Kyrgystan Airlines ex BHX.......

[Call Established]

Can anyone clarify the rumour that Kyrgyzstan Airlines (K2) have signed 2 x B757 from ILFC to ops BHX-FRU-DEL ????

They claim they have a start day of Feb 14th and are meant to be selling tickets in the market place via an agent in London.

Any info would be gratefully appreciated..

Many thanks:confused:

[BHXviscount]

The FRU-BHX rumours are in overdrive at the moment, Asia Express have had problems with the ex SAS 767 and I had heard that Kyrgyzstan Airlines(R8) were to relaunch BHX-FRU with 757's.
Question - are R8 and K2 the same airline?:confused: ?
Or was Asia Express operating on behalf of K2
Anyway whoever turns up will be good news for BHX.

[Thunderball]

The President of Kyrgyzstan Airlines (KA) signed a Term Sheet on 10th January with ILFC for a 1990 RR-powered B757-200, and it is understood that the deal covers two aircraft in total. A Term Sheet, of course, means nothing in this business. Most lessors receive about 20 signed Term Sheets for every signed contract. The intention, anyway, is to operate through Bishkek to Delhi. I understand they also have plans for Amritsar. The aircraft are to be crewed, I believe, by Kazakhstanis.

Kyrgyzstan Airlines are working through "Payless Travel" in the UK as their General Sales Agent, and the word is that Payless are actually funding the whole deal - aircraft deposits, lease payments etc. Theoretically they are due to start operating in the middle of February, on Fridays and Sundays initially, but tickets certainly weren't being sold when Payless were contacted earlier this week.

So far so good? Wrong! KA are as bust on a scale that is hard to comprehend, and have substantial debts at many of the points that they are planning to operate to or through. While the all-too-familiar KA Tu154M may not whet the creditors' appetite for the placing of a lien, the sight of a 1990-build B757-200 taxiing towards the terminal would be an altogether-different story! (The point about R8 and K2 is an interesting one in this context. But I can't see it fooling a determined creditor). To compound the felony, there are allegations that the proprietor of their chosen UK partner - Payless - may himself have a "colourful" track record in terms of business solvency!

All rather depressing. BHX really needs and merits a stable, efficient, high quality operation into India, but the chances of it being provided by Kyrgyzstan Airlines seem about as likely as George Bush and Saddam Hussein having a gay affair.

[Mister Geezer]

Isn't the capacity to India more then enough from BHX? You have Turkmenistan and Uzbek both offering flights to their respective bases plus onwards connections to the Indian sub continent. Why doesn't someone offer a direct Delhi from BHX offering sensible fares plus leaving on time would be a refreshing change! I have always been keen to hear if the flights to the former CIS states are ever busy from BHX and is it mainly connecting pax that go on to India or is there actually a demand for routes from BHX to Ashkabad, Tashkent and now Bishkek?

[BHXviscount]

BHX only accounts for around 40% of the Indian market from the midlands area a Bishkek service with THE right onward connections would claw some more back from LHR, though the return of AI would be better. Turkmenistan punctuality is awful and onward connections to India from Askabhad are ok the return journeys are 20hr waits between connections- pretty poor!
Emarites plan double daily from Oct '03:D and there were rumours of RJ Amman service last year but nothin' doin'.......:(

[Harry Sanford]

Anyone have any reliable up-to-date information about "Asia Express"?

They seemed to be quite serious late last year, even bordering on being fairly professional by start-up standards, then nothing. Now I hear that they are back on the scene following the demise of Kygizstan Airlines plans for B757 operations. I have heard that they are recruiting cabin crew, ops people and "possibly" aircrew. B767 seems (again) to be in prospect, but on Swazi register (hmmmmmmm) and "a few" jobs for UK-based aircrew, both left- and right-hand seat. I also hear that the last B767 they were looking at is going to Africa (but not Swaziland!). Also heard that onward flights to Bangkok are planned.

Is there anything in any of this? :confused: :confused: :confused: