Missed Opportunity!!

[Dash-7 lover]

I have friends in Emirates that are amazed how well their new routes to Dubai from BHX/MAN/GLA are doing. Concidering the only longhaul route BA operates outside LHR is MAN-JFK with a lone 767. Thought BA would have jumped at the chance but seems like the obsession with LHR continues........

[MAN777]

Saw the BA 767 being towed off stand with port cowling open and then left on west apron all day, tech or bank holiday cancellation ?

What a p--s poor service this is !

[GOLF-INDIA BRAVO]

Had to bring spare aircraft up from London

Golf India Bravo

[crewboi83]

spare 767 was sent in from LHR
flight departed at 1431local from MAN for JFK

Wonder if it was the 767 that was ment to b doing the LHR-CCS-BOG service? that flight is delayed till April 12th! will be 23 hours late when it finally departs

Anyone got any other info?

[MEFLYBE]

I'm not sure if BA could make a success of Dubai flight from the UK, as they have no connecting flights at DXB.

The bulk of EK's UK traffic, especially from non London airports connects in DXB and so they are able to fill the planes. But BA with mainly O+D traffic ie, MAN-DXB or DXB-BHX could not fill their planes.

The only other possibility would have been for BA to open routes such as MAN-DXB-BOM or BHX-DXB-ISB etc.

Regards

Mike

[codpiece face]

People keep banging on about missed oppurtunities when it comes to these regional longhaul departures, but the fact is that a lot of people are flying on these because of the onward connections. It would be hard to fill any point to point only longhaul service out of any uk reg airport and competition will be hard as EK seem to have eastbound, and CO seem to have the westbound services sorted to themselves. People are now voting with their feet and choosing not to connect in LHR or AMS and to connect in more convenience and comfort overseas. So unless BA opened a hub elswhere which is not going to happen they will never expand on reg longhaul.

[Flightmapping]

Would they not also find it very expensive to move just one long haul a/c up to each regional airport? A Co 757/767 is based in EWR & maintained there, ditto for EK's A330s/777's.

I certainly hope to see more regional routes opening up, but expect most to go to MAN (MAN to BKK anyone?), and certainly don't expect BA to get a look in. AFAIK, AA did BHX > ORD and MIA pre 9/11 - Miami is a bit out of the way for onward connections, but I'm sure they could do a better job at filling seats to ORD than PIA are doing

[TURIN]

AA have started their MAN BOS service today and will announce on Monday the MAN MIA service beginning 1st November (I think).

So that rules out BA setting up more regional routes then!:mad: