Something new? More like the demise I'm afraid.

speculatory twisiting of the knife is not appreciated thank you

Having flown with BMIR several times and also chartered once, I find their crews in general to be far more smiley and helpful than on the Buses, don't get me wrong. It's a great little airline.

But if what I'm hearing is true - should Granite be successful - it goes either of two ways.

1) Kerplunc after the BMI, LH and BEL commitments are completed.
2) Kerplunc by targeting a start-up model on inefficient jets in an unstable market.

I hear much on the grapevine, little of which is positive.

Surely from IAGs point of view it would be best if baby & regional failed to be offloaded by LH prior to the IAG takeover of BMI. The price would reduce significantly for IAG in this event.

I would of thought that BMIR would be able to be slotted into BA Cityflyer, Baby on the other hand is a different problem.

Just my thoughts on this

cs

Was hoping to have heard something by now if Granite City Express's post was correct about the board meeting this morning. I dont just mean through pprune either.

The deal is for IAG to get their hands on Mainline Heathrow Slots.

Add on bits with elderly 737's and regional jets are of no interest. They will be sold off, if a buyer exists, or handed over to someone for a modest sum, or wound down in the most cost effective way.

They have nothing in common with city flyer.

My own view is that as a standalone outfit they may struggle, with 12 aircraft, a mish mash of routes, no identity, and in the current difficult competitive climate.

I hope for the crews sake a way forward can be found.

I would say that bmiRegional fit in no way with cityFlyer, which operates from LCY only, bar some summer charters from MAN and Scotland. It may be possible that a SunAir type franchise in BA branding, but all commercial responsibility with Granite may be possible, at least in the interim.

Baby, on the other hand is a different kettle of fish. Although LCC operations from UK regional airports is not the remit of BA, IAG do have an established (albeit smallish) European LCC player in Vueling, who are now entering the UK market via CWL. It may well be that Baby could end up as part of Vueling UK. For all its flaws, Baby does have a decent niche in the Midlands and potential in Northern Ireland. I feel it is likely that IAG will end up with baby, by hook or by crook and in that scenario would be likely to turn it over to Vueling.

Good post. and SOU.

...and EDI (again)

The price does not reduce if bmi regional is included. Only baby

Still no sign of any announcement - or of any funding. All that everyone knows is that it has gone very quiet indeed, and there are ongoing rumours that the financiers behind the deal as originally announced have decided not to go ahead, leaving the management team seeking new money.

with their fleet comprising of A320s and no other types.

Why do you imagine that the price reduces in this case? It's to offset the costs which IAG would incur having to dispose of baby/regional (shutdown costs, or the dowry that would have to be paid to a potential acquirer). It's very naive to imagine that somehow it becomes a financially more attractive deal for IAG if baby/regional is still part of it. :ugh:

VY have A319s (or an A319 and more coming), these are ex IB, I believe. As is much of the VY fleet, presumably there are more where those came from. Of course Baby becoming part of Vueling may not be a good thing for staff, Im sure Vueling's T&C's are much lower cost than Baby's, with their inevitable mainline baggage. How staff would be assimilted into VY would be far from clear, if they would be taken on at all.

Unfortunately for the guys and gals at Baby and Regional, these are very uncertain times. I feel sorry for them, the lack of certainty must be the worst. At least if they knew what was to happen they could plan accordingly.

In which case they should jolly well update their website...:\
http://www.vueling.com/EN/vueling/acerca_02d.php

Any news??
 

Well it seems the tumbleweed is well and truly blowing across this thread!!
So, does anyone know what happened at the meeting, if indeed there was one? Why the sudden silence? You've got to feel for the employees who seem well and truly left in the dark. I know this is a ' rumour' network but someone must have an inkling as to what maybe going on. To anyone with a vested interest in the future of BMIR it's like having the sword of Damocles hanging over you.
Fingers crossed ay.

It is not just the Regional staff who are being left in the dark , all employees in whatever division are having to deal with very uncertain times :sad:

The person I was talking to knows that there was a meeting on Monday, nothing has been decided except that Granite is the only bidder for Regional. That is all he would tell me but I got the impression he knew much more.

Will BALPA be able to tell us anymore?

As I read the comments online (especially on pprune) about bmibaby and bmi regional only having one bidder and some of the commentators seem to be reasonably close to the company, I think that these bidders realise that they are the only show in town, know how desperate LH are to off load the business, so if they are sharp they will be ensuring that they can negiotate downwards the price and T's & C's, that would make sense.

Whether bmi regional is a strong performer or not doesnt matter in terms of being in a strong bargaining position, it simply doesnt fit with IAG/BA or LH.

EI-BUD

Word is there are two interested parties for baby. Negotiations ground to a halt before Christmas due to the IAG/BMI process taking priority.
Nothing is leaking out as people very much want there to be a good outcome from the negotiation process and one of the terms is confidentiality...

One way or another both baby and regional will know what the future holds come March 31st.