Gatwick-3

[Vokes55]

Athens and to a lesser extent Milan (ex-LTN but Wizzair base and previously applied for slots MXP-LGW) are just BA dumping low cost capacity into Wizzair markets. I’d imagine they’ll survive as long as Wizzair keeps the routes open.

I’d be interested to see if BA start LGW-BKK. They’ve just canned LHR-BKK for Summer 22. Now Scoot have entered the market it would be not unlike BA to try to squeeze out low cost competition. They’d also be able to use the moving of low yielding O&D long haul routes as pawns in their fees dispute with Heathrow.

[adfly]

BA Euroflyer

To get an idea of how the planned 18 aircraft will be utilised I've had a quick look through the schedule for the 2nd week of July. Appears to be the following:

Alicante - 12 weekly
Amsterdam - 16 weekly
Antalya - 7 weekly
Athens - 5 weekly
Bari - 6 weekly
Berlin - 7 weekly
Bordeaux - 13 weekly
Cagliari - 7 weekly
Catania - 6 weekly
Dalaman - 9 weekly
Dubrovnik - 7 weekly
Faro - 13 weekly
Glasgow - 7 weekly (LHR W pattern)
Heraklion - 3 weekly
Ibiza - 9 weekly
Kos - 2 weekly
Lanzarote - 6 weekly
Larnaca - 2 weekly
Las Palmas - 2 weekly
Madrid - 7 weekly
Mahon - 6 weekly
Malaga - 14 weekly
Malta - 8 weekly
Manchester - 7 weekly (LHR W pattern)
Marrakech - 7 weekly
Milan Malpensa - 7 weekly
Nice - 15 weekly
Palma - 6 weekly
Paphos - 7 weekly
Rhodes - 1 weekly
Santorini - 4 weekly
Seville - 6 weekly
Tenerife - 8 weekly
Thessaloniki - 4 weekly
Turin - 6 weekly
Venice - 8 weekly
Verona - 7 weekly

[jensdad]

Originally Posted by adfly

Thessaloniki - 4 weekly
Turin - 6 weekly

Great work, adfly! You wouldn't know if Tirana is staying at Heathrow do you?

[mariofly12]

Originally Posted by jensdad

Great work, adfly! You wouldn't know if Tirana is staying at Heathrow do you?

It is indeed, double daily

[jensdad]

Originally Posted by mariofly12

It is indeed, double daily

Thanks mariofly12.

[tubby linton]

I believe that the main runway is to be resurfaced in 2022, does anybody know when this is to commence?

[davidjohnson6]

1st flight of SkyAlps/Luxwing to Bolzano on 15-Dec was cancelled. Flights on 18-Dec, and 22-Dec have also been cancelled. 1st flight seems to be on sale for 25-Dec which is perhaps dubious... 29-Dec seems like a more definite date for a flight to happen. I'm wondering if ticket sales have been a little disappointing.

Update - SkyAlps say there has been some misunderstanding with the "UK Aviation Office", presumably the CAA, and UK flights are not currently permitted. I wonder what this could be (or if it is BS !), if flights with a Malta/EU-based carrier from Bolzano in Italy to Brussels, Dusseldorf and Rotterdam have already started. Selling package holidays without posting a bond to the CAA ?

[JW95]

BA and LGW-BKK

Originally Posted by Vokes55

Athens and to a lesser extent Milan (ex-LTN but Wizzair base and previously applied for slots MXP-LGW) are just BA dumping low cost capacity into Wizzair markets. I’d imagine they’ll survive as long as Wizzair keeps the routes open.

I’d be interested to see if BA start LGW-BKK. They’ve just canned LHR-BKK for Summer 22. Now Scoot have entered the market it would be not unlike BA to try to squeeze out low cost competition. They’d also be able to use the moving of low yielding O&D long haul routes as pawns in their fees dispute with Heathrow.

So am I. Perhaps the decision to move BKK from LHR to LGW will largely depend on how successful Scoot is on the same route that they've just launched. LHR-BKK is pretty well covered with Eva and Thai year-round vs BA's now seasonal service. I reckon we will find out more once Scoot reinstate LGW again for the summer season and whether or not the route is working well for them, in which case BA may well be tempted to enter LGW with their own service to BKK.

[Buster the Bear]

https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/...wick-expansion

[vectisman]

Emirates increases Gatwick to Dubai to twice daily A380 from March 27th 2022. Hopefully the third daily service will be reinstated before
the end of 2022.

[brian_dromey]

Originally Posted by JW95

So am I. Perhaps the decision to move BKK from LHR to LGW will largely depend on how successful Scoot is on the same route that they've just launched. LHR-BKK is pretty well covered with Eva and Thai year-round vs BA's now seasonal service. I reckon we will find out more once Scoot reinstate LGW again for the summer season and whether or not the route is working well for them, in which case BA may well be tempted to enter LGW with their own service to BKK.

