Heathrow is stuffed full of long haul and is doing its best to make life difficult for short haul flights while encouraging more long haul. Gatwick wants more long haul. So does Stansted. Luton would like some if at all possible. Birmingham and Bristol would also like long haul.
Long haul relies on there being first + business class pax who have a strong preference for Heathrow which pushes long haul airlines towards Heathrow with Gatwick as 2nd best.
Meanwhile, there is seemingly endless demand for flights out of London lasting under 5 hours, combined with the lower CASK and commercial risk for a narrow body flight versus a wide body.
Going from the UK to Dubai costs significantly more in not just money but also *time* (particularly if there are multiple time zones to be crossed) compared to visiting Dublin... especially if going for a short trip. 7+ hours in Y is tolerable but if travelling overnight, pax know that little quality sleep will take its toll. A 3 day trip to Dublin is great fun... but a 3 day trip in Y to Dubai is not. Yes, I did a out-Saturday, back Monday trip to Dubai last month with LCCs - it was a slog. People typically have limited number of days off work each year - so long weekends for short haul are where airlines and airports can persuade people to do more leisure flying. Is there really enough long haul demand for Luton and Stansted over the next 10 years to make it a significant part of their business plan ?
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 1st Nov 2023 at 20:57.