BMI, the UK's second largest full-service scheduled airline, today confirmed its plans to launch services from Heathrow to Mumbai and from Heathrow to Bangalore, following agreement between the UK and Indian governments to allow extra flights between the two countries.
bmi has formally confirmed its plans to the UK Department for Transport, which is now expected to require the Civil Aviation Authority to hold a hearing to allocate the 21 extra flights per week granted to British airlines.
In combative form, bmi chairman Sir Michael Bishop welcomed the development, saying the airline had actively sought to bring about changes to the bilateral agreements in existence between the UK and India and was now able to demonstrate its commitment to serving "this important market". He said bmi's short-haul network at London Heathrow meant it could offer onward connections throughout the UK and Europe, bringing the benefits of the connections with India to even more customers.
He added: "Our attempts to introduce greater customer choice to other long-haul services from Heathrow, such as to the USA, continue to be frustrated through restrictive bilateral agreements. The opportunity for an increase to the number of services in the UK to India market should provide bmi with the opportunity to meet that demand."
In an attempt to head off other carriers, notably Virgin Atlantic, he said bmi was "ready, willing and able" to provide the extra services and "vigorous" new competition - and, he added, "we would expect to receive a fair disposition of all the available frequencies."
bmi plans a daily service between Heathrow and Mumbai and a six-times-weekly service between Heathrow and Bangalore from next March. The airline's long-haul network currently includes services from Manchester to Chicago, Washington and Toronto and later this month it will begin flying from Manchester to Las Vegas, as well as to Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia next month and in December.
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