'Kamikaze course'. An interesting sweeping assertion.

Interesting, I would say more shocking!

Or correct, considering both Frost and Barnier right now are struck down with COVID-19 and there is no change in timeline because of the crisis!

Surely not participating in the purchasing of ventilators and claiming not to have seen the e-mail despite the Health Secretary publicly referring to it the week before is the very definition of kamikaze. As is refusing to take part in pandemic early monitoring even though other non-EU nations do so.

And what has that to do with 52% of the nation voting for Brexit? The biggest democratic vote in the country's history.

Could I very gently suggest that Brexit type things be discussed on a separate thread and that this thread be used just for Luton ?

Sorry David you are right.

It wasn’t the biggest democratic vote, that was the 1992 general election. What it has to do with 52% voting to leave the EU is that is the direct consequence of the direction the Government is taking in their ideological interpretation. Why it’s relevant to LTN is that it very much impacts the the future schedule and success of one of the airport’s major operators.

I know the Wizzair AM 'rush' has been down to just 5 flights for a while now and today it dropped to 3 but did any actually arrive today?
Edit, just found them on FR24 over Germany heading our way.

I have noticed that Easyjet have run no rescue flights through Luton. Also since last week National Express services no longer operate or call into the airport.

Rumours going around security that Wizz will be pulling their last flights out of Luton soon.

I have been going for walks over the fields by the airport over the last few days. Remarkable as there is no man made noise, just bird song disturbing the peace. A high price is being paid for all that silence though.

My routine exercise for years, and maintained now, is a walk out south of Luton. The bird song comment is very true, occasionally broken by a train.

One evening mid week the only aircraft I saw or heard was an outbound BA A380 - the surrounding silence allowed the Trents to be heard in full, even at height.

But, as you say, at a price.

Out for an hour and a half today and didn’t see or hear any airport activity apart from security patrolling the fence. Must be as quiet now as it was in the 60’s.

Wonder if the FBO’s are still open 24/7? Can’t see the terminal remaining 24/7 for long.

Signature only using T1 now.

Thought the stopped using T2 when their new FBO opened. Certainly never seen any S Class cars up there for a good couple of years.

I believe SFS T2 is (was) only used for larger 'airliner' type loads

Correct, footie teams etc but obvoiusly zero demand now.

It was the Ocean Sky terminal. What happened to them at Luton? The main apron for T2 was used for Signature parking but is empty now.

Ocean Sky got bought by Signature. With them appearing not be using stands 80/81 perhaps we might see more EZY planes arrive on those? Don't know if they are leased stands or dedicated to the FBO.

Passenger figures down 4% for February compared to last February. Overall still sitting at 18,223,000 for rolling 12 months.

They used to double park on the south stands years ago for football matches. Also there is the new taxiway extension to 08 that could be used while taxiway Foxtrot only has 3 aircraft parked on there. I assume Luton still has expensive charges as they charge by the hour.

If I am not mistaken, Luton is today London's second busiest airport as far as scheduled flights are concerned (LGW 4, SEN 2, STN 2, LCY 0).

Scheduled pax yes, but STN is taking a lot more Cargo now so as far as movements it will be #2.

Sure. That's what I meant.

Interesting Air Albania due today. Take their citizens home?

ZA BEL just landed

Doubt it as it doesn't appear on the arrival or departure boards.

Construction update
 

A short walk from home and daily exercise has taking me today to the fields by the airport for this construction update. The area around the fire training ground is being raised. The fire training ground will move south of the runway under expansion plans.
https://i.imgur.com/bhg5GRz.jpg

Soil for the new taxiway, which is part of the old planning permission for 18 million passengers. Airport expansion plans would require the land being raised by up to 22m which is above the height of the trees. The field seen would become an apron. LLAL states they need to open a quarry and move 4 million cubic metres of earth that would require 400,000 round trips.
https://i.imgur.com/yzEz22I.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8JsJKwe.jpg

Maintenance and winding gear area. Photo by time lapse and taken by the construction company.
https://i.imgur.com/4xh2EAS.jpg

Taken a few weeks ago this is the first winding gear for the dart train
https://i.imgur.com/mmlnfqL.jpg

Two RAF Statesman in yesterday, not as exciting as the C17s produced on social media at other SE airports.

Harrods closed its FBO at both Luton and Stansted last week

Harrods Aviation is taking “the unprecedented and regrettable decision to temporarily close its FBO and maintenance facilities at its London Luton and London Stansted bases” in response to the UK government’s Covid-19 guidelines. Its two locations will close this Friday—effective at 6 p.m. local time at Stansted and 11:59 p.m. local time at Luton—through at least April 17, when Harrods said it will review the situation.

“This is clearly a very serious global situation, and as an organization, we felt the right action to take was to close our operations at both bases,” said Harrods Aviation managing director Paul Norton. “Using the philosophy of people before profit, the safety and well-being of our staff, our customers, and the wider community becomes our primary focus. This decision has, of course, not been taken lightly. We believe our customers will understand and appreciate the seriousness of the situation and our positive response to it.”

Earlier this month, the company announced an investment in new services and equipment at its FBOs in response to rising customer demand. They included electric car charging points at its Luton facility and a VIP private ambulift at Stansted.

every days a school day - never heard of the 146 referred to as a Statesman before! :ok:

Nor had I so I had to look it up. Disappointed it was what I would call a 146.

I thought that would make a few of your think! 😉

[QUOTE][Harrods closed its FBO at both Luton and Stansted last week/QUOTE]
I think Signsture down to 09:00 to 19:00 only. Are any London FBOs still 24/7 ?

BAE used the name to market VIP versions of the a/c IIRC.

It is known as that in Wikipedia but I must admit I used the name from BAe Hatfield days.

With travel bans and passengers general reluctance to travel killing off air travel, Luton's remaining routes are often still full or have fares out of Luton close to £400 for a single journey indicating strong demand. This on services using aircraft including A321's with up to 3 departures a day. Flights into the UK are cheaper but there is still plenty of demand.

Wizzair are still running flights from LGW, BHX & LPL, what is your point? They go into isolation in their home countries. Don't know who is going to bring in the Harvests this year!

I expected demand to drop off but it is being maintained meaning I doubt Luton will find itself with no passenger services, which will keep the terminal ticking over.

Wizz seem to have the attitude to run what routes they can which must be bringing in high profits on those routes as they have no competition.

Remember that many passengers will be travelling for Easter to see family which actually makes a complete mockery of government advice not to see family members as it tries to contain the Coronavirus. Walking through arrivals into landside this morning I could see no evidence of social distancing as family members who clearly had not seen each other for a long while greeted each other with kisses and cuddles.

Who knows how many people will now leave Britain with this virus as I believe infection rates are far higher here than in their home countries.

A significant portion of the still flying Wizz fleet (All UK registered aircraft are in storage up at Doncaster) is currently flying special freight charters from Warsaw via Kazakhstan to and from Beijing carrying medical supplies for the Polish state at the moment Those are hardly likely to be high profit are they !