Originally Posted by
tankiebootneckdad
H24 ops is really not a viable option since the majority of maintenance and repair is carried out between 23.30 and 05.00 local. Try operating aircraft around large areas that have been closed for the night period.
Every other UK airport that is significantly H24 (Gatwick, Manchester, etc) manages this without issue.
no need to expand LHR (unless you are BA) - just use Gatwick, Stansted, City, Southend & Luton more
The fact that none of these supports any long haul operation of consequence (Gatwick has a few), and that when the restrictions that required certain transatlantic flights to use Gatwick was lifted just about the whole lot walked out overnight to Heathrow maybe gives a bit of a clue. There is NO VIABLE MARKET at those airports for such services.
Since Adam was a babe the industry has been pretty simple. Cargo at night, pax during the day.
This old chestnut again, just not true. Heathrow has a limited number of night slots, over time all the cargo operations have gone from those, they are exclusively used for early long-haul arrivals. What all-cargo operations remain at Heathrow tend to operate in the early evening.
You're unlikely to find any TfL documents addressing airspace changes resulting from Heathrow expansion
That's probably because TfL have no responsibility for airspace.
There is however huge current investment by TfL in the Crossrail project, one of whose key attributes is to provide a tremendous improvement in access from all across Central London, Canary Wharf, etc, out to Heathrow, improving both journey time and frequency. It's one of the biggest step forwards that Heathrow will have had for years, and TfL are fully in charge. It will also doubtless spell a longer-term end for the Heathrow Express rip-off.
BA has to compete with the very best in the world, but it has to do so with the the anvil of Heathrow tied to its back.
Well, of course, when the "new Stansted" opened in the 1990s, all big shiny terminal and empty runway, BA could have transferred their whole operation there from "the anvil". The fact that they sensibly never touched the place should give you a bit of a clue about the commercial side of moving to "new airports".
And Boris Island is about double the distance again from London. In fact, in ATC terms would it have an impact on Amsterdam ?
Go H24, or we'll have your house for a new runway". Simples
As I understand it, the vast majority of houses in Harmonsworth etc have already been bought up by Heathrow or their agents, and are just then rented out pending a decision. The same approach is used on new road projects, as each house over time goes up for sale it is bought, and rented out in the interim, by the time work is ready to start there's very little left to argue over.