LUTON -8
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Enabler will be the colossal airspace change required to deliver flights to the third Heathrow/second Gatwick/second Stansted runway over the next 50 years. All that you have stated is coming, but the changes required to airspace and routes could well take forever through the mire of consultation. Technology is not the issue to introduction. Most airspace, routes and procedures around London have been tagged on over the years around maintaining delivery of traffic to/from Heathrow, thus the nightmare that Essex Radar faces and most LTMA sectors. I am not too sure what is out in the public domain, but Google LAMP, London Airspace Master Plan, a NATS long-term project to deliver exactly what you state. I was recently a passenger on an inbound flight into Heathrow and wondered why we appeared to have slowed down in the cruise, an hour before our predicted ETA. We were passed a time to arrive over BIG to minimise holding. Proof that technology and interactions with our neighbouring ATC providers in Europe is already helping to reduce holding thus fuel burn.
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Regarding the plans for MSCP2 I am curious at the layout.
Firstly it appears that you could now drive into the CTA , all the way round and out without seeing a barrier.
Then I noticed that there appears to be barriers just past the entrances to the ground floor drop off lanes. Why are they there?
Drop off have their own barriers, floors 1-5 exit straight onto the curve under the walkway and MSCP1 has its own entrance/exit.
It would make sense that all coaches/ buses could exit without a barrier.
Any ideas? Am I missing something?
Thinking about it further it must be to prevent drivers just stopping and throwing out their passengers and driving off -risky and dangerous given that layout but I guess they would try!!
Firstly it appears that you could now drive into the CTA , all the way round and out without seeing a barrier.
Then I noticed that there appears to be barriers just past the entrances to the ground floor drop off lanes. Why are they there?
Drop off have their own barriers, floors 1-5 exit straight onto the curve under the walkway and MSCP1 has its own entrance/exit.
It would make sense that all coaches/ buses could exit without a barrier.
Any ideas? Am I missing something?
Thinking about it further it must be to prevent drivers just stopping and throwing out their passengers and driving off -risky and dangerous given that layout but I guess they would try!!
Last edited by Falcon666; 14th Sep 2017 at 19:25. Reason: Additional thoughts
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They look like a set of barriers that coaches, buses and lorries pass though as they are extra wide. As you say probably there for no other reason than to stop cars dropping off on the road to avoid payment. On that same plan I have noticed a second floor link bridge between the two multi stories towards the south side. It seems wide enough for traffic.
Mini traffic lights have been installed into each bus bay in the bus station area, this is to help control bus movements and indicate when it was safe for buses to reverse from parking bays. They have yet to be switched on.
Mini traffic lights have been installed into each bus bay in the bus station area, this is to help control bus movements and indicate when it was safe for buses to reverse from parking bays. They have yet to be switched on.
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The airport are reporting that the bulk of the terminal redevelopment work will be complete by next April.
I have no idea what the airport's definition of bulk actually means so I am assuming they mean the terminal infil work, north pier and immigration hall expansion work. This would leave the security and baggage reclaim halls to be finished during the summer.
Terminal capacity is governed by its weakest link so until these last two areas are complete the airports capacity will approximately remain the same as this year although most of the airport should see an increase in capacity. I would guess the airport will be pushing hard to fill that extra capacity for the 2019 season.
Work has yet to start on the steps, ramp and canopy that will front the terminal. After the initial exciting design of the glass canopy roof that was replaced by what looked like the roof of a series of linked circus tents and made from the same material I will reserve judgement until I physically see it but I hope it is pleasing to the eye.
Let's just say the Tesco style walkway complete with drain pipes that cross through it in several places just above head height were a tad disappointing. Also there was meant to be two walkways going in but the one to the shuttle bus stop to the station was never installed.
I have no idea what the airport's definition of bulk actually means so I am assuming they mean the terminal infil work, north pier and immigration hall expansion work. This would leave the security and baggage reclaim halls to be finished during the summer.
Terminal capacity is governed by its weakest link so until these last two areas are complete the airports capacity will approximately remain the same as this year although most of the airport should see an increase in capacity. I would guess the airport will be pushing hard to fill that extra capacity for the 2019 season.
Work has yet to start on the steps, ramp and canopy that will front the terminal. After the initial exciting design of the glass canopy roof that was replaced by what looked like the roof of a series of linked circus tents and made from the same material I will reserve judgement until I physically see it but I hope it is pleasing to the eye.
Let's just say the Tesco style walkway complete with drain pipes that cross through it in several places just above head height were a tad disappointing. Also there was meant to be two walkways going in but the one to the shuttle bus stop to the station was never installed.
Last edited by LTNman; 15th Sep 2017 at 04:13.
Someone has posted on wikipedia about Easyjet starting a route from Luton to Tirana in Albania beginning 18 March 2018
I know wikipedia gets a lot of rubbish and fantasy stuff but it also occasionally ends up being a place of info being leaked prior to formal announcement.
Anyone able to say whether this is just unsubstantiated dreaming or if it is going to happen ?
I know wikipedia gets a lot of rubbish and fantasy stuff but it also occasionally ends up being a place of info being leaked prior to formal announcement.
Anyone able to say whether this is just unsubstantiated dreaming or if it is going to happen ?
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Tirana is incredibly expensive to fly to with the only option being BA with odd overnight timings and some seasonal charters, hence why many Albanians use the Ohrid route and then drive three + hours. So there is money to be made.
I believe EZY were also first into Pristina a few years back, although only from Switzerland.
I believe EZY were also first into Pristina a few years back, although only from Switzerland.
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Are Monarch sticking with four aircraft do we know for Summer '18?
Beyond April there's no flights to Lanzarote, Ovda, Porto, Rome, Stockholm or Tel Aviv plus a couple of reduced frequencies from this summer. Not sure whether these have all been cancelled? Their schedule though is all over the place at the moment so there's certainly some rejigging to do.
