BHD Airport sold to Spanish Builders

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mmm main thing is bmi have spent over £1 million putting a air bridge etc in cos they have free landing fees for life and around 15 flights a day. If Spanish say you now pay to bmi they will go to EGAA which is good from my point of view but not BHD or bmi's!

Who would use a A321 sized gate when no-one else operates a A320 family aircraft to BHD!!

ALSO IN NEWS:

Aer Arann have launched services from Belfast City Airport to Dublin and will start serving the route on June18th. They say that they hope to carry 40,000 over the first 12 months

JetMagic and Air Wales have now started services between Cork and Cardiff respectivly. Bad news is Air Wales have had a maximum of 4 passengers per flight and Jetmagic having good load factors. Air Wales will pull out before long!

My source on the ramp at EGAC says IT HAS BEEN SOLD as they have been told.

BHD SALES NEWS FROM THE BBC:

An announcement is imminent that Belfast City Airport has been sold.
It is expected to confirm that the airport has been bought by the Spanish company, Ferrovial.

When the airport went on the market last year, several companies expressed an interest.

More recently detailed negotiations have been carried out with two companies, TBI, the owners of Belfast International Airport, and Ferrovial, a large Spanish construction company.

For some weeks it has been clear that Ferrovial was the front runner and that barring any surprises its bid would win.

An announcement is expected by Friday.

'Infrastructure'

The company not only has interests in construction it runs 14 airports around the world.

It is not known whether the asking price of about £40m was reached.

Canadian owners Bombardier said the airport was "no longer seen as a core part of its business strategy".

The company acquired the airport when it bought Belfast aircraft company Shorts in 1989.

About 800 people are employed at the site.

Bombardier said that while there would be a change of ownership "the airport will continue to operate and to develop its position as a fundamental part of Northern Ireland's transport infrastructure".

Belfast City has been open for commercial air traffic since 1983. Currently three airlines - bmi British Midland, British Euorpean's flybe and British Airways CitiExpress - serve some 18 destinations in Great Britain daily.

Approximately 1.8 million passengers are expected to use the airport this year.

Around 360 people are directly employed by the airport with a further 450 airline and other staff based there.

Original post

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Andrew, a contract is a contract and the new owners cannot suddenly start charging BMI.

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I'd like to think that Aer Arran could make DUB-BHD work but I am not confident. Jersey European operated it for a while and stopped though I heart the ORK-BHD flights are doing quite nicely.Not really aimed at business travellers is it, more towards connections?

Does JetMagic fly between Cork and Cardiff? Anyway JER route starts on the 26th 3x weekly so that is good.

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1) Mongu, bmi only signed a contract with on verbal terms reguarding the free landing fees they pay £15 per inbound passenger. This is only fees they paid and only part of a written contract. bmi agreed to this over EGAA free landing fees fixed contract because they wante to stay flexible.

2) Its Air Wales to Cardiff Saab. I got got a horror story from my ramp agent about G-KNNY of Air Wales. Having problems starting No. 1 each time and it takes three or so with lots of white smoke. He also says the only way APU will keep running is to use No. 2 engine without spinning the blade! JetMagic to Cork is getting mainly business travellers so far compared to leisure travellers. The biggest praise with them is the aircraft they are operating on the route as they havent had a single problem since its soo new!

Ryanair still on the books for possible EGAC starts as the old terminal is in perfect condiction for them and the colour scheme in it is the same as theirs. EGAA and EGAC both say Ryanair talking more to them so one is lying! Doubt EGAC is as Ryanair might not like competition but aparently both have offered a major deal regaridng landing fees but EGAC had advantage of a cheap second hand terminal that has its own car park etc and Ryanair handle it all themselves!

Possible upgrade to spotting facilites with new owners. My first time on "the bridge" tomorrow which overlooks main runway so should get some good shots through the rain" Old terminal roof may be upgraded to let spotters view the aircraft according to senior management source.

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Originally posted by andrewm

He also says the only way APU will keep running is to use No. 2 engine without spinning the blade!

dont know about the other engine problem but this particular APU on the ATR is the ONLY way it'l work. The engine runs but the transmittion between engine and blade is disconnected hence no spinning, hence the power to the 42/72 series of a/c - not really a horror story...

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Andrew - you're serious? BMI entered into a verbal contract?!??

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Thanks EGNM didnt know!

hehe guess what it arrived late by 30mins to EGAC this morning with engine problems on No. 1 before it left Cardiff!

Mongu,

Yep 110% true MD told me himself. The new owners will undoubtible want to make it a written one about landing fees but will they be free or not!

The ATC are worried about there jobs I forgot to say. They are currently privetly owned by Bombarider and not NATS people. When new owners come in they fear that they will bring in NATs and NATs have already said that if it becomes NATs control they wont let most of the same controllers stay without retraining etc for a year so they dont have an income for 1 yr while NATS say they will put them through their paces at Bournemouth. They are all surprised by this action and only the Head of ATC and the ex-NATs people can stay.