London: Bmi, Britain's second largest airline at London Heathrow, on November 25 announced a restructuring programme that will see it suspend a number of routes as a result of unprecedented market conditions.
The route suspensions are as follows:
London Heathrow-Tel Aviv: Last flight from Heathrow on January 9, 2010; last flight from Tel Aviv on January 10, 2010.
London Heathrow-Kiev: Last flights on January 10, 2010.
London Heathrow-Aleppo: Last flight from Heathrow on January 9, 2010; last flight from Aleppo on January 10, 2010.
London Heathrow-Amsterdam: Last flights on March 27, 2010
London Heathrow-Brussels: Last flights on January 9, 2010.
From April 2010 bmi will end its lease agreement on two Airbus 330 aircraft which will mean that its London Heathrow to Cairo route will be operated using an Airbus 321.
Routes are being suspended to improve the profitability of bmi, which is now 100 per cent owned by Lufthansa, which is committed to helping bmi restructure so as to return to profitability. Going forward, the airline will focus on routes serving oil, energy and emerging markets with a particular focus on Business Class customers and those visiting friends and relatives. The airline will maintain its current UK and Ireland network, providing frequency for business travellers and feeder connections for its own network and that of Star Alliance.
Dominic Paul, bmi's managing director, said: "We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience the route suspensions will cause."
