Luton Happenings
 

Are there any?

What has happened to the three promised extra EZY aircraft? (none materialised, most new destinations gone to BAA Stansted Rural or Gatwick)

What has happened about Monarch's promised massive growth in Luton flights (gone to BHX and LGW)? Surely two flights a week to ACE and LPA does not amount to 'massive'?

Why have Ryanair been announcing new Stansted Rural desinations after stating that their London expansion would be Luton based?

As far as I know the pending good news is:

Thomson flights to new destination Hurghada next winter.
4 Wizz flights a week to Poznan from September.
Swe Fly starting this month with 3 flights a week.

So what about:

Additional charters for S06?
New destinations or extra frequencies from FR, EZY, ZB?
New UK-based loco operators (Baby, flybe, now, etc)
New foreign-based loco operations?
Links with under-served or unserved areas like Western France, Prague, Italy, Lisbon, Almeria, former Yugoslavia, Germany, Norway, etc.
Latest news on long-haul projects like Tata Airlines (to India), Fly First (to New York if Eos doesn't get there first), etc?

All replies welcome especially from those who know, rather than those who merely speculate. And of course, friendly bears.

Wondered how long it would be before we got a Luton happenings thread.

Heard nothing about new services but then these days news appears here first.

Other news:

Executive jet movements seem to be booming at the moment. Yesterday I saw 4 execs in a line all waiting their turn for take off while another 2 were on finals. They seem to be having an impact on the airlines who are getting caught up in the delays.

The easyjet tent is being taken down next week which will free up stand 46.

Easyjet has leased back half of hangar 89 to Britannia for the next 12 to 18 months. Lets hope they don't paint it orange.

New stands 60 and 61 are being used just occasionally for aircraft parking and not for the boarding of passengers. Is it really true that the stands are a tad too small for all of the equipment needed to service a Boeing 737 and that the airport coaches can’t get onto stand safely? These stands should become walk on when the development work is finished but what about the fuel tankers? All should be revealed in the next episode of Luton Airport the TV series.

The airport management still think that all of the development work will be finished in the next 20 days. In my opinion this just won’t happen, as there is just too much work that needs finishing. They might just get the departure lounge, deep search and the pier link to the old terminal finished but that’s it. Certainly arrivals will be using the old facilities for a few more weeks.

A bendy bus has been used on the station run, not sure if they have bought it or just trying it out. The bus certainly cures overcrowding.

The 12th sees the resumption of the full Thameslink service across London except the new full service is now only 6 trains an hour instead of the previous 8. This means it is a half hourly service on the slow metro link to places like Radlett and Hendon instead of the previous 15 minute service, while the fast Flyer service to the south coast is maintained at 15 minute intervals

LGS6753 - this may be because RYR and BAA/STAL at STN are rumoured to have settled their differences over fuel levy charges with (according to one report) BAA/STAL reducing its fuel levy from 0.68 pence/litre to 0.41 pence/litre and RYR having paid the amount that BAA/STAL alleged was owing since earlier this year.

However, RYR was never expected to base further aircraft at Luton until (earliest) July 2005 and (more likely) September this year in order to open additional services this winter. But if MOL has 'kissed and made up' with STAL, who knows??

Stands 60 and 61 are not available for self-manoeuvring until the 'Safegate' parking & docking guidance systems are fully operational and the relevant handling agents' ground staff fully trained. The timescale is probably over the next eight weeks.

LTNman's comments regarding completion of the terminal expansion programme seem pretty accurate given the amount of work still to be completed. Six weeks is perhaps, a more realistic timescale.

I have to agree that notwithstanding the terminal developments, the new (allegedly cash-rich) operating company at Luton, and the increasing scarcity of peak-time slots at STN and LGW, it is surprising that Luton's management still hasn't managed a real coup with any major new operator whether charter/IT or lo-co. But Luton still has to contend with its # 1 competitor continuing to use cross-subsidies to undercut charges, and with an albatros in the shape of a totally uncommercial (from the Airport's perspective) concession agreement with Luton Borough Council.

