Reuters report is here.

Bottom of fourth paragraph:
My translation: However LH is weighing a sale of the bmi LCC subsidiary bmibaby. "That's one of several options. It's not a Lufthansa core business," Gemkow said.

Further reference to this at the end of this English-language Reuters story too

I have no axe to grind in all this and wish bmibaby all the best. But to suggest that Hr Gemkow's remarks are a made-up press report when they can be found on the Reuters website with a simple Google search seems to reflect more on the poster's Google skills than anything else. ;)

How would buying regional enable Flybe to start flying baby routes from EMA?

Base meeting in Manchester?
 

MAN awash with rumours that there's a full base staff meeting tomorrow.

Anyone else heard and know what its about? Fingers crossed and good luck for all involved

DUTC

No base meeting at MAN.
bmi management are meeting with the unions tomorrow at Donington Hall. We'll find out tomorrow what it's all about.

8028410q

From somebody close to the top it looks like there is going to be a fleet reduction of 4 aircraft. ( I think that is the best of the possibilities)

Unions meet at 10am. (Pilot and CC Unions) Staff will be told at 1030am.

A very concerning time. Good luck to everybody.

Oh bugger....thats not good

Well hud, this is not really news.

We already knew that some a/c were not going to be replaced until after winter period.

How is it youre so well informed when baby management have not been told anything yet? Do you work for baby?

The good luck message sounds hollow looking at your previous posts...

Is this the fleet reduction aka the 500's or is there more news to come out of the woodwork??

part of a memo from nigel turner this morning,
this memo covers other things such as pay e.t.c but here is the bmibaby relevant bit..........

bmibaby


With that background, on the recommendation of bmibaby’s executive team, we have decided that bmibaby’s capacity needs to be reduced next year, in order to remove development routes that currently have insufficient demand to justify their retention. We also need to reshape the bmibaby network to create more operational efficiency, which will also allow us to reduce management overhead in the Tiny Town head office.


We had already planned significant winter capacity reductions, but will now not replace three aircraft that have either come or are coming to the end of their leases and will be reducing the peak flying programme in 2009 to 17 aircraft. This will unfortunately have an inevitable impact on the number of operational jobs required and will require some reductions in the management overhead structure. Today we are therefore commencing a 30 day consultation with the relevant unions about the 70.1 full time equivalent positions at risk, which are concentrated in the Birmingham base and a few in East Midlands. We will as usual endeavour to minimise compulsory job losses but are not in a position where we can carry surplus jobs until the market recovers to such an extent that we feel able to grow the business again.

Well it was what we expected. NT states a 3 aircraft reduction, in actual fact it is 4. Bmibaby is crewed to 21 Aircraft.

Not sure how he arrives at 70 jobs at risk. I would of thought it would of been alot more.

It highlights how desperate the industry is in and further anouncements like this are inevitable not just at bmibaby but for all the Airlines.

Bmibaby At Bhx
 

Seems as though WW and going down to 5 a/c based at bhx in the summer season as apposed to this years 9. Numerous routes being cut inc Madrid, Rome, Bergamo, Bordeaux, Lisbon, Krakow and Prague. Makes grim reading as seems job cuts are going hand in hand... Not a good day for BHX with loses of routes but I can see FR taking over a lot of these and they are also on the KRK and PRG currently.

Am sure that when they announced intention of having 15 a/c at BHX a couple of years ago they wish they had reacted and not allowed FR in the door. Seems they are paying the price for slow reaction.

Best of luck to any crews who are in the unfortunate position of losing there jobs, been great working with ya all over the years..


Barry

5 a/c for next summer is correct, but PRG has not been cut (still bookable in midsomer) I think you may have meant WAW which has been chopped. All other routes are correct.

We never had 9 a/c this year, only 8 (which was in fact 7 for most of the summer thanks to TOYL not arriving)

The 3 a/c are not -500's, it's whichever have leases due to expire??

In fact BVZE has just received a fresh coat (new billboard clrs).

No jobs will finish until end of March at the earliest and a lot can happen between now and then - good or bad.

Mr. B

What will happen at MAN this summer? More or less routes?

From BBC News website.

