LUTON -8
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Confirmation of Thomas Cook Flights
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New fears of Luton Airport expansion as airport reaches capacity ten years early - News - Herts Advertiser
Just under 15 million passengers this year and possibly 18 million by 2019 according to the report.
Blue Air' Expands Its Presence At London Luton Airport
http://www.bobfm.co.uk/news/local-ne...luton-airport/
Just under 15 million passengers this year and possibly 18 million by 2019 according to the report.
Blue Air' Expands Its Presence At London Luton Airport
http://www.bobfm.co.uk/news/local-ne...luton-airport/
Last edited by LTNman; 7th Apr 2016 at 14:34.
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The Jersey flights look to be doing quite well load factors are currently in the 70% - 80% region. For example, tomorrow's flight outbound is operated by the A320 and the current load factor is 77%. This is quite promising considering it's only just April. I think it will do very well throughout the summer, interesting how it will perform in the winter.
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Even before the rise of low cost carriers Thomas Cook the tour operator and its airline has always avoided Luton, which is the reason I have never booked a Thomas Cook holiday in 40 years.
With up to 54 departures a week using 5 aircraft based just down the road in Essex it still strikes me that they still prefer to avoid the UK's 5 largest airport with a program that would be more in keeping with an airport like Humberside or Southend.
I wonder if the prices for similar departure times from Gatwick, Stansted and Luton are similar?
This is quite a serious situation for the airport to find itself in. By 2019 the airport will just be finishing its expansion programme with the completion of the taxiway extension to runway 26 and could still find itself full.
No doubt airport minds will already looking to the future but the days of quick fixes and I call this existing programme a quick fix, as major airport expansions normally takes 10 to 20 years to complete from when first announced are over.
With up to 54 departures a week using 5 aircraft based just down the road in Essex it still strikes me that they still prefer to avoid the UK's 5 largest airport with a program that would be more in keeping with an airport like Humberside or Southend.
I wonder if the prices for similar departure times from Gatwick, Stansted and Luton are similar?
New fears of Luton Airport expansion as airport reaches capacity ten years early - News - Herts Advertiser
Just under 15 million passengers this year and possibly 18 million by 2019 according to the report.
Just under 15 million passengers this year and possibly 18 million by 2019 according to the report.
No doubt airport minds will already looking to the future but the days of quick fixes and I call this existing programme a quick fix, as major airport expansions normally takes 10 to 20 years to complete from when first announced are over.
Last edited by LTNman; 8th Apr 2016 at 04:47.
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LTNman - for an airport to find itself full to capacity just as a building expansion is completed is, quite frankly, a very nice problem for an airport to have. Perhaps serious for the UK as a whole but the airport owners will presumably be delighted.
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Agreed but all airports like to grow the business and for Luton to grow the business means to just pile in the passengers beyond capacity which is what is happening now and no doubt one of the reasons why Luton comes bottom in the Which airport survey.
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Agree with both the last comments.
Regarding Thomas Cook it is true that they have never shown much of a commitment to LTN.Maybe there was something in the past with the relationship with the Airport , we will never know.But lets be honest they could have quite easily just added these four flights to the programme at STN and not even bothered with Luton.
Basing a plane next year might not have been a possibility given the fact we have no spare stands overnight, hence the W pattern.
Having said that Aena have been doing a great job at attracting more Airlines and diversifying.
They would have done a risk analysis before committing to Lutons development.
The fact that the decision on Londons third runway is still in the air ( no pun) has played into their hands and Airlines are clambering for the last few slots at Londons main Airports.
As LTNman states it will take at least ten years once decisions have been made on any major development.
So at the moment Aena must be sitting back thinking this has gone far easier than even they expected.
i still think the next phase of any future development will include plans similar to those in the Councils vision with another six/eight pack on the short term car park adjacent to the soon to be built Multi Storey and Piers going to the South Stands.
Lets not knock it too much, most Airports would like to be in Lutons position.
Nobody knows what will happen in the future, aviation can be a funny old industry.
Lets just hope the customer experience improves and yes i used the executive Lounge last time passing through and was very impressed.
