GATWICK

[sam1993]

With Hellenic Imperial of Greece starting passenger flights to Europe once they have suitable aircraft, could one of these European destinations be Gatwick? The reason I ask is because their flight numbers are on the Arrivals / Departures boards today.

[Skipness One Echo]

I think the 734's will be replaced by the A319. BA may also add a small fleet of A318's for routes like LUX, MAN, GLA and EDI.

The A318 is too heavy really, which is why it hasn't sold well. It's a cut down bigger aeroplane. The obvious answer is to let BA CityFlyer loose at LGW with more shiny new ERJs. I wonder if BA LGW short haul has made a penny since the Dan Air merger in 1992. I don't believe it ever has.

[cornishsimon]

The A318 is too heavy really, which is why it hasn't sold well. It's a cut down bigger aeroplane. The obvious answer is to let BA CityFlyer loose at LGW with more shiny new ERJs. I wonder if BA LGW short haul has made a penny since the Dan Air merger in 1992. I don't believe it ever has.

From what i understand LGW is a profitable operation overall due to the lower cost base compared to LHR.

Cityflyer loose at LGW is something that i often thought would be a good idea, BA still hold 3 ERJ options, and this would be especially easy for BA to add rotations to the shorthaul network ex LGW, domestics, AMS, JER etc all of which currently have very good loads.

CS

[toledoashley]

Flyertalk seems to have a rumour that BA are to move 3 744's to Gatwick, with Cancun a certainty new route.

[TartinTon]

Monarch New Route

Looks like Monarch have added a three-times weekly LGWPMI service starting 17Jul

[cheesycol]

Scope won't let BA Cityflyer operate more than 99 seats per airframe ex-LGW.

[marlowe]

Well scope wont matter cos the Cityflyer EMB 190s are 98 seats already. where row 1CD should be is a huge area left empty to ensure they are under the scope agreement .

[Spitfire boy]

Gatwick very quiet Sunday

A year since I have flown out of LGW as a SLF, always now flying from LHR or LCY on busiiness but tempted during BA unrest to take Air Europa to MAD at a sensible price. What amazed me was how quiet LGW was late pm. If it wasn't for easyjet, flybe and the odd BA 734 you might not believe it was an operational airport. A very pleasant surprise to walk straight through South Terminal security with no delay at all!

[Skipness One Echo]

Scope won't let BA Cityflyer operate more than 99 seats per airframe ex-LGW.

I wonder if SCOPE won't actaully allow BA CitiFlyer to operate from LGW? I mean as is now, not as was when they flew the RJ100 as CityFlyer Express from the South Terminal back in the day. I certainly think that the UK domestic routes are much more suited to the ERJs rather than the B734.

[marlowe]

Ok so lets speculate a little here, the Bacityflyer Embraers seem to be a big hit with the passengers and is proving to have a good despatch record compared to the RJs (ok admit thats not hard) with BA the way it is at the moment why not us a subsidary company with a lower cost base than LGW, to operate some routes that might be marginal on an Airbus or 737 but then become profitable on an Embraer 170/190?

[BAladdy]

I always thought that the domestic routes carried really good loads so why would they want to downgrade the equipment to a A318 ?

The domestic flights have not bad loads, but BA up to about 2 years ago operated 6 x daily to EDI ( 4 x daily now) and 6 x daily( 4 x daily now) to GLA. Back then these flights mostly operated using a mix of 110 seater 735's & 126 seater 733's with the odd 734. By adding A318's BA may be able to increase frequencies back to the levels 2 years ago.

with BA the way it is at the moment why not us a subsidary company with a lower cost base than LGW

The cost base at LGW is already very low. The new fleet that BA are bringing in at LHR will be on the same pay as those at LGW. Crew at LHR are payed slightly more than those at BACF.

Flyertalk seems to have a rumour that BA are to move 3 744's to Gatwick, with Cancun a certainty new route.

BA cabin crew can only hold a max of 3 licenses. At LGW they are A320 family/737 and 777. If BA added the 744 at LGW it would significantly increase the LGW Single Fleets cost base. More likely to happen is that the 744's would remain at LHR with LGW gaining more 777-200's or even the new 773ER's.

I have a few mates who work at Waterside and have asked them about longhaul ex LGW. BA have been looking to add new longhaul routes ex LGW after the successful launch of MLE and SSH.

The same 3 routes keep being mentioned for new routes ex LGW they are CMB, CUN and GOI. Other routes that are being looked at ex LGW include BJL, FLL, HAV, HKT and SJU.

[BAladdy]

OA to add LGW/SKG

From 02 November OA will re-introduce there service to SKG which they suspended back in 2008.

Flights will operate 4 x weekly ex LGW

OA283 -2345-- 319 SKG 0715 LGW 0855
OA284 -2345-- 319 LGW 0945 SKG 1515

They will in operate a daily service from London to SKG with flights on a Monday, Saturday and Sunday operating ex LHR.

OA281 1----67 319 SKG 0930 LHR 1115
OA282 1----67 319 LHR 1215 SKG 1750

Flights are now available to book on OA's Website

[True Blue]

BA to Cancun

I see BA are starting 2 weekly to Cancun early November 10. Operated by 777. Available for booking.

True Blue

[Wycombe]

Really thought that VS would have been first to this route years ago with their high density LGW 744's. Good luck to BA with it.

[dead_pan]

Could anyone give me a list of charter companies operating out of LGW? Looking for someone with a 100+ seat a/c (not VIP) for an adhoc charter this winter.

PM me if you'd prefer not to clutter this thread.

PS I know about Astraeus.

[TCASIII]

charter LGW

Try flybe 118 seats E195

[Todders]

Viking Airlines: B737-300- 148 seats
B737-800- 189 seats

[monarch767]

Monarch through first aviation A320 174 paxs

[Habana2118]

British Airways, A319 approx 135ish seats, will do ad hoc charter flights

[BOAC]

Titan are well respected in this business and have a wide range of capacity.