Despite these handicaps, Luton's annual passengers are now above 8m heading towards 9m, figures released by the CAA for April 2005 show a 28% year-on-year rise, corporate flights are up around 25% year-on-year, and the Airport recently had its busiest day ever with 371 movements recorded (remember that around 98% of Luton's daily movements are air transport and corporate aircraft flights).

Maybe things will change after the terminal and stand developments have been completed later this Summer.

If not - expect another 'night of the long knives' shake up of Luton's management!!

:oh:

Just returned from ZRH to LTN with Helvetic. Great flight & service. Even the Capt stands at the door welcoming on and saying goodbye to all pax. Sweeties given out as you go out the door.

Flew out Friday evening on the F100. 46 pax outbound and 55 pax home tonight. Speaking to the cabin crew, the general feeling is the London LTN route is performing quite well. but I have my doubts the route will still be there with the winter timetable, unless loads increase by at least 20/25%. That said, with little advertising so far and now with summer just about here, things should improve. I for one, sincerely hope so.

As far as any new Luton happenings are concerned, it certainly has gone very quiet. Let's just hope things improve when the terminal works are completed in the next few weeks but I wouldn't hold your breath.

Coming back through LTN yesterday, It hit me just how bad the baggage reclaim area is. The queque to pass through passport control streatched out of the building towards the apron and took almost 15 minutes to reach one of only three desks. Once inside the baggage reclaim area it looks like cr**p. Dark, dingy, with paint peeling off everywhere with three nackered old belts plus one new. The whole place looked like it hadn't been touched in the last ten years and probably hasn't. Is anything going to happen here as the whole place needs ripping apart and being completely rebuilt and updated. Does this particular area come under the terminal redevelopment ?

This is one of the first things foreign pax & ourselves see on arrival and it gives a terrible "first impression". Indeed, the man behind me was using very colourfull language to describe the place whilst waiting for his luggage to arrive.

The First Choice website seems to be showing a reduction in IT flights next summer (20 compared to 23 in '05). Destinations dropped are Alicante Almeria and Reus.

Hurghada is now showing on the Thomson website from LTN for the start of the winter timetable. Bourgas also seems to be a new destination from LTN for S06 but Kos has been dropped. Also slight increase in freq on some S06 flights compared to SO5.


First Choice brochure is showing a weekly SSH from 7 Nov & a weekly flight to Bulgaria starting 12 May 06. Both operated by FCA. I don't know if this has since changed.

The FCA Sharm flight is a winter only operation - perhaps it then switches to BOJ for the summer.

cheers ;)
FF

Aer Arann seem to be keeping their twice daily GWY-LTN throughout the coming winter timetable. Last winter I think it was daily & 2 x daily on three days each week. Perhaps more surprisingly, WAT-LTN is also staying on 2 x daily for the winter. Normally down to daily in previous winters I believe.

Cork?
 

Good news about Aer Arann's winter timetable.
I wonder if they will ever add a LTN-Cork? It is an obvious gap, unserved by anyone (since FR in about 1992). RE have infrastructure in both locations too, or is it too close to Waterford?

Website updated
 

The airport has updated its website, by including both Swe Fly and Thomas Cook in the 'airlines' section.

The TC website (linked) only seems to show the current PMI flights, not the late-summer series operated by a based 757 transferred in from Glasgow (per last year). LLA website lists 17 destinations (some obviously operated by MON/FCA/BY).

Is there any info on the TC flights, either for '05 or '06?

Maybe when TUI completes their HQ move from London to Luton more development may come from one of their airlines. I'm sure HLX could give a german route another crack of the whip again, and am quite positive with the right advertising it would be successfull, as I was very surprised when they pulled Cologne a couple of years back.

