Gatwick-2

[Seljuk22]

Emirates EK011/012 will be a 2-class A380 from 25th March

[Skipness One Echo]

Gatwick Airport is considering using its emergency runway to increase capacity for flights - Get Surrey

I thought using 26R also put the taxiway out of action due proximity? Likewise 26L is too close. Thoughts?

[DaveReidUK]

Planning agreement or not, the AIP is pretty unambiguous:

"Runway 08L/26R cannot be used simultaneously with Runway 08R/26L because of insufficient separation between the two. For this reason also, extensive safeguarding procedures are required (see d ii) before Runway 08L/26R can be activated and the runway is not available on request by pilots."

[Plane.Silly]

In principle, i agree, But surely you could slot a few extra movements in between takeoff's and landings. even just 6 an hour would surely help.
And with the expansion of pier 6, the capacity will be there too

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by Plane.Silly

But surely you could slot a few extra movements in between takeoff's and landings.

Read what I said (or rather, what NATS say) above.

Originally Posted by Plane.Silly

even just 6 an hour would surely help.

Gatwick's runway scheduling limits are a maximum of 55 movements per hour. Given that the airport has no ATM limit, it's reasonable to assume that if any more movements could safely be accommodated during peak hours, that would already be reflected in the scheduling limits.

Gatwick Airport Scheduling Declaration Summer 2018

[Skipness One Echo]

http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/pamsl..._2_EGKK_2-1_en

I was told Taxiway J can't be used when 26R in use which is why the hourly capacity falls dramatically when 26L is out of action.

[canberra97]

The expansion of Pier 6 is more about achieving a 95% target of gate handled flights and eliminating more bussing as that's what the airlines at Gatwick have requested it's not necessarily about increasing capacity or passenger numbers at the airport as that is limited by the single runway and having the emergency runway in use with the current main runway is more or less a non starter.

All that information regarding expansion of Pier 6 can be viewed on the Gatwick Capital Investment Page on their official website.

[True Blue]

So we heard that Aeroflot are to transfer their Moscow service over to Lhr. Today we learn that Cobalt are to start a daily service from Lhr to Lca at the end of March. Cobalt are quite a new operation. So how did they get slots so quickly? What about this long waiting list of airlines wanting access to Lhr? I find it amazing that an airport that has been full for years now can still find slots, especially for an airline that wants to transfer from Lgw, so quickly. I know Cobalt are not transferring to Lhr, at least not yet. I would love to see the truth around this, but I never will. But if I was in authority, Lhr would be explaining this all to me. Seems they can almost say what they want and the establishment believes.

[Skipness One Echo]

Which part is baffling you?
Aeroflot, an existing LHR operator tried expanding to LGW and it didn’t work out, they decided to consolidate at LHR.
Aegean’s dropping of LCA-LHR is being picked up by Cobalt. There’s nothing underhand here.

There are odd slots available, just not ideal for long haul, which is what’s driving the business case for runway 3. LHR is not 100% full, never was. Do you seriously say the DfT and CAA are being lied to by the airport operator?

[canberra97]

Also just to add to Skips correct post.

This so called long list of airlines wanting to operate from LHR was more or less frabicated as part of Heathrow Airport Limited campaign for runway 3, it was stated at one point by a press release from LHR Limited as being 40 Airlines wanting access to LHR but I think that was hugely over exaggerated.

Since that was first announced about ten years ago we have seen several airlines commence operations from LHR so that list is obviously shorter than it previously was but I still find the original figure of 40 rather exaggerated.

Since that figure was first put out by Heathrow Airport Limited as part of their original campaign for Runway 3 ten years ago we have seen the following airlines operating from LHR either by buying slots, leasing slots, mergers, reciprocal slots as we're seeing with Cobalt using the former Aegean slots on LHR to LCA. Also many of those airlines were previously operating from London Gatwick until suitable slots were available at LHR.

In the last ten years in one way or another the following airlines have obtained slots at LHR.

Arik Air
Avianca
Beijing Capital Airlines
China Eastern
China Southern
Cobalt
Flybe
Garuda Indonesia
Philippine Airlines
Oman Air
Vietnam Airlines
Vueling

And that doesn't include expansion and extra slots obtained by the incumbent airlines expanding their LHR operations by buying or leasing slots or just moving slots around.

I have always been a LGW fanboy but I'm also a realist so I should imagine we can add China Airlines to that list at some point making that list of airlines wanting to serve LHR considerably shorter but absolutely no where near the exaggerated figure of 40 as was previously announced by LHR Limited. (Which btw I took with a very large pinch of salt and it amazes me how many took that comment so seriously and keep quoting it)

[LBIA]

Westjet have just announced a new daily service from Gatwick to Halifax, NS with flights starting April 29th, 2018.

http://westjet2.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1317

[BHX5DME]

Plenty of slots avaialble at weekends with around 50-60 less arrivals (especially on Saturday) compared to week days

[DaveReidUK]

That's only true for Saturdays. Sunday typically has as many arrivals as a weekday.

[Skipness One Echo]

Sunday mornings have a fraction of the short haul program?
btw Westjet are dropping St John's for Halifax.

[kgoodall]

Can’t blame them really. The weather there can be very unpredictable, lovely city though.

Looks like they will be using a new 737 Max 8 that should provide a small capacity increase over the 737-700 used previously.

