Originally Posted by
Dannyboy39
The question - why have a cap.
The arguments for sure have merit... although for me it is a bit pointless having an arbitrary cap - it doesn’t exactly reduce ATMs unless larger types are used. It also doesn’t allow for free market competition and increase opportunities for the local people it serves.
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It is all about planning condition 10 and remaining compliant.
The current winter cap is a limit on ATM’s. This is to limit passengers while the summer cap is just a straight limit on passenger seats that can’t be got around by putting on larger aircraft. This have been introduced by the airport operator to comply with the airports planning permission.
The airport operator is not happy, LLAL is not happy and nor is the council but this is only a temporary measure while a planning application is going through that could have been submitted anytime rather than after the horse had bolted. I think people still have time to object before it goes to committee and gets approved.
The link lays out the emergency rules for summer 2020 where it states each airline will get an allocation of seats. This rule has resulted in EL AL moving its extra summer service to Stansted and maybe Wizz starting a Southend service and blocked any new airline operating a new route into LTN this year although to be honest new airlines have not exactly been flocking to Luton in recent years. It should also prevent one off charter flights like for football matches.
https://www.acl-uk.org/wp-content/up...-03OCT2019.pdf