New routes and aircraft

New Routes:
Damman, Tel Aviv, Kiev

New Aircraft:
2 x B757 from Astreus on a 2 year lease from May (Possibly April)
1 x new 321 in May? (1st of the new aircraft ordered by BMED before the buyout) once delivered this will free up either a 319 or 320 to be released for service with Baby

Changes to routes:
Dakar to cease
Freetown 4 x weekly on B757
Almaty 3 x weekly on a B757
Tehran daily B757

No mention of China, but was given a half smile. don't know whether that means yes or no though.

Also rumours of BMI buying a british airline company too.

Not another 757 being leased! I would have thought BD would have learnt after the farce with IAD and the leased FI plane.

Am I correct in thinking that BD's greed/eagerness to get in on the Tel Aviv route has resulted in the arrival of this 757?

Nah, AFAIK Tel Aviv will be flown on the medium-haul configured A32x.

Talking of which, coming back from DUB last week, I was surprised to get G-MIDY, which is one of the original (pre-BMED) A320s with the "real" 2+2 Business Class cabin (I know the other was G-MIDO). Looked quite nice too, apart from the complete lack of IFE, inseat power, etc.

ISTR most of the ex-BMED fleet have in-seat IFE? I'm surprised these aren't prioritised onto the longer missions these days?

I'm guessing that the 757s are being taken on purely for range. Freetown, Almaty and Tehran are all outside the non-stop range of the A32x fleet.

Given the amount of "long thin" routes we're seeing these days, I wonder if Boeing are kicking themselves for closing the 757 line when they did?

Mike

Originally posted by mike-smashing
Nah, AFAIK Tel Aviv will be flown on the medium-haul configured A32x.

Sorry should have been clearer. I was meaning have the likes of Almaty and Tehran been given the 757 so that BD can put an A32x onto the new routes in the hope that they will bring in more revenue to the airline?!? BD did this last time with the 330 and India and IAD and it backfired massively. Is it just too simple to only start a route once you have enough a/c of your own? No wonder people believe that BD lacks direction and is greedy.

ISTR most of the ex-BMED fleet have in-seat IFE? I'm surprised these aren't prioritised onto the longer missions these days?

I think they are limited to the longer routes are they not? Or maybe they fly short hops to DUB/BRU during downtime at LHR?

I'm guessing that the 757s are being taken on purely for range. Freetown, Almaty and Tehran are all outside the non-stop range of the A32x fleet.

All three of those routes are Bmed routes and have been served by the 321 for as long as I can remember so I dont think it is anything to do with range. I think it is more to do with BD believing that the A32x complete with a proper business class section and IFE are more worthy on Tel Aviv than Freetown, Almaty and Tehran.

Considering that Almaty has a lot of big UK based companies working out there I am surprised the route is being given a 757.

Originally posted by willd
All three of those routes are Bmed routes and have been served by the 321 for as long as I can remember so I dont think it is anything to do with range.

I wonder if it is because BMI are swapping Tehran and Almaty to non-stops with the 757? They are currently 1-stopping these on the 321.

Mike