Interesting points, although I don’t really agree with the SOU analogy as STN was always plugged into the London market. Remember Stansted was the home for AirUK who were more than a bit player, indeed they were a LHR operator to GCI. They had a host of UK and European connections and sold heavily on the Stansted experience to avoid a then truly awful Heathrow. (Mainly because BAA cut back on investment at LHR because the future was all about STN. Anyhoo......)
It was such a shame that a great concept as STN ended up as a loco airfield, although Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2 are way more affordable than the AirUK of the 90s.

Back to LHR, noticed Pier 3 has now joined Pier 4 and been demolished. Remote stands 210/209 in use now, T2 Phase 2 will evidently look a lot like T5A!

A Report from The Independent on Wednesday 31 March 1993 23:02 BST

STANSTED, London's third airport, was dealt a severe blow last night after American Airlines announced that it will be pulling out of the under-used airport at the end of next month.
American, the only long-haul carrier flying there, said it had decided to abandon its daily Stansted to Chicago service after losing about dollars 10m since launching the route last June.

However, the scrapping of the service is also a reflection of the fierce battle being fought between British and US carriers for survival on the transatlantic market.

BAA, the owner of Stansted, badly needs to attract more airlines and more services to the airport, having invested pounds 400m in a new terminal and rail link.

Last year the airport lost nearly pounds 29m. Although the number of passengers handled rose by a third to 2.34 million, this is less than half its 5 million capacity. Stansted has the potential to take 8 million passengers with a further satellite.

A spokeswoman for BAA said: 'Obviously, we are very sad that American has pulled out, but you have got to put it in context. Stansted is the fastest-growing airport in Europe and American accounted for only 2 per cent of passenger traffic.'

Neverthless, the airport now lacks a prestige international airline to attract other carriers. There are 12 scheduled airlines at Stansted, operating to 41 destinations compared with six carriers flying to 11 destinations two years ago.

Hans Mirka, American's senior vice-president international, said that load factors on the Stansted-Chicago route were consistently low and that the flight did not attract enough premium business travellers.

He also attacked the failure of the British government to liberalise the rules preventing American from increasing the number of US destinations served from Stansted.

This might have tempted American to continue its Chicago service. But with its aircraft less than half full compared with load factors of more than 80 per cent on its flights from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester, the Stansted route could not be made viable. American still operates twice- daily to Chicago from Heathrow in competition with British Airways.

I always enjoy your updates regarding the demolish work at Terminal 1 keep them coming Skip.

Thanks for the research & interesting article above...

One stat not mentioned 60,000 flew on the service...

Days after AA announced the forthcoming closure TWA confirmed it would start a STN ORD service via JFK commencing on 11.6.93,this plan became bound up in InterGovernmental politics between the USA & the UK & used also as a bargaining chip for the UK to gain rights for VIR to fly LHR-BOS.

Despite strong lobbying for the service from many quarters in the UK TWA`s plan was finally rejected by The British Secretary of State for Transport.

I remember the application made to the DOT by TWA regarding operating STN to ORD and I remember that Tower Air put in a similar application to fly from STN to JFK but as you say they got bound up in InterGovernmental politics.

Of course Tower Air they had slipped my mind...

There won't be any bidding if/when supply is greater than demand. There would be no need.

https://news.sky.com/story/stricken-hs2-contractor-carillion-in-urgent-fight-for-survival-11197537


This could be quite damaging.Lots of contracts at Heathrow are handled by Carillion.

Ps don't mention HS2:)

"At Heathrow, we deliver facilities management services across Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5. It’s a flexible and efficient delivery model that is better for business continuity."

We are one of the largest construction and support services companies in the UK aviation sector.

Been coming for a long time.

http://www.cityam.com/277892/carilli...es-during-2017

Hi Guys

just wondering if there is any rumours of any new airlines aiming to serve LHR?

cheers

You never know with Heathrow as it's usually the current airlines expanding their operations with purchased or leased slots from other airlines or those that are operating from Gatwick but the latest airline to start operating from Heathrow is Beijing Capital Airlines from Qingdao.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/15814820.leeds-bradford-airport-disappointed-as-british-airways-announces-flight-cuts-to-and-from-heathrow/

Lack of demand.

No night stopper and least useful schedule ever means no attempt at generating demand alas. This one remains a slot sitter until it's dropped or a night stop is trialled. This was announced a few weeks ago sadly.

Yet i believe the passenger numbers were growing on it. In the end the winners will be KLM and possibly Aer Lingus.

Likely case will be that the slots it frees up can go on more lucrative route. Maybe London Airlines have twigged that Yorkshire folk don't do posh and expensive in general

Transport Committee

Monday 15 January 2018 Meeting starts at 4.45pm

Watch on Parliament TV Live (link below) then available afterwards via link:

Parliamentlive.tv - Transport Committee

• Subject: Airports National Policy Statement
• Witnesses: Councillor Paul Hodgins, Leader of Richmond Upon Thames Council, Brendon Walsh, Chairman, and Joseph Carter, Chairman of the Transport sub-group, Heathrow Strategic Planning Group, Val Shawcross CBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, and Alex Williams, Director of City Planning, Transport for London
• Witnesses: Parmjit Dhanda, Executive Director, Back Heathrow, John Stewart, Chair, Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise, and Stephen Clark, No 3rd Runway Coalition

How on earth does self-appointed whinger John Stewart even manage to get invited to address Parliament ?

Story in the Times that they're cutting 300 m off the length of proposed runway 3