VS and BA will have an interline agreement in place to allow VS to sell on to BA and viceversa but without codeshare. The issue will be at what rates BA sell their domestic sector to VS and whether that will change once there is only one option available. In the past BD took action in the European court successfully against EI as I recall for refusing to interline, but an increase in price shouldn't be a problem as long as not designed to prevent VS from being able to interline at all. VS costs may therefore increase and they may have to eat the increase to remain competitive. Certainly won't be good news for VS.

I think you'll find flybe would be a far better bet as a feeder for Virgin. They already have extensive routes into and out of Gatwick and Manchester. If they where to take on BMI regionals slots into LHR then operating E175/195's would be far more viable.

Once again, BMIR own no slots at LHR.

The BAA at LHR have very little interest in encouraging regional sized aircraft (<100 seats) and I am sure their response to a potential new operator using such aircraft, would be lukewarm at best.

Luxair were the last 'regional operator' to serve LHR and the BAA made no effort in hiding their desire to see Luxair operate at non peak periods only or to sell their slots to an operator that would be using larger aircraft. The latter scenario is what BAA ideally wanted and that is what happened and Luxair moved their London operation to LCY.

And that is why Heathrow can no longer sustain being the UK's primary airport. If the government do not act soon to put together plans for a new hub airport in the South East area, LHR will become less and less important to the world economy and ultimately the people of the UK will loose out. England needs a hub airport that regional airlines like flybe can feed into from the regions. If death is to become of BMI Regional then this will be another nail in the coffin for UK regional aviation.

Regional operations at LHR
 

Don't KLC operate some of the KLM daily flights from AMS on FK70's and EMB190's into LHR?

KLC do fly F70's, yes. Also LOT fly E190's in to LHR.

So, thread drift aside does anyone have any news regarding BMIR's fate. Does seem to be a very well kept secret :oh: ???

The cheque in the post Guv, honest:rolleyes:

Talk at Aberdeen is that the money has not been forthcoming, and staff are being kept in the dark. Other than finding a private investor with deep pockets, and quickly, I cant see a happy ending.

Crews are looking at other opportunities, and based on shabby treatment so far, I cant blame them.

Taxi - I had also heard the same (finances not forthcoming/available) last week from a business associate. However, he didnt say that staff were being kept in the dark, more along the lines of just not knowing what was going on.

Something i have not understood is why Lufthansa have not kept BMIr.
After all BMIr is a profitable entity.

It could provide a useful business feeder from the UK's regional airports to Frankfurt.

Feeding long haul business class flights from Frankfurt on Lufthansa.

There must have been a strategic or commercial decsion to dispose of BMIr.

Unless it was simply a case of "bin everything BMI quickly"?!

Perhaps this is the problem. Bmir appear to be profitable at the moment possibly because they "piggy-back" on the back of Bmi for most of their back office functions. If they had to go it alone, it could be another story.

Even that being so why would that matter to Lufthansa who have the Back Office to support a feeder / charter operation.

Just strikes me as a lost opportunity for Lufthansa.

I presume where you have typed "LHR" you mean "DLH" or simply "LH"?

Because BMIr could fill a different role other than their other interests eg Lufthansa cargo??

Comapring a cargo operation to BMIr is a little odd anyway. Let alone Lufthansa flight training?

Everyone knows BMI Baby / mainline leaks money fast. Not sure why Regional should be tainted with the same dirty brush though.

In reality its not important as Lufthansa are selling, merely trying to understand the reasoning. but perhaps thats where the problem lies, my premise relies on there being reason!

Even if we assume bmi regional makes money as a standalone outfit, LH retaining it would seem a bit like keeping a remote little dot in an empire. Regional makes its money by flying UK centric routes - it doesn't do a lot of flying to Germany that LH cannot do on its own metal using core LH back office processes. It seems unlikely that regional will be turned into a UK equivalent of Air Dolomiti. Keeping regional only burns up more LH management time. Either regional has to survive as a standalone or it has to be part of an airline which has or wants to have a strong UK focus.

Lufthansa have their own feeder services, and the German workforce is well unionised, which could make integration difficult...

Fleet replacement will also be in their minds. The 145 and 135 are not bad aircraft, but the competition are running about in efficient turboprop and slightly larger more modern embraer models.

Dont forget Bmir have been running a fair few services for mainline, on a wet lease type basis, ie they were paid whether aircraft were full or empty, which also skews the accounts slightly.

Some good points here.
Thanks

Oh wow, thanks. Tried that already, and saw there's not much history out there. Asked someone, much better. Interesting.