Route Development & Rumours

[58terminus]

I think it's because 3 of the routes are to the US and they do already operate from BHX so would not be considered a new airline and it seems that it's more a scheduled airline people are talking about.

Just thought i'd throw it into the ring.They do sell seat only tickets so would be considered a scheduled airline.
Not sure of the relevance of it being US routes if we are talking 1 or 2 based aircraft.
New airline or an airline new to these routes?Who knows apart from the guys wearing sunglasses.

 

[DaveBham]

To address an earlier post. One of the big complaints about BHX is that when we do get an airline, people don't use it, and continue to use other airports. This is usually down to flight timings, quality of cabin, and price. It's not rocket science.
Emirates have removed any possible excuse not to fly to Dubai from Birmingham. They put on the creme de la creme of widebodied aircraft, with high capacity so they can offer competitive fares, and provide a range of cabin options to suit everyone from the tourist on a budget, to the most discerning of business client.

Result: There's very little point in travelling to LHR for Dubai, unless you're particularly taken with the BA service, which I always found adequate but nothing more, and constantly rates lower than Emirates cabin offering.

The same cannot be said for the US flights. My rather well-to-do clients in Knowle, Dorridge and Sutton would always use LHR as they tried the United service from BHX, and felt it didn't meet their expectations of a transatlantic carrier. God knows what they'd have thought of the AA service - I used it, and had a peep at the business class offering - it was very poor.

Then there's my also well to do clients here in Kings Heath and Moseley - no less than 3 families are off to Disneyworld in Florida this summer. 1 of them is using BHX, the others are using MAN.

We are woefully underserved to Florida, and could use a service to NYC and Vegas. All it takes is an airline to tap into this potential market, with a good product, vision, and a decent advertising budget.

The fact we live in B14 or B93 doesn't make us any less discerning than those living in SE1 or W9 - offer a decent product with suitable times, a range of cabin options and fares, and passengers will follow. We will not be fobbed off with tired legacy aircraft and doff our caps in gratitude that you came and served our humble BHX.

 

[Coathanger16]

Fully agree with what DaveBham says.

What BHX really needs for its long haul routes is the same as what Thomas Cook did for long haul at Manchester, and what Jet2 has done to an extent at BHX for short haul.

Its just a shame Monarch isn't in a good place to expand into long haul right now. Even basing 1 B787 say, and flying to Vegas and Orlando on alternating days would make a whole world of difference.

I think depending on what happens with these rumored new airlines and routes to BHX, long haul growth as BHX will just have to wait until the airport reaches a certain size. Its looking more likely that we'll hit 13.5mppa this year. With growth predicted to slow over the next 2 years, I would hope that BHX could still reach 15mppa sometime in 2019.

American started flying BHX to JFK in May 2015. That means they would have been looking at BHX in 2014 when 9.7m passengers used the airport. Whilst I doubt American will return any time soon, to have grown by a little over 50% in 5 years should make BHX appear on a few more airlines radars. That and a new master plan possibly including a new terminal should at least get some airlines interested in serving Birmingham.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there coathanger16, in an earlier post I had suggested either Jet2 or Monarch for future long haul expansion, now thinking of another local airline Flybe, ehat about Flybe having a go as well. Andykay1

 

[IanFarquharson]

FlyBe - are you having a laugh ?
But joking apart I think both Monarch and Jet 2 will enter the long haul market in the next few years

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there Ian Farquharson, no I wasn't having a laugh as you put it, I was being serious, simply because who else is going to now pick up the baton left by United and take up the challenge.....Andyc

 

[User001]

Do we remember the days Flybe used to codeshare with Continiental. Was bizzare to see Newark on the Flybe route map!

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there user001, it may have been bizarre, but I ask the question again, who's now going to take the rains now United are doing what they are doing. No other airline is willing to take the baton and show that it can be done with a big advertising campaign like Jet2 have done, and look what the results have been, quite impressive indeed. So if any airline was prepared to do a lot of ground work like Jet2 has done, teh it will pay off, otherwise lack of advertising will little rewards....Andyc...

