Seconded.
But LHR-CDG, LHR-ORY and LHR-BRU are still there. / These flights also provide pax from in and around Paris and Brussels to take advantage of the LHR hub.
so flights are still necessary
Err, unlike Windsorian, who is just wasting everyone's time with his airport camp Northolt idea, I think I actually agree with you on this one!
I will put across the reasons why trains are attracting more passengers, but I am a firm believer in competition between the two modes, for all the reasons you state.
After the DfT decision to award the WCML to First, Virgin rushed out a proposal to fly from MAN to LHR; do you really think the competition authorities will allow them to control both the plane and rail links?
I'm afraid that's yet another ill-informed conclusion drawn from two separate developments. Virgin coming into the LHR-MAN market was a response to the end of BMI, and these negotiations take months. The announcement might have been brought forward, but that is it.
I personally think people are more likely to choose between air and rail based on factors such as convenience of the terminal location, frequency of service, ease of going through security (or not having to) and price, long before they worry about who is operating the route.
It’s not just Gimpo (GMP) and Incheon (ICN) in Seoul: Hongqiao (SHA) and Pudong (PVG) in Shanghai, Songshan (TSA) and Taoyuan (TPE) in Taipei, and Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND) in Tokyo are other examples.
We were talking about linked pairs of airports which enabled easy transfer without going through city centre of changing, hence I higlighted Seoul.
Afaik, to go between the others you need at least one change.
Correction - PVG to SHA is 27 stops on Line 2, but you will go via the city centre. I would guess a good 90 mins for the journey.