Icelandair

[Ray Finkle]

Birmingham has been mentioned amongst the destinations to see the 737 MAX from winter 2018. This should allow for a frequency increase 🙂

 

[Brum X]

Birmingham has been mentioned amongst the destinations to see the 737 MAX from winter 2018. This should allow for a frequency increase 🙂

We should see plenty of 737 MAX at BHX in the future. Sad to see the mighty 757 slowly disappear from the airport.

 

[Daza]

Icelandair seem to want this route to work I have seen and heard (on radio) lots of ads for their services to Iceland and beyond, in terms of advertising maybe other airlines could take a leaf out of their book?
Daza

 

[Jerry]

The MAX could mean they will increase frequency on some routes and may also look at other smaller airports as well.

 

[juliet-fox-9]

TF-FIR has been painted in a special livery for Icelandair's 80th anniversary. The theme is the same as the livery on TF-FIU but depicting a daytime landscape.

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/8580071

 

[ethanegcc]

737 MAX twice weekly from 2/5/18

 

[Brum X]

737 MAX twice weekly from 2/5/18

Thanks for the info 👍

Lots of new aircraft coming to BHX in 2018, Monarch MAX, Icelandair MAX and Primera A321NEO.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Initially it will be 2x weekly 737 MAX and 2x weekly 757.

Eventually it should all be switched to the MAX but it's good to see the 757 hold on that little bit longer 🙂

 

[Brum X]

Hopefully twice weekly will increase during the busier holidays as they do now, sometimes it can be upto 4 weekly, then back down to 3 weekly and 2 weekly. But maybe the 737 MAX again is the better aircarft for this route compared to the 757 ?

 

[Brum X]

Sorry Ray, you just answered my previous question. Cheers 👍

 

[thunderchild]

Hopefully the introduction of the MAX could help grow this route a bit. Will be sorry to see the 757s go though. I wonder if Icelandair might go for a special livery on the first MAX?

 

[Ray Finkle]

From AirlineRoute on Twitter.

Regarding configuration of Icelandair 737MAX 8....FLIFO is filed as C8Y8M144. The Seat Map is displaying as C16Y12M126

 

[Ray Finkle]

Mid October sees the MAX 3x weekly (Mon, Thur and Sat) with just the Tue flight on a 757.

November looks as if it's all on the MAX but it's very early to tell for sure.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

There is a discussion on the 'other forum', regarding Icelandair at BHX after 15 Jan 2018. OltonPete is reporting that all flights from BHX after that date utilise FlyBe via Glasgow. Checking the Icelandair website, that is what is currently showing.
I have had some concerns regarding this service throughout this year (going by CAA statistics). Following it's launch, initial growth seemed good and I was hoping to see further growth following the loss of AAL and UAL. However, figures appear variable, with several months in 2017 in decline over 2016.

A quick review for 2017 v 2016 and 2017 v 2015 (corresponding months) show the following (note Flybe may still have been operating for the first few months of 2015) -

Jan 16 2010 Jan 17 3101 +54%

Feb 16 4968 Feb 17 5776 +16%

Mar 16 5061 Mar 17 4651 -8%

Apr 16 3161 Apr 17 4478 +42%

May 16 2668 May 17 2446 -8%

Jun 16 3172 Jun 17 2731 -14%

Jul 16 3653 Jul 17 2538 -31%

Aug 16 3782 Aug 17 2622 -30%

Sep 16 2989 Sep 17 2763 -8%


Jan 15 2052 Jan 17 2010 -2%

Feb 15 3791 Feb 17 5776 +52%

Mar 15 3899 Mar 17 4651 +19%

Apr 15 1806 Apr 17 4478 +248%

May 15 1233 May 17 2446 +198%

Jun 15 1961 Jun 17 2731 +139%

Jul 15 2351 Jul 17 2538 +8%

Aug 15 2585 Aug 17 2662 +3%

Sep 15 1947 Sep 17 2763 +42%

Fares appear to be very high and although GLA appears to have more flights per week than BHX, there seems to be no Flybe links from BHX into those extra GLA flights.
Hopefully, this is just a glitch in the booking system.

Kevin

 

[Ray Finkle]

From Icelandair

Hi there, the route has not been cancelled but our scheduling department is just working on the final schedule. Our fares should be available in the next couple of weeks or so!

 

[User001]

Whilst I can’t imagine the route being cut (cutting the route this close to the time isn’t FI’s style), it is disconcerting to understand what schedule changes are so drastic that the route has to be pulled off sale for a ‘few weeks’? Why not keep the route on sale and then advise of any changes in time. The route was on sale at 5 weekly in Jan, so it’s not like even a day of operation change would have been that huge an issue?
The route was also due to swap to a B7M8 but all other routes getting that aircraft are still on sale, so, not a delay with the aircraft?

Hopefully will be sorted quickly, whatever the issue is?

 

[Matt995]

apparently Icelandair have confirmed that the BHX route has been axed, last flight January 18th.

another carrier exits the BHX door..... 👎

 

[Creguk]

Such a shame. It was one airline that I thought was enjoying some success.

 

[User001]

I too thought they were doing well, as they seemed to be keeping a minimum of 4 weekly longer into the summer rather than go down to 4 weekly.

The thing is, what does this represent for the US/Canada? Its fair to say a vast majority of FI’s pax were transmitting across the pond, and if BHX I saw now loosing key one stop options to North America as well as the non-stops, then will Primera be able to crack this market, and coming in so hot too? (Hot as in 3 NA destinations, something BHX has struggled with).

I know it will be easy to accuse me of being a doom monger, but it’s a genuine question.

 

[thunderchild]

Oh dear, another one gone from the ‘golden era’ run of success. Shall we have bets now on whether Iberia Express or Qatar are next to pull out?

I actually thought the introduction of the 737 could have helped strengthen the route but, alas, it’s not to be.