bmi Regional cuts back

Just a year after it launched as a fully independent airline, bmi Regional is to axe five routes and pull out of three UK bases.

It said that it was closing its units in Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester, following a "comprehensive review" of operations.  The Aberdeen to Manchester route will continue but will be crewed from the Scottish city which in fact gives better morning connections.

This decision will leave Aberdeen and Bristol as BMI's main hubs.

The routes affected are: Manchester to Edinburgh and Antwerp (last flight 29 November); Birmingham to Billund (31 December); and Edinburgh to Copenhagen and Brussels (5 January).  At Edinburgh this will now mean no competition for Flybe on Manchester and likewise Brussels Airways to its home city.  Copenhagen could clearly not support three airlines, leaving easyJet and Norwegian to fight the route.

bmi Regional was formalised on 29 October 2012, previously part of bmi, the rump of which is now operated by British Airways.  It is owned by Sector Aviation Holdings which has an interest in Loganair and Bond Helicopters.

Last week (See BTN 28 October) the airline announced a new route from Newcastle to Brussels.  It also launched services between Aberdeen and Oslo. www.bmiregional.com

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