Bmi regional announces new Birmingham hub with three new routes

The new routes to Graz, Austria, Nuremburg, Germany and Gothenburg, Sweden will start in early 2017.

The Graz flight will commence on 27 February 2017, initially with a twice weekly service on Mondays and Fridays, increasing to four times weekly in March. Fares will start from just £99 one way. The Nuremberg and Gothenburg routes will launch on 8 May 2017, with six return flights per week. Fares start from £79 one way and £89 one way respectively.

Launching a new base at Birmingham, bmi regional’s new destinations from the Midlands will offer exciting opportunities for customers looking for a new and inspiring experiences in 2017.

Graz

Austria’s second largest city, Graz lies on the River Mur and is twinned with the Midlands city of Coventry. Being culturally important, Graz was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites in 1999. Here visitors will enjoy attractions including:

• Schlossberg and the Clock Tower which can be ascended by funicular railway.
• Projekt Spielberg – Red Bull’s home of motorsports and the venue of Austria’s F1 race, MotoGP and DTM, to name but a few.  Here visitors can enjoy fine dining, luxury hotels, driving experiences, golf and spa treatments 365 days a year, plus much more for those seeking adrenalin-filled experiences. 
• Steirische Weinstrasse: a wine region which is also known as the Austrian Tuscany.
• Thermenregion: a spa area home to nine thermal spas, each offering their own unique take on the healing thermal waters of the area. 
• Golf: Graz is home to 10 courses including six 18 hole courses, one of them a championship course. 
• Graz is also a superb gateway to some of Austria’s best ski resorts, including Schladming and the Dachstein region.

Graz will be bmi regional’s first destination in Austria.

Nuremberg

The Bavarian city of Nuremberg is the second largest city in the region after Munich.  Nuremberg is dominated by the imposing gothic style castle which towers over the city. There is a vast arts and culture scene in the city and a host of museums dedicated to design, painting and modern art. 

Nuremberg is also famous for its links to astronomy, dating back as far as 1471, when astronomer Johannes Mueller built an observatory in the city. 

The food and drink is also of great appeal to the region’s visitors, namely Bratwurst (local grilled sausage) and Lebkuchen (gingerbread).  Nuremberg is also particularly busy around Christmas time when its annual market draws in excess of 1million visitors from all over the world.

Nuremberg will be bmi regional’s 7th destination in Germany.

Gothenburg

Just two hours’ flying time from Birmingham, Gothenburg is Sweden’s second city and remains a popular mini break destination thanks to its fabulous food, eclectic culture and vibrant nightlife. Gothenburg has six restaurants in the city with a Michelin Star rating. Home to stylish boutiques and fashion labels including Nudie Jeans and Monki, the city also boasts the Haga district for vintage finds and several microbreweries such as Norda Bar & Grill and Dugges.

The city enjoys many parks and open spaces, not to mention its extensive network of waterways, making it an ideal city break destination.  Highlights of a visit include:

• Gothia Towers, one of Europe’s top 5 biggest hotels boasting an open air, glass bottomed swimming pool, on the 19th floor.
• Gothenburg Botanical Gardens
• Scandinavia’s biggest amusement park, Liseberg
• Gothenburg Museum of Art

Gothenburg will be bmi regional’s 4th destination in Sweden.

Commenting on the new launches, Jochen Schnadt, Chief Commercial Officer from bmi regional, said: “We are delighted to be introducing flights from Birmingham as part of our ever expanding portfolio.  bmi regional has always offered customers an array of up and coming destinations to explore and enjoy, and we anticipate all three routes to be popular.  Given the many issues we are facing in different parts of Europe and the world these days, many people are looking for new experiences in more familiar regions and our new destinations have an abundance of interesting and exciting experiences to offer to customers. We’re also happy to once again be bringing the bmi regional level of quality, convenience, service and professionalism to travellers from the Midlands.”

William Pearson, Aviation Director of Birmingham Airport said: “It is great news that bmi regional will be offering flights to Nuremberg, Gothenburg and Graz this year.  All three routes are currently un-served from Birmingham, so we thank bmi regional for filling these gaps and offering leisure travellers the chance to visit these vibrant city break destinations in Sweden, Austria and Germany with an airline that offers excellent service, efficiency and value.”

"The link between Austria's second-largest city and the second-largest city in the United Kingdom offers many opportunities for tourism in both cities," explains Gerhard Widmann, Managing Director of Graz Airport. "The scheduled flights to Birmingham are a good example of what can happen when all parties - airline, economy, tourism and airport - cooperate well and openly to achieve a shared goal!"

Dr Michael Hupe, Managing Director of Nuremberg Airport, is equally enthusiastic about the new route:"Nuremberg’s new connection to Birmingham will undoubtedly enrich our economy. We are looking forward to working with bmi regional in the future"

Charlotte Ljunggren, Airport Director at Swedavia, added: “With a new passenger record set for 2016, we are happy to start the new year by adding an additional destination from Gothenburg Landvetter Airport. The number of leisure travellers between the UK and Sweden is increasing, so we’re happy that bmi regional is adding new capacity.”         

All fares include complimentary in flight drinks and snacks, 23kg of hold luggage, allocated seating and speedy 30 minute check-ins.

Flights on all-routes went on sale from Tuesday 17 January 2017.

For more information or to book a flight with bmi regional visit www.flybmi.com