the good old days when it had quite a bit of North Atlantic traffic and how the future looks bleak compared to then
Isn't this snobbery? The Manchester thread has the same issue in that for some people, unless it's long haul and legacy, then it's bleak.
Now that Gatwick is free from the BAA it can stand on it's own merits. Remember the only reason that Cathay, Air New Zealand, American, Delta, Northwest, US Airways et al were ever at Gatwick at all was because they weren't allowed into Heathrow. Heathrow is now the proper hub without protected and restrictive treaties denying some carriers the option to serve the main gateway London airport.
Gatwick still has somes scheduled long haul with Delta still serving Atlanta and US Airways still serving Charlotte. However as Delta have sourced some more LHR slots and LHR-ATL has gone twice daily this month, I suspect Delta will be gone soon. Emirates still runs three a day and Qatar did not follow Etihad out the door... Even BA and Virgin remain offering a growing schedule of Carribbean and holiday sun destinations on a dedicated fleet of heavies.
Thomas Cook and Thomson also serve a fair number of long haul sun routes with the A330 and B767-300ERs, with even the B757s serving Canada. It's just the world has changed. The future of short haul is now easy Orange, not BA blue. It seems to me that people ignore the great things in front of their nose that most UK airpots can only dream of simply because they're not served by LEGACY, LONG HAUL and God forbid, the ultimate accolade, the FLAG CARRIER.
That way we can safely ignore, Ryanair, flybe, easyJet, Thomson, and Thomas Cook which seems wrong IMHO.
Bull****, If you care to check, US Airways and Delta still fly from LGW.
Initially missed this post. Apologies,I am aware of this, my point was that the OP's idea of an aspirational competitor to Heathrow, unlkely as it sounds went West with these guys. I know that they're still there but look at the underlying reasons why.
There was also the whole saga of the short lived re-introduction of LGW-JFK with BA which some hailed as a new dawn at the time but which we now know was for more pragmatic reasons. One route and a seemingly million posts on here and other forums, all for one B777 a day.
it takes a spotter and his mates to suggest that LGW's future is bleak!
What makes you think he's a spotter? I mean be fair, I have my spotting moments too and that doesn't make me a terrible person...I hope (!)