Heathrow-3

[strawberry Ribena]

Originally Posted by davidjohnson6

So the inevitable question... what does BA or IAG do with the Heathrow slots that Flybe were using ?

could they re-advertise them? I bet JetBlue would jump at them.

[Rutan16]

Originally Posted by strawberry Ribena

could they re-advertise them? I bet JetBlue would jump at them.

The infamous remedy slots have specific and defined usages . Namely, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Belfast, Nice , Moscow, Cairo and Saudi Arabia .( ex bmi slots)

Nice is filled since Air France resumed flying the route daily last summer and using an Orly domestic configured A320.

And additional points for rather different remedies are Boston and or Miami
The US slots are all filled and have been for years.

Moscow is abeyance for obvious reasons so that leaves nothing much

The Amsterdam pairs much be borrowed from someone else ( COVID slots I suspect) so they also fall back to their official incumbent. They are an evening pair so probably an Asian or South American carrier I guess

[davidjohnson6]

I wonder if Air Arabia, Air Cairo, Easyjet or flynas might be interested. Yes, I know they are LCCs, but free slots encourages people to take a look

[cavokblues]

I don't think it's any secret Easy have tried to get slots at Heathrow, although I'm not sure about the technicalities of the remedy slots and whether they would be suitable for them.

[nguba]

John Holland-Kaye is stepping down as CEO of Heathrow. A successor is yet to be appointed:

https://mediacentre.heathrow.com/pre...e/detail/14667

[davidjohnson6]

Does anyone expect SAS' winter seasonal Heathrow-Lulea route to return after mid March 2023 ? While SAA gives the obligatory "passenger data is ahead of forecasts" blurb to anyone who asks... load factors seem challenging to a cynic like me. Yes, I know yield matters, but frequent fare sales of a 3h30 flight for £50 one way doesn't inspire confidence on yields either...

[BA318]

Originally Posted by davidjohnson6

Does anyone expect SAS' winter seasonal Heathrow-Lulea route to return after mid March 2023 ? While SAA gives the obligatory "passenger data is ahead of forecasts" blurb to anyone who asks... load factors seem challenging to a cynic like me. Yes, I know yield matters, but frequent fare sales of a 3h30 flight for £50 one way doesn't inspire confidence on yields either...

I suspect this route gets healthy support from Lulea. SAS in general is a complete mess and doesn’t seem to know what it is doing. So I guess it depends what strategy they will be trying next winter.

I suspect there is demand for a Northern Sweden - UK route especially considering Ryanair can make Vaxjo, Orebro and Vasteras work to London. But I’m not sure SAS is the one to make it work. Wouldn’t surprise me to see Ryanair expand further north. They are already offering some domestic there.

[stu_101]

Hello. I was wondering if anyone knows what’s happening with Vietnam Airline’s LHR operations? I see from their website that they have no direct flight from LHR to Vietnam from April onwards.

[SWBKCB]

Originally Posted by stu_101

Hello. I was wondering if anyone knows what’s happening with Vietnam Airline’s LHR operations? I see from their website that they have no direct flight from LHR to Vietnam from April onwards.

Going to Stansted is the rumour

[stu_101]

Originally Posted by SWBKCB

Going to Stansted is the rumour

Oh ok. Thanks for replying.

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

Originally Posted by stu_101

Hello. I was wondering if anyone knows what’s happening with Vietnam Airline’s LHR operations? I see from their website that they have no direct flight from LHR to Vietnam from April onwards.

It's an odd one, despite having operated consistently post COVID, they appear to have fallen foul of the "use it or lose" it rules for slots. So they may be off to STN if LHR kick them out.

[Cazza_fly]

Originally Posted by Skipness One Foxtrot

It's an odd one, despite having operated consistently post COVID, they appear to have fallen foul of the "use it or lose" it rules for slots. So they may be off to STN if LHR kick them out.

If that's really the case, it's more than likely thst LHR will be biting its nose off to spite its own face... To lose an airline, particularly with a route increasing in popularity right now seems crazy.

[davidjohnson6]

I think it's for ACL to decide who keeps, loses or gains slots... not the airport operator.
https://www.acl-uk.org/coordination-services/

[SWBKCB]

Originally Posted by Cazza_fly

If that's really the case, it's more than likely thst LHR will be biting its nose off to spite its own face... To lose an airline, particularly with a route increasing in popularity right now seems crazy.

Whose slots were they using? Made record losses last year ($426m). might be after a cheaper option.

[DaveReidUK]

IATA: Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines

[c52]

There were still VN50 and VN54 in April a moment ago from LHR on their website.

[Sotonsean]

Originally Posted by c52

There were still VN50 and VN54 in April a moment ago from LHR on their website.

If it is the case that Vietnam Airlines are indeed losing their LHR slots then surely this would occur at the end of the IATA winter season which ends on the last Sunday of March, which is the case every year.

The IATA winter season officially ends on the Saturday 25 March 2023 with the IATA summer season commencing the following day on the Sunday 26 March 2023.

I'm sure that Vietnam Airlines would like to remain at LHR and might be trying to do so hence why flights are still showing on their website.

Vietnam Airlines have applied for slots at STN but that's as far as we know.

ITA Airways on the other hand are still selling seats for flights from LHR to both FCO and LIN departing from the beginning of the IATA 2023 summer season. ITA Airways have recently lost their LHR slots which were leased from Etihad Airways. Etihad Airways have regained those slots and ITA Airways have made no announcement regarding their own departure from LHR.

ITA Airways could eventually come to some form of agreement with Etihad Airways or indeed another airline such as Lufthansa to remain at LHR.

[stu_101]

Interesting insight - thanks. Indeed, from their website, direct flights to Vietnam from LHR stop on the 26 March.

[PAXboy]

If the snow in central Europe starts to fall away - then Northern Europe will be in waiting. SAS and the others should be ready and waiting. 'should'.

[Sotonsean]

Vietnam Airlines inaugurated direct flights between Vietnam and the United Kingdom in 2013.

Vietnam Airlines inaugurated direct flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to London Gatwick on the 08 December 2013.

Vietnam Airlines transferred their London flights from London Gatwick to London Heathrow at the start of the IATA 2015 summer season on the 31 March 2015.

Vietnam Airlines is part of the Skyteam alliance and is the national flag carrier for Vietnam.

​​​​​​I'm sure that Heathrow Airport Limited would like Vietnam Airlines to remain at the United Kingdom's major hub airport.

Can HAL over rule ACL in situations like this?

The Vietnamese carrier Bamboo Airways were given temporary slots at LHR during the pandemic but have since relocated to LGW.

If indeed Vietnam Airlines do lose their LHR slots then it will surely be a loss to the airports airline portfolio meaning that the United Kingdom's major hub airport will no longer have direct flights to Vietnam.

I don't think that STN is really suitable for Vietnam Airlines, a return to LGW would have been a better option. If the airline does indeed relocate from LHR to STN I can't see it lasting for long. It will more than likely be a similar situation to when Garuda Indonesian relocated from LGW to LHR. For most airlines that would have been a successful move but it wasn't the case for GA.