GATWICK
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: cornwall, uk
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Thinking out loud here but LGW does have decent nighttime capacity, I know LGW doesn't really handle freighters currently but would they want this sort of night time business ?
cs
cs
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London (Babylon-on-Thames)
Age: 42
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They're not exactly blessed with additional B77F capacity though. QR went for STN, LGW doesn't even have a proper cargo terminal. They might just manage another couple of random LHR slots in addition to the twice weekly B744F.
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London (Babylon-on-Thames)
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STN has on warehouse parking for multiple MD11s and B747s. LGW has remote parking for heavies but no dedicated aircraft cargo parking, indeed the 150s are being dug up!
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Tunbridge Wells, UK
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Speaking as someone who sits under 26L final approach, day in, day out during office hours, I can't remember if I've even seen a dedicated freighter come in/out of LGW. It's always struck me as a bit odd that there seems to be no cargo (other than airline hold stuff) to/from LGW.
Edit: perhaps just the Hercules that I've seen a few times?
Edit: perhaps just the Hercules that I've seen a few times?
I have seen DHL(airpost) yellow 757 a few times go down the approach, and a couple of years ago I remember a 767 freighter coming in here most evenings..think it was associated with a shipping line..came in and then went on elsewhere..but dedicated cargo freighters are very few and far between..EK freighter arriving here would be nice
I do remember DAS air cargo DC10 and alpha juliet Kilo being here a good few years ago..late 90s..they used to shake the house when they went over Brighton..those were the good days!
I do remember DAS air cargo DC10 and alpha juliet Kilo being here a good few years ago..late 90s..they used to shake the house when they went over Brighton..those were the good days!
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: England
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In years gone by LGW has had many pure freighter operations... Tradewinds CL44/B707..IAS Cargo Britannia/B707/DC8..Scimitar B707..Pelican B707..BCAL Cargo B707..Affretair DC8..Trans Meridian DC8..Northwest B747..Das Air B707/DC10 to name a few. Sadly times move on.
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London
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Surely the only reason EK would be restricted to 3 flights a day would be lack of slots during the day. Sure, Gatwick has peak periods but there must be times when slots are available. Presumably, going all A380 mitigates any need for more flights from Gatwick, at least for now?
Makes me wonder if others might eventually look at the success Enirates has found at Gatwick and try to replicate it? Wasn't Qatar considering returning to Gatwick? I wonder if someone like Ethiad might also make a go of flights from Gatwick too?
Further afield, Norwegian aside, the airport continues to struggle to gain and hold onto long haul carriers. Presumably, given the chance, Garuda would switch to Heathrow like Vietnam and others before them. Does Gatwick have to content itself that it will never offer a wide range of long haul destinations, beyond the holiday flights which BA and Virgin focus on or the lower cost ops of Norwegian?
Makes me wonder if others might eventually look at the success Enirates has found at Gatwick and try to replicate it? Wasn't Qatar considering returning to Gatwick? I wonder if someone like Ethiad might also make a go of flights from Gatwick too?
Further afield, Norwegian aside, the airport continues to struggle to gain and hold onto long haul carriers. Presumably, given the chance, Garuda would switch to Heathrow like Vietnam and others before them. Does Gatwick have to content itself that it will never offer a wide range of long haul destinations, beyond the holiday flights which BA and Virgin focus on or the lower cost ops of Norwegian?
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London (Babylon-on-Thames)
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Yes it does unless there is a colossal change in customer behaviour. QR and EY are focussed on increasing A380s through LHR, the QR plan to have another go at LGW was dropped.
Even when EY did offer LGW it was on the old A343, again a world away from their stated intent of all A380 to London.
Anyone know if the North Terminal improvements are completed in terms of the new departure route? It stops about 3/4 down, before what was Gate 57. Is there a plan to enhance Gate 55 as well? It's a huge and welcome change.
Even when EY did offer LGW it was on the old A343, again a world away from their stated intent of all A380 to London.
Anyone know if the North Terminal improvements are completed in terms of the new departure route? It stops about 3/4 down, before what was Gate 57. Is there a plan to enhance Gate 55 as well? It's a huge and welcome change.
Why does San Jose have to be moved to Heathrow ? It's likely to be aimed at Europeans who want to go on holiday to Costa Rica to see a bit of jungle / wildlife and then spend some time on the beach. San Jose as a city really isn't that great a place to visit.
Costa Rica has not traditionally been a place where the very wealthy crowd go on holiday (e.g. Barbados or Indian Ocean islands) and I doubt there's a huge amount of business travel between Costa Rica and non-UK Europe which will be better served via London compared to Madrid. Seems to me like a good solid candidate for a long haul leisure route at Gatwick for years to come...
Costa Rica has not traditionally been a place where the very wealthy crowd go on holiday (e.g. Barbados or Indian Ocean islands) and I doubt there's a huge amount of business travel between Costa Rica and non-UK Europe which will be better served via London compared to Madrid. Seems to me like a good solid candidate for a long haul leisure route at Gatwick for years to come...
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: England
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Interesting. I said just the other day on here that I thought once TOM made the leap and started direct, other airlines would follow. BA to San Jose, TOM to Liberia gives a lot more chouce allbof a sudden ti the UK market. BA on the 777, TOM on the 787.
We're off to CR next year direct and can't wait.
We're off to CR next year direct and can't wait.
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London (Babylon-on-Thames)
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Actually if LHR gets a third runway against BA's wishes, might BA shift as much of the LGW operation round as possible to keep up market share and freeze out EZY?
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Ballymena
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So we are at least 10 years away from R3 at Lhr. So what do all these airlines that have been hanging around for years waiting on slots at Lhr do? Continue hanging around whilst the market moves on and expands or give Lgw a try?
Which will it be?
TB
Which will it be?
TB
Given the frequency, speed and reliability of the rail service between Birmingham International and Euston, I would have thought that a good option for LHR's waiting room could well be BHX - but of course, it isn't called London.
A one way off peak ticket from Gatwick to London Bridge or St Pancras bought a few minutes before departure costs 10 pounds.
A one way off peak ticket from Birmingham airport to Euston a few minutes before departure costs 24 pounds for a train taking 2 hours or 50 pounds for a fast train.
Yes you can buy a ticket in advance for less but if your plane lands late, your ticket is invalid. Planning on allowing 2 or 3 hours between landing and an onward train departing is not popular.
The Stansted Express sells tickets for 8 pounds one way if booked in advance - you need specify only the day of travel, not the exact time of train. Deutsche Bahn in Germany have a scheme allowing one to purchase a fairly flexible train ticket to the airport provided it's bought from an airline in conjunction with a flight ticket.
If there were a similiar scheme to the Stansted Express or the German Rail Air scheme, I imagine BHX would become much more viable for people travelling for leisure and based in London.
A one way off peak ticket from Birmingham airport to Euston a few minutes before departure costs 24 pounds for a train taking 2 hours or 50 pounds for a fast train.
Yes you can buy a ticket in advance for less but if your plane lands late, your ticket is invalid. Planning on allowing 2 or 3 hours between landing and an onward train departing is not popular.
The Stansted Express sells tickets for 8 pounds one way if booked in advance - you need specify only the day of travel, not the exact time of train. Deutsche Bahn in Germany have a scheme allowing one to purchase a fairly flexible train ticket to the airport provided it's bought from an airline in conjunction with a flight ticket.
If there were a similiar scheme to the Stansted Express or the German Rail Air scheme, I imagine BHX would become much more viable for people travelling for leisure and based in London.