Birmingham: New Route Development & Rumours

[Ray Finkle]

So Lisbon, Nice, Venice, Valencia, Stockholm, Gibraltar and Preveza all now join the unserved list.

Lisbon - Monarch have proven the market and TAP would have that plus connections onto their network?
Nice - I could see Jet2 looking at this one.
Venice - See above.
Valencia - Ryanair have a VLC base but they do EMA from there. Not totally convinced.
Stockholm - I thought SAS on a CRJ would be perfect, won't hold my breath.
Gibraltar - No idea?
Preveza - Hopefully TCX or TUI will take a look.

Venice I think will be first snapped up and I'd be surprised if Nice wasn't also. Preveza could interest TUI or TCX. I can see the others struggling to be replaced for quite some time.

If only we had Easyjet 🙁

 

[juliet-fox-9]

If only we had Easyjet 🙁

My thoughts exactly, I believe they serve all of the above! 🙁

 

[GliderPilot]

BHX is an airport with massive potential, with the likes of Ryanair already at BHX and the recent growth figures im so surpised easyJet arent jumping at the oppertunity to add/increase routes out of BHX, suppose their excuse would be Brexit like it is for everything else at the minute...

 

[Coathanger16]

If only we had Easyjet 🙁

Yes, but thank God we have Jet2 - as other's have pointed out imagine how much worse this would be without Jet2 around.

LGW, LTN & MAN are 'lucky' enough to have easyJet (and other airlines) bases there, so it will be easier (but not easy) for them to recover.

BHX and LBA don't have as much luck.

BHX is an airport with massive potential, with the likes of Ryanair already at BHX and the recent growth figures im so surpised easyJet arent jumping at the oppertunity to add/increase routes out of BHX, suppose their excuse would be Brexit like it is for everything else at the minute...

I think if Jet2 weren't on the scene at BHX now, with Monarch now gone, easyJet would take a serious look at Birmingham. Jet2 are making the presence felt at BHX now though - I think its more likely for Monarch to return that it is for easyJet to open a base at BHX.

 

[GliderPilot]

Again a great point raised, but if Jet2 weren't here, would easyJet see that potential in the first place??

I read that it took years for BHX to get Jet2 on board, which I assume only came from other airlines proving the routes work, could be the same for EZY. Then again they are so pre-occupied with London like every other airline they don't even consider BHX and god that annoys me.

A perfect example being BA, They should have a massive base at BHX in my opinion but as I've seen on twitter they are increasingly being referred to as "London Airways".

 

[Ray Finkle]

I read that it took years for BHX to get Jet2 on board

There was an interview with Mr Kehoe where he said that securing Jet2 took around 5 years of talks. Ironically they were looking to come in after the end of Bmibaby but Monarch got there first.

Easyjet would be perfect but they continually repeat that Birmingham doesn't meet their requirements for a base, whether that is to do with a potential deal only those at board level will know.

I'm sure that lots of discussions are ongoing and we know that our RD team do their very best, lets see what they can come up with.

 

[GliderPilot]

I'm sure that lots of discussions are ongoing and we know that our RD team do their very best, lets see what they can come up with.

Couldn't agree more, what this airport has achieved in recent years is outstanding, and probably unprecedented, and that in itself would still be an understatement

 

[Coathanger16]

A perfect example being BA, They should have a massive base at BHX in my opinion but as I've seen on twitter they are increasingly being referred to as "London Airways".

People complain about BA essentially being "London Airways", but look around Europe:

Air France fly almost exclusively from Paris, Lufthansa from Frankfurt and Munich, Iberia from Madrid, Alitalia from Rome (plus a very small base at Milan).

The days of legacy carriers operating from regional airports is long gone. The fact is there is so much competition now they aren't needed.

As much as I loved seeing BA aircraft at the old Eurohub, and as much as I would like to see that return, besides a few flights from Cityflyer I know they won't.

Easyjet would be perfect but they continually repeat that Birmingham doesn't meet their requirements for a base

I would be fascinated to know what easyJet's requirements for a base are. What is so specific about easyjet that means they can operate from Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, etc but not from Birmingham when many airlines manage to? 🤣

 

[Ray Finkle]

I would be fascinated to know what easyJet's requirements for a base are. What is so specific about easyjet that means they can operate from Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, etc but not from Birmingham when many airlines manage to? 🤣

No idea but from speaking to someone who has contacted them several times about their lack of BHX operations that seems to be the reply that they get.

 

[GliderPilot]

Good point coathanger16 but I think their disregard for all the airports in the UK other than Heathrow and Gatwick is appalling. Like the times for the city flights on a Saturday are ridiculous. How they plan to make that work I don't know. It might be a scapegoat just to say "we tried".
That's me being harsh on BA though and being envious of all the long haul Gatwick gets and we don't get a sniff of it haha.

 

[Coathanger16]

Another point to consider is BA is part of IAG (think of it as the London brand of IAG). IAG's current network from BHX isn't actually that bad really...

 

[GliderPilot]

Another good point, just me being picky, i'd love to see that british flag tail sign on stands at BHX more frequently. Hopefully someone steps up to fill the slots left vacant by Monarch. So sad to see them go.

How do you make those by the way? Brilliant map

 

[Coathanger16]

Another good point, just me being picky, i'd love to see that british flag tail sign on stands at BHX more frequently. Hopefully someone steps up to fill the slots left vacant by Monarch. So sad to see them go.

How do you make those by the way? Brilliant map

People moaning about BA is one of my biggest gripes, and I nearly always end up trying to defend them.

As for the maps, I use Great Circle Mapper - http://www.gcmap.com/

 

[Ray Finkle]

Another route to worry about is Rome.

As it stands we have no link at all until Jet2 start next March and even then they are only 2x weekly.

 

[Jerry]

With a gap left now by Monarch at MAN and BHX maybe IAG may now consider Vueling bases at both.

 

[Jerry]

Another route to worry about is Rome.

As it stands we have no link at all until Jet2 start next March and even then they are only 2x weekly.

Well Flybe do Rome from Cardiff so maybe they'll consider it.

 

[GliderPilot]

Just had the A380 scream overhead, todays events gave me a better appreciation for that noise.

 

[thunderchild]

Another route to worry about is Rome.

As it stands we have no link at all until Jet2 start next March and even then they are only 2x weekly.

At least they’ve got plenty of time to plan ahead and hopefully be able to add some extra capacity. One more based aircraft from them next summer would be a great help.

 

[Ianbutty]

Dont be too down chaps. Times are a lot different than when BMI went under. BHX is a major airport with sustained growth supporting a major city which is growing fast. Airlines will be picking up what they can because they know it works. Only a very forensic review of Monarchs numbers will show any BHX weaknesses and monarch were no mugs and could see the commercial sense of BHX being one of their major hubs.

So, I expect all routes to be swiftly filled. Reason: the 'relief' flights will be pretty full. Monarch went under because they tried to run a low cost airline with charter costs. The market is there and it can be profitable. The airlines will circle and move in and growth will be maintained, crucially providing jobs to those who have sadly lost the most from all of this.

Lets just hope that confidence is not dented and if the staff are courted by other airlines we will know that a)and most importantly they return to work as quickly as possible; and b) the routes continue.

 

[hammerb32]

We should certainly count ourselves lucky to have FlyBe who have a decent track record of picking up and running with a dropped route and BMI in a conservative expansion mode, Stockholm, Rome or Lisbon could be on their radar? Just hope when the airlines do move in former Monarch staff find new opportunities.