GATWICK

[adfly]

Peir 1 is getting knocked down and replaced pretty soon so that should only be an issue for a couple more years.

And some news (some has already been mentioned):

Royal Air Maroc resuming Casablanca (Their website says 4 weekly, Gatwick's says 3, both say 738's).

Flybe reducing GCI and JER to 4 daily over the winter (GCI on DH4 and JER on E175) INV also goes down to around 2 daily (E175).

Gatwick website says Air Nigeria stopped all flights on the 10th September.

These two are from Wiki (make what you want of them!) but:

Air Arabia Maroc to start Casablanca and Tangier from the end of October.

Air One to drop Milan Malpensa from the end of October. (Seems unusual for a popular winter route).

[Skipness One Echo]

Why does the chap by the conveyor belt need to see it? Surely he/she has enough to do reminding people to remove their coats, take their laptops out, etc., etc..

They took the human element away with the automated, scan the boarding card barriers. Guess what? Apparently someone jumped the barriers so now they have to manually double check every boarding card.

As it is a dedicated domestic pier (as at LHR-1) do the pax need to be segregated? Would a photo for departing pax (as at LHR-1) not be sufficient? The domestic pier is on two levels, could not arriving and departing pax be segregated by level if it is in fact necessary?

Actually Pier 1 is not a dedicated domestic pier, however that is its main use.

It's possible to walk for transit passengers to walk from the departure lounge to Pier 1, if you have not cleared customs and immigration, they need to prevent you walking out of domestic arrivals. Hence all arriving domestic passengers are photographed to make sure they, and no one else exits into the terminal. The pier IS on two levels, upstairs is international and Channel Islands arrivals and takes you to Immigration. Pier 1 is used for international departures as well, easyJet use Gate 2 and I have seen Gates 1 and 3 used by Jet2 as well. Do we have a timetable for its closure?

[jerhippo]

Hong Kong Airlines

anyone know why there is 3 A330 Hong Kong Airlines at Gatwick if they have pulled out?

And why did they keep sending planes when 3 are stuck there?

[Charley B]

I read somewhere recently that they are hoping to do exec ad hoc charters from LGW...not sure if the crews have returned to Hong Kong?
The last A330 arrived here on 31/8 and they have suspended services from HK from 3/9

[ATIS]

So what happened to Air Nigeria?

[Charley B]

Nothing to do with LGW-problems with the airline itself apparently-a shame as it was such a busy route-all to do with the company itself sadly they may have ceased to trade?

[Keyvon]

New Spanish paper airline Hispania Airways is to launch flights to Granada, op. by Lithuanian carrier Avion Express, using A320 outfit.

Already bookable on their website.

New Air Arabia Maroc flights to Casablanca and Tangiers are confirmed and open for reservations.

It is also confirmed Air One is to cease Milan/Malpensa route by the end of the summer schedule, due to poor revenues on this sector, in spite of fairly good load factors registered. On the other hand, ZB has also dramatically reduced the number of flights (even to just 2-3 per week) offered for the same route. Seems like EZY is giving its competitors a hard time...

[jdcg]

Can't see Hispania lasting. Booking facility is not great and the prices are not cheap.

[True Blue]

BA to re-start Alc from March 13, 3 daily. On BA site now.

TB

[vctenderness]

Just looked but can only see the 3 per week from Heathrow.

[wiggy]

TBs correct, it was announced a few days back.

17 a week from March, 21 a week from July to September...

[MKY661]

On the other hand, ZB has also dramatically reduced the number of flights (even to just 2-3 per week) offered for the same route. Seems like EZY is giving its competitors a hard time...

Monarch look like they are now dropping MXP from all of their bases from November.

[Seljuk22]

AirOne cancel MXP (13 weekly) from 28th October
Monarch cancel MXP (6 weekly) from 5th November

Air Arabia Maroc launch CMN (3 weekly) and TNG (2 weekly) from 28th October

[adfly]

Meridiana will start Verona from 12th October, not sure of frequency/equipment yet though?

[BAladdy]

Meridiana will start Verona from 12th October, not sure of frequency/equipment yet though?

IG have begun to release for sale there VRN flights which are due start on 12th October . They will also at the same time make changes to there FLR service.

Flights are still being loaded into IG's booking system with the rest of there W13 flights expected to be released later this week. So further changes are possible to the W13 service

Florence

IG0355 FLR 07:50 LGW 09:00 319 D (Until 11/10)
IG0351 FLR 18:05 LGW 19:15 319 D (12/10 to 27/10)

IG0356 LGW 09:10 FLR 12:15 319 D (From 28/10)
IG0356 LGW 09:45 FLR 12:50 319 D (Until 27/10)
IG0352 LGW 18:05 FLR 19:15 319 D (Until 11/10)

Verona

IG0597 VRN 07:25 LGW 08:25 319 D (From 28/10)
IG0597 VRN 08:00 LGW 09:00 319 D (12/10 to 27/10)

IG0598 LGW 19:55 VRN 22:55 319 D (From 12/10)

[FRatSTN]

The new Verona route to Gatwick will no doubt be due to the Ryanair pull out, where all routes to Verona, including the Stansted service will be axed on 12 October.

[cornishsimon]

And no doubt the new IG service will also codeshare with BA like the others ?!

cs

[adfly]

I wonder if they will, BA already operate Verona out of Gatwick ~2/3 daily whereas Meridiana's other routes (Florence and Olbia) are not served by BA so the codeshare makes more obvious sense. I suppose we'll just have to see what happens.

[davidjohnson6]

From the timings it seems Easyjet and BA aim at people living in London going to Verona for work / play. Meridiana seem to be aiming squarely at those living near Verona making a trip to London. How much would a codeshare really give to either BA or IG ?

[ayroplain]

Went through LGW at the weekend and it seems they have stopped the nonsense of asking pax to show their boarding passes at the security conveyor belts. (South Terminal, anyway)