bmibaby complains about EMA

[Simon Lumley]

According to the Derby Evening Telegraph on Saturday (18th May), bmibaby have said that EMA needs to change its name if it has any chance in the future of attracting people from abroad to visit the local area.

Tony Davies (Managing Director of bmibaby) admitted that hardly anyone from abroad had ever heard of the East Midlands region and neither did they know where it was.

Tony Davies has written to Manchester Airport Group PLC (owner of EMA) about the matter and suggested a possible name change very soon. In doing this, EMA would be able to compete with other regional airports of BHX and MAN.

He has also criticised how bad the transport links are to its surrounding cities of Derby, Nottingham and Leciester. Apparently there is an hourly bus service from Derby which has to go around all of the villages to get there.

As well as this, he feels that EMA needs more car parking spaces to cope with an expected influx of 2.5 million passengers on its EMA flights next year...... Oh dear things just get better or worse?


So lads.... any suggestions of new names for EMA?????


I've got one..... how about CENTRAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

or..... DERBY/NOTTINGHAM INTERNATIONAL

or even...... MIDLANDS INTERNATIONAL... MMMMMMMMMM!!!!

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[dwlpl]

OAG already lists the airport as Nottingham.

[World Traveller]

Yes, Public transport to EMA is appalling. The bus to Derby in question is the '123', which is hourly, daytimes, Mon-Sat only, with an infrequent Sunday service. This bus also goes to leicester. However, i don't see much enthusiasm from the local bus companies for EMA: the answer ultimately has to be large subsidy from EMA/BMI/Go as well as employers, with a view to significant modal shift. However this means pretty much 24/7 bus services at the very least.

Conversely, EMA is well served by National Express coaches (no doubt due to its previous ownership) but these don't connect very well into Derby/Leicester/Nottingham/Birmingham/Coventry.

EM Parkway rail station is still on the drawing board. But this is not a suitable facility for local trips.

EMA is of course perfectly located for car trips......

WT

[jocko0102]

EMA is like Liverpool/Stansted/Luton etc. It is doing well with the low cost bunch now, but like it or not they are mostly providing a service for the nearest well known large conurbation.In the case of EMA that will be Birmingham.Why do you think there are so many airports that stick London in front of them.Any name change for the punters from abroad would have to be somewhere they recognise as a major city.Nottingham etc is not that.

[LTN man]

Robin Hood International Airport

[niknak]

Maid Marion's Den?

[Tiger]

Now on the subject of Maid Marion....back in the dark ages 1970`s British Midland`s uniform for the stewardess was the Maid Marion look. Laced up front etc....

Wonder if anyone has some old pics of that they`d like to share? ;)

[FlapsOne]

Castle Donnington?

[sharpshot]

MFI springs to mind........Midland Freight Int'L!!

But then I am biased.:D

[Caslance]

What about "Brian Clough International"? :D

NOTE for Americans and other aliens...Brian Clough was the legendary manager (coach) of Derby County FC. Famous for winning the European Cup and having a nap in the odd ditch.

[Little Blue]

HO HO..that last post won't go down too well with any ..erm..Forest boys...!
How about BOB CAMPBELL INTERNATIONAL..BCI ??
Sorry, very "in-joke !":cool: :cool:

[Brookmans Park]

If it was Ryanair they would call it st Mawgam North East:confused:

[Luke341]

GO should take Ryanair's advice and call it perhaps...

Birmingham NorthEast International:eek:
West London:rolleyes:

.....or just simply.....

"Heart of England International":mad:

LOL

[Captain Rodders]

Hate to be picky but despite all these suggestions about Derby and Nottingham related names ............

If I remember correctly, the airport is in Leicestershire!

[cargosales]

Not sure which county it is actually in but the address is EMA, Castle Donington, Derby, East Midlands. Don't know if that helps or hinders really.

With all due respect for Messrs Clough etc, I'm not sure people abroad will have any better an idea where Leicester, Derby or Nottingham are than where East Midlands is? Maybe I'm wrong??

But I'm sure that Ryanair would go for "London, North" (Remembering how long it took to locate Hahn on map due to looking around Frankfurt area .. doh.. silly me .. try half way to Luxembourg)

[callsign Metman]

Central England International Airport.

Says it all really!

[captain ochre]

I can't see the Manchester Airport plc owners signing that one off Metman, since they have been pitching Manchester as the airport for all long haul traffic north of London, and that name would confuse things. No i think Midlands Airport is more likely though i like the Midlands Robin Hood idea, certainly would get the publicity.

[Jay Dubbya]

I seem to recall our American friends wanted to refer to BHX as UK Central....I don't think they could come to terms with the fact that there is more than one city called Birmingham (I'm sure they assumed that the Birmingham in Alahbama was the only one). So if Birmingham (our 2nd largest city) has identity problems, God help EMA and it's surrounding cities!

Perhaps EMA could borrow the ill-fated UK Central name from an insulted BHX....