LUTON - 6

[davidjohnson6]

TBSC - I concede you have a point there. What is therefore stopping Wizzair from bullying Luton management into buying a bigger broom ?

[TBSC]

That's the table of the big boys where I can only play at the foot of the table. As far as I know they are on it, only the efficiency is in question.

[LTNman]

Let the airlines buy and operate new snow ploughs at LTN then and when the airport doesn't open after an hour they have only themselves to blame

[LTNman]

So they need to pay more then or you need to use a different airport?

[compton3bravo]

Sorry Saskatoon do you have anything good to say about anything or have you had a personality bypass operation. Let me say Luton is not the best airport I have been through by any means but there has been a lot worse I can tell you!
Have a happy Sunday if you can and cheer up dear boy please!

[LTNman]

Think the guy is a TROLL and I am guilty of taking the bait

[mathers_wales_uk]

I have a question for you guys? Is it just LTN that has this issue with snow clearing or is it all of Abertis/TBI airports in the UK such as Belfast Int, Cardiff & Luton?

[Buster the Bear]

The amount of times Luton is closed due snow and those passengers affected is miniscule compared to the times airlines cancel flights without reason, mainly due to lack of crews!

[gilesdavies]

So is there anything else to discuss on this forum, other than Luton's inability (in some peoples opinion) to remove snow from its runway?!

I am going to make several points about this...

SASKATOON9999's argument is pointless and cannot compare one London Airport to another!?

I suggest people look at this link:
Airports Data

It clearly gives details of the elevation of numerous UK airports, and will see Luton is several hundred feet higher above sea level than the other London airports and this has a severe impact on snow fall, the amount that falls and temperatures.

Also air temperatures from one area to another vary dramatically and this has an impact too... I have just driven 35 miles from Leicester to Wellingborough this evening, and at several points during the journey the temperature indicator in my car stated -8'C and got home is -3'C!

Thats a 5 degree celcius variation and will have a major impact on ice and snow formation.

Just because one London airport might stay open during snow and another closes, does not in anyway mean the airport that closes is incapable of clearing snow!

I am no meteorologist, ortrying to pretend I am!

[LGS6753]

If you look back at Saskatoon's recent posts, it is clear that he bears some grudge against Luton Airport's management. Whether that is based on experience or logic is a matter for him.

Giles is absolutely right in pointing to Luton's elevation (third highest in the UK after Bristol and Leeds-Bradford) as being a factor. I seem to remember from distant school days that temperature drops by 1 degree F per 300 feet.

However, that is not the most important issue. The key problem Luton has is its ownership. Being owned by a second-rate local authority has led to a succession of poor, short-termist decision-making over the last 40 years or more. Even now, although Luton is operated by Abertis, the dead hand of Luton Council can be seen everywhere:

• no master plan for expansion due to council intransigence
• uncompetitive charges due to council levy
• inaction and unwillingness to invest by operator due to limited nature of concession
• poor layout due to piecemeal development over 40 years

I'm afraid that, unless and until Luton is sold to a private operator it will never be able to offer as good a service as it could.

[LTNman]

Well it has snowed and the airport is open and has been since at least 4am

[TBSC]

While temperature did not drop below 0C.

[LTNman]

