I do find it a bit strange that Ryanair think they can fill flights from BHX to the likes of Santander, Billund and to be honest even Stockholm when to me there are more obvious un/under served markets such as Nice, Marseille, Berlin, Rome, Pisa, Venice, Riga….the list is pretty much endless.

Do airports like Nice have capacity at times which would suit FR and a BHX route ?

All depends upon financial incentives.

Am amazed that FR hasn't looked at Berlin. The twice weekly EMA flight loads well so I'm sure there's enough demand to go round both EMA and BHX.

I go to Berlin a lot and really miss the Flybe service, it's a pain to have to go from MAN, EMA or LHR. And before the chorus of 'you can fly via FRA, MUC, BRU, CDG or AMS' yes I know but have done connecting flights in the past, all of which have gone badly wrong with delays, missed connections and lost baggage so no, I'm not prepared to do connecting flights BHX-BER anymore

As for Santander and Billund, yes financial incentives play a big part, just like Poitiers, Bologna, Trapani, Montpellier, Trieste and others offered by FR from BHX in the past, they'll probably last as long as the financial incentives do! I think TLS and ARN will do OK.

ARN goes up against Eurowings who were apparently not doing too well on that route. They haven’t covered themselves in glory in Sweden with lots of cancellations and problems at Arlanda.

Eurowings BHX-ARN loads have picked up really well recently just as they start now to canx flights !

I've seen that Eurowings cancelled both BHX-ARN flights last week.....shame as I see fares have been steadily going up in recent weeks so I'm assuming loads have.too. Very good flight timings too for a long weekend away

Is there room for both? Not sure, ARN has always been a tricky route from BHX. I've not seen any promotion for the Eurowings service at all which possibly hasn't helped loads.

Its been heavily promoted here in Sweden. Eurowings ads on tv and all over the subway and billboards. Although as I mentioned before there are lots of stories here about nightmare trips with Eurowings since they opened the ARN base.

If I remember correctly, when monarch flew the route, they had very good loads from the get go. Think Ryanair will do fine on the route, if not very well.​​​​​

Birmingham airport flights delayed longest in 2021 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62112211

“Flights from Birmingham Airport had the longest delays in 2021, analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data suggests”.

“The BBC reported in June that the annual wage of the airport's chief executive Nick Barton rose by 49% from £399,000 to £595,000 last year, angering trade unions”.

Emirates will re-start their 3rd daily flight to BHX tomorrow
EK5007/5008 now showing on arrivals
I understand this to cope with the local demand and extra pressures of LHR cap.

Sounds an odd flight number more like an extra than a schedule

​​​​​​That flight number suggests its a rerouting of EK007/8. An extra BHX would more likely have a BHX flight number prefixed with a '5'.

Is this due to Heathrow demanding airlines cut their schedules I wonder. if so EK7 and 8 is operated by an A380.

on the other hand:

https://news.sky.com/story/flight-ch...vices-12651782

Todays EK5007/8 now removed, I believe EK are in talks with LHR

Ryanair adding Venice-Marco Polo x2 weekly from 24th December.

Venice-Lisbon
 

Should be fine running alongside Jet2 and same with easyjet Lisbon with FR. Shame easy seem to be flying Saturday as one of their days matching Ryanair. Also the ACL report indicated Orly and Milan by easyjet but nothing mentioned as yet.

In other news......Flybe started Edinburgh & Glasgow today with the ATR seemed to go okay although Belfast and Amsterdam were late again tonight.

Strange goings on with Turkey with TK Antalya having a break from Sunday for at least 2 months not load related for sure.

Pete

So with the arrival of ‘Hans’ knees and boompsidaisey A330, will this ever get off the ground?

I am not about to bet the house on that, same goes for FlyPop.

BHX - NCE twice weekly with Jet2 May -Oct 2023 just announced. Was going to start in 2021 but didn't for obvious reasons ...a excellent addition for BHX.

BHX getting some much needed expansion from FR and EZY as well this winter but still lacking some key routes - Milan MXP, Berlin, Vienna, Lyon spring to mind. Doesn't look like Austrian are returning to BHX - VIE after starting just before COVID lockdown.