bmibaby
United Kingdom · BABY · Active
Airline Identity
History
bmibaby was founded on 24 January 2002 as a low-cost subsidiary of British Midland Airways (bmi), launching operations on 23 March 2002 from East Midlands and Cardiff. It expanded across several UK bases through the 2000s, including Birmingham, Manchester, Durham Tees Valley, and later Belfast City, positioning itself as a budget alternative to Ryanair and easyJet on UK and short-haul European leisure routes. The airline never achieved sustained profitability and progressively closed bases, shutting Durham Tees Valley in 2006 and both Cardiff and Manchester in 2011 as it contracted around its East Midlands and Birmingham cores.
Current Operations
bmibaby no longer exists. After International Airlines Group (IAG) acquired parent company bmi from Lufthansa in April 2012 and moved to wind down its subsidiaries, bmibaby's closure was announced on 3 May 2012, with most flights ending by 11 June 2012 and the final service — flight WW5330 from Málaga to East Midlands — operating on 9 September 2012. The shutdown eliminated over 800 jobs, including roughly 400 at its Castle Donington headquarters, and no successor carrier absorbed its routes or brand.
Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.