The BBC cite the Nav charges as £1578 on the direct route and £968 on the Tango route - an apparent saving of £610.
However the Tango route is 100 miles longer and to fly it requires extra fuel (seemingly 1.6T).
I've just phoned my airlines accounts department and they tell me that the fuel price at LGW (nb. I'm using an averaged / mean price for Nov / Dec) is approx £443 per tonne... wherein I'll assume that the price is going to be similar at BHM, MAN & NCL.
So the extra fuel required to fly the Tango route would cost approx: 1.6 x £443 = £709.
Uhm?!
Thus, far from what is suggested by the BBC and their University 'expert', flying the Tango route costs more, not less!!!... and this does not include the additional maintenance costs associated with operating the a/c for an extra 20 minutes.
Imho, the problem with this BBC's article is very much as blablablafly suggests previously, wherein it is a blatant example of lazy journalism with an associated tree-hugging agenda.
Nb. Edited due typo's.
Last edited by Old King Coal; 3rd Dec 2007 at 13:13.