BMI Regional
Encyclopedia
British Midland Regional Limited (trading as bmi regional) is a British
regional airline
based in Aberdeen
, Scotland
. BMI Regional is a wholly owned subsidiary of British Midland International operating scheduled passenger services primarily within the UK. Its main base is Aberdeen Airport
.
The airline was established in 1987 as Business Air and started operations in August 1987. In 2001 it changed its name to BMI Regional.
The airline was previously owned by Sir Michael Bishop
(50%), Lufthansa
(30%) and Scandinavian Airlines (20%), but on 1 October 2009, Lufthansa
bought out Sir Michael Bishop's stake in the company giving them total ownership. They currently have 378 employees.
In March 2011 BMI Regional was awarded as the most punctual scheduled airline at UK airports for the sixth consecutive year by Flight on Time, based on CAA statistics.
Following the takeover of BMI by Lufthansa
in 2009, a restructuring was announced in November of that year which also affected BMI Regional operations. A suspension of loss making routes and capacity adjustments within the group resulted in BMI Regional having a surplus of three Embraer aircraft in 2010 and the company had begun consultation with staff regarding possible job losses. However, aircraft were leased to other carriers and the aircraft fleet is now at 15 as of February 2011.
The airline operates services for bmi using the regional name hence the airlines name bmi Regional. BMI Regional also operates services on behalf of Brussels Airlines
on their routes Bristol and Newcastle to/from Brussels, since 10 January 2010.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
based in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. BMI Regional is a wholly owned subsidiary of British Midland International operating scheduled passenger services primarily within the UK. Its main base is Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen Airport is an international airport, located at Dyce, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. 2.76 million passengers used Aberdeen Airport in 2010, a reduction of 7.4% compared with 2009, making it the 15th busiest airport in the UK...
.
History
The airline was previously owned by Sir Michael Bishop
Michael Bishop (businessman)
Michael David Bishop, Baron Glendonbrook CBE is a British businessman and life peer who rose to prominence as owner of the airline BMI. He sold his stake in the airline to Lufthansa on 1 July 2009 and has an estimated personal fortune of £480 million...
(50%), Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
(30%) and Scandinavian Airlines (20%), but on 1 October 2009, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
bought out Sir Michael Bishop's stake in the company giving them total ownership. They currently have 378 employees.
In March 2011 BMI Regional was awarded as the most punctual scheduled airline at UK airports for the sixth consecutive year by Flight on Time, based on CAA statistics.
Following the takeover of BMI by Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
in 2009, a restructuring was announced in November of that year which also affected BMI Regional operations. A suspension of loss making routes and capacity adjustments within the group resulted in BMI Regional having a surplus of three Embraer aircraft in 2010 and the company had begun consultation with staff regarding possible job losses. However, aircraft were leased to other carriers and the aircraft fleet is now at 15 as of February 2011.
Future sale
The parent company of Bmi Regional, Lufthansa AG, announced on 28 October 2011 that it was in advanced discussions to sell the airline to a UK-based investor group by the end of 2011. The proposed sale includes all assets including the aircraft fleet, route network and staff.Destinations
Brussels Airlines
Brussels Airlines is a flag carrier airline headquartered in the b.house on the grounds of Brussels Airport and in Diegem, Machelen, Belgium and a subsidiary of Lufthansa. It is the largest airline based in Belgium, operating to over 65 destinations in 20 European countries as well as long-haul...
on their routes Bristol and Newcastle to/from Brussels, since 10 January 2010.
Fleet
The BMI Regional fleet includes the following aircraft at February 2011| Aircraft | Total | Passengers | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer ERJ 135 Embraer ERJ 145 family The Embraer ERJ 145 family is a series of regional jets produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace company. Family members include the ERJ 135 , ERJ 140 , and ERJ 145 , as well as the Legacy business jet and the R-99 family of military aircraft. The ERJ 145 is the largest of the group... |
4 | 37 | |
| Embraer ERJ 145 Embraer ERJ 145 family The Embraer ERJ 145 family is a series of regional jets produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace company. Family members include the ERJ 135 , ERJ 140 , and ERJ 145 , as well as the Legacy business jet and the R-99 family of military aircraft. The ERJ 145 is the largest of the group... |
15 | 49 | |
| Total | 19 |
External links
- Planespotters.net fleet information