If the airport was sold to the operator then the money would probably have to be borrowed and interest paid to the bank. Paying only say £3,000,000 a year probably works out at the cheaper option.

Unfortunately, Capt Alcock, someone in TBI must have failed to carry-out proper due diligence or certainly, failed to arrange for a Schedule of Dilapidation. The result (something that was certainly identified by the consortium that included FRA Airport Authority) has been far greater capex and maintenance costs than anticipated. The terminal, various items of airside technical equipment, some taxiway surfaces, the main runway surface and even the surface movement radar all required/require massive sums of money because of the almost total lack of investment in the years running up to the start of the Concession, by the Town Council.

When ACDL bought TBI, the same failures appear to have been repeated.

If you buy a second-hand car, then at the very least you should get it checked over by the AA or RAC to make sure it isn't clapped out or seriously faulty... :hmm:

So the Town Hall got a good deal then? Isn't that their job to maximize income on their asset for the benefit of its rate payers? Governments seem to get rid of assets at knock down prices while the private sector makes vast profits out of the tax payer being short changed.

As the airport now handles 10 million passengers per year I am sure they would say that their decision to rent out the airport was a good one as the airport is doing very well.

CAP 493 - you are right.

The Delaps were considered by TBI as there is a schedule of maintenance provisons which dictate what needs to be spent and when and is part of the concession contract. TBI plc were aware of these, I can assure you. There were no surprises for TBI but there may well have been for ACDL.

If you are not an expert buyer then you do need advice - which I understand ACDL obtained from AENA oh and er TBI - caveat emptor!

In financial terms it probably is still is a good deal for the operator provided they don't spend any development capex and can continue to squeeze traffic through the existing infrastructure.

Well, if offering a 30-year Concession is such a damn good idea, how come no other 'local authority' airport in the UK has ever done this either before or after Luton. Surely Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Teesside can't all be wrong....?

BTW, looks like Premjet's MD-83 initial routes from LTN will be: Faro, Malaga, Palma, Salzburg & Tenerife South. No 2008 start dates yet. If it's successful, the annual pax figure could top 10.5M = more unearned income for LBC to waste... :ugh:

Providing services for new immigrants and asylum seekers, who have contributed nothing is considered a duty imposed by governments and is not classed as wasting money, others might disagree.

.

Website now says flights to start early 2009, so nothing in 2008.

Sky Europe
 

Looks like a second daily Prague service is to be operated in the peak summer months.

Looks that way. Twice daily from 3 May. Timings suit inbound London traffic, making full day trips possible, but with outbound afternoon and late evening departures ex LTN, timings not so good to PRG.

Noisy Choppers!
 

Yep! It's what's called "flying VFR" (visually) and as such, VFR pilots are indeed, not obliged to follow any route if doing so prevents them flying in accordance with the visual flight rules. They'd be a damn sight more of a nuisance if the pilot flew into cloud, became disorientated and so crashed nearby...:uhoh:

I wonder what the local tree huggers will make of the new airspace and route proposals that will affect Luton from Spring 2009?

http://www.consultation.nats.co.uk/

http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/lut-news...eir.3800372.jp

I have just looked at the consultation site, it appears not to show any Luton departure routes.

Perhaps they are keeping that bit secret. Either that, or they are going to solve the BPK problem by not having any departures!

You need to look at Part F Mr. Bust! It's all there in great detail.:)

And if you go to http://www.consultation.nats.co.uk/m...fects_you.html, and enter your postcode at the bottom of the page, you can get an individually tailored display of all the current and proposed flightpaths that affect you.

Neat! :)

I can assure you that there are departure routes, some of which appear to take a west of London de-tour to Dover!

Brookmans Park becomes a rather tranquil place to live, whilst somewhere up the A1 is the new Luton hold.

When you put a LU2 Post Code in, it allows you to select the Luton departure routes.

When I put my Post Code in it does not give you the option of seeing departures. Perhaps its because I live underneath the Eastbound routes!

I'm not sure where you mean, but the westerly departures to the east and south east will now turn right and wrap right round the north of Luton instead of simply turning left.

I suspect that you will lose these flights from your own personal 'radar'.

I think that Mr Bust is pretty close to the proposed east and south easterly routes if he lives north of Luton. I wonder why he is unable to select the routes :oh:!

Not all flights will be fortunate to get the new routes, a more scenic departure is on offer to those :eek:!

Perhaps they think they will well above my head. I wonder at what point they consider them to be high enough not to be an issue?