HEATHROW

[Fairdealfrank]

Quote: “LHR should be already digging to build runway 3 and planning a fourth.
Its idiocy on a monumental scale to STILL be spending money on planning all this and yet spending money on surveys to level it all and move it somewhere else.
The world didnt end when Manchester opened its second runway.
LHR needs A fourth and two more Terminals.”

If LHR did not need “permission” to do it from dithering politicians, 2 more rwys would almost certainly have been built years ago, after all, LHR expansion is a very good business case.

Quote: “A Runway dedicated to be the busiest short haul domestic runway possible with its own dedicated terminal.
Covering Uk and Irish flights. Runway needs to be long enough to allow faster throughput.
This would allow all these struggling domestic airports direct links to Lhr. Setup code shares for all landing airlines.
Then The extra runway and terminal (rwy4).
Make it Europe/Russia etc only.
Then leave the rest to long haul.
The other two runways can be finaly have enough slots to bring in thise much needed routes..
The domestic terminals must allow interlining from all carriers and perhaps even cater for slower prop traffic.”

It’s more likely that 4 rwys would be 2 for landing and 2 for takeoffs for most of the time, as segregated mode and alternation would need to be retained.

If the the two streams of landing and taking off traffic were to be separated by type, it might be better to do it by aircraft size (to minimise differential separation requirements between aircraft) or by proximity to terminals (to minimise taxiing times). Frankly, can’t see separation by destination being suitable.

Quote: “Our economy needs this . If it gets this wrong Boris and The tories will go down in history as another beeching the guy who singled handedly crippled the nation of lifeline services for which tho nation has a basic right to.”

Our economy needs this desparately!

Quote: “Bring back Ba to all our regional airports.
Id bet if done and priced right youd have a real shake up and fight back from the locos.”

Don’t think BA would necessarily have routes to every regional airport, though expect it would be more than 7! More importantly, other smaller UK carriers would have access to a 3/4-rwy LHR, and on the busier routes, there could be more than one carrier.

With smaller aircraft, they might be better placed to serve the thinner routes, providing for both commuter traffic and for feeding the longhaul routes. They would be codeshare/interlining opportunities with BA/VS and/or the alliances. This would be a massive boost to some struggling smaller airports.

Could see some smaller carriers at an expanded LHR, perhaps BD regional, BE, T3, WX (if still around), etc., as was the case back in the day.

As for the no frills carriers at LHR, maybe U2, doubtful FR, and think that the likes of BY, TT and ZB would stay at LGW.

All conjecture, of course.

Quote: “And maybe then we can have an air travel system we can be proud of.
So come on Boris n Cameron quit dithering get on n give us two new runways and the terminals we need.
Before every airport in the uk ends up being a pick up point for Klm and diverts all that money and custom into european hands.”

Exactly!