Bmi Longhaul

[kestral1]

Hi all just been talking to a friend who is an engineer for BMI and we were talking about the current appeal they have lodged regarding the number of flights to india. He was also telling me that with 1 ac going to heathrow they are looking for atleast 2 more A330's. Sir M Bishop is desperate to find these ac and if all goes well more will be on the way to expand the longhaul. Sound good.

[akerosid]

Good luck finding A330s! Not going to be easy - A340s either.

[vfenext]

Yep, join the Q for the 330's cause they are like hens teeth. Easy to announce expansion and say no aircraft available as an excuse. Boeing are capitalising on the bus shortage by flogging the 777 as a substitute.

[Fuzzy112]

It all sounds very exciting but aeroplanes, no matter what type, need pilots. My understanding is that between 40 and 50 pilots have left in the last 6 months or so. Crewing these 'new' aircraft may well prove the biggest challenge.

[keepitlit]

I think youll find only about 25 have gone in hte last 2/3 months

Rgds K.i.l.

[kiwi1]

As of yesterday, abt 48 people have left or are on Notice periods. Mostly FO's are leaving, many of the original long haul FO's have gone, some captains. Few more to come yet, as some are waiting for a VS course date, or in the pool for CX. As Confucious says "May we be fated to live in interesting times !" :ok: :ok:

[Anne.Nonymous]

According to a very reliable source, there has been a review of those leaving and, although January was higher than last year, the overall rate is exactly the same as we have had for more than two years.

There are a number of mainline pilots returning from baby (who are recruiting at a steady rate both Direct entry and from Oxford)

Anne :O

[Max Angle]

Can't see a new aircraft in the short term. Best guess is that they will wetlease something to do the Carib. and Vegas routes out of MAN and bring our own aircraft down to LHR for Bombay. Appeal is still outstanding and of course we could loose the whole thing to Virgin and BA. Whatever happens I don't think it translate into new hires or new longhaul positions from within for a little while yet.