Bmibaby has given a bullish response to those questioning the future of budget airlines.
Announcing January passenger volumes up 21% to 247,232 against 204,244 the same month last year, managing director David Bryon said the airline was going from “strength to strength”.
He said: “Despite alarmist and misleading statements about the general outlook for low cost airlines, bmibaby will report increases in yield, passenger volumes and load factors for the financial year ending December 31, 2004.
“This improving trend has continued into the first month of the 2005 financial year with a 5.2 per cent increase in yield achieved in January 2005 compared to the previous year.
“Bmibaby is going from strength to strength and the airline continues to be an integral part of the comprehensive range of products offered by airlines within the bmi group.”
Mr Bryon added: “Services from our new base at Birmingham International Airport which started on January 7, have got off to a flying start with our most successful new base launch ever. Nearly 200,000 bookings have already been taken for the summer months.
The airline operates more than 700 flights a week to Alicante, Amsterdam, Belfast International, Birmingham International, Bordeaux, Cardiff, Cork, Dublin, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Geneva, Glasgow, Jersey, Knock, Malaga, Manchester, Murcia, Nice, Nottingham East Midlands, Palma, Paris (CDG), Prague, Toulouse.
Report by Phil Davies
