I'd be very surprised to see Air Asia back in the UK.....

They couldn't make it work at LGW after vacating STN for the simple reason the fares had crept up to close to the full service carriers and passengers voted with their feet (even if it meant a stop in the Middle East)

Air Asia withdrew from Europe (and India) completely in late March.....

pabley,

If I am right in saying it's the 772 that El Al operate then I think it's actually a couple of feet bigger than the A333! So shouldn't be a problem size wise (I have no idea on runway lengths however and distances...)

I agree, if this rumour is correct, it will be LTN runway length which is the big factor, but perhaps if true, it might not be a non-stop service to Malaysia, they have routes to Turkey, but I'm just speculating?

Boeing 777-200 Specifications

Span - 60.9m (Max span some sections of LTN 52m)
Length - 63.7m
Takeoff Distance at MTOW MSL - 2,530m (Tel Aviv does not require full fuel tank; LTN at approx 550ft amsl)

Airbus A330-300 Specifications

Span - 60.3m
Length - 63.7m
Takeoff Distance at MTOW MSL - 2,500m

Fair enough - didn't realise the A333 is almost identical in its specs. The image on Wikipedia is deceiving!

How much fuel (and ie. runway) would an A333 require to get to Malaysia, or would a stop over in Istanbul be required?

Re: The LTN-SFB positioning flight - bloody hell that's a long one as positioning flights go!!

Forget Air Asia X and start thinking MNG 330Fs....

My sources tell me sooner rather than later.

MNG
 

Begs the question with Signatures new hangar using up half the Cargo area , it's only going to take one MNG 330 and it's full unless they start using the south stands!
Believe next week is the first date that the planning application can be submitted for the expansion( I read it in one of the Hertfordshire papers so it must be true!!)
Shall watch the LBC site with interest.

But MNG have already put their 330F into LTN?

TC-MCZ departed LTN on 21/9.
There is a video on the tube ''mng cargo a330 blt2012 dep ltn 21-09-2012''

Yes, more of those.

I did notice that the MNG A330 had a bulge above the nose gear - not noticed that on other 330s - looks a bit like a Soviet-era Tupolev. :eek:

Only applicable on Freighter versions......something to do with getting a level floor for loading...no doubt techies will give a proper explanation.
More info-
To overcome the standard A330's nose-down body angle on the ground, the A330F uses a revised nose undercarriage layout to provide a level deck during cargo loading. The normal A330-200 undercarriage is used, but its attachment points are lower in the fuselage, thus requiring a distinctive blister fairing on the nose to accommodate the retracted nose gear.

I have just had a White Elephant move in next door!


http://i50.tinypic.com/e8o61h.jpg

Thank you Eric.

That's interesting.

Buster Is this thread not supposed to be about Luton Airport, not Juvenile spotterish posts to further your own agenda.

What's life without laughs for heaven's sake?! Grow a sense of humour or you'll expire far too prematurely. IMHO Buster the Bear has every right to post relevant pictures of his furry counterparts :ok:

Buster The Bear
 

Buster it might just be worth taking note of what has been said in the SEN thread. Time to get over your dislike of Stansted and 'grow up' as your posts are getting tired, pointless and childish not to mention far from funny. :rolleyes:

http://www.pprune.org/7527320-post1395.html

Blimey.....You STN fanboys need to lighten up!

Pot, paint & kettle :ok:

Boy and girls, can we just keep it to airlines, LTN and routes. At this rate we will get the standard telling off from the mods, and have the thread closed.

fr-

Wizz S13
 

Summer timetable now loaded.
Prague now down to daily from twice daily this year.
Split returns 3x weekly but 0800 am dep for peak.
Lublin goes twice weekly plus third flt for peak on Thursday.
Ljubljana carries on through the summer 3x wkly

Looks like no overnight a/c next summer and the late night Bucharest moves to a more convenient 2030 dep
Wonder if any new destinations will be announced or has the expansion finally come to a end?

I think I am correct but no doubt I will be corrected if I am wrong. At the moment there are restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarian working in the UK. Under EU law these restrictions are soon to be lifted. I think we can expect a large influx of new arrivals from these counties and no doubt Wizz will bring more of them to Luton.

Also in 2013 Croatia joins the EU so there is another opportunity for migrants to come here.

Talking about the EU; I'm going to put another spin on it.

There are many Lutonians (and many many more nationwide) that believe the UK should leave the EU immediately. The reasoning behind it, probably due to inward migration.

Surely leaving the EU would be disastrous for London Luton Airport; the most important business in the town?

Flights to Eastern Europe would be less well patronised, certainly (depending on the new status of EU citizens working in UK). However, the general UK economy would improve rapidly due to reduced regulation and lower taxes, so UK citizens would have more disposable income.

