OP

I really can't see EZY not being a success at BHX, their initial schedule/routes are I would say safe and a test of the waters but I can see more than just 3 based over the next few years and more destinations added. Let's just hope this building work finishes soon and the new facilities deliver what they promise - at the moment the queues at security from start of day right through to mid afternoon and the plans put in place to manage passenger flows from check in to security are woefully inadequate.

""Whatever the cost of asbestos removal were H2 to be demolished the equation is surely how much benefit there might be medium to long term of redevelopment of the land. Were the current cargo 'boom' to be something BHX wants to build on then surely the cost may be justifiable. If nothing is done, eventually H2 will reach the end of its life and need pulling down anyway. ""

BHX made a decision in the late 80's to concentrate on passenger numbers rather than cargo . When the overnight parcels delivery service was in it's infancy we had aircraft flying for UPS , XP & fedex , albeit on a smaller scale than nowadays , with Heralds, EMB110 and various other feeder type aircraft and of course we had the Air Foyle / TNT operation start , only to move to Luton as they were not happy with BHX . Soon after the others moved to Coventry and EMA and from that point onwards we had the Fedex flight that survived until recently and the Ad-Hoc flights that a very proactive handling agent can attract . But i go back to my main point, the airport really didn't want to know back then and it's too late now.

getonittt,

You're right of course, BHX dabbled with the small packages industry when it was in its infancy but made the concious decision not to develop the pure freight side of the business, and the rest is history.

Speaking of which at one time in the mid to late 1970s BHX did have scheduled cargo services from CPH (SAS DC9F), Milan (SAM DC6, then Alitalia DC9F) and Paris (BEA Merchantman). Prior to those I seem to recall Aer Lingus Viscount Freighter conversions operating from Dublin.

Apart from those, all cargo operations have been almost totally whole plane charters, including the Jaguar engines from Detroit Willow Run around the turn of the century.

Surely the only way that BHX is ever going to attract much more than the current and welcome cargo operation would be a business decision to develop a cargo facility which given EMA just up the road probably wouldn't pay dividends for the shareholders.

easyJet
 

Same here I can't see them failing at BHX, it has been a long time coming and I am sure the agreement with the airport is mutually beneficial to both and it will go from strength to strength.

As to your other point at least the base has started with just the one aircraft as the departure experience must be trying for all concerned to say the least from what I saw for myself the other day.

Pete

EZY Winter 24/25
 

BHX has started to be loaded.

Quite a few routes (unsurprisingly) not loaded for winter Nov-Mar LCA, KGC, CFU, HER, PMI, JER, DLM plus others.

LYS back from Nov but a very limited schedule with currently only flights in Nov, Jan and Feb.

BER to only 2 flights a week

LIS - nothing loaded after end Oct

NAP and NTE still showing in drop down menu in app!!!

Clearly a work in progress, will be very interesting to see how they utilise 3 aircraft over the winter given that so many destinations are summer seasonal - or will there be a reduction in based units over the winter?

winter 24/5
 

Not sure how much of this schedule will remain in tact but some other points I have taken

1) Completely ignores the BHX November night closures but no different to Ryanair which they do every year and they been based for years and they have to revise the schedule

2) No flights on a Wednesday virtually all winter for the based aircraft other than CDG in November only

3) None of the away based 23/24 winter routes are operating from the BHX base other than CDG in November which seems unlikely

4) Lisbon bookable in the Holidays app from 1st March so it does appear to be resting over the rest of winter

5) Glasgow schedule is miserable again, both timings and frequencies which is odd as Friday's in May, June, September & October it is 4 a day (three on others) and this route isn't a summer route by any stretch of the imagination, surely some BHX based flights to added?

Pete

Brussels Airlines are showing 12 flights a week from Birmingham for the winter schedule (06:05 and 16:45 Monday-Friday, 06:05 on Saturday and 16:45 on Sunday).
Does anyone know if these are an actual plan or just haven't been removed from the booking engine?

