Most AOC's have a worth beyond the ability to generate cash in the short term. Mrs Walker :ok: told me an organisation that takes pleasure in dismantling crippled companies, has an excellent track record of asset stripping and can only employ staff who have no where else to turn might find that if it waits long enough the whole thing will fall into its lap..

IAG did not pay a discounted price for taking on Regional. The discount was for taking on Baby.:ugh: FACT:

IAG - International Airlines Group - News Release

Routemargo
 

I think the IAG deal was announced after Lufthansa thought it had sold bmi regional so not sure what if any? the non sale will have on the price IAG paid Lufthansa

I suspect that the Granite deal will be done before month end, all the more so if they got it for nothing.

Where it goes from there will be very interesting, life as an independent airline is bound to be a challenge, my guess would be some shrinkage back to Scotland, can the likes of FRA & BRU work outside of STAR or will they become a STAR partner?

Good luck to all who sail in her

With an expensive to run fleet, a high-ish wage bill, a declining, mostly domestic route network, and stripped of its parents brand, it isn't really worth anything.

Like an old car, it has reached a point when breaking it for component parts, will realise more cash than trying to sell it as a whole. There is some residual value in elements of it - aircraft, spares, route licences etc. But as a whole it is effectively worthless.

Sadly 'Taxi' has got directly to the heart of the matter. There are a long line of regionals' that have gone bust in the past !

I do hope that the staff fair better than many before. All to often it is to easy to forget them and the stress and heart ache that months of not knowing causes.

One or 2 threaders are a little glib at times, though I am sure that those of us within aviation do care about our colleagues who ever they work for !

They will remain trading as BMI Regional? Confusing for the customer with full page BA adverts telling that BMI will be part of BA. This feels like Duo all over again.

I sincerely hope you are right but unfortunately in this day and age, a new owner often means reduced T&C's.

Have a few friends in Regional, better for it not to fail, but a hard commercial reality exists.

It will need circa £150k+ a day just to stand still, fuel, wages, handling, admin, training, landings, route charges, spares, leases etc etc

Its an unwanted ginger stepchild, the fallout from a messy divorce.

Its competitors have lower cost bases, a more diversified business model and made fundamental changes several years ago to stay in shape and fit for the future.

The only people interested can't put together a credible offer. I only hope the delays are a late attempt to aquire it for nothing, taking on its debts, liabilities and a bag of cash from future ticket sales, which might just give it a glimmer of hope. The noises coming out of BA indicate its destined for the scrapyard.

TAXI

I'm sure you "friends" in Regional appreciate your kind words.

Haven't we seen this Weasel before? Look at his previous posts and you can see he works for Eastern. His agenda then becomes clear.

TDK seems very well informed. My money's on his "wild speculation"

Kind words don't help anyone - No amount of pretending or dreaming changes the harsh commercial realities that bmir finds itself in. Discussing it on here changes nothing, except perhaps helping people to think about where their future lies.

The grim reality is quite probably the dole queue, legal minimum redundancy payments, and some jack the lad ringing you up months later offering you a job flying the same aircraft for a 30% paycut.

I've spent 30 years flying for regional airlines in the uk. The list of startups, takeovers, mergers, buyouts is long, the list of those still in business is short.

When the top man at BA starts to cast doubt, in public, then it really is time to wake up and face reality.

30 years and you've wound up in Eastern. mmm:hmm:

We've had a few people leave us and end up in Eastern. They didn't leave by choice.;)

You think I have any great loyalty for my current employer, think again, the 30% paycut and phone call from Jack the lad was my own bitter experience when Flightline went under.

My very limited flying for regional was in 146's on the German routes, many years ago. I think that is the same time warp where the Granite mob think they are.

Seriously, management will tell you anything, just to keep you at the controls right up until the last flight runs. They don't want all the crew leaving when they've commited to running the schedule for the next 3 months. Then, kaboom, letters and legal minimum redundancy, bus fare home, mind how you go.

I sincerely hope that things turn out well, but there are too many people running around with a head full of fairy stories, a dose of reality is needed.

It seems that all bmi companies were losing fortunes. It seems very unlikely that baby or regional will find buyers because no one will waste the money on such pointless ventures. When LH has a closure fune of £80 million pounds and that still does not attract buyers you know that the for sale items are wrecks.

taxi_driver - you're so right. That's exactly what happened at Duo, only the top nob then secured a senior position with Qatar. The rest went round the "aviation job centres" looking for jobs.

New Grenade
 

Apparently IAG are no longer in discussion with Granite!

Montezuma- would you care to elaborate ?

I have a flight booked with bmi Regional booked for early next year, and I got an email today saying my schedule had changed along with the new details.

The only difference I could see is that the flight now shows as "operated by: LUFTHANSA" instead, anybody shed any light on this?

The flight is ABZ-LHR

Cheers.

deecie -

bmi regional have never operated ABZ-LHR.

JB, delighted dear boy.

The 145s will be replaced with A380s: the routes to Germany will be full low cost, whilst the new routes from every where in Scotland will be codeshared with a Mid East carrier and each 380 will be fitted with 100 first class suites, each with their own shower and private sitting room. The routes from airports south of Hadrian's Wall will be transferred to a new carrier, Midland, and run in to the ground.

In a word.....................NO.

Apologies for the sarcasm.