Stir that pot: BA may set up MAN base in 2017
Dec 23, 2016, 7:52 am
#1
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Stir that pot: BA may set up MAN base in 2017!
Ho ho ho! Santa is here for you early with some exciting news! 
Hot on the heels of news that IAG plans fly long haul from BCN, comes another, even more exciting "regional" prospect.
BA are apparently considering flying long haul from Manchester again at last, along with a few holiday routes, perhaps to test the market.
An interesting thread on a-net has the details:
http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewt...?f=3&t=1350637
Suggestion is that BA will take over JFK and ORD flights at MAN from AA using a Gatwick B772, with LGW based crews.
European routes are allegedly PMI, IBZ, NCE, AGP & ALC, with LCY used to position the aircraft and provide crews.
If anyone is connected to BA's Yammer, apparently that's where the word on the street is coming from...
And finally....they may be returning to BHX too for some summer seasonal bucket n spade routes!!
Be good to hear your thoughts, views, rumours, info ^
Hot on the heels of news that IAG plans fly long haul from BCN, comes another, even more exciting "regional" prospect.
BA are apparently considering flying long haul from Manchester again at last, along with a few holiday routes, perhaps to test the market.
An interesting thread on a-net has the details:
http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewt...?f=3&t=1350637
Suggestion is that BA will take over JFK and ORD flights at MAN from AA using a Gatwick B772, with LGW based crews.
European routes are allegedly PMI, IBZ, NCE, AGP & ALC, with LCY used to position the aircraft and provide crews.
If anyone is connected to BA's Yammer, apparently that's where the word on the street is coming from...
And finally....they may be returning to BHX too for some summer seasonal bucket n spade routes!!
Be good to hear your thoughts, views, rumours, info ^
Last edited by The Lion; Dec 23, 2016 at 8:23 am Reason: Tweakin' text
Dec 23, 2016, 8:14 am
#3
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Interesting... of course with these new routes, it makes you wonder if there aren't some new planes on the horizon (or cuts to existing ones).
AA and BA operate from different terminals at ORD and JFK as well, so it's not entirely straightforward to get the slots.
AA and BA operate from different terminals at ORD and JFK as well, so it's not entirely straightforward to get the slots.
Dec 23, 2016, 9:24 am
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I'm always a bit worried about rumours, and that thread has the BA + VY from MAN + VY from BHX. All those mentions of NCE routes are of course welcome by this particular FTer and I remember taking many a packed BA Embraer when they used to fly MAN-NCE nonstop in the early 2000s. Of course, they'd be challenging Jet2 on most of the proposed short haul routes.
Dec 23, 2016, 9:28 am
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Dec 23, 2016, 9:34 am
#9
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That's what the a.net forum indeed suggests and sounds credible. I suspect that apart from anything else, the refitting with smaller J and 10 across in Y is changing the economic case for BA from both LGW and potentially major regional airports like MAN and BHX.
Dec 23, 2016, 10:02 am
#10
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Whilst I'm not commenting on the details or start date, long haul from MAN will make a comeback.
The eventual plan (as it stands) is for LGW and MAN to go all 787. Utilising a single fleet streamlines the operation, and the flexibility of having three sizes of aircraft in the same family opens up more route possibilities.
Of course, the company has a habit of giving all the new toys to LHR. This will change if the results are positive (whilst taking future 787 economics into account). Management is becoming a little braver partly because the competition has show that it has to.
The eventual plan (as it stands) is for LGW and MAN to go all 787. Utilising a single fleet streamlines the operation, and the flexibility of having three sizes of aircraft in the same family opens up more route possibilities.
Of course, the company has a habit of giving all the new toys to LHR. This will change if the results are positive (whilst taking future 787 economics into account). Management is becoming a little braver partly because the competition has show that it has to.
Dec 23, 2016, 10:03 am
#11
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Dec 23, 2016, 10:12 am
#12
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Oh, I just got excited talking about the long haul from MAN and forgot the rest. Much more interesting to me than a few weekend bucket and spade routes! 
A short-haul operation is planned along the lines that are being suggested.
A short-haul operation is planned along the lines that are being suggested.
Dec 23, 2016, 10:14 am
#13
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Dec 23, 2016, 10:26 am
#14
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Purely speculatively, but it seems Norwegian (and the LGW flights) are going on price-stimulates demand which would thicken trunk routes. Running LGW-XXX-MAN-XXX-LGW to places like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles etc. makes some sense. Particularly when partnered with sales vehicles like transatlantic JVs and BA Holidays. No doubt they've a strong sense of search demand too.
With the QR JV, perhaps a Y-heavy LGW reconfigured 777 could do the trick on MAN-DOH too?
Not unreasonable, but it does seem the 777 would be the only available aircraft (since the the 787-8's are all tied up as is), but that's a lot of capacity?
With the QR JV, perhaps a Y-heavy LGW reconfigured 777 could do the trick on MAN-DOH too?
Not unreasonable, but it does seem the 777 would be the only available aircraft (since the the 787-8's are all tied up as is), but that's a lot of capacity?
Dec 23, 2016, 10:58 am
#15
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Keeping the competition at bay is the first objective, even if the financial results aren't that great. The 777-200ER is what we currently have and we will make do. The first 12-18 months of operation will give us the data to work out what a 787 operation would likely look like in financial terms. Hopefully it'll look quite perky.
Last edited by hemschmall; Dec 23, 2016 at 11:23 am