The whole project is now under review and looks like it won’t be built. The favored idea is to now replace the hard shoulder with an additional lane.

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/4482.aspx

Postponement of Public Inquiry April 2008
In December 2007 the planned Public Inquiry was delayed whilst further traffic modelling work was undertaken.

Although good progress has been made on resolving the traffic modelling issues, recent changes in methodology and an increased estimate of the cost of the scheme have adversely impacted on the scheme appraisal and, therefore, its potential value for money. Furthermore, following the recent Feasibility Study into advanced motorway signalling and traffic management, it is also necessary to consider whether hard shoulder running could provide a better value solution, at least for parts of the scheme.

It has therefore been decided that the Public Inquiry should be postponed whilst further investigations are carried out into other possible options for the scheme, including hard shoulder running.

The Government remains committed to improving capacity of this key strategic section of the M1 and a decision on the way forward for the scheme will be made in due course.

I understand the first Silverjet is due to leave this morning for Victorville.
That will help with parking overnight.

= the Treasury is broke, and without a significant increase in taxation (direct or indirect - unlikely in the two-year run-up to a general election) HMG just can't afford it! Lucky for LTN that the M1 widening between J10 and J6 has been budgeted-for and hopefully, will be completed by the Spring.

Any news on the proposed lengthening of the platforms at Luton Airport Parkway station so they can (finally) accommodate HSTs??

GWR HSTs have a safety case to operate at short platform stations across west country. Same mod could apply to East Mids trains and could save on platform lengthening at Luton Ap Pkwy.

Parkway Station
 

I believe the HST can already stop at Parkway. The platforms are being lengthened to take 12 coach trains for First Capital Connect services as part of Thameslink 2000 project (or whatever the new name now is) to increase capacity Bedford to Brighton. Part of that will be to close the route to Moorgate from Bedford which was a useful link into London.

Work on the platform extensions at Parkway was well under way when I flew into Luton a few weeks ago.

Just to clarify on the Thameslink project: it's only the short stub of line between Farringdon and Moorgate which is being closed. This is necessary to allow the platforms at Farringdon to be extended (across the junction) which will allow most or all trains to be lengthened to 12 carriages. Trains only run down this stretch every 8 minutes or do and only during the peak... by closing the branch, up to 24 trains an hour will be able to run straight through between north and south London. Of course, anyone for Moorgate can change at Farringdon onto LU services.

Trolleys
 

I see LLA are going to start charging for trolleys.

BBC NEWS | England | Beds/Bucks/Herts | Airport to charge for trolley use

JSW.

CAA Stats May2008
 

CAA Stats(Provisional) for May 2008 show PAX up 7.2 percent.
932,623 for May
10,190,422 Rolling 12 Month figure.

Still impressive given current downturn.
Demise of SJ sure to have an impact on future months.
On this note does anybody know the current situation regarding their Buisiness terminal?
Has it been mothballed ,emptied.Any plans for its future?

Hi BtB,
The rise on the month is an remarkable 6.2%. The 7.2% is for the rolling year.
Most of the rise is coming from the Stansted fall which is 3.2% of a larger number. Overall the total for all airports show pax up 1.2% for the month of May. The airlines will start reporting june loadings over the next few hours. Low cost airlines like people booking months ahead so I expect any large drop in pax to happen after August.

I understand if you stay at the Luton Hoo Hotel, one of the facilities available is on-site is Clay pigeon shooting, I hope their guest have a good aim :eek: otherwise the arrivals and departures may well be flying through flak!

Silver's 76's...
 

...both will be flown out of LTN tomorrow apparently.

JSW.

Closure of yet another Luton era sadly! I understand one of them is at Victorville in desert storage?

767's are bound to find new, but temporary homes with all the delays in delivering 787's!

Not sure that 767-200's will be snapped up Buster .. 300's perhaps.

One of the two remaining Silverjet 767's has departed this evening, but only as far as Shannon.

British Eagle DC6 due in Saturday at 11:00
British Eagle DC-6 at Luton tomorrow - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums

"The famous British Eagle DC-6, G-APSA, will be returning to Luton at 1100 tomorrow, for the first time since ceasing commercial operations. En route to the type's thrilling debut at London City Airport, where later in the day she will become the largest aircraft ever to land in the docks, G-APSA is celebrating a historic and little known link to her past.

At the very moment of British Eagle's (Eagle) demise in 1968 a new airline began to build its reputation in the charter and scheduled market previously dominated by Eagle. Monarch Airlines, started by two of Eagle's principal executives, took on many of Eagle's former pilots and even aircraft to found what has become the pre-eminent independent British airline in this sector. Indeed, a senior manager for Monarch Technical Support commented last week that 'had Eagle continued to operate the DC-6 for just four more years it is entirely plausible that Monarch would have operated the type too.'

To celebrate the link between this historic aircraft and this fine airline, G-APSA has been invited to Luton to share the tarmac with her successors for a couple of hours. As well as Monarch, the Six team want to extend their thanks to Harrods Aviation and London Luton Airport for their support on this important occasion.

G-SILC went to SNN this evening.

G-SILC must of come back again, as it was on stand outside the Monarch hanger and pushed about 1900 this evening?

With Alenia damaging another fuselage section this week, Boeing will need to find masses of spare aircraft to back fill the void late delivery of 787 airframes will bring. Maximising their damage limitation exercise as late deliveries and overruns will be financially punitive for Boeing, spare 767 airframes might just apease?

LOT have delayed their introduction of the 787 by 12 months minimum due to project delays, how much must this be costing Boeing?

British Eagle, nice, although just a bit before my time!

Can remember seeing a British Eagle Bristol Britannia at Luton but never a DC6.

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/5...c01535asc5.jpg
http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/5...7eaf183224.jpg

Maxijet
 

I quote from a well known auction web site.......


Would you like to be part of an exciting Regional Airline. We are looking for 50 investors to fly with us to success, because we will begin operations in November 2008 flying out of Luton Airport to seven destinations around the UK. Each investment stake must be £5000.00 which will be paid back to the investor in the fifth (5) year of operation. The rate of interest per annum will be 8.5% cummulative over the five years and the immediate families of the investors will have the privilage of free air travel on the airline.So if you dont want to miss a brilliant investment, and be successful with us, please contact us for further details. Once this offer has expired it will no longer be available.Please do not contact us if you are not a genuine investor.Thank you.

Novel and not seen at Luton before!

Do a search for Luton airport, Maxijet and you will see what I mean (item 300239144897)!

So all my fellow Luton PPRuNers, we can have our own airline!

Whatever next......Adopt a Bear.......!

New Airline Venture
 

50 x 5000 = 250,000. Hardly a great start for a regional airline flying to 7 destinations. If it was 500 x 5000 or 50 x 50000 would make a bit more sense. Company only registered 5 days ago (not to be too sniffy but the registered address is a house owned by a housing association). Hmmm.......

7 UK Destinations (not served by another carrier): NCL / DND / BLK / CWL / EXT / CAX / SOU?

Ps Spell check would be useful.