Airlines based at LHR

[Thunderbird One]

Wonder if you could please help me with some research......

Could anyone please tell me which airlines have a base at LHR?

I know Virgin Atlantic & British Airways have a base here but do you know of any others??

Any information would be gratefully appreciated - Many thanks

[DaveReidUK]

I can't think of any other airline that could reasonably be described as having a base at LHR.

There are lots of nightstopping aircraft from foreign carriers, of course, but that's not the same thing, and of course the only hangarage at LHR is BA's and Virgin's.

[Thunderbird One]

I would of thought there were a lot more airlines based at LHR. I mean ones who have cabin crew and flight deck who report at LHR.

[malcolm380]

In that context, could United be described as having a base? I'm sure I've flown as SLF on several LHR-IAD flights with UK crews.

[Capetonian]

I think you need to define what you mean by a 'base' as there are several definitions.

Crews 'based' at LHR.
A/C 'based' at LHR
Engineering 'base'.
Catering 'base'.
....... etc.

It's a much abused term.

[Thunderbird One]

I mean airlines who have flight deck or cabin crew based/report/check in out of LHR. I am also referring to smaller airlines too.

Many thanks

[crewmeal]

The only non UK carrier to have a base is Qantas whose Cabin Crew work to DXB and back. How long that will go on for is anyone's guess. ANZ I believe had a base at one time but I think that has closed now. Those crews used to fly to LAX and HKG. I doubt whether there are any European crews based at LHR.

[DaveReidUK]

I mean airlines who have flight deck or cabin crew based/report/check in out of LHR.

Then using that revised definition, you could argue that pretty well all longhaul airlines have crews that slip at LHR (like the United example quoted), as opposed to shorthaul foreign carriers whose crews will usually stay with the aircraft on a turnround.

[tom1975]

I believe United still have a cabin crew base at LHR, this is a left over from Pan Am, Aer Lingus had a base there also, until the early 2000's, I think it closed when they shut down their ground handling unit there! Air New Zealand still has a base... I'm sure there are more!

[Peter47]

Quite a few long haul carriers have UK based cabin crew. QF, NZ & UA had large bases, but I suspect that if you name a carrier that flies to a non English speaking country it may well have some UK crew - CX & JL come to mind.

I can only think of one airline with pilots based here, CX, although a number of airlines may have UK crew who commute - I believe that KE comes into this category (but happy to be corrected).

Pan Am had a major maintenance operation possibly up to their demise. I think that AI did at some stage.

I'm sure that others will know a lot more than me.

[Calmcavok]

There are only 2 based airlines at LHR. BA & VS. CX have a crew base for pilots & CC. Aer Lingus have a crew base for Little Red ops. As mentioned a couple of. airlines have a CC only base. Apart from that, everyone else turns around/lays over/slips.

I'm not including UK based commuters for Far Eastern operators as they generally don't operate in/out of LHR, but deadhead.