Also, ThomsonFly, the low cost branch, have been quoted as saying they can't afford not to be in London, so surely LTN would be their natural choice, unless they choose to develop an airport, similar to what they did with Coventry, meaning Biggin Hill perhaps?

Wizz is starting 3 x weekly flights wef 18 Sept between Sofia & Budapest with onward connections to LTN.

Skylink who were looking to fly from Baltimore to London Luton or London Stansted have changed thier name to Max Jet and will fly to Stansted.

I guess when Bulgaria joins the EU, the Wizz flight will go direct?

http://static.zsl.org/images/width15...04-web-305.jpg

Quick LTN Q: when's the new part of the terminal scheduled to open?

Jordan

Jordan

1st July is meant to be the big day & whilst we are lead to believe it will happen, come hell and highwater, many areas are behind schedule, ie pier work, shops, arrivals etc.

In reality several more weeks are likely to be needed before all the works are completed fully.

BLIMEY! From the photos, Luton really looks like it is a 'big' airport. Who is paying for it, ADCL/Aena? Or could it be the Council Tax payers of Luton are cost sharing with the owners of the concession?

No way can Luton Borough Council be contributing as the whole idea for letting the airport out to concession originally, was the inability of local councils to borrow money to pay for thier airports development.

Time moves on....Maybe the landlord now is legally able to invest in its asset?

Now I wonder on what, Luton Borough Council will spend their £13 million PLUS income for this current financial year, and what did they spend last years windfall on?

LTNman, a challenge for you. What happens to LBC's airport revenue?

http://static.zsl.org/images/width15...04-web-305.jpg

Just read a post on free.uk.airports-luton re executive jets, saying yesterday the guy counted some 55 on the ground at LTN, with more still inside the hangers. This seems a huge amount of airframes. I know size-wize, they are smaller but 55!!!!!!. Is that number physically posible or is this a wind-up?

Apologies to another newsgroup for lifting one of their posts in the heat of the moment. I promise I won't do it again. Aircraft at LTN between 9.45 and 10.00

Eat your heart out Farnborough

North west corner
484 Emb 135 Greek AF
OY-LGI Lear 60
N811AG Fal 2000
N9999M Gulf 4
N827GA Gulf 4
N520E Gulf 4
N56L Gulf 4
N18WF Glo Exp
N346BA Cha 604

Alliads
N317MQ Fal 2000
N343MG Fal 900
N125ZZ 125.

Hanger 125 (HOD)
N134BR Gulf 4
N671LE Gulf 5
N485LT 125
N82GK 125
HZ-OFC4 Fal 900EX
LX-VIP Glo Exp
+ others

By Monarch Hangers
N80AT Gulf 4
N910S Gulf 4

Signatures
N127SF Fal 900EX
EC-IVJ Cit 525
G-IKOS Cit 550

Gulfstream left hand hanger
N18AN Gulf 4
G-EVLN Gulf 4
5N-AGV Gulf 2

Pond
N720ML Fal 900EX
N780SP Fal 900
N910Q Fal 900
N115SK Fal 50
N257H Gulf 4
N73RP Gulf 5
N750BA Gulf 5
N77FK Gulf 4
N934DF Gulf 4
N889NC BBJ
I-FLYV Fal 2000
I-FLYW Fal 900EX

South Stands
N80BR Gulf 4
N225CX Gulf 4
HZ-AFV Gulf 4
CS-DKB Gulf 5
CS-DHC Cit 550
CS-DNL 125
OE-INF Cha 604

Harroads new hanger
N18WZ Glo Exp

Harroads new apron
N441QS Gulf 4
N460QS Gulf 4
N467QS Gulf 4
CS-FFC Fal 2000
VP-CEB Glo Exp
G-YIAN Emb Legacy
+ a Fal 50/900 that i couldn't read

Surely Luton is the biggest for private jets nowadays?

When I'm there it seems at least every third aircraft movement is a private jet!

Does anyone know the figures for Farnborough?