"A ***** state of affairs"

[Mr Simple]

(To quote Renton in Trainpotting)

Forgive me for being cynical, but in this post-Sept-11th-world we hear tales of woe from the airlines that numbers are down/flights are cut etc....

All the figures that I've seen suggest that traffic is only down about 10% - which takes us back to where we were 2 years ago.

Back in 1999, the concern was that NSC was already 4 years late (originally due in 1995) - and desperately needed. The current system at ScACC was not designed to deal with any more than 350000 movts per year - in 2000 there were about 430,000 - from memory. It strikes me as even more imperative that instead of delaying it yet another 2 years (opening 2008?) NATS should use the current dip to recover lost ground.

Accelerating the opening of NSC would accelerate the consolidation of Manchester ACC into NSC, leading to more savings in the long run.

Hello beancounters are you listening?

[Undercover]

Fair points made... but how do you pay for a multi-million pound project when you haven't got two pennies to rub together ? :rolleyes:

Perhaps they also know a lot about Sean Connery... Although that's hardly a substitute.

Sorry... Trainspotting on the brain now! :D

[Mr Simple]

Well for a start the Govt is supposed to have a 49% stake. Given that it is years of political prevarication that leaves us in our current state, it would not be unreasonable to expect them to provide an interim stake to keep the project going.... or does funding transport infrastructure stop at the roads ?

So much for all the fools who believed that privatisation would 'release NATS from lack of funding'.

"You're an evil shot Shickboy..."
"Thank you Mish Moneypenny..."

[Undercover]

Now... would bailing out NATS in any way now not have an added effect of proving that the whole debacle was a terrible idea from the start...?
The government arguing that this PPP was "releasing NATS from financial constraints" - when, in fact, the reality is closer to loan-sharking - doesn't look too honest now.

I wonder if Carol Vorderman's lot at First Plus could restructure THIS repayment plan?!

Sorry - soap box back in the cupboard now...

"I haven't felt this good since Archie Gemmill scored against Holland in 1978!"

[Mr Simple]

But of course if it was south of Watford they'd find the money.

"Ohh ohh ohhh ohhhh OHHHH OHHHHHH YEEEEEEES"
Kelly Macdonald :p