GATWICK

[PAXboy]

For the regular visitor - don't bother reading as I'm repeating information but hope to concentrate it into (more or less) one place to get the point focused.

True Blue

We have been told for a century now that Lhr is full. Yet it keeps on being able to find slots and room for more pax and new services.

1. LHR booted out lots of UK regional flights and, instead of a 146 or (now) E170/190 types, lands B777, A380 etc. Not many turbo-props at LHR now!
2. Carriers themselves also willingly did this, BA bought up small regional carriers just to get their slots and booted the flights elsewhere, or simply canned them.
3. LHR booted out all the Exec Jets so that they could land pubic pax aircraft. One pair of slots for a 738 and one for a 744 and one for 388, as against three Gulfstream movements.
4. LCY opened in 1987/88 and took a lot of the small a/c out of LHR and LHR was DELIGHTED to lose them.
5. A new ATC system was introduced to help stack more aircraft - as well as the problem of LCY flightpaths in the LTMA.
6. ATC staff became adept at using the increasing information about wake vortex to schedule arrivals/departures in the best sequence. Also, of course, the principle of alternating departing a/c to turn left and right to increase spacing. This might mean that an a/c leaves slightly later than it's true departure slot time but the overall flow rate is increased. Everyone involved understands this.
7. Aircraft technology improved so that they could travel closer to the preceeding aircraft.
8. LTN + STN + LGW + regionals took package and routine holiday traffic out of LHR, leaving more slots.
9. They started stacking i/c aircraft to the maximum

Lets bring some economics and capitalism to this debate.

Yes lets.

1. Carriers are prepared to up the price to allow for numerous holding circuits and long taxy waits on arrival (for a stand) and on departure (for a slot).
2. Carriers pay way over the odds to buy slots at LHR.
3. Carriers pay way over the odds for check-in desk space and ALL the facilities at LHR.
4. Pax are prepared to pay for 1 + 2 + 3.
5. Carriers are so keen to get out of the waiting room (LGW) that they do 1 + 2 + 3 and schedule their flights at a time suitable to LHR, rather than their own base.

THAT is the economics and capitalism of EGLL. I'm sure that Skipness and others will give more reasons. But the crux is that, despite my 9 points above LHR is full. If the govt commanded LHR to cut all inbound delays and not to stack a/c to save fuel exhaust over London? The airport would instantly not be able to operate or be profitable. I suggest that, on opening a 3rd runway, and clearing the outbound taxy waits and inbound stacks - LHR would, almost immediately, be full again. They would have to start stacking again because govts did not look to the nation's well being and build (either) a new 4 runway hub 25 years ago or allow 4 runways at LHR

Have you enjoyed the inbound waits and outbound taxy at JFK? Same problem.

For many, including Easyjet, they do not want Lgw expanded out of self-interest, not the good of the nation.

Of course! But they don't want LGW because the Pax want LHR. It is the govt that have to look to the good of the nation. Unfortunately, for the last 30 years all govts have failed in their policy about airlines and airports. The Tories say that they don't want to meddle in the commercial operations and then do exactly that. (Do some reading about the cost of parking and shopping at LHR and how that came about) (Also read about the 'management' of the UK aero industry from 1945) (Also about the good fortunes of British Caledonian) (Etcetera) ALL of those were politics and nothing to do with 'economics and capitalism'.

People may have to deal with their obsession with Lhr and learn to think outside the box. Markets change, so do travel patterns and airlines.

The govts of the last 30 years have cut off all the other options and thus trained the public about LHR/LGW and, consequently, the regional fields have opened up their service. No one has come up with a plan to reverse 30 years of economics and capitalism AND

• politics - the lot of them
• 1970s fuel price shocks
• the development of widebody a/c
• Global expansion
• major UK recessions of the early 1980s, the early 1990s
• the crash of 2008
• Time to put the kettle on ...