BMI Cuts Links With Leeds & Durham Tees Valley

BMI A320The economic recession continues to affect the travel industry as airlines struggle to match supply with demand. As fewer people are travelling this, of course affects the profitability of certain routes. BMI have been flying between London Heathrow and Leeds/Bradford for nearly 40 years and they have now decided that they are stopping the service from 28 March 2009.

They are also scrapping their Heathrow to Durham Tees Valley airport. The BMI decision is a big blow to the residents of West Yorkshire as it has always been a busy route for London commuters and also more importantly for those people who are flying from Heathrow on onward flights.

Getting from the Leeds area to Heathrow without a flight service will be very difficult. Manchester will still offer a service but it is not a convenient journey over the M62, especially in winter.BMI blame their decision on a fall in traffic, an increase in BAA’s charges at Heathrow and the governments unfair Air Passenger Duty.

 About 50 jobs will also be lost.Spokesmen for both airports say they are trying to obtain alternative airlines to fly the route. “We are well aware of the importance to our region of regular air links to London,” said John Parkin, chief executive of Leeds Bradford Airport. “We expect to be in a position to announce new services to the capital shortly.”We will have to wait and see if anybody is willing to take on the route in the current economic situation.


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