British Mediterranean Airways
Encyclopedia
British Mediterranean Airways Limited, trading as BMED, was an airline
with operations from London Heathrow Airport
in England
. It operated scheduled services as a British Airways
franchise
to 17 destinations in 16 countries throughout Africa
, the Middle East
, and Central Asia
from London Heathrow. In February 2007, the airline was purchased by BMI
. The airline was a British Airways franchise until the night of 27 October 2007. Before the takeover it was headquartered at the Hetherington House in London Borough of Hounslow
, near London Heathrow Airport
. At an earlier point it was headquartered at the Cirrus House in the Borough of Hounslow,, near Staines
and Stanwell
, Surrey
. At an earlier point its head office was in the City of Westminster
.
The company held a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. The licence was revoked on 31 January 2008.
in 1994 by a group of private investors lead by Lord Hesketh. It began operations on 28 October that year. The airline had Airbus A320
which flew from London Heathrow to Beirut
, Lebanon
. Damascus
in Syria
and Amman
in Jordan
were added to the network the following year, and the airline began flying a fortnightly charter service to Bishkek
, capital of Kyrgyzstan
.
In March 1997 the airline reached an agreement with British Airways, with BA withdrawing its competing services to Beirut, Damascus and Amman, leaving British Mediterranean as the sole operator on a BA franchise basis. Under this agreement the airline traded as British Airways, with all flights operated under BA flight codes (the range BA6500-6669 are allocated to BMED flights). All BMED aircraft were presented in full British Airways livery
, appointed with the same interior and class product as the BA main fleet, and staff wore the BA uniform. BMED flights were booked through British Airways and the airline participated in BA's Executive Club and BA Miles programme. BMED was an affiliate member of Oneworld
.
With the franchise agreement, British Mediterranean's operations moved from Heathrow's Terminal 3 to Terminal 4, allowing greater integration with the BA network. The airline greatly benefited from the franchise arrangement, taking over unprofitable BA mainline services better suited to BMED's lower cost base, to destinations such as Baku
, Tehran
, Addis Ababa
and Almaty
. British Mediterranean also launched a number of routes on its own, backed by the global sales and marketing of British Airways, as well as feeder traffic to and from Heathrow.
British Mediterranean Airways rebranded as BMED in November 2004, stating that the shorter name and revamped logo would help strengthen the airline's image.
In 2004 BMED carried 277,000 passengers on its 6 aircraft, to 18 destinations in 17 countries. (At that time BMED had flights to Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
In January 2007 BMED was bought by UK Airline BMI
. The decision by BMI marks a change in strategy with the airline now focusing on more medium to long haul routes. BMED routes will work alongside BMI's medium haul routes from Heathrow
. The British Airways
franchise was stopped at the night of October 27, 2007, when the airline was fully absorbed into BMI branding. All the existing BMED planes will re-painted in BMI livery and the staff will wear BMI uniforms, and the flight numbers will carry BMI's standard BD prefix. They will also continue to use the British Airways (BA) code-share designation.
As part of the deal to buy BMED, BMI sold the BMED Heathrow slots to British Airways for £30 million. These are due to pass to British Airways in late 2008/2009.
On 12 March 2007, it was revealed that the airline was flying a "ghost flight" between London Heathrow and Cardiff International Airport
six times a week. No seats are sold for the flight, and it is not announced in arrivals or departures, or on airport information screens. The flight is only made in order for BMED to retain a valuable take-off slot at London Heathrow, unused since it scrapped flights to Uzbekistan. Airlines with landing rights at London Heathrow are liable to lose them if they do not make at least 80% use of their allocation over a six-month session.
On 5 April 2007, G-MEDL was used to return 15 British Navy personnel
captured by Iranian forces from Tehran to London Heathrow.
At the end of October 2007 BMED was absorbed into BMI and ceased to be a British Airways franchise carrier.
.
was involved in a serious incident while approaching Addis Abeba Airport, Ethiopia. The pilots were unaware of a significant discrepancy in the aircraft flight management system position caused by the sole navigational beacon transmitting erroneous data. This same beacon was also being used to navigate the approach. The crew executed a go-around
, the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System
(EGPWS) "TERRAIN AHEAD, PULL UP" audio warning was triggered too late to be of any help, and later analysis showed that the aircraft passed within 56ft of terrain at its closest point. The AAIB determined that improper maintenance of the ADS VOR Beacon had allowed water ingress causing the erroneous signal, which should have been detected by monitoring equipment, but this had been disconnected during construction work. Also, the Airbus EGPWS design relied on the same positional information as navigation system.
These aircraft were passed on to BMI
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
with operations from London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It operated scheduled services as a British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
to 17 destinations in 16 countries throughout Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
from London Heathrow. In February 2007, the airline was purchased by BMI
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
. The airline was a British Airways franchise until the night of 27 October 2007. Before the takeover it was headquartered at the Hetherington House in London Borough of Hounslow
London Borough of Hounslow
-Political composition:Since the borough was formed it has been controlled by the Labour Party on all but two occasions. In 1968 the Conservatives formed a majority for the first and last time to date until they lost control to Labour in 1971. Labour subsequently lost control of the council in the...
, near London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. At an earlier point it was headquartered at the Cirrus House in the Borough of Hounslow,, near Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
and Stanwell
Stanwell
Stanwell is a suburban village in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne. It is located 15.7 miles west south-west of Charing Cross and half a mile from the southern boundary of London Heathrow Airport and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. At an earlier point its head office was in the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
.
The company held a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. The licence was revoked on 31 January 2008.
