GATWICK

[Skipness One Echo]

Which stands are A380 ready? Bearing in mind the taxiways to and from the runway need to be A380 able, alas unlike LHR, there is no A380 chart on the ais page.

[vespasia]

Taxi routes are available (albeit with leader vehicle escort and restrictions on nearby taxiways but in practise this won't be a problem). The stands aren't A380 ready as such (which is why no AIP entry), but the plan is to use 51 which is plenty long enough. Temporary restrictions will need to be applied to 50 and 52 while the aircraft is there

[Skipness One Echo]

Awesome, might nip out and see it. Just remember to make sure they don't try and go under the bridge....

[LGWWelsh]

Remote stands 143, 144 and 145 are being used for anyone airside wanting to see the 380 landing or taking off.

[TSR2]

Mmmm ... the article seems a little ambiguous to me. Does it mean that one of the three daily services will be operated by an A380 on a permanent basis OR does it mean as a one-off to mark the airlines 25th year of service to the airport.

[Charley B]

TSR2
It is just a one off on the EK 15 flight at lunchtime on 6th July --if all goes well,you never know!

[OltonPete]

Pre tax profits up 17%

BA Boss: UK Aviation Policy Is A Disgrace - Yahoo! News UK

More about UK Government air policy or lack of one but also mentions
Gatwick's financials.

or just Gatwick

http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/ne...ck-in-profits/

Pete

[adfly]

BA new route!

In addition to the 3 weekly Last Vegas flights announced recently BA will also add 3 daily flights to Barcelona from 23rd February 2013..

Link: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/ne...wing-bmi-deal/

[True Blue]

I take it these new routes to Las Vegas and Barcelona are in preparation for the pull-out of BA from Lgw much discussed on this thread?

Slightly odd way to go about it.

TB

[Skipness One Echo]

I take it these new routes to Las Vegas and Barcelona are in preparation for the pull-out of BA from Lgw much discussed on this thread?

LGW-BCN is hardly a "new" route as it was suspended not too long, it was certainly flown from 2005-2009 and possibly thereafter, so not sure why given the state of the Spanish economy they think it's worth another go. Iberia don't even have a large presence there so not much in the way of IAG presence. I don't see BA pulling long haul from LGW but short haul just seems to be getting smaller each year, remember every time a "new" route is flown, another route is downsized or dropped as that fleet size is only going one way at the moment.

[cornishsimon]

remember every time a "new" route is flown, another route is downsized or
dropped as that fleet size is only going one way at the moment.

Unless the suggestion about some of the BMI Baby 733s heading to LGW turns out to be true ?


cs

[adfly]

Indeed! the 2 Daily Marseilles flights are off to Heathrow and Heathrow also gets extra flights to Bolonga although it is not yet clear if this is at the expense of any of the LGW flights. However gatwick is getting more Turin and Salzburg flights for the Ski season and Malaga, Faro and Marrakech are getting extra flights (the latter presumably gaining the former BMI services frequency's).

However lately BA have been stepping on EZY's toes what with NCE last year and now BCN, hopefully they are able to able to the higher end of the market and get some feed for the long haul ex. LGW.

I should also add that BA will unveil more new routes next month, however it is not yet clear what they will be and where from.

[canberra97]

Bologna

BA will move all existing Gatwick to Bologna flights to Heathrow next summer making it a LHR route 3 x daily at the expense of LGW.

Hopefully more new routes for BA at LGW are still to be announced!

[cornishsimon]

LGW-RAK is to go daily up from 3 weekly which seems to be to free up the BMI LHR-RAK slots


cs

[Andrew R]

The south terminal, airside departures area is an overcrowded mess of a place. Any plans for expansion?

[Fairdealfrank]

Quote: "The south terminal, airside departures area is an overcrowded mess of a place. Any plans for expansion?"

The domestic pier is a disgrace as well!

[Skipness One Echo]

The domestic pier is a disgrace as well!

It was built before the BAC111 entered service so it's hardly young. Pier One as it is known is being demolished very soon to be replaced with a whole new facility. As for the South Terminal mall, well what did you expect from BAA? GIP are making the best of landside at the moment, I believe airside will follow.

[chipsbrand]

Have used Gatwick recently, first time in a couple of years. My car was parked in South Terminal long term park. Got a very good price on the Internet for that. When I collected my car last evening (Sat) it was easy to see why. Several of the zones were completely empty. In all the previous years I have used LGW these car parks have been virtually full throughout the summer. It seems that LGW may be having a very bad summer.
Also there were no queues at check-in, security or at Border control on my return. Another sign of a very weak market.
What are other people's thoughts about this?

[Aero Mad]

Look at the CAA stats and I think you'll find it isn't that bad at all.

[racedo]

My car was parked in South Terminal long term park. Got a very good price on the Internet for that. When I collected my car last evening (Sat) it was easy to see why. Several of the zones were completely empty. In all the previous years I have used LGW these car parks have been virtually full throughout the summer. It seems that LGW may be having a very bad summer.
Also there were no queues at check-in, security or at Border control on my return. Another sign of a very weak market.

Depends as given the zonal parking they like to operate you could be seeing where people a week previously had parked and then returned and gone home and its such a size its really hard to guage how full it is. Also the additional holiday parking is being used.

Kudos to Gatwick Airport for making getting through the airport easier as over last 12 months a lot more effort has gone into getting people in and out quicker.

Of course the big holiday rush only starts now for next 3 weeks so will be interesting to see if its the same.

Many friends who were previously package now tend to book flights themselves and accom separately, aptly described to me as no more 3am checkins as now they can select their own flights when it suits them.

The parking point is well made as they now all seem to combine taxi /public transport which changes perspective if flight during the day rather than drive.

I guess the market is changing as Package operators will attest to.