The Airport's profile would change to its historic one - a departure point for UK travellers. Other airports would be similarly affected.

Regarding new Wizz routes both Arad and Craiova come on stream next year so I would think Luton will be served from both airports in due course. Maybe some of our Wizz friends can tell me why noboby seems to fly from Constanza on the Black Sea coast. Memories of the 1970s when numerous IT flights were operated.
Regarding leaving the UK IMHO leaving would be an unmitigated disaster for the UK in terms of exports etc. (the Commonwealth doesn´t want us any more) plus travel. I know most Brits seem to think Johnny Foreigner is a bit of an ogre but having lived in Spain and travelled around Europe on the whole they are much more friendly than the stuck up Brit. They have different priorities - family, food, enjoying life not rushing round at 1,000 miles an hour and don´t give a s**t about anybody else. Nobody does coffee on the go - stop and have a cup and relax for 10-15 minutes.

C3B
Similar life style here in Tenerife, no rat race here just a tortoise crawl.
With sun to enjoy in the leisure time.

C3B -

Exports to the EU would not stop if we left the EU. Trade would, in all likelihood improve as our cost base would be lower with less regulation and lower taxes. We would also be free to set our own terms of trade with other countries. The EU needs our import-hungry markets far more than we need their regulations and surplus workers. As for relaxing coffee breaks - look what that attitude has done for Greece, Spain and Italy - all pretty well bankrupt.

On leaving, the UK would retain some commonality with the EU, such as low tariff barriers, open skies agreement, etc.

On the whole, benefits a-plenty for the aviation industry.

Sorry to disagree with you LGS6753 about exports. Why did you think all the foreign car manufacturers set up base or bought ailing UK companies - to that they could export to the EU. That would all change if the UK left -which I don´t think it will. Also must disagree about the people of the countries you mentioned - not there fault - bankers and politicians - where have I heard that before. How would you like it if you lost 20 per cent of your salary every month when it is not your fault.
Do you honestly think all the East Europeans would return back to their own countries if the UK left the EU? What would happen if Turkey joined - 80 million and then Russia - OMG!
Just an aside just been to Gibraltar and while I was there filled the car up with petrol at 98 pence per litre unleaded and 95p for diesel. Carry on rip off Britain.
Notice that easyJet has the European flag on its aircraft and not the Union Flag - they know where there bread is buttered!

C3B

I don't think we should clog up the Luton thread but would be happy to continue the discussion by PM if you wish.:ok:

The restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians having free access to the UK labour market will be lifted at the end of next year (unless something changes!):oh::oh::oh:

There's plenty of them here already though and most have exploited "self-employed" loopholes (I'm sure most of us have a car wash not far away staffed by these nationalities!)

If we left the EU we would possibly remain in the single market/EEA. A look at Wizz Air's route map to Norway should tell you a lot ....

Another thread populated by small minded little Englanders.

If you want to hurl insults at the majority of the UK population who are sceptical of the EU, please do it elsewhere.

I think you will find Phil that the majority of those Small Englanders love their country which has been sold to the Devil. While Luton airport has clearly benefited from EU policies I would say that most of the population has not.

Looking at the smaller picture no doubt we will celebrate new routes to Eastern Europe when they are announced from Luton. Not sure about the big picture.

And a good thing too, there's far too much hanky-panky goes on aboard aircraft nowadays.

Ryanair returning to serve RAK 4x per week from February.

Good news about Morocco. Lots of other interesting rumours circulating about increased business for Luton. As I am enemy No1, I will refrain from posting until I get confirmation. Still smarting from Air Blue!

My door is always open to Stanley Stansted. I am consistently there to help those in need, just ask Pudsey!

"Oh grow up Buster".........I did and didn't like it!

What month do Adria re-commence flights.. Is it a Spring/Summer only thing?

They are not coming back, since Wizz is operating the route year round.

I see that Monarch which recently vacated one of its hangars at Luton is to build a new hangar at Birmingham. The airline has said that it will create up to 300 jobs at Birmingham Airport with the development of a new hangar and engineering facility that is large enough to accommodate two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. It has also said that there is the likelihood of the project creating a further 150 jobs at a later stage.

I think easyJet also made some announcement a few weeks ago about creating a huge hangar at Gatwick for their engineering there.

Its a real shame to see these airlines, which HQ is based at Luton, moving facilities away to other airports. Unfortunately it seems to be the norm for all of them Monarch, Thomson and easyJet, where they now only have administrative HQ and the vast majority of their ops are from bigger airports like LGW, MAN and BHX...

The problem with Luton is very much space, and the aging hangars, which don't necessarily meet today's requirements.

Where the likes of Birmingham have a whole lot of space of the western side of the runway, where the old terminal was based and has very little use.