The 21st century has seen rapid growth at bmi as it transforms itself from a short-haul airline to a carrier aiming for global reach. Sheron Crossman reports Back in the 1990s, few voices made the headlines more frequently than that of bmi's chairman, Sir Michael Bishop, vigorously campaigning against the restrictive air service agreements between the UK and US.
And when he finally won the rights to fly across the pond, no airline greeted the turn of the century in more style, celebrating with the launch of the first scheduled services between Manchester and Washington DC and Chicago in Spring 2001. A fresh new brand (bmi British Midland, which has since been abbreviated to bmi) and stylish livery was announced for the new millennium – this was an airline going places and those places were to be long haul.
bmi's intercontinental route history continued to be made in 2005, when the airline elbowed its way into Heathrow with the launch of its first service to Mumbai, quickly followed by mid-haul routes to Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. So it seems somewhat bizarre that the slate of new routes announced towards the end of this year have not been to transatlantic gateways but scattered across Central Asia. In February 2007, when bmi's holding company acquired the British Airways franchise operation BMED, it added some 17 new medium-haul routes to the Middle East, Asia and Africa without the trace of a serious competitor on the horizon. In a geographical shift of direction but business masterstroke, bmi has scooped up a route network to a clutch of the most important business destinations of the future – including Baku, Tehran, Beirut, Amman, Almaty and Yerevan – all served from Heathrow's Terminal 1. The services started in October, with an improved timetable for business travellers and an enhanced in-flight product. Travellers on the new routes can expect an upgraded drinks and meals service on all mid- and long-haul flights, new amenity kits, and an in-flight entertainment system featuring up to 22 films and nine TV channels.
Not to be outdone by its competitors, in September, bmi upgraded its Business Class seats to lie-flat beds on services from Heathrow to Riyadh and Jeddah, and to the Caribbean and the US from Manchester. The fully adjustable beds offer a 26-inch seat width and up to 80-inch length. The airline has also launched a much-enhanced Premium Economy product on routes to the US and Caribbean, providing a Business Class seat with 49-inch pitch, which it claims is 11 inches greater than any of its rivals.
Furthermore, bmi is planning a major extension of its mid-haul route network next year, which CEO Nigel Turner says, "represents the single largest expansion of the bmi brand in the history of the airline, and marks our continuing transition into a truly global carrier." "Ten years ago," he adds, "we had a network that was 100% short-haul domestic and European. From the end of October, more than half our destinations from Heathrow have been in the mid- and long-haul markets."
This winter, bmi will serve 36 destinations from Heathrow, a network that will particularly appeal to transit traffic as all are served from Terminal 1. Turner has also revealed some of the planned new routes for next year. "We have identified a number of key destinations we are eager to serve from Heathrow," he says, "including Kiev, Minsk, Kuwait City, Lahore, Tel Aviv and Sana'a, as well as increasing flights from Heathrow to Moscow.” The first of these was announced in November, a new Damman service due to start in early 2008. It will operate from Heathrow three times a week on wide-bodied Airbus A330 aircraft; bmi hopes the new route will build on the success of its operations to existing Saudi destinations, Riyadh and Jeddah. "We are delighted to be announcing further developments which are marking our transition into a truly global airline," continues Turner. "Next year, bmi will be serving 41 destinations from Heathrow." The former BMED routes are predominantly to the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia, but also include Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Freetown, Sierra Leone and Khartoum, Sudan. Daily direct flights are offered to Cairo, Amman and Beirut, an increase over the previous BA schedule. To facilitate this rapid expansion, bmi is to add 10 aircraft to its fleet. The first of five new Airbus A330s, costing around US$500 million, is due to be delivered in spring 2008, supplementing the existing three A330s. bmi will also take delivery of five new Airbus A321s, worth US$250 million each, for the expanded medium-haul network.
The acquisition of BMED gives the bmi group a business with a turnover in excess of US$2 billion, with potential for huge growth.
What you get in bmi Business Class
Available on US, Caribbean and Saudi Arabia routes - New lie-flat leather seats, 26-inch wide, 78-80-inch length.
- Electronic lumbar support, adjustable foot and leg rests.
- Adjustable reading light, tray and cocktail tables, storage compartment
- 15-inch seat back screens, choice of latest film releases, TV and audio channels
- On-board chef offers wide choice of modern and international meals
- Welcome glass champagne or fruit juice before take-off
Website: www.flybmi.com
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