MDS

interesting, clearly EasyJet have LGW sewn up but with no BA short haul, no TCX, no MON, no DY short haul it’s worth FR giving LGW a shot on some more short haul

And perhaps trying to stop Wizz growing too much at LGW

772

Count me in. Given that there are no airlines (to my knowledge) lining up for lounge space at LGW North, you'd think it makes more sense financially to leave it as it is/was. That said, the situation RE. VS returning to LGW has been up in the clouds for the last 15 months, so I can see the case for clearing the space for another carrier further down the line if VS throw the towel in and sell all their LGW slots. The question is though, who would take over the space, be it current or future operator? JetBlue won't be investing in a lounge and the same goes for the upcoming Norse Atlantic operation. BA already have their lounges in the South terminal and will move back ASAP once the terminal reopens, along with all other airlines usually based there (FR, W6, EI, TK to name a few). No doubt LGW are in constant discussions with VS and will bend over backwards to get the leisure network back, (as well as other long haul carriers that have recently consolidated at LHR). Who knows, maybe there is some truth to Stewart Wingate's words. I hope so, as I said in my earlier post, I would absolutely love to see VS back at LGW, it really is a pleasure to fly from and GIP have poured £££££ into the place since they took over from BAA.

I have discovered as the result of asking on another forum website that the BA Maintenance Base at Gatwick remains operational.
There has been some staff redundancies bit the remaining staff are being kept busy with line maintenance for several airlines, keeping aircraft parked at Gatwick airworthy as well as
carrying out a maintenance contract for Vueling. I am pleased it has not gone completely. This may not be news to other commentators on here but it cheered me up a bit!

I remember just before Covid 19 hit early last year, the Gatwick Base Management had put forward a business plan to the IAG board to secure its future, that had been accepted. Hopefully, it will manage to keep going until things improve.. It has a skilled
and flexible workforce.

I also posted this on another forum and wondered if any posters here may wish to comment. I guess I am more thinking allowed and appreciate the operational difficulties that may be involved.

'I do understand that BA has to protect its Heathrow slots during the winter months but I can see the potential of running some services to key winter sun destinations from Gatwick
Flights to Tenerife, Las Palmas, Paphos , Arrecife, Madeira etc could utilise several aircraft for 8 plus hours a day, plus keep some of the slots active at Gatwick.
In the past those routes have been well supported during the winter months. In some cases operating twice daily. I appreciate completely things are now very different. '

FR have dropped their ORK-LGW service so one wonders if they are just putting those slots to work

Wizzair has been awarded quite a large number of slots and has been very vocal about slots being hoarded. I can understand why they haven't rushed to put new routes on sale at Lgw, but they are not flying existing routes, but offering services from Ltn on those same routes. At what point will they make a serious debut into Lgw with the expansion they have talked about for a long time now?

A few of us have been chatting about the number of sub charters occurring on WZZ flights, we can only think they are short of crews.

I don’t think it’s an unusual thing this summer - airlines have mothballed more aircraft than they expected to need and as such our wet lease operators appear almost busier than ever picking up the slack.

Dannyboy39 - Google "wizzair crew shortage" it is due to staff who have left and is unusual for a carrier like WZZ.

As someone who lives fairly close to Gatwick, I prefer the quieter skies.

The first lockdown was awesome from that point of view.

Quieter skies meant heavy job losses, a costly price to pay.

InSeat19c

​​​​​​Have you thought you might live in the wrong place?
​​​

And be on the wrong forum?

Corendon starting Bodrum 2 weekly next May.

Looks like another "runway expansion" fight looming - can't see the local protesters letting this proceed without a fuss..

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ergency-runway

And found this...

https://www.gatwickairport.com/busin.../future-plans/

It was expected, but air see BA are in the process, of moving all SH flights to LHR for w21

good news, let’s hope GAL manage to make this happen

Gatwick expansion plans
 

An article from my local rag. https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2021/...-job-creation/

Standby for IAG’s update on future plans for the BA short haul offering from Gatwick due some point today.

I get the impression it won’t be the BA short haul product offered pre-pandemic. Vueling perhaps?