SQ
 

Wow, definitely did not see this one coming! :) Absolutely fantastic news, a brilliant way to conclude what has been an extraordinary and successful year for Gatwick as far as carrier and route growth are concerned. Having SQ is a huge win for LGW, probably LGW's biggest catch since CX returned to Gatwick in 2016, considering Singapore Airlines' strong reputation and global recognition as one of the world's premier airlines. I am also especially happy to see that the A359 will be serving this route, which has been a phenomenal aircraft in and of itself that has been well received by passengers - a great alternative to the LHR service. I wonder what terminal SQ will be using? (hopefully South).

Cathay Pacific, its your turn now!

I believe Singapore Airlines will be using the North Terminal.

As soon as I read that Singapore Airlines we're coming to LGW in June 2024 I immediately thought of you. I knew that you would be excited by the news.

Great news indeed and as you say very unexpected but very welcome nonetheless 😀

You summed it up nicely in your above post and I feel that I needn't add anything else. Except for a Merry Christmas to you.

As I usually write after previous long haul announcements. Who will be the next long-haul airline to announce LGW?

Gatwick’s amazing year
 

Gatwick Airport has probably had the best year out of any airport in the world for growth this year. Insane amount of airlines including Ethiopian, air india, saudia, Lufthansa, the three main China airlines, air Mauritius, delta coming back and many more as well as these and now Singapore Airlines known to many as the best airline in the world.

If airlines like these announce Gatwick flights any airline could start. Working at easyJet I have heard rumours of airlines that could start in the near future.

Azerbaijan especially recently is one to watch. Air Zimbabwe, Air Tanzania could also be in the pipeline. I honestly believe next year could be just as incredible as this year for longhaul announcements. Hopefully cathay come back, air China and china eastern expand operations and many more new routes started.

A bit over excited I think :ok: How many extra pax/flights do these airlines add?

It is not always just about extra flights and passengers. Attracting quality long haul and short haul airlines always helps to enhance reputation which in turn attracts other entrants. This then can attract more flights and passengers.
Gatwick has had a good year in terms of route expansion and I expect more to follow.

Fair point, and LGW has has some interesting additions but for perspective the three EZY A.320's being added at BHX will probably add more terminal throughput than the airlines listed.

You're right, now also confirmed on SQ's website. Does anyone know whether a new airline has a choice of terminal at LGW? Or is terminal allocation decided by GIP/VINCI? Surprised they are operating from the North, considering they've got a 25% stake in their Star Alliance partner, Air India, who are in the South Terminal. I personally prefer the South, owing to the train station being within close proximity, and the fact that the place looks and feels that much more modern compared to the North Terminal (although I am aware it is currently undergoing renovations in the departure lounge).

RE. CX, this will be an interesting one to watch, now with SQ having just announced LGW, an airline, that, let's face it, we never thought would come to Gatwick. Cathay Pacific's capacity on LHR-HKG is down on pre-Covid, but continues to increase, with the airline removing the sole remaining A350-1000 service (CX257/238) so that it will become an up to 5 daily 77W operation from March onwards. So hopefully they will return to LGW. I am sure SQ will do well at LGW, just as CX were doing up until 2020. The A350 has been a breakthrough in allowing FSNCs to open up new thinner long haul routes, and from a passenger point of view, is a joy to fly on.

"Fair point, and LGW has has some interesting additions but for perspective the three EZY A.320's being added at BHX will probably add more terminal throughput than the airlines listed."

But those aircraft had to be removed due to the fact that Ezy had to return slots to BA, who have, in turn, increased their shorthaul fleet at Lgw. In fact, BA now has about 10 A321 based there, with all the A319 aircraft gone, so they have probably increased lift by quite a lot.

Apologies if we wasn't clear but I responding to the comment "Gatwick Airport has probably had the best year out of any airport in the world for growth this year. "

Arguably the addition of 3 A.320's at BHX operating 3 or so rotations a day will create greater growth in passenger numbers at BHX than the additional airlines listed will at LGW. I've not checked the rest of the world :ok:

So your saying Birminghams three extra easyJet provides better growth than these airlines. Not to mention British Airways longhaul and shorthaul increases, Vueling increases, Turkish increases, Norse new routes, the list goes on.

find an airport with more longhaul growth this year I’ll wait.

Ooooh!