Or another way to look at it was that it didn't go above 0 either

Add 5 hours for UK time

11 AM (16) Nov 30 30 (-1) 26 (-3) 29.85 (1011) NE 13
10 AM (15) Nov 30 32 (0) 28 (-2) 29.88 (1012) ENE 16
9 AM (14) Nov 30 32 (0) 30 (-1) 29.88 (1012) NE 15
8 AM (13) Nov 30 32 (0) 30 (-1) 29.88 (1012) ENE 14
7 AM (12) Nov 30 32 (0) 30 (-1) 29.91 (1013) ENE 15
6 AM (11) Nov 30 32 (0) 30 (-1) 29.91 (1013) NE 12
5 AM (10) Nov 30 32 (0) 32 (0) 29.91 (1013) ENE 14
4 AM (9) Nov 30 32 (0) 32 (0) 29.91 (1013) ENE 14
3 AM (8) Nov 30 32 (0) 32 (0) 29.91 (1013) NE 14 mist
2 AM (7) Nov 30 32 (0) 32 (0) 29.88 (1012) NE 12 light snow; mist
1 AM (6) Nov 30 32 (0) 32 (0) 29.88 (1012) NE 13 light snow; mist
Midnight (5) Nov 30 32 (0) 32 (0) 29.88 (1012) NE 12 light snow; mist
11 PM (4) Nov 29 32 (0) 32 (0) 29.88 (1012) NE 9 light snow; mist
10 PM (3) Nov 29 32 (0) 32 (0) 29.88 (1012) NE 8 light snow; mist
9 PM (2) Nov 29 32 (0) 32 (0) 29.88 (1012) NE 8 mist
8 PM (1) Nov 29 32 (0) 30 (-1) 29.88 (1012) NE 8 light snow
7 PM (0) Nov 29 32 (0) 30 (-1) 29.88 (1012) NNE 8 light snow
6 PM (23) Nov 29 30 (-1) 30 (-1) 29.88 (1012) NNE 8 mist
5 PM (22) Nov 29 30 (-1) 30 (-1) 29.88 (1012) NNE 7 mist
4 PM (21) Nov 29 30 (-1) 30 (-1) 29.88 (1012) N 8 light snow
3 PM (20) Nov 29 30 (-1) 28 (-2) 29.88 (1012) N 9 light snow
2 PM (19) Nov 29 30 (-1) 28 (-2) 29.88 (1012) N 12
1 PM (18) Nov 29 30 (-1) 30 (-1) 29.85 (1011) N 12
Oldest Noon (17) Nov 29 32 (0) 30 (-1) 29.85 (1011) N 12

[LTNman]

Saskatoon999 wrote

I think you need to look at post 3086 again and realise that media reports are occasionally exadurated somewhat! Hey, it does not like the press ever get it wrong is it? - On occasions other airports do get severe problems with snow, this isn't part of the debate - But, en masse they handle snow far better than LTN still.

So Gatwick has been closed since Tuesday night and is not expected to reopen to at least Thursday morning. Ah but they handle snow better than Luton according to Saskatoon999.

[LTNman]

Well to be honest that's the truth. Heavy snow to the North, South and East of Luton but for once Luton has missed most of it.

[Jamie2k9]

FR - Luton - Tallinn

Ryanair are to increase the route from the end of Mach.
2 weekly until March
4 weekly from end of March.

[gilesdavies]

Wizzair Resume Dubrovnik & Split Flight in Summer 2011

Just noticed on Wizzair's website that they are resuming flights this coming summer to the Croatian cities of Dubrovnik and Split...

Like last year they are only operating them for a short window during the summer period, 25th June to start of September.

I flew both routes last year and were very popular. Despite them primarily marketed as a tourist destination for British travellers they were very popular with Croatian's flying to the UK. When I have previously flown the routes they were over 80% full.

Seems like they will be basing an A320 at the airport again too, do they base an aircraft at the airport at any other times of the year?

Dubrovnik will operate 3x weekly:
(Tues, Thurs & Sat)

LTN DBV
0600---->0940
1205<----1010

Split will operate 4x weekly:
(Mon, Weds, Fri & Sun)

LTN SPU
0600---->0930
1145<----1005

[OLNEY 1 BRAVO]

Wizz

Wizz have only based an aircraft at Luton during the summer months.

[Jamie2k9]

The aircraft wasn't based in LTN. Both aircraft and crew came from Katowice to operate a few flights. It's just like what EZY done at Doncaster.

[OLNEY 1 BRAVO]

I'll rephrase my reply then!

Over the past two summers, Wizz have had one aircraft night stop at Luton but they don't do this during the winter.