Indeed Ed, all the Stands 15 & 16 have done is to reduce the available parking on the Delta Apron if 15 & 16 are in use, or at the very best not change anything if they are empty, as they were parking aircrcaft there previously anyway. The actual available area hasn't enlarged just because there are the new stands, no wonder 01 is back in use after god knows how many years.
I agree with TAD re the cargo terminal, seems logical to extend the terminal to there, or build a new terminal for international flights there. Of course that leaves the problem of where to put the cargo terminal, presuming we still wish to see cargo flights & the array of Antonovs etc that arrive here.
If the Sppedbird Inn own the farmland & lease it to the farmer, can the BAA not come to a deal to rent it from Speedbird at a higher rate than the farmer does & proceed to build more parking & a new cargo terminal there? That's the only place I can think of that the airport could expand to...if it wasn't for those damn sheep! (Where's that mysterious puma that supposedly skulked about the airport/industrial estate when you need it!)
Re the runway extension, would the BAA have "primed" the contractors in anticipation of an approval by the Council, so that, when the go ahead is given, the BAA can proceed almost immediately? Or would they wait (which given my preception of them would be entirely likely) until better weather in Spring 2007? Or daren't they assume anything, given our "Cooncil"?
Finally is your Perwinnes Radar due back soon from its maintenance/overhaul, & will it be any better (ie. upgraded), or is it going to be just the same.