Luton-9

[LTNman]

It is impossible to predict. Wizz could have a major base at Gatwick. We could be in a 1930’s style depression. We will be paying off eye watering national debt. There might not be a vaccine for Corona 19. We will be truly out of the EU so what will that do to traffic from Eastern Europe and Gatwick should be opening up its Emergency runway for short haul flights.

[gilesdavies]

Even though I wrote the other day Luton could possible face issues if other airlines move to Gatwick, but Im not so sure now after thinking about it.

While Wizz might be vying for slots at Gatwick, I am sure easyJet will put up a battle too and ensure they get an opportunity to further expand too and maintain their fortress...

Even if Wizz did grab a load of slots, people need to remember they have over 200+ aircraft on order and these need to be deployed somewhere, I'm not sure Luton would be that badly affected, and possibly run simultaneous from both airports. Also Gatwick boasts the longer runway which could accomodate a London to Abu Dhabi route, with the new A321XLRs on order and you never know some US flights too?!

I'm not sure a 239 seat A321XLR loaded up for a 7-8 hour flight could take off from Luton?

If easyJet were to expand further at LGW, they have deferred new Airbus deliveries for the moment, so would need to be sourced from elsewhere in the fleet network... I wonder if it could be used as an opportunity to consolidate London from four bases to three? The Stansted base in recent years seems to have fallen out of favour, and has been stagnent for years and if I recall has been reduced in recent time with the odd Airbus being moved to Southend...

Would it make sense to close the Stansted base, move the odd route which isn't currently flown from LTN or SEN to either, and move the STN aircraft to south of the river?

While we all cast pur opinions, it could be possible BA refuse to sell their slots and instead start low cost operations with their IAG brands Vueling or Level. Also never write off Jet2, they might swoop into LGW, however they have nearly had all the new Boeing 737-800's delivered now, but I guess there will be a big market of second hand aircraft available soon.

[mariofly12]

Why close STN ops and not the much smaller and runway restricted SEN?

[Buster the Bear]

T2 seems a great idea. I can hear the guillotine falling in George St as the locals, faced with cuts in services and increased Council Tax, revolt!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...le-decade.html

[gilesdavies]

Time to cheer up the thread and have some fun, for you people with lots of time to spare!

[LTNman]

Originally Posted by mariofly12

Why close STN ops and not the much smaller and runway restricted SEN?

Also SEN shuts overnight which doesn’t help. They have got to be the most vulnerable airport out of the 6 airports, which is a shame as they were really going places.

Looks like the council will be holding an emergency budget in July.

The impact of coronavirus means our airport company has not been receiving any air passenger income so has been unable to pass on money to the council which we rely upon so heavily to fund many of your vital frontline services.

Plans are underway to prepare an emergency budget in the summer where myself and other councillors will be forced to agree to extremely difficult cuts to key services unless our request for immediate cash is successful.

Find it hard to see how the planned £124 million access road to T2 is going to be built when it was being funded by the council when the council can’t fund social services.

[pamann]

Originally Posted by mariofly12

Why close STN ops and not the much smaller and runway restricted SEN?

Agree. Plus Stansted features key domestic routes such as BFS, GLA & EDI. Southend is pretty much pure leisure. Certainly interesting times ahead. I think all airports will take a battering of some degree. Might make them more pleasant with fewer people using them. Southend’s USP may just become redundant.

[Spanish eyes]

Well I said Wizzair were bringing people into Luton to stay with friends and family by all the kissing and cuddling going on in arrivals and now Wizz admit to it. For those that are not at work today and following government advice just remember what is going on at Luton Airport as you stay at home on this fine sunny day.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Váradi suggested that some people are now flying to visit relatives, to their second homes or because "they just want to break out of the current lockdown".

But Wizz Air isn't quizzing passengers about their reasons for travel.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-...ZzqYh7Ggsf7zQI

[AirportPlanner1]

Originally Posted by pamann

Agree. Plus Stansted features key domestic routes such as BFS, GLA & EDI. Southend is pretty much pure leisure. Certainly interesting times ahead. I think all airports will take a battering of some degree. Might make them more pleasant with fewer people using them. Southend’s USP may just become redundant.

Stansted would go as a base before Southend. A lot of outsiders don’t appreciate Southend’s value to the locals, and remember there are a lot of them and they have money. Plus no matter what people say it is a London airport. It’s ease and convenience makes it a sort of budget City, true in the couple of years to come STN’s (and LGW, LTN) terminal might be much less congested but that doesn’t end the long walk or bus from the car, the long walk through the terminal, the transit. Certainly until Ryanair showed up all evidence was yields at Southend on the core routes were very good, mostly fares were higher than equivalents out of LGW/LTN/STN. The operation limits haven’t been a particular issue, I mean this will be the 9th year of operation and they’re still around.

Most of STN’s domestics are operated by aircraft based elsewhere anyway.

