BRITISH Mediterranean Airways (BMed) has struck a new agreement with British Airways to operate as a franchise partner on routes between London Heathrow and the Middle East as from April.
The two airlines originally agreed to a link for their 1996/7 winter schedules, but the plans were later abandoned at the last minute for undisclosed reasons (Flight International, 30 October-5 November, 1996) .
As from the end of March, BA will cease operations from London to Amman, Beirut and Damascus, leaving BMed as the sole UK carrier to these destinations. The routes are understood not to have been profitable for BA.
BMed will increase its flights to Beirut to a daily service, with the extended services to Amman increasing from three to five times weekly. The existing extensions to Damascus will double, to four flights a week. The airline will add two thrice-weekly services from Heathrow to new points in mid-April: Tbilisi in Georgia, and Alexandria in Egypt.
A fleet expansion is also planned by BMed, which will bring its Airbus A320 fleet to three, through the lease of two ex-China Airlines International Aero Engines V2500-powered aircraft leased from Singapore-based Regionair. These aircraft are believed previously to have been earmarked for lease to Myanmar Airways. BMed airline will also increase its workforce from 70 to around 160.
According to BMed chairman Lord Hesketh, the agreement with BA will provide opportunities to expand into other regions.
Source: Flight International
