bmi - The end.

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Discussion

knight

Original Poster:

5,205 posts

278 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
quotequote all
This morning at 10-30, the last bmi commercial flight landed at LHR. The bmi aircraft are gradually being repainted in BA colours and will all be gone before the end of the year. I've worked for bmi for the last 19 years and am now in the employ of BA. Another British airline gone, I wonder how many will stay airborne?

Manicminer

10,772 posts

196 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
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To be fair it hasn't been British for quite a while. German owned and run.

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
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Sad -









nick heppinstall

8,054 posts

279 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
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Interesting I'd not heard about this. I've flown BMI a few times over the years. The most memorable were the Viscounts to Jersey when I was a kid. That sound and smell.....

Bradgate

2,819 posts

146 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
quotequote all
What a bloody shame frown

British Midland was a once great airline which sadly lost its way. Under the leadership of Sir Michael Bishop in the 1980s BD fought for 'open skies' in Europe, which allowed competition to flourish, paved the way for low cost carriers, and made flying affordable for everyone.

As Easyjet and Ryanair grew, however, BD found themselves squeezed between them and BA, and struggled to maintain a viable market position. The decline began a decade ago, and Bishop invoked an option signed in 1999 to force Lufthansa to buy his then loss making business in 2009.

Lufthansa by this stage didn't want BD, and in a case with strong similarities to BMW's disastrous takeover of Rover, made a complete mess of trying to turn the business round. LH sold BD to BA earlier this year, and the 2 airlines have now been merged, with the loss of thousands of jobs.

Over the last decade, BD has been a classic case of a business with superb staff, but absolutely useless, totally incompetent senior management.

I hope all the staff find new jobs as soon as possible.

Edited by Bradgate on Saturday 27th October 12:27

knight

Original Poster:

5,205 posts

278 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
quotequote all
Manicminer said:
To be fair it hasn't been British for quite a while. German owned and run.
Only for the last 3 years and nobody noticed any difference in the way things were run, so to us staff, it was still a British airline.

randlemarcus

13,507 posts

230 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
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knight said:
Only for the last 3 years and nobody noticed any difference in the way things were run, so to us staff, it was still a British airline.
And you're still a British airline, so much better that BA bought the corpse of BMI for it's slots, rather than it ceasing to exist, surely?

knight

Original Poster:

5,205 posts

278 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
quotequote all
Definately better that BA bought it as at least most of the LHR based staff have kept their jobs. If Virgin had got it then I couldn't see much of a future as I'm sure they only wanted the slots.

IforB

9,840 posts

228 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
quotequote all
knight said:
Only for the last 3 years and nobody noticed any difference in the way things were run, so to us staff, it was still a British airline.
Agreed, it was still British through and through even with the useless WPS at the helm.

I loved working at bmi and will miss it enormously. I moved on 3 weeks ago and am glad I wasn't there for the last flights. Seeing the end of Baby was difficult, but seeing the end of the whole shebang up close would have been horrid.


knight

Original Poster:

5,205 posts

278 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
quotequote all
There were loads of staff on the ramp watching the last arrival, in fact those standing on 121 got more than they bargained for when the fire brigade started spraying, there was quite a strong wind blowing and I think some got a bit wet!!

Also bmi branded stuff has gone missing from the aircraft so I think there were a few souvenir hunters amongst them!

IforB

9,840 posts

228 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
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I was using the marketing offices in Stockley as my office once they all got the boot, so I managed to snaffle a good few "souvenirs" before I made my exit!

I imagine there were a few tears on the ramp today as reality sets in. Most of the operation was going flat out until this morning and I think many were hiding from the truth of the situation.

A really rubbish day for a lot of people I had a lot of respect for. What most of the staff achieved with the tools they were given was astonishing. I wish everyone well and I hope they all find decent places to end up in. I'm now at Monarch and it's got some of the attributes of bmi, which is nice.

knight

Original Poster:

5,205 posts

278 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
quotequote all
IforB said:
I'm now at Monarch and it's got some of the attributes of bmi, which is nice.
Well I wish you well at Monarch smile I'm still at T1 but have been flitting between there and T5 when on nights.

knight

Original Poster:

5,205 posts

278 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
quotequote all
Only had my phone with me so excuse the quality.








LHRFlightman

1,929 posts

169 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
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I think this flight was flown by an aquaintance of mine. Good job Spencer. Really sad to see bmi go.

crisisjez

9,209 posts

204 months

Sunday 28th October 2012
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I handed the Aircraft over to the crew who flew it out to Baku and back on the last flight.
Very sad frown
I didnt realise it would affect me as much as it did, on the bus back to the crew room the whole crew were crying. I had to leave quite quickly before I joined them.