BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT has quickly recovered from the loss of Ryanair and the collapse of Duo. bmibaby is to establish a new base at Birmingham in January 2005 and is set to become the largest carrier at the airport. Next summer the budget offshoot of Sir Michael Bishop”s bmi Group will operate up to 20 routes from the airport. The Birmingham services will be in addition to its existing base at East Midlands Airport near Derby, consolidating the carrier's position as the largest airline in the Midlands. Orders for additional aircraft will be finalised over the summer, expanding the current fleet of 14 Boeing 737 aircraft. The new Birmingham base will add to bmibaby's current operations at Gatwick, East Midlands, Manchester, Cardiff, Teesside, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast. The airline currently operates 52 routes and carried 3m passengers in 2003, in only its first full year of operation. The first of the new destinations is expected to be announced within days.
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