Regarding Thomas Cook it is true that they have never shown much of a commitment to LTN.Maybe there was something in the past with the relationship with the Airport , we will never know.But lets be honest they could have quite easily just added these four flights to the programme at STN and not even bothered with Luton.
Basing a plane next year might not have been a possibility given the fact we have no spare stands overnight, hence the W pattern.
Having said that Aena have been doing a great job at attracting more Airlines and diversifying.
They would have done a risk analysis before committing to Lutons development.
The fact that the decision on Londons third runway is still in the air ( no pun) has played into their hands and Airlines are clambering for the last few slots at Londons main Airports.
As LTNman states it will take at least ten years once decisions have been made on any major development.
So at the moment Aena must be sitting back thinking this has gone far easier than even they expected.
i still think the next phase of any future development will include plans similar to those in the Councils vision with another six/eight pack on the short term car park adjacent to the soon to be built Multi Storey and Piers going to the South Stands.
Lets not knock it too much, most Airports would like to be in Lutons position.
Nobody knows what will happen in the future, aviation can be a funny old industry.
Lets just hope the customer experience improves and yes i used the executive Lounge last time passing through and was very impressed.
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I still think the next phase of any future development will include plans similar to those in the Councils vision with another six/eight pack on the short term car park adjacent to the soon to be built Multi Storey and Piers going to the South Stands.
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Appreciate that but the location of the Multi storey Car Park and the positioning of the link to the new Taxiway would indicate that they have left open the option of doing exactly that.
The Terminal will be the single biggest problem but even having the possibility to move maybe hundreds of passengers to Piers that could have a few retail outlets might relieve the pressure on the Main terminal- just a thought.Not a perfect solution , that is having a second terminal but then we are in to major expansion again.
Then there is the future of the Easyjet hangar and what that land could be used for, Rail interchange/another MSCP?
Lets get this development finished first then i am sure there will be more debate.
The Terminal will be the single biggest problem but even having the possibility to move maybe hundreds of passengers to Piers that could have a few retail outlets might relieve the pressure on the Main terminal- just a thought.Not a perfect solution , that is having a second terminal but then we are in to major expansion again.
Then there is the future of the Easyjet hangar and what that land could be used for, Rail interchange/another MSCP?
Lets get this development finished first then i am sure there will be more debate.
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It really depends which bit of Thomas Cook you mean when you talk of not using Luton before.
The Airtours DC10 ( c 19.99 ish) and Caledonian Tristars ( 90s) could be considered as their forerunners.
The Airtours DC10 ( c 19.99 ish) and Caledonian Tristars ( 90s) could be considered as their forerunners.
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Weekly redevelopment update
Work has started again on the new drop off area which last received attention with its drainage in January. Also fencing has just gone up to close part of the short term car park that will have a section of new approach road on it that will serve the drop off area and CTA car parks.
Work has started on the third core pilings. Between this new core and the multistory car park core the new entry and exits routes will be built. Also the drop off area will loop around after passing under the walkway.
As can be seen in the background the first walkway hasn't been installed yet as work continues on it at ground level.
Much of the view of the redevelopment is about to disappear behind hoardings as the passenger route to the terminal will soon be switched to what I think will be a temporary entrance. If it isn't then it is a shocker!
With the passenger route from arrivals being moved over to hug the bus bays built in the old bus station area two of those bus bays have been tarmacked over to create temporary holding pens for National Express but they come with no weather protection.
The route of the pier link building continues to get its foundations.
Work has started on the third core pilings. Between this new core and the multistory car park core the new entry and exits routes will be built. Also the drop off area will loop around after passing under the walkway.
As can be seen in the background the first walkway hasn't been installed yet as work continues on it at ground level.
Much of the view of the redevelopment is about to disappear behind hoardings as the passenger route to the terminal will soon be switched to what I think will be a temporary entrance. If it isn't then it is a shocker!
With the passenger route from arrivals being moved over to hug the bus bays built in the old bus station area two of those bus bays have been tarmacked over to create temporary holding pens for National Express but they come with no weather protection.
The route of the pier link building continues to get its foundations.
Last edited by LTNman; 8th Apr 2016 at 14:53.