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Bristol Airport and bmi regional look to the future

Airline celebrates rapid growth and eighth route from South West as airport prepeares to open terminal extension.

As Bristol Airport prepares to cut the ribbon on its £8.6 million terminal extension early next month, bmi regional is also celebrating a milestone from its South West hub, with the launch of its eighth route, Nantes in France.

The new bmi regional Nantes service takes off on 4 July, flying twice-weekly to the Loire region gateway. The same month, Bristol Airport opens its extension, offering more departure lounge seating alongside new retail and catering outlets, further enhancing the passenger experience and reinforcing Bristol’s position as the South West’s airport of choice.

The launch is the latest milestone in the successful partnership between bmi regional and Bristol Airport. It follows the introduction in April of services to Paris and Dusseldorf and the re-introduction of Milan at the beginning of the year. These routes, in addition to existing services (to Aberdeen, Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt), bring the number of destinations currently serviced by bmi regional from the South West to eight.

Following the success of bmi regional’s first route out of Bristol to Aberdeen – launched 29 October 2012 – expansion followed, with Hamburg launching in February 2013; Frankfurt in April 2013; and Munich and Milan a month later.

The airline now has 110 staff based at Bristol Airport: 63 pilots, 36 cabin crew and 11 engineers. Each week, 3,200 people fly with bmi regional from Bristol, taking advantage of its reputation for consistent punctuality and customer service. In addition, bmi regional staff check in about 2,000 bags each week.

Bristol Airport is the fifth largest outside of London handling 6.3 million passengers in 2014 and planning approvals in place for up to 10 million passengers per annum. A new Hampton by Hilton hotel is due to open next spring and a £1.3 million road improvement scheme is nearing completion on the A38.

Paul Sies, Chief Operating Officer at bmi regional, said: “In the South West, 5,000 companies are interested in or are already exporting to France and Germany. Nantes is the gateway to the Loire region, perfect for a weekend break. Meanwhile flying twice a day to Paris means that our passengers can have a full day of business in the French capital, rather than having to overnight there. Dusseldorf is an international business and financial centre and bmi regional is the only airline to directly connect the hub with businesses in the South West.”

Shaun Browne, Aviation Director at Bristol Airport, said: “We are delighted with the addition of the Nantes route to the bmi regional network. With large Airbus aerospace manufacturing sites in both Nantes and Saint Nazaire, the route will provide enhanced connectivity which is a key business focus for us. This region of France, with Nantes as the gateway provides easy access to both the Atlantic coast and the French countryside.”

bmi regional celebrate its heritage and rapid growth by unveiling classic uniform collection dating back to the 1960s
In celebration of the new Bristol to Nantes service which takes off on Saturday 4 July, bmi regional celebrates its rapid growth and heritage by unveiling its classic uniform collection, which dates back to the 1960s.

Ever the forward-thinking airline, bmi regional’s uniforms have remained on-trend and in vogue over the years, ensuring its well-turned-out staff have perfectly reflected each era, looking professional and stylish from the top of their hats to the tips of their shoes.

Many iconic designs have appeared over the years including the current hat, which staff proudly wear with glamour and style. Passengers in the may well remember some of the outfits worn by staff and cabin crew.

The uniforms are from a private collection and are modelled in the accompanying photograph by current bmi regional staff, starting with a belted pale blue cotton shirt dress introduced in 1964 for the summer season (from June to end of September).


bmi regional staff model uniforms past and present (from left to right):
1964: Summer uniform of pale blue cotton shirt dress with black hat
1976: The ‘Maid Marion’ look
1988: Designed by Nottingham-based The Gibson Line
Present-day uniform
1996: Sophisticated Jaeger-designed dark navy uniform
1978: Gorroulds-designed mink-coloured easy-care A-line skirted suit with hip-length single breasted jacket
1970: Chic, but impractical Teddy Tinling-designed bright orange outfit.

That was followed in 1970 by a trendy, mandarin outfit by Teddy Tinling, a fashion designer who specialised in celebrity tennis outfits. His bright orange A-line Courtelle dress was worn above the knee with a matching loose-fitting mandarin collared jacket, black accessories and white gloves. A large high-crowned hat was created in orange felt and worn with a wet-look scarf in winter. This chic uniform was never popular with cabin crew as the fabric perished when washed and was soon replaced.

In 1976, an in-house design in a palette of greens that focused on comfort and practicality became known as the ‘Maid Marion look’. That was replaced in 1978 by a new uniform by Garroulds, one of Britain’s leading designers and manufacturers of ‘career clothing for the professions’. It consisted of an A-line skirted suit with hip-length single-breasted jacket in a mink-coloured easy-care fabric with matching hat and a white, brown and rust striped blouse. Accessories included smart brown patent shoes and bag, with brown leather gloves.

In 1988 an imaginative new uniform was introduced, nicknamed the Harlequin by those in the industry due to its distinctive diamond pattern. Designed by The Gibson Line, a Nottingham-based firm specialising in executive corporate wear, this was a contemporary and fun uniform, with a whole host of accessories, including neck scarves, cardigans, tank-tops, waistcoats, trench coats and grey shoes in a choice of three heels.

In 1996 a new uniform was commissioned from Jaeger Corporate Wear and signified a complete departure from uniforms that had gone before. The result was a sophisticated look in dark navy with coordinated skirts, jackets, trousers and coats and boater-style hat. Staff were personally fitted for their uniforms, which cost in excess of £300 each. Jane Shilton handbags and Bally shoes complemented the look.

The Jaeger design formed the basis of the bmi regional uniform that is worn today, as worn by the model in the middle of the photo.

Paul Sies, Chief Commercial Officer said: “Fashions come and go and hemlines go up and down, but bmi regional has prided itself on providing a consistently good service throughout the years. Our staff wear the bmi regional colours with pride and our passengers know that, when they see someone wearing the uniform, they will receive a great service right throughout, with lots of perks, including a generous 20kg of checked baggage per person, free on-board snacks service.  Whist other airlines have pulled back from offering onboard services as part of the fare; we still offer a traditional inclusive service which we believe is key to our success and rapid growth.”

“No matter how our uniforms change in the future, passengers can be assured our excellent service is not a passing fad.”

The new bmi regional Bristol to Nantes service will operate twice-weekly to the Loire region gateway with fares from £79 one way. It follows the introduction in April of services to Paris and Dusseldorf and the re-introduction of Milan at the beginning of the year. These routes, in addition to existing services (to Aberdeen, Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt), bring to eight the number of destinations currently serviced by bmi regional from the South West.

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Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.

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