Airline cutting jobs and flights

An airline has announced it is suspending some of its services which could impact on the jobs of up to 70 members of staff.
Bmibaby is stopping its summer services to Rome, Milan, Lisbon, Madrid and Bordeaux from Birmingham International from 29 March to 24 October.
A spokesman said it was in response to a lack of demand with travellers cutting down on city-break trips.
The news affects 65 posts at Birmingham and five posts at East Midlands.

Please get your facts right and do not try to install fear and panic to all at Baby.

BBC news release is also incorrect in there figures.!

There is the POSSIBILITY of compulsary job losses.
As of today the unions have entered into a minimum of 30 day consultation period, this may be extended.
during that period there will be options for volunteers to take various optons (sabaticals,voluntery redundancy etc these are just examples) this has not yet been finalised and is to be agreed over the next 30 days. This period can be extended if no agreement is reached.

Hopefully the headcount that needs to be reduced will be filled by such options.

If not then it may go to compulsory redundancies but the consultation is not complete so numbers ARE NOT FINAL !:ugh:

The "facts" all came from the BBC, however they have amended their report to read:

Five routes suspended by airline

Low-budget airline bmibaby is suspending five of its summer services from Birmingham International Aiport.
The routes affected are to Rome, Milan, Lisbon, Madrid and Bordeaux, with the flights to be put on hold between 29 March to 24 October.
A spokesman said the move was in response to a lack of demand, with travellers cutting down on city breaks.
The suspension of the flights could lead to 65 jobs losses in Birmingham, as well as five in the East Midlands.
A spokesman for the airline said it was starting a 30-day consultation period to minimise the impact of potential compulsory job losses.
'Weakening demand'
Customers already holding bookings for the suspended routes will be contacted by bmibaby and offered a full refund or a transfer to another destination.
A bmibaby spokesman said the routes were being suspended in response to a weakening of consumer demand.
"Travellers are now booking to fly to typical sun destinations for their annual holiday, rather than flying to the more impulsive short-break city destinations," he said.
Mediterranean routes from Birmingham were performing well, he added.

BMI baby @ BHX
 

From BBC website

Quote:

---

Five routes suspended by airline
Low-budget airline Bmibaby is suspending five of its summer services from Birmingham International Aiport.
The routes affected are to Rome, Milan, Lisbon, Madrid and Bordeaux, with the flights to be put on hold between 29 March and 24 October.
A spokesman said the move was in response to a lack of demand, with travellers cutting down on city breaks.
The suspension of the flights could lead to 65 jobs losses in Birmingham, as well as five in the East Midlands.
A spokesman for the airline said it was starting a 30-day consultation period to minimise the impact of potential compulsory job losses.
'Weakening demand'
Customers already holding bookings for the suspended routes will be contacted by Bmibaby and offered a full refund or a transfer to another destination.
A Bmibaby spokesman said the routes were being suspended in response to a weakening of consumer demand.
"Travellers are now booking to fly to typical sun destinations for their annual holiday, rather than flying to the more impulsive short-break city destinations," he said.
Mediterranean routes from Birmingham were performing well, he added.

---

Any flight-deck jobs at risk?

An announcement like this from the bmi board (I agree, if it's going to happen then it must be announced) will no doubt have an impact on bookings for the other branches within the bmi group, mainline and regional. All of the issues within the group at the moment make the bmi brand name rather unattractive for the average punter to book their next flight with. Mainline, regional and baby, on paper may be different concerns, but to Joe Public bmi is bmi is bmi. It must be a very difficult consideration for the board to come to this decision based on Joes' perspective of the whole group.

Unfortunately, that'll be a yes,along with cabin crew positions at BHX. 3 a/c going from the fleet before/around the start of summer season 09. Best of luck to all those affected

(Already a Baby thread with this news going btw)

Right, I'll get me coat.............

Bmibaby and BHX situation..
 

This shines out at me as a 'big invitation' to Ryanair to enter the markets that baby are keeping on at BHX. I wouldnt be at all surprised if Birmingham to Belfast City pops up sooner rather than later.

And apart from some PR activity in Bournemouth and Southampton I havent seen FR take on Flybe at all.???? I would look at a Ryanair V Flybe scenario with interest. Anyway this is getting off the point.

Very surprised that EMA BFS is not being axed. Any detail about this available?

EI-BUD