[advent]

Seems incredible that Wizz can announce via the abBC they will be operating to TFS tomorrow .. Saturday 9th.

This is all well and good except, they fail to mention that unless their passengers hold a green residency certificate they will be denied landing into the Canary Islands until at least Mid June !

[Curious Pax]

Originally Posted by Spanish eyes

Well I said Wizzair were bringing people into Luton to stay with friends and family by all the kissing and cuddling going on in arrivals and now Wizz admit to it. For those that are not at work today and following government advice just remember what is going on at Luton Airport as you stay at home on this fine sunny day.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-...ZzqYh7Ggsf7zQI

Surely it’s between the passengers and the UK authorities to sort out? Wizz can’t seriously be expected to police the reasons for travel. “Why are you travelling to the UK?”, “veg picking”, “ok, next....”. You’re not expecting bus drivers to grill all their passengers for their reason for travelling I presume?

[AirportPlanner1]

Not sure how it was policed but Loganair made clear only pax with proof of key worker status or other valid essential reason would be allowed to travel. Perhaps easier with 30-50 seaters but no reason it couldn’t be done with the passport check...eg hand over your job offer letter with your boarding card and passport.

[LTNman]

Well they could do more. If a passenger wants to fly to a country that requires a visa the airline wants the details so they don't have to fly the same passenger back on the next flight. Wizz don't even ask any questions about reasons for travel on their booking engine via tick box answers but neither do any others I guess. The difference for Wizz it they have now finally admitted what we all knew and that they are breaching UK regulations because there is money to be made.

[FRatSTN]

Only some of the STN domestics are away based, mostly GLA and EDI, but by no means all. In traffic terms STN is still bigger than LPL, GLA, NCL and SEN, so it's not insignificant as it may seem.

EZY, a company that's success is founded upon its dominance in some the largest, slot constrained airports in Europe, would preserve SEN above all else because of it's small size and convenience, I think not.

Frankly, I dont think EZY ever expected FR being able to get into SEN. I wouldn't be surprised actually if EZY didn't renew a contract with SEN (in 2023?) when the current expires. On the subject of LTN, which is what we ought to be talking about here, wouldn't have thought any uplift in LGW would cause too much damage. More likely aircraft would be sourced by other less profitable routes across the network.

[AirportPlanner1]

Originally Posted by LTNman

Well they could do more. If a passenger wants to fly to a country that requires a visa the airline wants the details so they don't have to fly the same passenger back on the next flight. Wizz don't even ask any questions about reasons for travel on their booking engine via tick box answers but neither do any others I guess. The difference for Wizz it they have now finally admitted what we all knew and that they are breaching UK regulations because there is money to be made.

You never get asked about visas when booking and you don’t even hand it to the airline until you’re at the airport or gate, unless explicitly required in advance. So valid reason for travel is the same principle, like a visa if you don’t have it tough luck. Wizz keep the money anyway, it’s the passengers problem not theirs.

[commit aviation]

Originally Posted by AirportPlanner1

You never get asked about visas when booking and you don’t even hand it to the airline until you’re at the airport or gate, unless explicitly required in advance. So valid reason for travel is the same principle, like a visa if you don’t have it tough luck. Wizz keep the money anyway, it’s the passengers problem not theirs.

Unless the rules have changed, that's not entirely accurate. If a passenger is required to have a visa to enter a country and doesn't, the carrier who brought them will be required to remove them, will likely be fined for the contravention and any costs incurred whilst the individual is held. May vary on a country by country basis but always used to be the case.

[ericlday]

From Wizz website....During the online check-in process you might be requested to provide visa details on certain routes. If no visa is required for your destination, just fill in the field with xxxxx characters.

[ericlday]

The Canary Islands will be the first destination for flights with passengers monitored by a secure health application called Hi + Card and free of Covid-19.

This was transmitted today by the Director-General of the World Tourism Organization, UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili to the Tourism Minister of the Canary Islands Government, Yaiza Castilla, who thanked him for this “great news”
Hi+ Card
hi + Card is part of the solutions that the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is supporting based on the commitment made with the Government of the Canary Islands to help the recovery of tourism in the world.

It is a Canarian initiative, global in scope, linked to Turisfera the Canary Islands Business Innovation cluster, and launched by Air Institute and Tourism Data Driven Solutions (TDDS) in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

[AirportPlanner1]

Originally Posted by commit aviation

Unless the rules have changed, that's not entirely accurate. If a passenger is required to have a visa to enter a country and doesn't, the carrier who brought them will be required to remove them, will likely be fined for the contravention and any costs incurred whilst the individual is held. May vary on a country by country basis but always used to be the case.

That is if the airline has carried them without appropriately checking their eligibility to enter. That’s not the case if the passenger has presented fraudulent documents. The onus is on the passenger to present themselves with the correct documents for travel.

[pabely]

All this flack about Wizzair & LLA and here comes RYR doing the samefrom STN & DUB https://www.ryanair.com/content/dam/...ce-Covid19.pdf