I make it only 43 weekly departures in August 2018 at present. Unless there's a good number of new routes to be announced it looks to me at this stage like, after a bit of rejigging, that only three aircraft maybe required.
Beyond April there's no flights to Lanzarote, Ovda, Porto, Rome, Stockholm or Tel Aviv plus a couple of reduced frequencies from this summer. Not sure whether these have all been cancelled? Their schedule though is all over the place at the moment so there's certainly some rejigging to do.
I make it only 43 weekly departures in August 2018 at present. Unless there's a good number of new routes to be announced it looks to me at this stage like, after a bit of rejigging, that only three aircraft maybe required.
Easyjet have yet to release anything beyond the end of March 2018. Personally I woudn't read anything *yet* into Monarch not having released seats on certain routes for April 2018 unless I had additional information to suggest otherwise
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Tirana is incredibly expensive to fly to with the only option being BA with odd overnight timings and some seasonal charters, hence why many Albanians use the Ohrid route and then drive three + hours. So there is money to be made.
I believe EZY were also first into Pristina a few years back, although only from Switzerland.
I believe EZY were also first into Pristina a few years back, although only from Switzerland.
Massive lines at Passport Control after landing around 1500 today....lots of Eastern European's conveniently forgetting that they hold EU passports going into the non-EU queue of minimal length (then getting told to go straight to the front of the EU queue!!! 
)
)
Last edited by boeing_eng; 18th Sep 2017 at 08:41.
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I came through LTN last week in the early afternoon and passports were really quick. In fact, both legs of a journey to SZY and back were incredibly smooth at LTN. Security seemed ultra efficient and transport to and from long stay was very quick. For me, the massive let down at LTN remains the appalling lack of seating in the departure lounge and gates areas
Today there are 6 Monarch arrivals scheduled within 50 minutes:
1310 Mahon
1325 Faro
1325 Stockholm
1335 Naples
1340 Malaga
1400 Rome
... but only 4 based aircraft. I had not realized that they operated W pattern flights into Luton.
1310 Mahon
1325 Faro
1325 Stockholm
1335 Naples
1340 Malaga
1400 Rome
... but only 4 based aircraft. I had not realized that they operated W pattern flights into Luton.
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For today (24 hours of movements) Monarch have 10 arrivals and 8 departures. So in effect the four A/C are working well and the W pattern movements generate some extra psssengers.
I do hope though, that Monarch will base a further 2 A/C at LTN once they have their new 45 A/C fleet -due to be delivered- in the next few years.
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Alitalia was the airline that I was referring to earlier this year. I was genuinely surprised to hear that they are moving to Stansted, as form non-airport sources, there was an agreement to move the Heathrow operation in it's entirety to Luton!
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Originally Posted by LGS6753 View Post
Today there are 6 Monarch arrivals scheduled within 50 minutes:
1310 Mahon
1325 Faro
1325 Stockholm
1335 Naples
1340 Malaga
1400 Rome
... but only 4 based aircraft. I had not realized that they operated W pattern flights into Luton.
Hello LGS6753,
For today (24 hours of movements) Monarch have 10 arrivals and 8 departures. So in effect the four A/C are working well and the W pattern movements generate some extra psssengers.
I do hope though, that Monarch will base a further 2 A/C at LTN once they have their new 45 A/C fleet -due to be delivered- in the next few years.
Today there are 6 Monarch arrivals scheduled within 50 minutes:
1310 Mahon
1325 Faro
1325 Stockholm
1335 Naples
1340 Malaga
1400 Rome
... but only 4 based aircraft. I had not realized that they operated W pattern flights into Luton.
Hello LGS6753,
For today (24 hours of movements) Monarch have 10 arrivals and 8 departures. So in effect the four A/C are working well and the W pattern movements generate some extra psssengers.
I do hope though, that Monarch will base a further 2 A/C at LTN once they have their new 45 A/C fleet -due to be delivered- in the next few years.
After pulling out of all Long Haul a few years back and disposing of all their wide bodied metal , someone at HQ has just worked out the going is too tough on the short haul low cost routes and now want to give Long Haul another try instead!
Sounds like a marvelous idea when they have 45 short haul 737's on order!
As predicted by many, it looks like Greybull have had enough, and putting the airline up for sale or as worded in news articles selling the "Short haul" arm of the airline up for sale and they will focus on long haul. I never knew their was a long haul arm of the airline left!
In other words, I would guess the free money Boeing and Greybull have chucked at the airline has all been burnt and no one wants to put any more money on the fire.
It seems KPMG are managing this "sale" and Jet2 and easyJet are in the runnings...
Will be interesting for Luton if this goes through, will we have an even bigger base for easyjet next summer using the Monarch slots or could we have a new customer flying from the airport - Jet2?!
If Jet2 could be interesting times, would they want a Luton and Stansted operation, as well as Gatwick, if they absorb Monarch's slots there too?! The Stansted base seems to be going from strength to strength increasing from 8 to 12 aircraft next summer!
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As of Tuesday afternoon, they're installing a couple of Special Assistance information/contact booths a little way into the drop-off zone. Seems an odd expense/waste of resources if the zone is going to move, but we are talking about LLA!
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All that would happen if Alitalia came to Luton is that their former Heathrow passengers would migrate to the likes of BA. The rest would head for Gatwick with very few being prepared to pay a premium fare for the delights of Luton and a ride on the airports infamous shuttle bus and a seat on the floor.
The above comments also applies to Stansted but at least the rail service would be without the bus.
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Giles - If my understanding is correct, it is likely that Jet2 will get the MAX order and operation excluding Luton and Gatwick. Slots at Gatwick/Luton most likely to go to easyJet.