Flybmi facts for kids
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| Founded | 14 May 1987 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | August 1987 |
| Ceased operations | 16 February 2019 |
| Operating bases |
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| Alliance | Star Alliance |
| Fleet size | 17 |
| Destinations | 23 |
| Parent company | Sector Aviation Holdings (2012-2015) Airline Investments Limited (AIL) (2015-2019) |
| Headquarters | East Midlands Airport |
| Key people | |
| Employees | 376 |
Flybmi, also known as flybmi, was a British airline that flew to many places in the UK and Europe. Its main office was at East Midlands Airport. The airline also had bases in cities like Aberdeen, Bristol, and Munich.
Flybmi used to be part of another airline called British Midland International (BMI). In 2012, Flybmi became an independent airline. Later, in 2015, it joined a group called Airline Investments Limited (AIL) with another airline, Loganair. Sadly, Flybmi stopped flying and closed down on 16 February 2019.
Contents
History of Flybmi
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The airline started in 1987 as Business Air. It began flying in August 1987. In 1996, British Midland bought Business Air. The airline then helped British Midland by flying smaller planes into Manchester Airport. These planes were Saab 340 turboprops. In March 1998, the airline changed its name to British Midland Commuter.
In 1999, another airline called Debonair closed down. British Midland Commuter then got a contract to fly five BAe 146 planes for Lufthansa CityLine. This meant they flew the planes, but Lufthansa CityLine sold the tickets.
In 2001, the main company, British Midland, changed its name to 'bmi British Midland'. Its commuter part was renamed bmi Regional. At this time, Lufthansa owned all of the airline group.
In 2012, a company called Sector Aviation Holdings bought bmi Regional. This company was mainly owned by Stephen and Peter Bond. They used to own a helicopter company. The sale was announced on 1 June 2012.
For nine years in a row, bmi Regional was named the most on-time airline in the UK. This was based on information from the Civil Aviation Authority. In 2013, over 92% of its flights were on time.
On 5 July 2018, bmi Regional changed its name again to flybmi.
On 16 February 2019, Flybmi announced it was closing down. All flights were cancelled right away. This meant the airline went into a process called administration, which is when a company is managed by experts to pay off its debts. After Flybmi closed, Loganair (which was also owned by AIL) took over some of Flybmi's routes. Ryanair also offered special low fares for people who were stuck because of the cancellations.
How Flybmi Worked
Flybmi's Offices
When Flybmi closed, its main office was at Pegasus Business Park, near East Midlands Airport.
Since it started as Business Air, the airline's flight control center was always at Aberdeen Airport. This building was shared with CHC Helicopter. After 2012, the main office moved from Aberdeen to East Midlands Airport.
Flybmi's Flights
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British Midland Regional Limited had a special licence from the Civil Aviation Authority. This licence allowed them to carry passengers, cargo, and mail on planes with 20 or more seats.
After becoming independent, Flybmi changed its callsign (the name pilots use to talk to air traffic control) from "Kittiwake" to "Midland". On 28 October 2012, they also started using "BM" as their IATA airline code. This code is used for flight numbers and tickets.
The airline's three main bases were Aberdeen Airport and Bristol Airport in the UK, and Munich Airport in Germany. In 2014, Flybmi started a new service in Norway, flying between Harstad/Narvik Airport and Stavanger. However, this service no longer operates.
Flybmi also used to have bases in other UK cities like Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Manchester. From these bases, they flew regional routes and routes for British Midland International.
Flybmi used its Embraer 145 planes to fly shuttle services for the aircraft maker Airbus. These flights connected Airbus factories in Broughton, Filton, and Toulouse.
In 2014, Flybmi started flying a staff shuttle for the helicopter maker AgustaWestland. This flight was between Milan Malpensa and RNAS Yeovilton. In 2015, Flybmi moved this route to nearby Bristol Airport. This allowed them to carry regular passengers on the flight too.
In 2015, the airline based two Embraer planes at Munich Airport. From there, they flew to cities like Bern, Liège, and Rotterdam. They worked with Lufthansa on these routes. This happened after they signed a codeshare agreement with Lufthansa in 2014. A codeshare agreement means two airlines can sell tickets on each other's flights.
Where Flybmi Flew
Flybmi flew to 23 different places in Europe and the UK. From 30 March 2014, the airline also flew a service for Brussels Airlines between Brussels and Bristol.
When Flybmi closed, it had codeshare agreements with other airlines. This meant they worked together to offer more flight options. Flybmi had codeshares with Lufthansa for flights from Bristol to Frankfurt and all flights to/from Munich. They also had a codeshare with Brussels Airlines for flights from East Midlands Airport and Newcastle to Brussels.
Flybmi also flew holiday charter flights in the summer. These flights went to places like Bastia in Corsica and Verona in Italy.
When Flybmi closed in February 2019, it shared flights with these airlines:
Flybmi's Planes
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Planes at Closure
In February 2019, the Flybmi fleet had these planes:
| Aircraft | Number of Planes | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer ERJ-135 | 3 | — | 37 | |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | 14 | — | 49 | One plane flew for Brussels Airlines |
| Total | 17 | — |
After Flybmi closed, 15 of its planes went to its sister airline, Loganair. The other two planes were stored.
Future Plans for Planes
In May 2018, a Flybmi manager said they were thinking about adding bigger regional jets to their fleet. They were looking at the Bombardier CRJ900 and Embraer 190 planes. In June 2018, it was announced that Flybmi would give two Embraer ERJ-145 planes to Loganair.
Old Planes Flybmi Used
Flybmi also used these planes in the past:
- BAe 146-300
- Saab 340
- Fokker 100
See also
In Spanish: BMI Regional para niños
- List of defunct airlines of the United Kingdom
