bmi regional Launch Three New European Routes From Birmingham Airport

bmi regional, the UK’s most punctual airline, has announced the launch of three new European routes from Birmingham Airport.

The airline continues its European network expansion with the launch of routes between Birmingham and three important European cities: Gothenburg, Lyon and Toulouse.

Cathal O’Connell, chief executive, bmi regional said: “The launch of these routes to Gothenburg, Lyon and Toulouse is a continuation of bmi regional’s promise to serve key economic and tourism hubs across Europe. Launching our first services from Birmingham Airport is an indication of our commitment to UK regions and a significant investment to position the airline for growth.  These new routes are incremental to the four new routes rolled out since bmi regional established itself as an independent airline in 2012. 

“bmi regional’s choice of destinations is based on business and leisure customer demand.  Toulouse is a significant base for the aerospace business, Gothenburg and Lyon are home to major car manufacturing sites as well as high-tech industries.

"These three European cities are great destinations for leisure customers as well, boasting Unesco Heritage Sites, amazing foods and great outdoor activities nearby. With fares starting from £59 each way, we also expect to see a boost in both inbound visitors to the Birmingham and the Midlands”, said O’Connell.      

William Pearson, Aviation Development Director at Birmingham Airport, said: “It is fantastic news that bmi regional has chosen to launch these routes as its first services from Birmingham. These three new routes, operated on an Embraer jet aircraft, are currently unserved from the Airport, meaning passengers have even more choice from their airport to visit these great destinations. 

"As an Airport we strive to cater for all our passengers and having bmi regional on board as a full service airline complements our portfolio.  We look forward to working with bmi regional to develop these services and further additional services in the future.”

Non-stop flights to Gothenburg, Lyon and Toulouse from Birmingham commence Monday 13th May 2013 with six flights on each route per week.

• Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France, and the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées region, the largest region in France.  The city is the centre of the European aerospace industry, hosting the Airbus headquarters and assembly-lines of Airbus A320, A330, A340, and A380. The city also has numerous aeronautics, space, electronics, IT and biotech firms, including Thales, Alenia Space, Intel, ATR and Astrium Satellites.  Toulouse is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, one of the oldest universities in Europe and Toulouse Rugby, four times winner of the Heineken Cup.

• Lyon is the second city of France, and is a major centre for banking as well as for chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech and video games software. The city is home to the headquarters of Sanofi, Renault Trucks and Interpol as well as being a major convention centre. The historic city centre of Lyon is recognised by UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its “amazing universal value”. Lyon also serves as the ideal spot to explore the Rhone-Alpes skiing options: with 160 ski resorts, the region boasts the largest ski areas in the world.

• Vibrant Gothenburg is a coastal city with a lively cultural scene, stylish shopping and a fast-growing reputation as a foodie hotbed. It is the second largest city in Sweden, with the largest port in Scandinavia. It is home to major companies such as Volvo and Ericsson, in addition to hi-tech industry. Gothenburg is the gateway to West Sweden, with its breath-taking mix of coastline, islands, lakes and forests. 

The new routes go on sale on www.bmiregional.com on Tuesday 5th February 2013.

All flights include complimentary food & drink on-board, free 20kg hold baggage allowance, 30 minute check-in and an all jet Embraer fleet.  bmi regional employs over 400 staff throughout the UK. The airline became independent from BMI in June 2012.

For more information, visit www.bmiregional.com.