 

[Ray Finkle]

Negotiations for two non stop routes to the USA are 'in the final stages' and 'should be announced by the end of the month'.

Looking forward to the reaction on here

 

[Barry Beeth]

Two?
Good news but there was talk of three routes from one airline, so either the other has been dropped/postponed or it's "somewhere else in North America"?
Narrows the possible origins of the airline somewhat!

 

[Ray Finkle]

Unless things have changed (and they might have) it's three routes with two of those in the USA.

 

[User001]

It's just 2 routes to the USA.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Yes 3 routes to North America !

United will cease flying to Newark on October 5, following American Airlines, which quit flying from Birmingham to JFK in January after only a year.



A Birmingham airport spokesperson told TTG: “We are in negotiations with another airline, we are hoping to secure a non-stop route shortly. We are negotiating two non-stop routes to the US.”



She added: “We are pretty certain about it, it’s in the final stages of being agreed, it should be announced by the end of the month.”



Budget airline Norwegian denied it was about to step in to fill the gap. A spokesperson for the airline said: “We have only short-haul flights from Birmingham and have no plans for long-haul.”



Until a non-stop service returns, United’s departure means the most logical way for Birmingham travellers to reach New York will be via Dublin with Aer Lingus or Reykjavik with Icelandair. Air France and KLM also offer connections.



United blamed poor financial performance for the loss of the route. It will also suspend flights from Glasgow and Shannon to Newark next winter. Shannon-Newark will cease on November 26 and return on March 10 2018. Glasgow-Newark stops on October 29 and resumes on May 5.

 

[Jerry]

Hi there Ian Farquharson, no I wasn't having a laugh as you put it, I was being serious, simply because who else is going to now pick up the baton left by United and take up the challenge

The likelihood of Flybe is operating a NYC is remote. The only way I could see it happening is if they got the C Series and even then it would be remote but somehow i wouldn't be surprised if they did!
There is one airline that I don't believe have been mentioned and they are a transatlantic airline that doesn't operate from either MAN or LHR. That airline is WOW. I remember reading an article a while back saying that they were looking at future bases outside of Iceland. They have A321neo (the neo might be able to do TATL from BHX) aircraft and A330 300 aircraft and have A330 900neo on order. So they could be a possibility and they are a growing brand in the USA.

 

[ethanegcc]

That airline is WOW

Great idea. In addition they operate to Canada as well as the US, meaning two US routes and one Canadian is likely.

Maybe...
3x weekly EWR/ 2x weekly ORD / 1x weekly YYZ on the Airbus A330

 

[User001]

So your telling me it's not a Flybe dash-8 to New York LaGuardia? Damn, better get back to the bookies!

 

[Jerry]

Great idea. In addition they operate to Canada as well as the US, meaning two US routes and one Canadian is likely.

Maybe...
3x weekly EWR/ 2x weekly ORD / 1x weekly YYZ on the Airbus A330

I would swap YYZ for MCO. I know they don't operate it now, though they do fly to Miami, but I do think during the summer at least a long haul airline based at BHX would look at that even if it was just 1 weekly.
Obviously i'm guessing but if it was WOW (some people would know if it's not) then it would be a good coup for BHX to get 1 of their first British and European bases.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Good guess but it's not WOW.

They have been rumoured in the past but I think they may be having aircraft issues with the routes that they currently have.

 

[JF57]

Still two weeks until the end of the month. I don't think I can stand the wait. With the number of posts in this thread over the last few days we will soon overtake LBA on post numbers!

 

[thunderchild]

I think these are all the ones mentioned so far and ruled out;

Virgin
Delta
Thomas Cook
Norwegian
British Airways
Level
Jet2
Monarch
TUI
WOW
WestJet
Air Canada Rouge
Biman
Jet Airways
Anything else that might transit through
LOT?
Africada!

Are Hellenic Imperial still flying those 747-200s?