By the way, when I started travelling regularly between BHX and BRU in 1999, there were about 12 flights a day to Brussels (British Airways, British Midland and Sabena), with 3 scheduled to depart around 0630.

Summer 2024 BHX Timetable
 

Please find attached my provisional Birmingham Summer 2024 Timetable.

Schedule flights operate 31st March to the 26th October, Charter flights (now just TUI Airways!) operate 1st May to the 31st October.

Hopefully I have covered all destinations and flights, the Lufthansa Frankfurt and Air France Paris CDG now have too many daily aircraft changes, so I have had to put the aircraft type down as “EQV” Equipment Varies.

As per usual, expect plenty of changes between now and the end of October. Expect aircraft changes on Air France, Eurowings, KLM, Lufthansa, SunExpress, Swiss flights, and Easyjet will use the A320neo (32N) instead of the A320ceo (320) on flights, likewise Jet2 with their A321s, most flights will be on the A321ceo, but at least one/two A321neo’s should be based all summer.

I also expect TUI charter flight times to be tweaked between now and May, if the last few years are anything to go by, still believe 2 Fly4 Airlines B738s will be based, not sure yet if the current 2 Enter Air B738s will be operating only until the end of April, or will continue in the summer period.

Brussels
 

That is the plan I believe but of course it is a long time between now and then and the cynic in me is half-expecting the flights quietly to be removed mid summer. 12 A week sounds about right and it would be very disappointing if they feel they can't sustain the route when they will have aircraft spare but fully understand that there are better markets in summer to make more money.

The Cityjet CRJX's were probably a better aircraft in terms of capacity for this route although they have made a terrible start to the summer on LH954/5 - first one landed BHX went tech, second departed Frankfurt got as far as the east coast of the UK and turned back and today it didn't even bother and Lufthansa sent an A320.

I went on the Brussels early 90's when there were the two operators, the BA 1-11, I was due to fly home on went tech in Brussels and most of us piled on BD660 an hour later DC9-15 G-BMAC :).I think it was around 5 a day in the week at that time, 2 x BA and 3 x BD.

Pete

Wizz Air dropping BHX now?

They have certainly slimmed the operation down this summer, but retain a reasonable presence. #seanm1997 reported this week that they have culled 100+ routes, perhaps in part due to engine issues, perhaps because routes aren't performing, perhaps a bit of both.

Have you seen or heard anymore?

Wizzair are very short of aircraft due to engine issues, into fortress Luton today are x3 charters to keep the program going as much as possible.

The three remaining Wizzair routes are all (currently) bookable throughout winter to end of March 2025. As previously posted they're facing huge issues with fleet shortages hence a huge swathe of route cuts. They've dropped all flights from EDI and BRS with LDS and LPL also seeing routes dropped so we're lucky to still have these 3 routes at BHX

EDI services had already been moved to GLA !

TUI S25
 

Apparently an extra 70,000 seats from BHX with TUI next summer - article in Travel Weekly doesn't mention any new routes but does highlight increases in frequency to Palma, Antalya and Dalaman, Rhodes and Paphos.

From the Bournemouth thread it seems BHX has picked up Maersk Cargo flights from BOH to add to the existing Air Atlanta and Lufthansa cargo services.

Freight really does appear to be on the up. Who needs Air China?

Perhaps while Air China continue to change their minds BHX went ahead and secured an operation that suited them better?

Also heard a rumour - and it is just that - that Air China has now also handed back their MAN slots... still keen to head to London instead of BHX or MAN... still very much to be confirmed however!

CA to MAN now starting 14th, everything ready to go so I would be surprised to see this fall through so late

I don't imagine BHX 'secured' anything, the airport company doesn't appear overly proactive where cargo is concerned.

The impetus surely comes from a dedicated independent handling agent hungry for business.

(The Air China comment wasn't intended as a dig at MAN. That bird has flown).