Types at Gatwick

[sanook]

Can any of you experts enlighten me. I've never seen so many A320/321 dep /arr at Gatwick. What percentage of movements are by this type? Not many 4 holers left there?

[In trim]

Not sure of the exact numbers, but in terms of the BA-liveried aircraft, all of CityFlyer's RJ100's moved to the regions after the integration of the company. Routes were either dropped or transferred onto the BA 737 fleet.

Separately, GB Airways have transitioned from a 737 fleet to an A320/321 fleet.

easyJet also have moved from being a 737 base to an Airbus A319 base (though still with a few 737 movements?).

If you add the sizeable easyJet and GB Airways number of movements, let alone the multiple other Airbus operators, there is a very high proportion of LGW short-haul on the A319/320/321.

[TheOddOne]

Sanook,

As you say, very few 4-engine a/c about. Several Virgin Atlantic 747 and their sole A340 (at LGW), the Phuket and Air Atlanta 747s. On 3 engines, North West and DASAir DC10, VERY occasional Portugese L1011 and of course our resident C130 Herky-bird (Air Contractor), 4-eng turbo-prop.

All the rest are twins, and no reason why not!

Cheers,
TheOddOne

[Fried_Chicken]

Haven't Northwest Airlines recently started to use their newish A330s into Gatport Airwick to replace the -10s?

Fried Chicken

[TheOddOne]

Yes, they sure have, but I believe the -10s will be with us for at least a part of the Summer season. I guess the fuel burn per seat is well up on the A330, but they're fully written down so I'd have thought financially they're worth keeping on. You can buy an awful lot of fuel for $100 million!

Until such time as passengers refuse to fly in them and/or maintenance costs get prohibitive, I can't see the problem. They could do with a new coat of paint, mind.

Cheers,
TOO