Bmibaby
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | January 24, 2002 |
| Defunct | September 9, 2012 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | Castle Donington , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom and Europe |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
| Owner | International Airlines Group (IAG) |
Number of employees | Over 800 (at closure) (2012) |
| Parent | British Midland International |
Bmibaby Limited (branded as bmibaby.com) was a British low-cost airline operating primarily from hubs at Birmingham and East Midlands, providing flights throughout the UK and Europe. It functioned as a subsidiary of British Midland International, which itself was fully owned by International Airlines Group (IAG). The airline’s main offices were located at Donington Hall in Castle Donington, North West Leicestershire, England.[1] Bmibaby possessed a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, permitting it to transport passengers, freight, and mail on aircraft seating 20 or more individuals.
Following IAG’s acquisition of BMI and its subsidiaries in April 2012, it was declared on 3 May 2012 that Bmibaby would discontinue all operations by September 2012, with many routes terminating from 11 June onward.[2] The airline’s last flight, from Málaga to East Midlands, occurred on 9 September 2012.
History
Founded on 24 January 2002, the airline commenced services on 23 March 2002 with its inaugural flight connecting East Midlands and Málaga.
The carrier expanded steadily, establishing additional bases at Cardiff in October 2002, Manchester in May 2003, Durham Tees Valley in October 2003, Birmingham in January 2005, and later at Belfast City Airport in March 2012. Due to low passenger demand, the Durham Tees Valley base was closed in 2006; subsequently, Cardiff and Manchester bases were shut down in 2011 to concentrate growth efforts on the Midlands region and the newly opened Belfast City hub.
On 1 March 2007, Bmibaby launched a "choose what you need" strategy aimed at business travelers, allowing customers to select tailored services such as flexible ticket options and lounge access. Additionally, it incorporated BMI’s frequent flyer scheme, enabling passengers to accumulate Diamond Club points.
By 2007, the airline operated nine Boeing 737 aircraft based at East Midlands Airport, its principal hub. However, in December 2008, five routes were suspended due to a decline in city-break travel bookings.
In November 2009, the fleet size was reduced from 17 to 12 aircraft for the year 2010 as part of a plan to minimize losses and emphasize profitable routes. This downsizing threatened up to 158 jobs.
In April 2011, Bmibaby announced plans to close its Cardiff and Manchester bases by October to enhance services at Birmingham and East Midlands while inaugurating a new base at Belfast City Airport.
In May 2011, the airline introduced Europe’s first loyalty program integrated with a location-based social networking platform through the Gowalla app to boost customer interaction.
On 22 December 2011, IAG reached an agreement to acquire BMI from Lufthansa with terms allowing separate sales of BMI Regional and Bmibaby. Although a "non-binding" deal regarding Bmibaby’s sale was signed in February 2012, the transaction was not finalized before IAG completed its BMI purchase; consequently, both airlines remained under IAG ownership while efforts to find buyers continued.
On 3 May 2012, IAG announced the absence of any buyer for Bmibaby and confirmed plans to cease operations by 9 September 2012. Flights to certain destinations ended on 11 June; all remaining routes were terminated by September. The final service was flight WW5330 from Malaga to East Midlands. The shutdown led to over 800 job losses, including approximately 400 positions at the Castle Donington headquarters.
Following the airline’s closure, WOW air took over the WW IATA code; meanwhile, the ICAO code BMI remains inactive.
Destinations
Prior to ceasing operations on 9 September 2012, Bmibaby offered flights to the destinations listed below:
AlmeríaBarcelonaIbizaMálagaMenorcaMurciaPalma de Mallorca SwitzerlandFrance
Germany || Basel
Mulhouse
Freiburg
Fleet
By September 2012, Bmibaby's fleet was composed exclusively of all-economy class aircraft as detailed below:
| Aircraft | Quantity | Seating (Economy) |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-300 | 12 | 148 |
| Boeing 737-500 | 2 | 131 |
| Total | 14 |
A number of these planes were given names incorporating the word "baby." Following the airline’s shutdown, the fleet was stored at Norwich International Airport and Lasham Airfield. The majority of the aircraft were leased rather than owned. By November 2014, all planes had departed from Bmibaby’s control; one aircraft (G-OBMP) was dismantled, and parts of another (G-BVKB) remain at Bruntingthorpe.
Onboard
Bmibaby implemented a buy on board scheme offering a variety of products including scratch-cards, duty-free shopping, beverages, and snacks. On flights outside the European Union, passengers could purchase duty-free cigarettes and spirits. The retail selection extended to jewellery, perfumes, gifts, and travel essentials. The menu for refreshments, branded as Tiny Bites, included hot and cold drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, crisps, sandwiches, and sweets. The airline’s inflight publication was named Yeah baby!
The cabin interiors featured blue leather seats with a seat pitch of approximately 29 to 30 inches. Passengers seeking additional legroom could select seats located in the front rows or over the wing exit rows on all Boeing 737 models.
Telephone booking
In addition to online reservations through bmibaby.com, a team of 20 to 30 customer service agents managed phone bookings and inquiries. Until November 2005, this call centre operated out of Glasgow. Subsequently, it relocated to Belfast at the TeleTech contact centre before moving to Delhi, India, where it remained until the airline ceased operations in 2012.
Sponsorship
Shortly after its inception in 2002, Bmibaby sponsored regional weather segments on ITV, initially covering the Central region and concluding sponsorship in the Granada region by early 2005. This partnership persisted for several years until new sponsorship arrangements were established between 2009 and 2011.