LUTON - 6
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Got to admit that maybe the word squashed was a bad choice of words so for the those that found the S word offensive I have gone back to that post and substituted the word squashed for killed.
Join Date: Apr 2004
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The first Blue Air operated on schedule earlier this week. But no comments on PPRuNe?
While any new service to/from LTN is always welcomed, I really cannot work out what Blue Air are playing at, when their other Romanian service to Bucharest operates from STN. I do not reckon this service will switch to LTN due to Wizzair currently serving this route and I doubt Blue Air will want to take on Eastern Europes largest LCC on the same route from the same UK airpirts.
gilesdavies - I agree that the timings for the Luton-Bacau route do not look optimal for passengers. However, I think this can be explained by 2 things:
1) The only airline flying anywhere near Bacau to London is Blue Air - Bucharest (or Cluj / Timisoara for that matter) is a long way from Bacau. Central Bucharest to Bacau takes about 5 hours by direct train.
2) The flight times are essentially at night, with the Luton -> Bacau leg being just long enough to be an overnight for the purpose of airport noise restrictions when you consider the 2 hour time difference between the UK and Romania - this would not work on a route to anywhere like France, Spain or Italy. This means that Blue Air can try a new route as a complete experiment, without having to risk using an airframe during peak hours - one rotation is 11 pm to 6 am - the airframe would otherwise just spend these hours sitting on the ground not earning any revenue.
I've seen this route advertised heavily at the local central Europe food importer shop but haven't seen publicity anywhere else. I suspect that most of the people flying this route will be people who come from the area around Bacau and have gone to the UK in search of work - these people are likely to be highly price sensitive and may be prepared to put up with sub-optimal flight times, particularly when compared to travelling via Bucharest.
1) The only airline flying anywhere near Bacau to London is Blue Air - Bucharest (or Cluj / Timisoara for that matter) is a long way from Bacau. Central Bucharest to Bacau takes about 5 hours by direct train.
2) The flight times are essentially at night, with the Luton -> Bacau leg being just long enough to be an overnight for the purpose of airport noise restrictions when you consider the 2 hour time difference between the UK and Romania - this would not work on a route to anywhere like France, Spain or Italy. This means that Blue Air can try a new route as a complete experiment, without having to risk using an airframe during peak hours - one rotation is 11 pm to 6 am - the airframe would otherwise just spend these hours sitting on the ground not earning any revenue.
I've seen this route advertised heavily at the local central Europe food importer shop but haven't seen publicity anywhere else. I suspect that most of the people flying this route will be people who come from the area around Bacau and have gone to the UK in search of work - these people are likely to be highly price sensitive and may be prepared to put up with sub-optimal flight times, particularly when compared to travelling via Bucharest.
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 5th Jun 2009 at 00:03.
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When these passengers find that the bus and train fare to London is dearer than their airfare many will set up camp around Luton
I guess Luton town centre will now see an influx of people with large round gold earrings selling clothes pegs and lucky heather.
I guess Luton town centre will now see an influx of people with large round gold earrings selling clothes pegs and lucky heather.
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When these passengers find that the bus and train fare to London is dearer than their airfare many will set up camp around Luton
I guess Luton town centre will now see an influx of people with large round gold earrings selling clothes pegs and lucky heather.
I guess Luton town centre will now see an influx of people with large round gold earrings selling clothes pegs and lucky heather.
Anyway, there is unlikely to be many people on the flights coming to the UK as "Economic Migrants", Bulgaria and Romania were both later entrants into the EU and the UK government learnt from the issues of Eastern European countries joining the EU... They were therefore placed strict quotas on how many people from these countries could seek employment in the UK and have to apply for work permits in their native country before coming to the UK.
If people from Romania really wanted to work in the UK, I think they would have already have jumped on a Wizzair flight to the UK over the last year or two. These new flights just simply offer a connection to the UK from a region of Romania which does not currently have a connection.
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Is Luton’s new ground radar that was installed well over a year ago actually working? The reason I ask is that the airports old ground radar is still spinning by the tunnel.
Join Date: Mar 2009
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The company that provided the new SMR went bust and SRG have not signed it off unitl a few improvements are made....which wont happen any time soon since company went under.
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Luton - Traffic
Sorry if I am duplicating something that has been "done to death". If so please remove. Monday morning around 05.40 took in-laws to Luton for their flight. What a disaster. Fortunately we had left plenty of time but the traffic snarl up was horrendous. Surely "they" could have planned it better when they built the new terminal???
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Make a complaint as the airport say there is nothing wrong with it. News from March 2009 - London Luton Airport
email the consultative committee at administrator @ llacc.com and shout loud. ( remove the spaces)
email the consultative committee at administrator @ llacc.com and shout loud. ( remove the spaces)
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Thanks for that LTNman. Had a quick read through of the link. In my little experience Monday their "plan" has definitely NOT worked!!. I will send an email although I won't hold my breath!
Provisional CAA stats for May show a decline in ATMs of 10.7%, and a reduction in passengers of 9.8%. Rolling year figures remain just ahead of Birmingham (despite their Ryanair influx).
By contrast:
Birmingham -7.6% ATMs and -4.8% pax
Edinburgh -4.8%, +1.5%
Gatwick -5.6%, -6.5%
Glasgow -16%, -11.6%
Heathrow -2.9%, -3.9%
Manchester -16.5%, -13.7%
Stansted -19.3%, -18.5%
Not all figures in yet.
By contrast:
Birmingham -7.6% ATMs and -4.8% pax
Edinburgh -4.8%, +1.5%
Gatwick -5.6%, -6.5%
Glasgow -16%, -11.6%
Heathrow -2.9%, -3.9%
Manchester -16.5%, -13.7%
Stansted -19.3%, -18.5%
Not all figures in yet.
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Yet another fine set of figures from Essex's finest! Must be hemorrhaging the BAA, how sad! Just look at what a more level playing field (at last) in terms of fees has done to Stansted!
Just how are the BAA or whoever buys it, ever going to pay for runway 2?
Anyway, with little or no investment at Luton, and no long-term investment plan, one has to question the sustainability of the place under longer-term LBC ownership?
Just how are the BAA or whoever buys it, ever going to pay for runway 2?
Anyway, with little or no investment at Luton, and no long-term investment plan, one has to question the sustainability of the place under longer-term LBC ownership?
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Aren't you being a bit hard on dear old LBC?
They granted a concession to TBI to run the airport for a certain period. A Spanish company bought them out and now finds the aviation world in a deep recession and can't justify the investment needed for a significant expansion.
So who's to blame for the impasse:
1. The Spaniards who took on the concession at a bad moment for aviation,
or
2. LBC who licensed it out while times were good and concentrated on its primary role of managing (or mis-managing) the town?
I'm no fan of LBC, but they are apparently damned for the way they ran the airport when it was under their control and are now damned for the way it's being run when they have washed their hands of it.
They granted a concession to TBI to run the airport for a certain period. A Spanish company bought them out and now finds the aviation world in a deep recession and can't justify the investment needed for a significant expansion.
So who's to blame for the impasse:
1. The Spaniards who took on the concession at a bad moment for aviation,
or
2. LBC who licensed it out while times were good and concentrated on its primary role of managing (or mis-managing) the town?
I'm no fan of LBC, but they are apparently damned for the way they ran the airport when it was under their control and are now damned for the way it's being run when they have washed their hands of it.