BD: BMI is off on anohter mad deployment... to Tripoli?

Once again, someone is smoking something good at Donnington Hall with the formal announcement that BMI will be commencing a service from London to Tripoli, Libya.

They will join British Airways and Libyan Airlines who fly from Heatrow, and Air Afriqiyah from Gatwick.

Seemly, the route has been introduced due to the oil and gas sector which BMI is building a little niche to itself serving countries that have a lot of traffic in and out of them.

Initial timings and equipment have been announced... and it's not hilarious.

DEP    TIME    ARV    TIME    FLIGHT NO    EQUP   RUNS

LHR    0855    TIP    1330    BD469        319    1234567

TIP    1415    LHR    1650    BD470        319    1234567

For those of you who can't read airline, it's 7 days a week, with an Airbus A319 to take you there - with the varity of Business Class configurations (or lack of thereafter). Whilst in distance terms, it's no further than Athens, it is in a much higher redemption category that Europe, making a trip on BMI Diamond Club Miles an expensive proposition. 

Revenue fares start at £265 for an economy return. 

Whilst an interesting route there are going to be a few questions asked including how long is this route sustainable, and more importantly, what route is being dropped or reduced to allow this flight to run?