LUTON -8
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No it would NOT require a brand new terminal.
I can think of many issues regarding expanding the present terminal and the CTA that can't be expanded that I won't bother listing here but every issue requires more space something that is sadly lacking here at Luton.
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A Ryanair 737 was boarded this lunchtime from the south stands. First time I have seen a scheduled service boarded from the south stands. Normally it is one off football charters.
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Does Ryanair need Luton and does Luton need Ryanair?!
I wonder if we are gradually beginning to see the slow demise of Ryanair at Luton, with all these routes changing between LTN and STN...
I have no insider information, but when you look at how other Ryanair bases usually expand over the years and Luton has just stagnated, it makes you wonder if the management at Luton have no interest in entertaining a new cut-price deal for the airline.
Luton is in a very strong position with Ryanair, where they don't need to bow to their demands of minimal airport charges, unlike what they can demand at other regional airports. Especially with airlines like Wizzair and easyJet going from strength to strength, and would probably quickly snap up these 4-5 stands. Especially if the news in the Luton Herald and Post (which was posted on here a few weeks ago, but not seen in any other news outlets!), is correct that easyJet have agreed to double in size over the next 10 years at the airport.
Also it sounds like Ryanair have agreed very favourable long term charges with MAG at Stansted, and for future growth plans there. So it makes the need for a Luton base less necessary for a bargaining chip (especially as BAA no longer dominate the London airport scene), and having another London base 25 miles from Stansted is probably a cost they can do without.
If anything Ryanair should look to growing their presence to the south of the Thames, where the money is and attract this market, which probably doesn't consider Stansted for flights unless not available or substantially cheaper than routes from Gatwick.
I would be highly surprised if we saw Ryanair leave altogether, but they could easily maintain a Dublin link with an aircraft from this base and the same for other routes from appropriate bases if they felt necessary to fill this market...
I have no insider information, but when you look at how other Ryanair bases usually expand over the years and Luton has just stagnated, it makes you wonder if the management at Luton have no interest in entertaining a new cut-price deal for the airline.
Luton is in a very strong position with Ryanair, where they don't need to bow to their demands of minimal airport charges, unlike what they can demand at other regional airports. Especially with airlines like Wizzair and easyJet going from strength to strength, and would probably quickly snap up these 4-5 stands. Especially if the news in the Luton Herald and Post (which was posted on here a few weeks ago, but not seen in any other news outlets!), is correct that easyJet have agreed to double in size over the next 10 years at the airport.
Also it sounds like Ryanair have agreed very favourable long term charges with MAG at Stansted, and for future growth plans there. So it makes the need for a Luton base less necessary for a bargaining chip (especially as BAA no longer dominate the London airport scene), and having another London base 25 miles from Stansted is probably a cost they can do without.
If anything Ryanair should look to growing their presence to the south of the Thames, where the money is and attract this market, which probably doesn't consider Stansted for flights unless not available or substantially cheaper than routes from Gatwick.
I would be highly surprised if we saw Ryanair leave altogether, but they could easily maintain a Dublin link with an aircraft from this base and the same for other routes from appropriate bases if they felt necessary to fill this market...
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I agree with everything gilesdavies says. Apart from Dublin where they could use a Dublin based aircraft they have shown no commitment to any Luton route, in fact after what has happened to Copenhagen all they have done is to show that they can raid Luton of its most popular route and then take away their spoils back to their Stansted base.
The 5th aircraft based at Luton lasted just 1 year and could have been a warning shot to MAG to give them a new better deal but if they did indeed move their 4 aircraft to Stansted they would lose a bargaining chip on future deals.
I can remember a few years ago where Ryanair were just about to sign a deal with Airbus only to sign an agreement with Boeing for new aircraft. It was clear that Ryanair was using Airbus to drive down the Boeing price and that they had no real intention of buying Airbuses so a few years later when Ryanair wanted more aircraft Airbus refused to play Ryanair's game. I suspect Luton will not play Ryanair's game either and will be mindful that Ryanair could have kept Copenhagen just at Luton after winning the battle.
The 5th aircraft based at Luton lasted just 1 year and could have been a warning shot to MAG to give them a new better deal but if they did indeed move their 4 aircraft to Stansted they would lose a bargaining chip on future deals.
I can remember a few years ago where Ryanair were just about to sign a deal with Airbus only to sign an agreement with Boeing for new aircraft. It was clear that Ryanair was using Airbus to drive down the Boeing price and that they had no real intention of buying Airbuses so a few years later when Ryanair wanted more aircraft Airbus refused to play Ryanair's game. I suspect Luton will not play Ryanair's game either and will be mindful that Ryanair could have kept Copenhagen just at Luton after winning the battle.
Last edited by LTNman; 19th Mar 2017 at 05:52.
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I really hope so, easyJet should send Ryanair a message. They could comfortably operate a twice daily service ex LTN on the route without going down the ultra competitive battle that forced them to give up the route
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With IAG launching their new long haul low cost airline "Level" from Barcelona this summer, it looks like Luton will have one stop connections to a number of destinations in Latin America and the west coast of the USA...
It has not yet gone live on the Vueling booking system, but they are saying Vueling will offer connections to 130 destinations for these new long haul routes via Barcelona.
Level
With Heathrow only being down the road, it might not attract much connecting traffic via Barcelona, but is nice to see Luton potentially getting some potential long haul connections, like other airports have recently with the likes of Wow and Eurowings.
It has not yet gone live on the Vueling booking system, but they are saying Vueling will offer connections to 130 destinations for these new long haul routes via Barcelona.
Level
With Heathrow only being down the road, it might not attract much connecting traffic via Barcelona, but is nice to see Luton potentially getting some potential long haul connections, like other airports have recently with the likes of Wow and Eurowings.
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A321s are now appearing on the Wizz Sofia morning flights. "First Wave" is now normally 4 321s and 10 320s.
In February their load factors increased by 5% compared to to February 2016 from 89.8% to 91.9%.
February 2017 Traffic Statistics - RNS - London Stock Exchange
That is pretty amazing when you consider in that time they have added 14 A321 with 50 additional seats on each aircraft, and obviously having no issues filling these either.
Even though I only flew on their A320 to Katowice a few weeks ago, that was completely full in both directions.
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I went to the public consultation regarding Wigmore Park where it was conformed the airport would not be expanding the airport onto it.
The reasons given were although buildings can be built on the old tip by using pile driven foundations the aprons can't be so the tip would have to be removed first which isn't going to happen.
The reasons given were although buildings can be built on the old tip by using pile driven foundations the aprons can't be so the tip would have to be removed first which isn't going to happen.
No massive changes that I can see for the EZY winter schedule release. Pisa goes year round, Jersey not loaded after 28th October yet, and CPH not brought back so far...