GATWICK

[LadyL2013]

Ah. Didn't think of that! Silly me!

[pc.]

"BA A380 will be here today (eta 13.50) when it arrives from Shannon"

Thanks for the info Charley B

Unfortunately I've only just read it.

Looking at the playback on flightradar24 I would have seen her coming from the west due south of my town of East Grinstead then turning north just past Crowborough.

So it looks like Emirates, Lufthansa and now BA have visited Gatwick, be good if an airline would start operating a scheduled service now that the facilities are ready.
But can't see that being Air Zimbabwe somehow?
"Air Zimbabwe: Will have A380 soon..."

PC.

[Charley B]

pc
What a shame!

Was great to see even with the low cloud

Air Zimbabwe will never happen( I thinkthe GAS blog recently said that if they do come back it will be a 767!!

[yotty]

LEA

I was lucky enough to walk round and go inside LEA yesterday. Pretty awesome from the outside! The cabin guys have done a great job inside as well. The cockpit reminds me of the Tristar very spacious. I don't expect we will see it at LGW for quite a while though.

[Musket90]

pc.

I believe the Singapore has also visited on diversion.

[Charley B]

The Singapore airlines DID visit on a Sunday evening a couple of summers ago(when a fire alarm went off in the LHR tower!)
I just looked happened to look out the window just at the right time that night( i had missed all the others!)

[pc.]

eXtremely Large European Airbus

"I was lucky enough to walk round...."

Yotty you are making me jealous, I'd have been happy if I'd seen her as a dot in the distance coming in the other day..... well a big dot maybe.

Still at least I didn't miss another A380 this week, that would have been even more disappointing.

As Charley B mentioned Singapore A380 on diversion in August 2008.

It must be very disappointing for Gatwick to have invested in the infrastructure to handle A380's with no signs of a schedule service coming.

Any news on visiting A380's is greatly appreciated.

pc.

[cornishsimon]

I dont think it will be long until we see EK sent the A380 to LGW.

They have lots of them on order and they must be running out of airports to send them too !


cs

[Charley B]

pc
I will try and let you know earlier next time!!
I'm sure it wont be long before EK send one here...all their flights out of here are packed!
We nearly had one a couple of weeks ago...EK 3 was on the LGW arrivals board for 18.30 the night of the ET 787 fire at LHR but sadly LHR opened again just after 18.00 and in there it went

[yotty]

A380s.

Agree with cornishsimon and Charley B I don't think it'll be long before Emirates operate them at LGW. I need to have a chat with the caterers, they always seem to know whats happening!

[cornishsimon]

Well they have got to send those 50 odd A380s on order somewhere !


cs

[PhilW1981]

Very few Emirates A380's going spare until 2014 as all new arrivals are covering for existing airframes getting the wing fix.

[Skipness One Echo]

The only medium term prospect for LGW and the A380 is Emirates. BA won't base any and Virgin won't be taking any. Having said that, I suspect LGW will ve upgauged sooner rather than later.

[canberra97]

Philippine Airlines

According to sources such as CE Aviation.

Philippine Airlines have announced plans to resume flights to the UK on the Manila to London Gatwick route starting 01st December 2013.

Former Iberia Airbus A340-300 will initially be used and later the carriers brand new Boeing 777-300 will fly the route.

Good news for LGW on getting yet another far eastern carrier to serve the airport, the airports portfolio of far eastern carriers looks quite impressive now with the addition of Philippine Airlines.

I personally have been anticipating this announcment for quite a while now and especially since the EU ban was recently lifted.

Avianca have mentioned on several occasions in the past about the lack of suitable slots available at LHR for a Bogota route even though many airlines have obtained slots in that time including Aeromexico so I can see Avianca as another possible canditate for LGW along with TAAG Angola which has also recently revealed their intentions to fly to London.

All these new entrants at LGW remind me of the hey days during the late 70s and early 80s when the airport wax booming with new long haul airlines from all over the world including several that have or are returning to LGW today.

Being all nostaligic it's just a shame that excellent viewing terrace is no more

[virginblue]

Any chit-chat about possible new operators for flights to GCI, JER, NQY, IOM. BHD, INV? If I recall correctly, the situation so fsr is like this:

- GCI: GR to introduce a jet (E175 or E195) to partially make up for the lost BE capacity
- JER: BA to introduce an additional rotation
- INV: easyJet has promised to offer two daily flights to allow day returns
- IOM: nothing
- BHD: nothing
- NQY: nothing

[davidjohnson6]

Virginblue - while I don't have insider knowledge, is it possible that Easyjet might use some of their new LGW slots to fly routes currently operated by Flybe, albeit at a lower frequency given an A319 has double the seats of a Dash-8 ? IOM, NQY and maybe JER seem like possible candidates, but given the UK is on holiday for the rest of August, this information probably won't be announced publicly until S14 seats go on sale (am guessing some time in September)

[globetrotter79]

virginblue - do remember that it isn't so long since Aer Lingus started the BHD-LGW route, so this particular route/market isn't really doing all that badly in the greater scheme of things.

The most significant losses (since EZY already announced that they'll be nightstopping an A319 in INV) will be the early morning "business" flight schedules out of IOM, NQY....and NCL?

[adfly]

BHD

I believe Aer Lingus will increase the route to 4 daily again next summer. Considering EZY operate 5 daily flights to BFS as well it makes Belfast the least affected market by the loss of Flybe.

[LGS6753]

DJ6 -

is it possible that Easyjet might use some of their new LGW slots to fly routes currently operated by Flybe, albeit at a lower frequency given an A319 has double the seats of a Dash-8? IOM, NQY and maybe JER seem like possible candidates

Highly unlikely, I would think. EZY wanted the slots (for which they paid £20m) to increase existing frequencies and open up new, profitable routes. LGW to IOM, NQY & JER are unlikely to be moneyspinners for EZY due to competition, APD tax and limited catchments at the destinations.

The only benefit they have is that, as short routes, round-trips could be added (probably in the middle of the day) to utilize aircraft between longer sectors. Midday services are not of interest to the business community, especially on short routes, so even that is, I fear, unlikely

[UPP]

Short Stay Parking at LGW North

Hi,

I'm getting different answers from staff and website! Can someone please tell me which is the nearest car park AND LEVEL for Arrivals at LGW North?

I have to pick someone up at 1 in the morning. They have kids and won't want to go far!

Thanks.