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| Founded | 1987 (as Business Air) | |||
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| Operating bases | ||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Diamond Club | |||
| Airport lounge | Diamond Club Lounge | |||
| Alliance | Star Alliance | |||
| Fleet size | 19 | |||
| Destinations | 17 | |||
| Parent company | British Midland International | |||
| Headquarters | Aberdeen Airport Aberdeen, Scotland |
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| Key people | Paul Alcock (Director of Operations and Accountable Manager)
Steven Griffiths (Business Director) |
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| Website | www.flybmi.com | |||
British Midland Regional Limited (trading as bmi regional) is a British regional airline that operates scheduled passenger services primarily within the UK. Its head office is located in Aberdeen Airport East in Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland.[2] Its main base is Aberdeen Airport.[3] BMI Regional is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of British Midland International, but there are advanced discussions to sell the airline to a UK-based investor group within the first quarter of 2012.
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The airline was established in 1987 as Business Air and started operations in August 1987. In 2001 it changed its name to BMI Regional.
The airline was previously owned by Sir Michael Bishop (50%), Lufthansa (30%) and Scandinavian Airlines (20%), but in October 2009, Lufthansa announced they had bought Sir Michael Bishop's and SAS's stakes, giving them total ownership.[4] They currently have 378 employees.[5]
Following the takeover of BMI by Lufthansa in 2009, a restructuring was announced in November of that year which also affected BMI Regional operations. A suspension of loss-making routes and capacity adjustments within the group resulted in BMI Regional having a surplus of three Embraer aircraft in 2010, and the company had begun consultation with staff regarding possible job losses. However, aircraft were leased to other carriers and the aircraft fleet is now at 15 as of February 2011.[6]
In March 2011 BMI Regional was awarded as the most punctual scheduled airline at UK airports for the sixth consecutive year by Flight on Time, based on CAA statistics.[7]
The parent company of BMI Regional, Lufthansa AG, announced on 28 October 2011 that it was in advanced discussions to sell the airline to a UK-based investor group by the end of 2011. The proposed sale includes all assets including the aircraft fleet, route network and staff.[8]
A sale of BMI Regional's parent, British Midland International, was confirmed on 22 December 2011 when International Airlines Group (IAG) agreed to purchase the airline from Lufthansa. BMI Regional and Bmibaby were specifically mentioned within the agreement as not being required by IAG, and Lufthansa was encouraged to sell both before the sale was completed in the first quarter of 2012.[9]
The airline operates services for bmi using the regional name hence the airline's name bmi Regional. BMI Regional also operates services on behalf of Brussels Airlines on their routes Bristol and Newcastle to/from Brussels, since 10 January 2010.[10]
The BMI Regional fleet includes the following aircraft at February 2011:
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer ERJ 135 | 4 | 37 | |
| Embraer ERJ 145 | 15 | 49 | |
| Total | 19 |