GATWICK

[adfly]

I was thinking more in terms of crews, would they be alright using short haul crews who don't overnight when BA also operate some shorter routes (TLV, CAI) where crew do overnight.

[davidjohnson6]

Germania flew Gatwick-Erfurt and Gatwick-Pristina during winter 2013-2014 and continue to do so for summer 2014. Frequencies are 2 round trips per week on each route with an aircraft of about 150 seats. It seems these 2 routes will not be flown in winter 2014-15

Can anyone confirm whether the routes are being dropped, just going summer seasonal, or will actually be flown over the next winter once scheduling has been sorted out ? If Germania are leaving, will another carrier pick up the slots which are at off-peak times ?

I know these were not exactly the routes with the highest of frequencies and load factors were not exactly brilliant, but it's rarely a good thing for an airport to lose a carrier and a couple of destinations completely and increase dependency on the already dominant carriers, particularly at off peak slot times

[Wycombe]

SSH was operated for BA by GB Airways

It was also operated for a while (1 winter season I think) on the 777 to a rather strange schedule, the details of which I can't remember.

It definately happened though, as I happened to be in SSH when it started.

[Skipness One Echo]

The B777 was too much aeroplane by far, yields were poor. The schedule was late night departure as BA2055 and back about 2pm next afternoon as BA2055, thrice weekly winter 2009 to winter 2010 inclusive.

[macuser]

SSH

I think easyJet do SSH there and back with the same crew on A320.

Hence the share price......

[wallp]

Thomas Cook

I see Thomas Cook are starting New York & Miami flights from Manchester next year. Could this lead to something similar from Gatwick also in the future?

[adfly]

I'm doubtful, TCX have scaled back long haul at LGW recently in favour of MAN, this summer they have just 3 weekly flights, 2 to Cancun and 1 to Holguin! Norwegian will serve JFK, FLL and LAX from July though so you could argue that Gatwick will have something similar (minus the package holidays, unless TOM decides to start selling seats on Norwegian's long haul flights as well).

[interpreter]

Gatwick 2nd runway - I doubt it

I suggest this is read by all who are so convinced about the 2nd runway

http://www.aef.org.uk/uploads/Who_wo...nway_1_2_3.pdf

GIP have admitted it is just a financial exercise and they will sell but to whom? Gatwick is owned by a Cayman Island Company (see the Airport Owners register)

2nd runway Never. Watch this space.

[DaveReidUK]

So are you suggesting that selling your house with planning permission for that two-storey extension isn't going to make any difference to the price you can get for it?

[Airlift21]

Just a financial exercise? I suppose the 2 billion+ investment since 2010 and continuing almost until the end of the decade, is also just a financial exercise.

Using that logic, every company in the world must just be performing financial exercises. It's not enough to just read snippets of business news and draw your conclusions. You need to understand and analyse what's being reported and then draw your conclusions (or predictions).... cue Skipness the analyst.

.... and guess what, that's called business. Buying/selling/negotiating never stops. Watch this space!

[LGWAlan]

And said report is written by one of the most vociferous anti-LGW 2nd runway campaigners there is - who just happens to also live in Charlwood.

Each to their own, but as far as I'm concerned, I hope it is at LGW.

[yotty]

DaveReidUK. There is no point in building an extension to your house if you could get an equivalent house round the M25 which would be more cost effective.

[DaveReidUK]

DaveReidUK. There is no point in building an extension to your house if you could get an equivalent house round the M25 which would be more cost effective.

OK, I'm with you now - GIP are going to sell Gatwick and buy Heathrow.

Must admit I'd missed that news.

[yotty]

Dave you are putting words into my mouth, I never said GAL would buy HAL. Just that it's not worth investing in LGW when an investment in LHR would be more cost effective.

[Airlift21]

More cost effective? I thought LGW put a price tag of approx GBP 8 billion on a new runway. LHR's price tag is considerably more. Granted LHR is where hub capacity is needed, but to say it's more cost effective is possibly a bit of a stretch.

... I think Dave was being sarcastic re: GIP selling LGW and buying LHR.

[wallp]

I see Thomas Cook have answered my question on here from a few days ago about the possibility of new long haul routes at LGW by announcing routes to the US from STN. With easyJet's dominance at LGW continuing to increase, I wonder if this move by Thomas Cook might be the beginning of a gradual transfer of operations away from LGW to STN where they will come under the MAG owned operation as they do at MAN and have more scope to grow operations than perhaps they do at LGW?

[pamann]

I remember a time when Airtours in it's early days only flew from Manchester and Stansted, being their only London or indeed southern departure point. I think it was with the formation of AIH that they opened up at Gatters. Now I know that it's just a brand that's now owned by the Thomas Cook group, but what comes around goes around?

[adfly]

TCX are still quite strong on routes to places like Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia and to a lesser extent the Greek Isles, Balearics and Canaries from LGW so I wouldn't expect any of those to move anytime soon. However the shorter Spanish/Portugese/Italian routes might get duplicated or shuffled across Larnden to STN if it works for them and they can get a good deal with MAG.

[FRatSTN]

TCX are still quite strong on routes to places like Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia and to a lesser extent the Greek Isles, Balearics and Canaries from LGW so I wouldn't expect any of those to move anytime soon. However the shorter Spanish/Portugese/Italian routes might get duplicated or shuffled across Larnden to STN if it works for them and they can get a good deal with MAG.

I'm not so sure. Interestingly from Stansted, Thomas Cook are quite strong on the Canaries, Balearics and particularly Greek destinations. Tunisia much less so and noticeably nothing to Cyprus or Egypt. Turkey is the exception as it's significant at both airports.

If anything I'd expect to see something like Cyprus or Egypt from Stansted rather than more Spanish type routes. As Dalaman and Enfidha are the only short/mid-haul routes so far to see increases from Stansted in 2015, that kind of backs that up.

[adfly]

My post probably wasn't 100% clear but I was mostly talking about what routes LGW could potentially lose if TCX were to focus more of their London operation on STN. So yes I would expect to see Cyprus/Egypt and increases on the popular routes from STN but I very much doubt this would be at much expense to LGW as that is what seems to do best from there.

I know this is a little off topic now but if TCX are committed to growing at STN then I would expect to see them base at least one aircraft there year round as currently they have nothing from November to the following April/May each year.