Business Traveller are reporting that SpiceJet have secured slots at LHR for flights commencing 1st September, Type and frequency not known, although they have an A330 on lease from HiFly. The slots are valid until the end of October, so presumably leased from another airline.

Eastern also launching Teesside from 14 September

Got a jump seat ride on a BM DC9 from Teeside to LHR pre 9/11.😎 those were days.

Those were the days! I managed a jump-seat on Qantas when they operated a MAN-LHR-SYD route.

BA 747 into LHR on a cold crisp sunny morning from Chicago, 757 night approach to LGW, the rest en route visits.

Several jump seat rides on BA and BM during the 80s and 90s - those were the days. Regarding the Teesside service I wish them the best of luck, I think they will need it.

Slots are for 1530 arrival, 1730 departure. The airline is currently negotiating for Winter season slots.

UK Aviation News are reporting that the much-discussed JetBlue London gateway will be Heathrow. Flights to Boston and JFK will start in spring with newly-delivered A321LRs.

I read on Twitter that there are COVID-19 tests available at 2 terminals within the airport. I’m flying into Heathrow on Saturday connecting onto a UK domestic route, can anyone get tested? I understand there is a fee which I’m willing to pay.
I’m due to travel to a country on Monday that may require a negative test is provided upon arrival so this would be ideal as I can’t get tested by the NHS for travel...

The NHS tests are not available for travel purposes. You will need to get a private test.

BA are transferring there flights to BDA from LGW from 28th March 2021. Flights will operate daily.

Living in Yarm, I used that route quite a lot back in the late 70s. Arrived at the terminal 15 minutes before departure, hot breakfast en route, car and driver waiting at the terminal, and in the office for 9am. Two hours from bed to office !

I wasn’t aware the tests available at Heathrow were NHS tests, I read you had to pay for them so surly their private?
If testing is available in an airport surly the logic would be the tests can be used for travel...

Quote:

---

Airport Covid testing could start within weeks, says heathrow chief Two-test model could cut quarantine period in half, and allow popular London-New York route to reopen next month

---

The Guardian

Being reported over on Twitter that Loganair have slots this winter at LHR for two daily services to the Isle of Man. They come up if you play about with the Heathrow Airport flight information system and ask for flight information to the Isle of Man on a date in the winter season.

Quoted in press and rail industry, the Heathrow rail link from Great West rail likely to be delayed, and at past costings of £900m, HAL to subscribe more.
So a rail link to satisfy the HAL ego, when they provide excess space for car parks which provide income for HAL. 🥴

I never ran to such heady heights. However, in 1980 our UK office was close to Heathrow. The Chairman, X, got to a Daimler and chauffeur, Y, but was otherwise rather miserly. There was a lot of travel to corporate HQ in the USA. When BA came out with Transatlantic standby fares to combat Skytrain, he wrote around that these should be used. "They are cheaper, and I find I can always get a seat". Much disgruntlement.

One morning my colleague, Z, from the Newcastle office came down on the first BA flight to Heathrow heading for a meeting. Walking out of T1 to get a cab he noticed Chauffeur Y standing in the ticket desk queue. "Oh hello". "Ah, hello there Mr Z. Are you going over to the office ? Hang on a few minutes and I'll give you a lift back. Mr X is going to the USA this afternoon, and I've just been sent over to get his standby ticket". Alright for some.

"So a rail link to satisfy the HAL ego, when they provide excess space for car parks which provide income for HAL."

It was also backed by GWR and the local councils - more folk on trains less cars and buses on the M4 towards Reading

If anyone had any sense they could have preserved a west turn chord where the Heathrow Express meets the GWR main line but did they? Of course not ... then they sold the land for building...................................

Asturias56
I fully agree, it should have gone ahead at the chord you mention. However, building now requires a dive under for a eastbound track to reach the tunnel, and the whole width widened to six tracks, when it has been electrified. Weekend track closures necessary for the construction. Cost overrun from £1bn upwards.
Heathrow recent upgrade of road tunnels at the airport = 400% overspend.

Well the new junction is in the middle of the Green Belt and open fields so not as potentially troublesome - tho there is a large Travelers permanent encampment very close

To be fair the monster rebuild of Reading Station and the surrounding area did come in under budget and a year ahead of schedule.... one of the few big construction jobs to ever achieve that in the UK. On the other hand GWR electrification... or (whisper it) CrossRail.......................

Spicejet
 

2 weekly Delhi and 1 weekly Mumbai starting December 4.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/bu...ndon-heathrow/

Money NOW not plan for the future is how I have observed govt for the 45 years I have been watching them. Still happening. The latest foul up on the loss of Covid test results was due to someone using Excel in a format (.XLS) that is now 13 years out of date. Did they pay for people who knew what they were doing and to use the best software for the job?

Always the same elementary mistakes, year after year.

In other words, it was caused by somebody who didn't understand the difference between Excel and a database. :O

There are plenty of us about !

There might be but NOT those being paid to do the job! A close friend who is a very senior software manager says today (from his grapevine:
Mgmt lurv that quick fix and save money. So typical of what I have seen.

Some suggestion that the two last BA 747’s are to leave parallel departures tomorrow morning, with one engaging in a fly past after a circuit. Maybe unsubstantiated gossip.

It is true

Subject to weather (at Kemble as well as EGLL). Looks to be going ahead at the moment.

The weather at LHR may mean that the planned simultaneous departures aren't possible.

G-CIVB has been in a hold around Fairford now for about 45 minutes - waiting for weather to clear at Kemble? G-CIVY has landed at St Athan!

'VB landed Kemble around 0910Z.

Well, they weren't, but the double departures off 27R was nice to watch, as was the serene fly through over 27L about 10 minutes later.

G-CIVB has now arrived at Kemble after a quite lengthy hold in the Brize/Fairford area.

formation flyover would have been better - one runway each

Even if that had been planned, it wouldn't have been possible on the day, for the same reason that the simultaneous takeoffs weren't.

An opinion piece in todays Times suggests that maybe the airports collection of multi-billion pound investors should get their hand in their pockets rather than passing on the costs to airlines and passengers.

UK Civil Aviation Authority launches consultation on Heathrow Airport Limited’s request for RAB readjustment

Is LHR facing nationalisation re burden of debt ?

Many observers always questioned LHRs indebtedness despite the view from many with rose tinted glasses that it was the jewel in the crown of UK aviation, especially with bold statements re runway 3,

They always appeared flaky without a massive government injection.

it looks as though its now in trouble with reserves running out in 15 months.

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/20...mpression=true

LHR loses £1.5b in the first nine months of 2020 & overtaken by CDG in terms of traffic for the first time ever.
Blames lack of Covid testing compared with European airports.

So how many passengers have been airport tested in Europe? I would think it is next to no one. The reason for Heathrow’s woes is Covid.

CDG has overtaken LHR probably due to more countries being exempt from quarantine (all the EU) and only 7 days isolation. From the French Gov't site

f you are arriving from a country on the list below and have not visited a country not on the list in the month prior to your arrival in metropolitan France, you will not be subject to a seven-day isolation period.

Member States of the European Union, Andorra, Australia, Canada, Georgia, the Holy See, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Rwanda, San Marino, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, the United Kingdom and Uruguay.

If you are arriving from another country or have visited another country in the month prior to your arrival, you will be subject to a seven-day isolation period if:

• You have symptoms of COVID-19 on arrival; or
  
• You cannot present a negative PCR test, carried out less than 72 hours before departure.
  
  
  

Does CDG have a bigger domestic market?