There is no hill but just the flatlands if you look south. It will never happen but as the report states Luton is in a better location than most London airports.

Having just read the executive summary I conclude it is ome of the most delusional reports Ive read. Its total garbage; Id expect better from 'the UKs leading think tank'.

Dannyboy39
So which aspects are you particularly unhappy about?
The assessments of all the London airports are pretty realistic but we all know it's unlikely to happen and LHR will eventually prevail

To be fair, I only read a snippet in my lunch break. From what I've seen, this report is a pointless exercise. I do wonder if any of the people who wrote this have ever been to Luton and have a modicum of local knowledge, or even aviation knowledge?

Luton is probably one the best locations - that's where the sense ended. If Cublington went ahead instead of Maplin Sands, that would've been the best location for an airport. But, 40-50 years later, that was never built and we have a thriving "small" airport just around the corner.

Luton will never have four runways. The economics, physicality, politics simply won't allow it. Its not even close to being sustainable; it just doesn't make sense at all. Heck, the airport abandoned plans for 2 terminals/runways 5 years ago, when the economy was at its height and UK air travel was at its peak.

The physicality simply won't allow it. Where would these four runways go? Even extending 08/26 to full length is problematic enough! An option in the 2002 White Paper was to build a diagonal runway parallel with East Luton/Cockenhoe which was dismissed out of hand. A runway 500m south of the current one was favoured.

I was unimpressed when I saw the plans from Future Luton Optimisation some months ago, however this collaboration from the council fills me with optomism for a sustainable LTN.

PPRuNers have been shouting from the hills for many a year that the expansion of Heathrow is the only option, as well as utilising existing capacity. I've stated many times, I'm highly sceptical about the forecasted rapid passenger growth through London. And a plan such as this, or the radical Thames Estuary plan would mean that Heathrow would have to close, crushing the economy of Hounslow, Hayes et al.

I agree with LTNman that south of the runway the land is in deed flat as I have walked it dozens of times. I have also considered that the runways might have 09/27 headings which would allow aircraft to fly south of Stevanage and just north of Caddington but enroaching a slight new area of south Luton homes.

We can only dream that such an expansion would come to Luton but now we have to hope that Stansted is never considered for they might want to close our airport instead!:ooh:

Having just read the report in full, I definitely haven't changed my mind. The Heathrow plan has some merit (although I certainly don't agree with the closure of T4 or the existing runways, but the Luton plan is totally ridiculous.

Proposing the demolition of Luton Hoo would be disastrous for the town - one of the few things that makes you proud to be a Lutonian. The DLR-type service from Tring and Stevenage would be a total waste of money.

Maybe this is just to troll the Harpenden residents? :ok:

Also the report's plan to limit noise at all times, by effectively banning B747-400s, B777-300s, A340-600s, A300s, A310s are totally ridiculous and should never happen.

More pie in the sky as building an 80,000 seater football stadium by the M1 on stilts so an F1 track could go round it.

4 Runways at Luton, BLIMEY! 'Arpenden and Snoorbans will sign up for that!

Air Blue start soon.

I thought Air Blue was a figment of Wikipedia's imagination???

Well, they said they were starting the route, then denied it citing a 'hack' of their Facebook page, then this appeared

airblue Studies UK Growth Options :: Routesonline

And on their Facebook page it says "It clears that Airblue might start thrice weekly Islamabad or Lahore to Birmingham service with A340-300.

It also says that the current Istanbul route would be served now to Islamabad-Istanbul-Luton which is very sure according to our sources."

Make of it, what you wish.

Would have thought Luton's runway would be to short for an A340-300 long haul. They seem to use a lot of runway when I've been on them! And before anyone says it I'm not that overweight!

No the A340 cannot operate long haul passengers flights from Luton's runway because it's too short. The plans are is that the A340 would fly to Birmingham and Manchester direct. The Luton route would stop in Istanbul and will be operated by an A320, which can be easily operated from Luton's runway.

Seems a bit silly I think. Would make much more sense to fly the A340 into Stansted or Gatwick and if not possible to fly them all on A340's due to lack of A340 aircraft top operate them all or whatever, then surely the Birmingham connection should be the A320, not London!

I guess it all depends upon yields and catchment areas. Luton operation (if it happens) will be the A320 that currently routes to Manchester. This is being replaced by a direct A340 leaving the A320 available for route development.

Gatwick are always on the 'look out' for large aircraft operators, but rumour has it, the sub 100 passenger aircraft types are falling out of favour with their airport authority? I was speaking to a chap recently that could be affected by a base move.

Air Blue
 

Sorry to disappoint Buster...

But if you look at the date on the article, it is the 6th September and that was when the rumour mill started, and the articles appeared on their Facebook Page and Wakipedia.

Since Air Blue quashed any rumours of routes to Birmingham or Luton, it has ben very quiet. Cannot find any newer news articles and if the airport was getting a long haul route, their press office would be going into over drive.

A round of honey sarnies if it happens then!

Was there not a similar operation a few years ago when a feeder aircraft took passengers from Luton to some Northern European airport where they transferred to a larger aircraft that took them to Pakistan? Seem to remember it only lasted a few weeks.

Yes there was by an airline called "Swe Fly" which no longer exists, which had the IATA code of "WV". It operated via an airport in Sweden where passengers did change to a larger aircraft that took them onward to Lahore.

Consultation prior to actual planning application
 

Don't forget that the LLA 'Further public consultation' will be held today at the Hat Factory between 3 and 7.30pm.

SweFly used Fokker-50s to take passengers to NYO (Stockholm Skavsta) where they switched to a B-767-200.

This is a video representation of the proposed improvements:

Is that not the old video that came out in the spring/summer as it does not show taxiway foxtrot which was added as part of the councils proposal