With any luck EZY will pick up the CDG and AMS slots as well from Birmingham that Flybe had to give up. Would be nice to have them back in the midlands a bit more.

If Easyjet add a 2x daily to each of Edinburgh, Paris and Amsterdam and 1x daily to Aberdeen, then it would make life very uncomfortable for Flybe at Birmingham

I agree and think there will be more to following from easyjet from BHX

But the GLA service is to be operated by a frame based there. Are posters looking for BHX-based services?

Neither CDG or AMS would have to be.

I should imagine there are many posters looking for a BHX EZY base but I think this is jumping many steps ahead and (as things stand) is very unlikely to happen. We have to remember that they launched BFS and GVA (I think) in 2007 and this is their first new route out of BHX since then.....However, it is encouraging that they have seen the potential at BHX and have taken on a trunk domestic route (with competition). I would therefore be surprised on this basis if EDI doesn't follow, then perhaps later on ABZ and a long shot INV. There are a lot of regular travellers who will be very tempted to try EZY and I think the route will be extremely successful. How will BE react?

The well-publicised eventual disposal by BE of BHX-CDG and AMS slots cannot be ignored either and I think EZY would be mad to miss out on these opportunities.

I think there are a number of other existing EZY bases that could also support BHX flights: Barcelona, Lisbon, Lyon, Milan, Toulouse, Venice come to mind. In addition, there are a host of other EZY destinations that I think stand a very good chance working at BHX (on both existing routes and new routes) but of course this would need a full blown BHX base.

The future of BE at BHX is far from certain in the 'Connect Airways' future (given the public statements so far about the importance of MAN and LHR and long haul feed) so it could be that EZY are testing the waters with a view to being much better placed in the future to take on some routes vacated by BE should there be a cull in their operations.

All in all a very interesting and welcome development for BHX, how significant it really is and where it could lead to, only time will tell!

Why would EZY be so unlikely to set up a base at BHX, I should have thought it would be perfect for them?

Not impossible but difficult to operate from the CDG or AMS base as the slots are roughly:

BHX AMS 0700, 12.35, 15.00, 16.35 and 18.40 with BHX-CDG 06.40 11.35 & 17.10.

I can see AMS & CDG probably not too bothered about the mid morning and mid afternoon slots but they surely won't let anyone change 09.30 AMS or CDG departure slot to the incredibly busy 06.30 - 08.30 period.

The flybe schedules are of course aimed at the West Midlands business traveller and West Mids City break crowd which I assume easyjet will also be after, compared to the AF and KL times which are timed to meet their home based banks..

Even if they don't want a base they would be mad to mess with the morning slots even if CDG and AMS let them (all of course if they take the bait).

As for GLA it is an interesting choice before EDI which carries more pax and usually higher fares.

I know of some business on Glasgow that has been lost to the train due to Flybe high fares and there is a chance easyjet will steal some of these back.

Pete

Flybe Berlin
 

I'm due to fly this route (TXL)next week. Looking at departures over the last few days it seems to be delayed by a couple of hours every evening including tonight. On a couple of occasions the aircraft used has been to IOM when it's due to fly to TXL.
Are the delays on this route due to a shortage of aircraft or poor scheduling?

The whole family are due fly back from TXL towards the end of the school holidays and we could do without a midnight arrival

The based Olympus A321 has now positioned back to Athens

Lease cancelled?

Leased aircraft
 

At least the four 757's are still operating so some compensation that eight of the nine based are TUI aircraft.

If the September aircraft to go is the Estonian leaving 1 x 788, 4 x 757 and 3 x TUI 738;s I would take that.

Air India

AI117 Amritsar back on the arrivals board tomorrow from Amritsar.

Pete

TUI update 15-Aug-19

B763 EC-LZO is back to cover for TUI, operating the morning Ibiza and the pm Las Palmas

TUI update 16-Aug-19

B763 EC-LZO is still based and operates to Chania, then Rhodes

A321 SX-ACP has returned from maintenance and is back in service

Do we know flight times for easyJet - GLA/BHX.......

Not in their booking engine yet

First Impressions
 

Had an embarrassing experience yesterday evening arriving on EZY195 from BFS. Arrived ahead of schedule at 17:20, stairs attached and onto buses we went heading for domestic arrivals. This is where the fun began - reached the doors for entry to terminal but no-one from Swissport to greet as an escort. Bus blocking airside roadway so driver apologised and said we had to drive around airfield until he had confirmation that a member of staff was present to meet passengers into arrivals. So off we went on a merry ride around the aprons reminiscent of the film 'Speed' (albeit at a slower pace!). Finally the driver clocked the doors were open but now an OCS vehicle was blocking the space - however he opened the front doors only and off everyone scrambled.

The fun didn't end there - it transpired that no-one from Swissport had in fact turned up; now 120+ pax trapped on a staircase in a random corridor banging on doors to try and get the attention of someone to let us in . Finally at 18:00 someone from Swissport came and opened up the route into baggage reclaim not even apologising or uttering a word. Ironically the aircraft we arrived on was ready for departure as we were still trapped!

A shocking arrival experience and totally embarrassing first impression of the airport/city for visitors. As a local it was painful to experience. Obviously issues with Swissport rather than the airport itself but still an entirely avoidable situation. This wasn't lost on some Belfast natives stating 'how did BFS come below this place?!" referring to the Which? survey.

Wizz
 

Finally BHX awakes from its route slumber this week with Wizz starting a new one for them and reinstating another.

Krakow starts tomorrow three times a week joining Ryanair and Jet2 - three operators on one route rarely has a happy ending at BHX so fingers crossed they all survive.

Poznan restarted today which was a bit of a surprise when it ended the first time only to realise the base closed and this now operates from the Wroclaw base - an interesting one in winter possibly for weather issues and crew hours.

Malo86

No change there then. I collected my youngest from a TUI flight last week, they waited ages for steps and from landing to car park on a quiet night it was nearly an hour but the crew were not shy in apportioning blame!!!

easyjet

Should be finding out the Glasgow schedule this week I presume

Pete

So, the new Year-round schedule for EasyJet at BHX is starting to take shape. Will it continue to change further, who knows but this is where we currently stand....

The stats we know so far!

• BFS = 18x Weekly Flights
• EDI = 13x Weekly Flights (NEW!!!)
• GLA = 13x Weekly Flights (NEW!!!)
• GVA = 3x Weekly Flights

Summer 2019

• Weekly Flights = 21x Weekly
• Weekly Seats = ~7,500 Seats
• Annual Seats = ~ 393,000 Seats

Summer 2020

• Weekly Flights = 47x Weekly
• Weekly Seats = ~16,900 Seats
• Annual Seats = ~880,000 Seats (124% Growth)

With these change alone, and this is before we know what is happening with any AMS/CDG flights, EasyJet are looking set to become a major carrier at BHX in 2020. Hopefully a corner has been turned and we are now reaching the critical mass when a base maybe considered in the future....???Who knows....

I wouldn't be so sure that Easyjet has a huge love of Birmingham - perhaps more a case of trying to pick off the best routes from a weak Flybe that knows Virgin is unlikely to set up a major hub in Birmingham any time soon and there there is little synergy between the 2 airlines at BHX
If you see Easyjet opening routes from Birmingham to Aberdeen, Amsterdam and Paris, then you can be certain it's a case of trying to make life harder for Flybe