Originally Posted by
Sotonsean
Great news indeed my good friend and everytime that there is good news I always think of you.
Well I had previously mentioned that Air China from Beijing was going to be the next announcement for LGW but I wasn't expecting it so soon after I had posted it.
We always appreciate good news LGW related and I'm sure we can both look forward to reading about the next airline announcements regarding London Gatwick.
Who's next?
According to a piece posted about Air Algerie on Simple Flying earlier today, it seems the airline's management recently held a press conference (2023 results release) in which they confirmed their intention of launching new services to JFK and LGW, respectively.
Regarding LGW, they (AH management) said they want to launch daily flights from / to ALG with Boeing 737-800s, now slated to start on 31 March (the first day of the northern hemisphere 2024 summer timetable period). In this connection, Simple Flying quoted an oblique AH management statement at their recent 2023 results press conference that negotiations were still ongoing. I take that to mean negotiations with the UK government about amending the UK-Algeria bilateral ASA. So, we could be seeing AH serve LGW on a regular basis during summer 2024 after all (and, if it happens, probably beyond, as well).
Another thing I noticed recently is that for the last 10 days or so on the Gatwick live flight arrivals and departures page a daily Air Peace flight has been listed, with a 6:20 am scheduled arrival time (flight no. P4 7578) and a 9:25 am scheduled departure time (flight no. P4 7579). While the flight status currently shows as "cancelled" and "enquire airline", respectively, similar scheduled flight arrival and departure flight displays on the Gatwick website in the case of both China Southern and Air Mauritius - with the flight status always showing as "cancelled" / "enquire airline" ahead of the official launch confirmation / date have turned out to be correct (foreshadowing what was eventually going to happen). So, could we see Air Peace at Gatwick after all, despite that airline's supposed owner's bluster that launching a regular scheduled LOS-LON service would only happen if the airline is able to get slots at LHR? If it does happen - P4 coming to LGW, I hope it doesn't end like it always did in recent years when a Nigerian airline launched scheduled service to London: the airline going bust not long after the launch date, as was most recently the case when Arik Air, who b.t.w. had succeeded in getting LHR slots, was declared bankrupt (by a Nigerian court I believe), with Portuguese ACMI operator Hifly (from whom Arik had leased the A340-500 plying LOS-LHR on a daily year -round basis) reposessing their aircraft and suing Arik for non-paynent of the lease.
On a different (but somwhat related) note, I also believe that Air Peace and its controversial owner are also behind the opposition Ethiopian-backed Nigeria Air currently faces in gaining the relevant Nigerian authorities' required approvals to launch as Nigeria's new designated flag carrier.