Best of luck. Try to avoid or allow extra time if using the Northern section of the M25 and then the M1. A day should suffice!

LGTS to go orange?

Locals in N Beds and Cambs are 'up in arms' about a new hold close to their 'patch' according to my HP Sauces! I hope they have a large complaints letter box at the ministry?

With the announcement of Precision Navigation being the preferred method of routing from the new hold to the threshold, noise en-route shall be considered to be minimised.

From the little I know, this means a route can be devised to totally minimise the noise profile as a dedicated flight path, with numerous turns. This can be drawn so that an aircraft navigation system follows this route with pin point accuracy. This will become industry leading. Speeds, headings and levels will be buried within the navigational arrival route, pre-programed into the Flight Management System.

Basically, planes can fly without the need of radar vectors, following a series of lines drawn on a map avoiding noise impact upon urban areas. These arrival routes from the hold will become radar monitored, with controller intervention to maintain the distance between successive arrivals and to ensure separation.

Well according to the consultation, this seems a mega change for the better as far as environmental impact is concerned. Now all I need to do, is ask for the inbounds on 08 to arrive 250m further North whilst on an 8 mile final than they do now!

What happened to the new Signature terminal that was going to be built?

Luton's website showing a departue to tallinn with easyjet at 19:00 and returning later on tonite, could it be a possible new destination or just a mistake?

Tallin
 

They are ferry flights to take aircraft there for and back after maintenance.

Probably just an error that these are appearing on the website.

Extract from today’s Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/...rc=rss&feed=11

A man who was accused of being one of al-Qaida's leaders in Britain and who is alleged to have sent one of the July 7 suicide bombers to a terrorism training camp in Pakistan is living freely in the home counties and is not facing any charges.
According to evidence brought before the Old Bailey jury in the fertiliser bomb plot trial, Mohammed Quayyum Khan, a part-time taxi driver from Luton, is in direct contact with one of Osama bin Laden's most senior lieutenants.
Quayyum, known as "Q" to his alleged al-Qaida associates, is also accused of being the leader of a group of would-be terrorists whose plot to bomb London was foiled 18 months before the 7/7 attacks…..


So while Joe Public are not allowed to park by the terminal for security reasons this character in his taxi can. Has the world gone mad:mad:

Seems the Israeli government have banned all UK aircraft movements to any Israeli airport unless they depart from Stansted, Gatwick or Heathrow if the aircraft or airline is non-Israeli.

I guess therefore, that the Israeli Government reckon that Gatwick, Stansted and Heathrow pay for the extra security they demand, or that they do not have enough of their own security staff to enable a fourth London airport?

I thought that El-Al flew from Manch?

I always thought that was a hoot, relocate the drop off zone and allow the taxis with adequate space for a sizeable explosive device to remain in the hazardous area and . . . how it has been achieved I don't know, but the ethnic composition of said drivers appears not to match society as a whole!

Ex-Luton Airport boss joins Bristol


Former Luton and Belfast International Airport boss is joining Bristol Airport as CEO.

Paul Kehoe is moving from mail delivery company DX Services and joins the West Country airport on June 4.

He repalces outgoing managing director Andrew Skipp.

Airport board chairman Philippe Hamon said: "The airport has grown strongly, with 33 new scheduled routes and passenger growth from 3.9 million to 5.7 million in the past four years, and it is now entering a new phase of development.

"Paul's credentials and experience will be invaluable and he will play a key role in the future development of the Airport as it continues to make a valuable contribution to the success of the South West."

Following the local council elections, Labour now seem to be back in the driving seat. Is this likely to improve the situation regarding ongoing negotiations with the airport operators concerning future expansion/Concession Agreement etc ?

Well it was Labour that put the airport out to concession orginally, so there must be some hope, but then again, we are talking politics so anything is possible!

Wizz Bucharest flights up to 6 per week by the summer end.

I see that the easyjet HQ portacabins are now being removed off site. The activity there is in stark contrast to the lack of activity around the new roundabout that is being constructed by the Ibis. Didn’t see anyone working in the surrounding area today.

Anybody know when these particular roadworks are due to be completed? Thought the Council said "by May". But which year? It's beginning to look like another LBC shambles and cock-up!! As usual, nothing they do runs according to plan... :rolleyes:

The roundabout has been physically complete for sometime but just needs finishing off. Every time I drive past it I am left wondering why there never seems to be more than a couple of people working in the entire area.

According to an 'Airport spokesman' I was speaking to earlier - the roadworks by the roundabout will not be complete until at least June!

That will please Signature.

Accident report

http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/publicati...04__d_abcd.cfm

The YR- BAC 1-11 arrival this last week sounded rather 'interesting'! 1-11's don't fly to well on one Spey!

National Air Traffic Services Limited (NATS), the UK's largest provider of air traffic control services, has responded to concerns over to flightpaths to deal with busier skies that could affect tens of thousands of homes in the south east.

NATS is drawing together a proposal for changes to the airspace north of London, which will cover both Luton and Stansted Airport. John Stewart, chair of HACAN Clearskies, a campaign group fighting airport expansion, said: 'There is no doubt that many people will find themselves under a busy flightpath for the first time as a result of these changes. If it was a new motorway, there would be a full public inquiry. Because it is a flightpath, there is only three months' consultation. That is just not acceptable. A lot of people will be very angry.'

However, NATS say that its plan is in its early stages and is months away from a design fit for consultation. Jane Johnston, head of external communications for NATS, added: 'At the heart of our redesign work is provision for continuous descent approaches, a procedure pioneered by NATS. This will considerably reduce the noise impact on people living below flightpaths. We will also make more efficient use of the airspace to minimise delay and therefore fuel burn and emissions.'

'Terminal Control North, airspace north of London, does not include the Heathrow stacks and will not lead to an expansion in the total landmass over flown. We are not seeking to avoid a wide public debate. We do not yet have a timetable for this consultation although we hope to have a proposal on which to consult, towards the end of this year.'

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, the industry's regulator, said it was not involved in the work but if NATS wished to proceed they would need to undertake a full consultation.

Very old news, LTNman. Have you been hibernating?