History
British Mediterranean Airways was established as a limited companyLimited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
in 1994 by a group of private investors lead by Lord Hesketh. It began operations on 28 October that year. The airline had Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
which flew from London Heathrow to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
were added to the network the following year, and the airline began flying a fortnightly charter service to Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
, capital of Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
.
In March 1997 the airline reached an agreement with British Airways, with BA withdrawing its competing services to Beirut, Damascus and Amman, leaving British Mediterranean as the sole operator on a BA franchise basis. Under this agreement the airline traded as British Airways, with all flights operated under BA flight codes (the range BA6500-6669 are allocated to BMED flights). All BMED aircraft were presented in full British Airways livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
, appointed with the same interior and class product as the BA main fleet, and staff wore the BA uniform. BMED flights were booked through British Airways and the airline participated in BA's Executive Club and BA Miles programme. BMED was an affiliate member of Oneworld
Oneworld
Oneworld , branded as oneworld, is one of the world's three largest global airline alliances with its central management team, oneworld Management Company, based in New York City, New York, USA. Oneworld was founded in 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific...
.
With the franchise agreement, British Mediterranean's operations moved from Heathrow's Terminal 3 to Terminal 4, allowing greater integration with the BA network. The airline greatly benefited from the franchise arrangement, taking over unprofitable BA mainline services better suited to BMED's lower cost base, to destinations such as Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
and Almaty
Almaty
Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
. British Mediterranean also launched a number of routes on its own, backed by the global sales and marketing of British Airways, as well as feeder traffic to and from Heathrow.
British Mediterranean Airways rebranded as BMED in November 2004, stating that the shorter name and revamped logo would help strengthen the airline's image.
In 2004 BMED carried 277,000 passengers on its 6 aircraft, to 18 destinations in 17 countries. (At that time BMED had flights to Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
In January 2007 BMED was bought by UK Airline BMI
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
. The decision by BMI marks a change in strategy with the airline now focusing on more medium to long haul routes. BMED routes will work alongside BMI's medium haul routes from Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. The British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
franchise was stopped at the night of October 27, 2007, when the airline was fully absorbed into BMI branding. All the existing BMED planes will re-painted in BMI livery and the staff will wear BMI uniforms, and the flight numbers will carry BMI's standard BD prefix. They will also continue to use the British Airways (BA) code-share designation.
As part of the deal to buy BMED, BMI sold the BMED Heathrow slots to British Airways for £30 million. These are due to pass to British Airways in late 2008/2009.
On 12 March 2007, it was revealed that the airline was flying a "ghost flight" between London Heathrow and Cardiff International Airport
Cardiff International Airport
Cardiff Airport is an international airport serving Cardiff, and the rest of South, Mid and West Wales. Around 1.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010....
six times a week. No seats are sold for the flight, and it is not announced in arrivals or departures, or on airport information screens. The flight is only made in order for BMED to retain a valuable take-off slot at London Heathrow, unused since it scrapped flights to Uzbekistan. Airlines with landing rights at London Heathrow are liable to lose them if they do not make at least 80% use of their allocation over a six-month session.
On 5 April 2007, G-MEDL was used to return 15 British Navy personnel
2007 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel
Iranian military personnel seized 15 Royal Navy personnel during 2007 and held them for 13 days. On 23 March 2007, 15 British Royal Navy personnel, from HMS Cornwall, searching a merchant vessel were surrounded by the Navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and subsequently detained off the...
captured by Iranian forces from Tehran to London Heathrow.
At the end of October 2007 BMED was absorbed into BMI and ceased to be a British Airways franchise carrier.
Former destinations
BMED served the following on behalf of British Airways, from their Hub at London Heathrow AirportLondon Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
.
- Armenia - Yerevan
- Ashgabat - Turkmenistan
- Azerbaijan - Baku
- Ethiopia - Addis Ababa
- Egypt - Alexandria
- Georgia - Tbilisi
- Iran - Tehran
- Jordan - Amman
- Kazakhstan - Almaty
- Kyrghyzstan - Bishkek
- Lebanon - Beirut
- Russia - Ekaterinburg
- Senegal - Dakar
- Sierra Leone - Freetown
- Sudan - Khartoum
- Syria - Aleppo, Damascus
- Turkey - Ankara
- Uzbekistan - Tashkent
Incidents and accidents
On 31 March 2003 a British Mediterranean Airbus A320Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
was involved in a serious incident while approaching Addis Abeba Airport, Ethiopia. The pilots were unaware of a significant discrepancy in the aircraft flight management system position caused by the sole navigational beacon transmitting erroneous data. This same beacon was also being used to navigate the approach. The crew executed a go-around
Go-around
A go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach.- Origin of the term :The term arises from the traditional use of traffic patterns at airfields. A landing aircraft will first join the circuit pattern and prepare for landing in an orderly fashion...
, the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System
Ground Proximity Warning System
A ground proximity warning system is a system designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle. The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines GPWS as a type of terrain awareness warning system...
(EGPWS) "TERRAIN AHEAD, PULL UP" audio warning was triggered too late to be of any help, and later analysis showed that the aircraft passed within 56ft of terrain at its closest point. The AAIB determined that improper maintenance of the ADS VOR Beacon had allowed water ingress causing the erroneous signal, which should have been detected by monitoring equipment, but this had been disconnected during construction work. Also, the Airbus EGPWS design relied on the same positional information as navigation system.
Fleet
The BMED fleet consisted of the following aircraft (at 27 October 2007)- 3 Airbus A320-200Airbus A320The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
- 5 Airbus A321-200 (further 5 on order)
These aircraft were passed on to BMI