a quanto sembra i tempi sono maturi per EgyptAir.... un nuovo passino per la compagnia egiziana verso star alliance.
BMI nel piano di espansione del network inizia operazioni con codice condiviso con il vettore di bandiera.... e la big alliance sembra dietro la porta.


BMI will start daily flights from London to Cairo as part of a route-network expansion in the Middle East.

BMI will sign a code-sharing agreement with EgyptAir that will allow the two carriers to share frequent-flyer programs on the new route, the England-based carrier said today in an e-mailed statement. The airline will also increase the number of flights between London and Amman, Jordan, and Beirut, Lebanon.

BMI is adding medium-haul routes after buying BMED, a former British Airways Plc franchise that flies to Africa and the Middle East, in February. The carrier plans to buy 10 Airbus planes for the routes and expand in advance of the "open skies" treaty liberalizing air travel between the U.S. and European Union coming into effect in March.
"The introduction of new competition onto routes has historically invigorated markets and we expect our new competitive service from Heathrow to the Egyptian capital of Cairo to appeal to both leisure and business travelers alike" said Chief Executive Officer Nigel Turner in the statement.

The new Cairo service will start from Oct. 28 and BMI will use single-aisle Airbus A320 aircraft on the route.

"The new destination, service and frequency enhancements that we are announcing today, together with the full integration of the former BMED network into BMI, represents the biggest expansion that we will have ever undertaken in a single action" Turner said.

The expansion will boost the number of destinations BMI serves from London's Heathrow airport, Europe's busiest, to 36. BMI is the second-largest occupant at Heathrow, using 11 percent of the airport's takeoff and landing slots compared with 41 percent held by Heathrow's biggest tenant, British Airways.