bmi regional has proudly returned to Birmingham with the launch of its new flight to Graz, Austria. 

It is the only direct flight from the UK to Austria’s second city, exclusive to bmi regional and Birmingham Airport.

The twice weekly service was welcomed to its new hub at Birmingham Airport by a water arch and was greeted in Graz by a traditional Austrian brass band.

The service, which is the latest development in bmi regional’s on-going growth strategy to provide connectivity between key regional business destinations in Europe, will operate on Mondays and Fridays initially before increasing to four times weekly from next month. 

Graz is Austria’s second largest city, lying on the River Mur and coincidentally twinned with the Midlands city of Coventry.

Jochen Schnadt, chief commercial officer for bmi regional said: “With this new connection between Graz and Birmingham, we are continuing to pursue our strategy of developing tailor-made products for business and leisure travel.

“We’re optimistic that the implementation of this link between Graz and Birmingham will be a success for our customers and stakeholders alike.”

The city will be bmi regional’s first destination in Austria.

Tom Screen, head of aviation development at Birmingham Airport said: “We’re delighted with the launch of bmi’s Graz route today. 

“With Birmingham being the only UK airport offering flights to Graz, we are filling a gap in the market for business and leisure travellers alike to take advantage of a city break in this vibrant destination. 

“Furthermore we’re excited to welcome bmi regional back to Birmingham and look forward to our passengers enjoying the airline’s excellent service, efficiency and value.”