BKK has been a 3-class 777 for many years at Heathrow, leading to speculation its a fairly low yield route for them. Certainly the rate of op-ups from World Traveller Plus, the speed with which they dropped much of their Asian network and the slow return adds to this idea. The dense LGW 777s would probably be a decent fit for the route. On the other hand Thailand is taking a cautious approach to foreign visitors. So if it was marginal for BA in 2019 I can see why it might struggle now.

[True Blue]

So Wizzair now has about 12 new routes on sale on their site now from Lgw.

[vectisman]

I wonder if the fact that Wizzair has just gained another 15 daily slot pairs at Gatwick for Summer 2022(Bought from Norwegian) will further influence the development
of Euroflyer at Gatwick. BA ,and indeed Easyjet for that matter, will not want then to become too established. Hence the BA and easyjet slot lease deal for Summer 2022.
I can see BA responding by continuing to expand the Gatwick short haul fleet and using those slots. Also some rumours that Bangkok could be a BA long haul Gatwick route in the medium to long term.
It has been cancelled from Heathrow until at least next October. It is a lower yield mainly point to point route, maybe better suited to Gatwick. I expect they will be seeing how the new Scoot Gatwick to Bangkok route works out.
Of course everything depending on the public health situation.
Wizzair just announced 14 new routes to and from London Gatwick for Summer 2022. Some with new based aircraft others from overseas bases.
Obviously keen to use all those newly acquired slots. Be interesting how BA and easyjet respond.
On the plus side South Terminal will definitely need to be operation to cope with increased demand.
IAG airlines will want to be back in their South Terminal home as will others.
Rumours say plans are underway for a staggered re-opening in 2022.

[Flightrider]

BKK would be an interesting move for BA with the "densified" 777s at Gatwick, if indeed they have crew rest to facilitate it.

South Terminal re-opening will be a genuine logistical challenge. With very limited parts of the building open, it's already clear if you spend more than about 10 minutes in there that the rat population has firmly taken up residence. I shudder to think how many systems and baggage belt failures that they'll see upon re-opening given everything that must be being nibbled and chewed on a daily basis.

[vectisman]

I am certain it is a challenge they will have the capacity to meet. they will need the terminal next Summer. I believe plans are in hand
As I said it would be a gradual re-opening. There will be a full maintenance programme too.

[gdiddy]

So from next Summer Wizz will have these routes operating from Gatwick:

Austria
Vienna - Daily *
Bulgaria
Sofia - Daily (3x Daily @LTN)
Cyprus
Larnaca - Daily (Daily @LTN)
Greece
Athens - Daily *
Chania (Crete) - 4x Weekly
Mykonos - 4x Weekly
Hungary
Budapest - Daily (3x Daily @LTN)
Israel
Tel Aviv - Daily (5x Weekly @LTN)
Italy
Bari - 2x Weekly *
Catania (Sicily) - 3x Weekly *
Milan MXP - Daily *
Naples - 4x Weekly *
Rome FCO - Daily *
Montenegro
Podgorica - 4x Weekly
Poland
Krakow - Daily (2x Daily @LTN)
Portugal
Faro - Daily *
Madeira - 2x Weekly
Romania
Bucharest OTP - Daily (3x Daily @LTN & 3x Weekly @SEN)
Spain
Malaga - 2x Daily (Daily @LTN)
Lanzorote - 3x Weekly *
Palma de Mallorca - Daily (Daily @LTN)
Tenerife - 5x Weekly (5x Weekly @LTN)

* = Routes moved from Luton

[pabely]

Bucharest OTP - Daily (3x Daily @LTN & Daily @SEN)

Don't think SEN was ever daily and looking at the timing I would bet it will operate from LGW!

[gdiddy]

Originally Posted by pabely

Don't think SEN was ever daily and looking at the timing I would bet it will operate from LGW!

I stand corrected, Southend is scheduled for Three weekly flights to Bucharest next summer, operating on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The flight times are near identical to Gatwick, operating within about 15-20 mins of each other.

[772]

Sorry for the random question but does anyone remember, maybe 20 years ago now, a staff car park that was located on the perimeter road at the 26L end of the runway right under the approach? Or am I miss remembering?

[JW95]

BA long haul at LGW post 777 retirements

Happy new year to you all- I hope the year ahead will be a positive one for all at LGW as it continues to recover

Got a question RE. BA long haul at LGW. To my knowledge, BA haven't publicly decided what will eventually replace the LGW-based 772s. These have of course recently been refurbished and are expected to stay on for quite some time yet. However, there will come a point where these will need replacing (whether with a new order or LHR hand-me-downs is anyone's guess at the moment). What does everyone think? Perhaps BA will standardise the LHR fleet with a mix of 787-9/10 and Airbus A350-1000, A380, reconfigure the 777Ws to match the LGW-spec and send them to Gatwick as more 787s/A350s are delivered? Or could we see a new order of entirely A350-900s or 787-10s destined for LGW? My guess is BA would prefer to standardise their LGW long haul ops with just one aircraft (just as currently with the 772s). Will be interesting to see what they decide, now that they've committed to staying (and hopefully growing!) at LGW.