And the Chancellor's Autumn Statement Documentation includes :

Easyjet launching a 3 weekly LGW-TLV flight from 1st April 2014.

I think there is a general presumption against allowing luggage trolleys on station platforms, on safety grounds - it's mentioned here in connection with the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link:

Q Will there be luggage trolleys available at the airport station?

A Yes. However it will be necessary for conventional safety reasons to prevent airport baggage trolleys from reaching the station platform

EARL Project Questions and Answers

Tel aviv is a bit of a shock as a lot of flights already:
LHR-TLV BA LY
BA 3 flights a day
LY 2/3 flights a day
LTN-TLV EZY LY
EZY 2 daily
LY. 22 weekly

So is Ezy going on the Tlv route the reason Norwegian hasn't announced it? Or are they waiting to see what Ezy are doing in terms of times etc before making their plans public?


TB

Is TLV open skies with Airlines or is Norwegian prevented because it is not an EU airline ?

Norway along with Iceland and Liechtenstein are members of the the European Free Trade Association and the European Economic Area. It in turn allows the EFTA-EEA states to participate in the EU's Internal Market without being members of the EU. They adopt almost all EU legislation related to the single market including borders (Norway is in Schengen) except laws on agriculture and fisheries.

So the answer is that Norwegian is not prevented from flying from any EU/EEA airport to TLV.

Thanks for that.

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Did some digging and Norwegian fly to Sweden so no reason why UK-TLV not applicable it appears at first glance.

More electical fires reported on Gatwick Express class 442 units involving their traction equipment. Last three, reported elsewhere, to have occured on 28th November, 3nd December and today. The latter being on a unit on an empty coaching stock move. These units, introduced in 1988 are simply clapped out and not fit for purpose. They give visitors to the Uk a bad first impression. They are far inferior and less accessable, certainly for the infirm and more aged, to the 2000 lntroduced, purpose built, class 460 units for Gatwick Express, that Network Rail in their wisdom allowed Southern, the now franchise owner of Gatwick Express, to replace them with between 2010 and 2012.

Any negotiations have to start with providing modern suitable trains.That is where to start.

" class 460 units for Gatwick Express, that Network Rail in their wisdom allowed Southern"
That fiasco has nothing to do with Network Rail. Aim your fire at Dept for Transport.

Doesn't matter who is responsible.....it's still a disgrace which needs attention .

Gatwick to abandon second runway aspirations if Heathrow expands ?
 

According to the FT:

"Gatwick’s chairman Sir Roy McNulty expressed doubt that the airport would be willing to build a second runway if it was given permission to do so at the same time as Heathrow was allowed to construct a third runway."

No surprises there, then.

Dave - to play devil's advocate, no new runway would be operational before 2020. Assuming an average of modest growth over the years. LHR has lower frequency larger aircraft where a less constrained airport might see higher frequency smaller aircraft on some routes. Furthermore, operating at 99% capacity every day indicates non-sustainability.

So why not 2 runways at the same time ?

6 years is a bit optimistic.

I was wrong about the £50m extra for Gatwick station. Here is the official story:

Background and context
In November 2012, the Prime Minister asked Sir Howard Davies to chair an Independent Commission to examine the scale and timing of any requirement for additional capacity to maintain the UK’s position as Europe’s most important aviation hub. The Commission will produce its final recommendations in the summer of 2015.
The Commission was also tasked with identifying and evaluating how any need for additional capacity should be met in the short, medium and long term. As part of this work, the Commission have been examining the case for improving surface access to our existing airports. Sir Howard Davies wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 26 November setting out the Commission’s recommendations for improving airport surface access.
The package of measures covers all of Sir Howard and the Commission’s recommendations, although there are understandable differences in tone.
The Commission rightly indentifies surface transport as a factor that affects airline route decisions. This package of measures is designed to make other London airports, particularly Gatwick, more attractive to long haul operators. This is important in securing vital connections to emerging markets as Heathrow is and will remain full and as such operators are unlikely to be able to secure slots there. By enhancing the attractiveness of other London airports, we will also increase the attractiveness of the London market to these carriers and increase the likelihood they will serve London.

What the package includes
Gatwick
Gatwick Airport Station to be fully redeveloped by constructing a new station building and transport interchange south of the present building by 2020 for airport passengers and regional transport users. This station and interchange will be compatible with the long term growth plans developed by Gatwick Airport for the next two decades, subject to the findings of the Airport Commission. It will also support railway demand growth forecast for the wider region over the period.

The new building enables full realisation of the extra track and platform capacity provided at Gatwick by an earlier £50m scheme co-funded by the Government through Network Rail (£42m) and Gatwick Airport (£8m) between 2011 and 2013. It both meets airport growth requirements and stimulates investment in the wider 'Gatwick Diamond' cluster of industries around the airport.

The Government will contribute £50m of capital funding at this stage towards a scheme capped at £180m cost. The full scheme and third party contributions will be defined by December 2014, when funding will be reviewed. Station over-track construction may be timed in parallel with Brighton Main Line resignalling work planned for 2018-19 to reduce cost and disruption.

As the Commission identifies we fully expect Gatwick airport to contribute to this project and will also work with Network Rail to reduce the projects costs. Any gap would however require additional funding to be made available by HMT.

The Government accepts there is scope to enhance the rolling stock used on Gatwick Express services to better meet the needs of airport users. The tender documentation for the future TSGN rail franchise makes clear that evaluation credit is available for bidders who offer high-quality proposals to do that. It is, however, important to recognise the importance of these services to commuters as well as airport users.

The Commission has suggested that further improvements at Gatwick and on the Brighton Main Line be studied. The Government will ensure these are included in the remit of the ongoing Network Rail Sussex and Wessex Route Studies. These had been due to report in Spring 2015, but the Government will accelerate the pace of elements of the studies so that the findings of the study relevant to Gatwick can be taken into account as soon as possible.
Likewise the Government will carry out the Commissions’ suggested studies into Gatwick road access by ensuring that they are considered as part of the Highways Agency’s London Orbital/M23 ongoing Route Based Strategy work.

davfdjohnson6

I think the issue is that another runway at LHR would probably result in the full fare airlines at LGW simply diving into new slots at LHR.

This much reduces the chance of many future full fare airlines probably wanting to go to LGW. If they can get into LHR and connect with their alliance partners and more lucrative, and higher business passenger numbers.

That would leave LGW with a very expensive 2nd runway and only low costers using it,who although have been very vocal in supporting a 2nd runway, have also said they will not pay for it.

So wheres the business case ?

Nigel

That's certainly how I read the LGW chairman's comments - it's in Gatwick's interest that LHR should remain capacity-constrained.

UK media are reporting that its likely that Boris Island won't make the shortlist.

Tis a pity as Boris Island Airport or BOJ for short would have been interesting

Flights fromLondon Boris Johnson to Bourgas in Bulgaria might get a little confusing

Ok make it BJOB then:E