BMI Baby new hub at Pretwick!?
 

Hi,

from todays Herald :

New budget airline set to fly from Prestwick to Spain

MARK SMITH

A NEW budget airline is set to operate out of Prestwick airport within the next three months, and it is believed it will be offering flights to Spain. Ryanair, the Dublin-based no-frills carrier, at present uses Prestwick as its Scottish hub.

While the airport itself and the handful of budget carriers that operate in the UK have remained silent on the new carrier's identity, bmibaby, the newly-formed low-cost subsidiary of bmi British Midland, has been touted as the most likely candidate.

It is also thought the airline will probably offer Scottish travellers direct scheduled flights to Spanish destinations.

Tom Wilson, managing director of Glasgow Prestwick International airport, said: "I can say we're in advanced, serious discussions with another budget carrier and that within the next three months we should have new services. It's not final yet, although it's close."

He added: "It will involve city destinations in Europe and will be complementary to Ryanair services. At this stage, I just can't say which airline it is."

Bmi yesterday was giving little away. A spokesman said: "Yes, we are looking for a base, but we're not saying where."

-----------

I hope this is the case as its about time Scotland was opened up to more foreign destinations by low frills carriers, The BAA I know had knocked back an attempt by easyjet to compliment there amsterdam service with new flights elsewhere.

If it does happen the BAA will have to quickly realise this is what we want up here and let Easyjet operate from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Spain, Portugal, France because there is a market for it.

But all in all good for the scottish economy!

bmibaby to have Prestwick as Scottish base/hub??
 

Article in the Glasgow Herald today indicates that within the next three months this will occur?

About time we had a low-cost hub!:D

Did BAA knock back easyJet recently? - I heard about some argument with Go before they set up at EMA, but I'd never heard about easyJet being knoked back.

I always figured Scotland was just low on easy's priorities, but maybe I was wrong?

>>If it does happen the BAA will have to quickly realise this is what we want up here and let Easyjet operate from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Spain, Portugal, France because there is a market for it. <<

BAA are obviously not preventing them, they want lots of dosh
compared to PIK.! :mad:

How long before the resident charter fleet at GLA move lock, stock and barrel to PIK.? ;)

PIK
 

Britannia were thinking just that 10 years ago.

My west coast colleagues over at the Herald are being a little bit disingenuous here. BAA are also in advanced, serious discussion with another budget carrier, as are the owners of NCL and LBA.

So this may come good, or it may come to nothing.

So are TBI at Luton.......??????

Are you sure its bmi, they have to get 7 acft up and running in EMA by 27 OCT and two acft in CWL.

Isn't it "MYTRAVEL Lite", the new low cost arm of My Travel/Airtours?

There are a couple of A320's being made avilable for their operations from the Scandinavian (Premiar) fleet this coming winter.

My Travel Lite and BMI Baby hav both been mentioned with NCL and PIK, so maybe one will go NCL and the other PIK? Anyway, that would suit me as I'm in the middle :D :cool:

Well, surprise surprise the low-cost announcement at PIK is nothing to do with WW.

The new flights will be operated by a charter airline, flying to three destinations in Spain. The official announcement will be made on Monday morning.

It is not MyTravel, btw.

Now the embargo has been lifted, can confirm the PIK announcement is about the charter firm LOCO, which will operate to three Spanish destinations (I forget which...)

Another exciting development at PIK. :rolleyes:

Is that what all the fuss was about?

The article reporting it in The Herald today seems to suggest that this is only a minor announcement and that the "new budget airline" expected at Prestwick is something else more major that will be announced in the future, bmibaby or whatever it may be.

So is that it, or is there more to come?

I, for one, am a little confused!:(

>>I for one am a little confused<<

As are the nodding donkeys in the New Glasgow services ?
thread.!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :D

LOCO AT PIK
 

I just hope that this outfit will have a bit more success than they did this summer when using Electra Airlines - Greek charter with two DC10s [ELD 502/503] operating between Manchester and Malaga.

I had the misfortune to be returning with my family from Malaga when the ac was impounded for a few hours for alleged non- payment of fees in Spain. Add to that, when we eventually arrived back in MAN some 5+ hours late [2230L], it is impounded [alleged] again. I don't know who should have paid what, but it is of little interest when you are at the receiving end.

I don't think this was the first time the crew, for whom I have a great deal of sympathy, had had this experience.

Low cost is not always a panacea.