[AirportPlanner1]

Are they still doing the Ottawa tag-on via Halifax or has that gone as well?

[kgoodall]

Yes I believe so, it is listed as Ottawa to London via Halifax.

[Skipness One Echo]

Being reported elsewhere (flyertalk - no link possible), that a walkable Dometic and CTA route is being introduced at Gatwick Arrivals. The bussing is tedious in the extreme, arrived on stand 4 last night on an airbridge then down and onto the apron to board a bus. Someone has listened, well done !

Also ref Pier 1, I didn't see any signage for Arrivals at all, Surely International Arrivals can walk from Pier 1 to UK Border? I assume it's on the ground floor?

[dastocks]

Yes, it's (roughly) underneath the path taken for Pier 1 departures. I go that way occasionaly.

I assume they would want to put domestic arrivals and departures onto the same gates. I haven't spotted any of the additional equipment used for domestic departures on the pier 1 gates yet.

[adfly]

Long Haul S18

I have put together my usual summary of long haul routes from Gatwick for this coming summer. Please let me know of any changes or corrections needed.

Air Canada Rouge

Toronto - 4 weekly 763

Air Transat

Calgary - 3 weekly 332
Montreal - 2-3 weekly 313
Toronto - 8-9 weekly 333/332 (7x/1-2x)
Vancouver - 4-7 weekly 332

British Airways - 13x 772 based

Antigua - 6 weekly 772
Barbados - 7 weekly 772
Bermuda - 7 weekly 772
Cancun - 3 weekly 772
Fort Lauderdale - 3 weekly 772
Grenada - 2 weekly 772 (via UVF)
Kingston - 3 weekly 772
Las Vegas ('New') - 3 weekly 772 (from 27/03)
Lima - 3 weekly 772
Mauritius - 3 weekly 772
New York JFK - 7 weekly 772
Oakland - 3 weekly 772
Orlando - 13 weekly 772
Port of Spain - 5 weekly 772 (via UVF)
Providenciales - 2 weekly 772 (via ANU)
Punta Cana - 3 weekly 772
St Kitts - 2 weekly 772 (via ANU)
St Lucia - 7 weekly 772
San Jose de Costa Rica - 2 weekly 772
Tampa - 7 weekly 772
Tobago - 2 weekly 772 (via ANU)
Toronto (New) - 3 weekly 772 (from 01/05)

Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong - 7 weekly 359

China Airlines

Taipei - 5 weekly 359

Emirates

Dubai - 21 weekly 388

Iraqi Airways

Baghdad - 1 weekly 738

Med-View Airline

Lagos - 4 weekly 763/772

Norwegian Long Haul - 11x 789 based

Austin (New) - 3 weekly 789
Boston - 7 weekly 789
Buenos Aires - 4 weekly 789
Chicago (New) - 7 weekly 789 (from 25/03)
Denver - 3 weekly 789
Fort Lauderdale - 2 weekly 789
Los Angeles - 9 weekly 789
New York JFK - 13 weekly 789
Oakland - 5 weekly 789
Orlando - 3 weekly 789
Seattle - 4 weekly 789
Singapore - 4 weekly 789

Rwandair

Kigali - 3 weekly 332/333 (via BRU)

Thomas Cook Airlines - 1x 332 based

Cancun - 2 weekly 332
Cayo Coco - 1 weekly 332
Holguin - 1 weekly 332
Orlando - 3 weekly 332

TUI Airways - 2x 788, 1x789 based (?)

Boa Vista - 3 weekly 752
Cancun - 7 weekly 787
Liberia - 1 weekly 787
Mauritius - 1 weekly 787
Montego Bay - 3 weekly 787
Orlando Sanford - 2 weekly 787
Puerto Vallarta - 1 weekly 787
Punta Cana - 3 weekly 787
Sal - 2 weekly 752
St Lucia - 1 weekly 787
Varadero - 1 weekly 787

Tianjin Airlines

Chongqing - 2 weekly 332
Tianjin - 4 weekly 332 (via CKG/XIY)
Xi'an (New) - 2 weekly 332 (from 11/05)

Virgin Atlantic Airways - 4x 744, 2x 332/333 based

Antigua - 3 weekly 333/332
Barbados - 7 weekly 333/332
Cancun - 1 weekly 744
Grenada - 2 weekly 333/332 (via UVF)
Havana - 2 weekly 744
Las Vegas - 7 weekly 744
Montego Bay - 2 weekly 744
Orlando - 12-17 weekly 744
St Lucia - 3 weekly 333/332
Tobago - 1 weekly 333/332 (via UVF)

Westjet

Calgary - 5 weekly 763
Edmonton - 2 weekly 763
Halifax (New) - 7 weekly 7M8 (from 30/04)
Toronto - 7 weekly 763
Vancouver - 6 weekly 763
Winnipeg - 1 weekly 763

Average weekly departures = 308-321 vs 280-289 in S17
Average daily departures = 44-46 vs 40-41 in S17

Busiest Routes:

Orlando - 31-36 weekly
Toronto - 22-23 weekly
Dubai - 21 weekly
New York - 20 weekly
Barbados - 14 weekly
Cancun - 13 weekly
Vancouver - 10-13 weekly
St Lucia - 11 weekly
Las Vegas - 10 weekly
Los Angeles - 9 weekly
Antigua - 9 weekly
Oakland - 8 weekly
Calgary - 8 weekly