bmi regional adds Southampton to growing Munich operation

UK carrier, bmi regional is to introduce a further link between the UK and Germany as it builds on its relationship with Lufthansa at its Bavarian hub at Munich Airport. The airline will introduce its own twice daily service between Southampton and Munich, adding to the five international markets it serves from the German gateway through its partnership with the flag carrier. These comprise Liege (Belgium), Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Bern (Switzerland), Bristol (United Kingdom) and the most recent addition from November last year of Brno (Czech Republic).

bmi regional will offer a twice daily weekday operation and single daily weekend offer between Southampton and Munich from April 15, 2016 using Embraer ERJ-145 regional jet equipment. The schedule will support both point-to-point business travellers, leisure demand and will provide connection options via Munich.

Munich is a popular destination for business travellers, with the city being one of Germany’s main financial centres and the global headquarters of many iconic global brands, including BMW and Siemens. The new flights will enable enhanced business opportunities between the vibrant business region around the Southern English coast and one of Europe’s largest commercial centres.

For leisure visitors, Munich enjoys year round appeal ranging from its famous Oktoberfest, to its spectacular Christmas markets. It is also a popular gateway for short and longer holiday opportunities year round in the nearby Bavarian and Austrian Alps, including skiing and hiking, or an escape to one of the beautiful fairy-tale castles and numerous lakes for which the area is renowned.

"Scheduled air services to Munich have been requested by many businesses, so this is great news,” said

Dave Lees, Managing Director, Southampton Airport. “Key industries that have links in our two regions include aerospace, advanced engineering and IT. There is also substantial demand from the German market for cruises leaving the Port of Southampton, so these air links will be popular.”

The launch of the new bmi regional service between Southampton and Munich opens up a convenient and frequent way for passengers to travel from the south and south east of England to Germany. It will be the third German destination to be currently served directly from Southampton after Dusseldorf (Flybe) and Hamburg (VLM Airlines).

“We’re excited to be adding Southampton as new destination to our ever growing network connecting it to our developing Munich Hub. This new service will further improve bmi regional’s presence in the South and South East, making bmi regional an attractive and value based choice for customers from the South East of England,” said Jochen Schnadt, Chief Commercial Officer, bmi regional.

Respected airline executive, Jochen Schnadt will be among the panellists at the expanded Routes Europe Strategy Summit in Krakow, Poland this year, where he will discuss regional carrier trends in Europe and the future of regional carriers in an increasingly competitive marketplace. His session takes place on the afternoon of April 24, 2016 at the International Exhibition and Convention Centre EXPO Krakow.

bmi regional now operates more than 300 scheduled flights a week across a network of 21 destinations in eleven European countries. Its scheduled network includes Oslo in Norway; Brussels in Belgium; Esbjerg in Denmark; Brno in Czech Republic; Rotterdam in The Netherlands, Bern in Switzerland; Toulouse and Paris in France; Bremen, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, and Munich in Germany; Milan in Italy; Jonkoping and Karlstad in Sweden, and Aberdeen, Bristol, East Midlands, Newcastle and Norwich in the UK. It also operates an extensive ad hoc charter business and flies on a contract basis on behalf of other carriers.

Richard Maslen

Richard Maslen has travelled across the globe to report on developments in the aviation sector as airlines and airports have continued to evolve and…