Maybe after the meltdowns that Gatwick have had this year they need to prove their existing schedule will work next summer before adding new flights.

Who will be next?
 

Given the extraordinary success LGW has had in attracting new airlines to the airport this year, and with the very nice surprise of SQ coming to LGW for the first time next year, the question remains: Who do people think will be next to join? :)

Santa's due tonight! :ok:

Is that for Customs or a fuel stop

Freight. ;)

With Lgw adding and seeking to add more operators offering business class, I think Lgw management would need to take a closer look at the offerings from the various lounges that operate there. I have been through most(not BA) and have been far from impressed on cleanliness, quality of food and maintenance of toilet areas etc. If Lgw want to send out a message that they can compete with Lhr, especially to airlines that also operate from Lhr, this is an area that needs improvement.

The departures area of LHR is considered to be an area outside the UK... to reach landside, one has to show a passport or your face has to match a photo taken when you entered airside.

At LGW, is this the same, or is the departures area considered to be filled with people who have already entered the UK ?
My guess is that LGW is treated differently from LHR... but as someone who lives in London I've never changed between 2 flights at LGW and never seen the path taken by passengers with an onward (self-)connection

If you think LGW is bad in that regard take a long hard look at STN where MAG will often claim to have the same aspirations.

It was the same as LHR pre COVID with a photo taken of domestic passengers and no access to domestic flying without a match. I don't believe it was ever re-activated after COVID though.

The Emirates Lounge at LGW is very nice but I agree that the “pay to enter” lounges are a bit naff.

Sod the lounges, basic services need upgrading badly! I've been working at LGW for nearly 10 years but its things like the public toilets in the south terminal are horrible! My local cinema as much nicer modern toilets.

and what did they say when you made formal constructive complaint on said-latrines?

Atlantic Airways have (finally) put their route to Vagar in the Faroe Islands on sale, starting 1 June 2024
https://italiavola.com/2024/01/08/at...e-faroe-vagar/

Re 3 EZY aircraft at BHX making a greater contribution than LGW long-haul additions
 

New long-haul routes coming to LGW do not only deliver more passengers but also more freight (when operated by widebodies). This isn't the case with short-haul LCC services as the narrowbodies used to operate them not only have negligible cargo space but short-haul LCCs usually don't bother about cargo at all as it complicates their business model, i.e., the costs far outweigh the benefits, not only in terms of additional costs incurred for providing / paying for a freight handling service but also in terms of extending tight turns to load / unload freight and thereby negatively affecting aircraft utilisation.

A few highlights from ACL's LGW preliminary slot allocations for summer 2024:

ITA Airways FCO double daily (NEW)

Play KEF daily (NEW)

Qatar Airways DOH two additional daily frequencies (rebuilding frequencies to pre-Covid level: three daily)

Spicejet DEL daily (potentially NEW as the airline doesn't have any suitable long-haul aircraft, such as the A330 / 340 or 787 nor any pilots qualified to fly them, so would have to rely on another ACMI operator like Air Belgium, Highfly, Titan or Wamos if it really wants to launch this route (I recall from memory that this is what they did to operate a limited no. of flights between DEL and LHR under the so-called bubble flight arrangements between the UK and India during the pandemic.)

Sri Lankan CMB approx 2×weekly (1st return to LGW in over 30 yrs)

Additional frequencies also for Air India to add another 6 weekly flights from / to AMD, ATQ, COK and GOX

B6 BOS 1 daily (additional to the already existing daily service, effectively doubling the existing frequency from 1 to 2 daily)

BA ACC 1 weekly (expanding total weekly frequencies from 3 to 4)

TK IST 3 weekly (expanding existing weekly frequencies from 21 to 24, with 3 daily on Mon & Thu, 2 daily on Tue and 4 daily on Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun)

Also additional frequencies for big 3 Chinese state-owned airlines (CA / CZ / MU) from / to various points in China

Which of the potential new Gatwick airlines that have been successful in being awarded slots at the airport for summer 2024, are we likely to see making their Gatwick debut?

In my opinion, I wouldn't be surprised if those listed below actually using their newly awarded slots:

ATI Airways

Play

Sri Lankan Airlines

Spicejet (more likely now than I initially thought as the airline seems to have arrested its downward spiral, as a result of a recent, major capital infusion by one of the original co- founders of Spicejet rival Indigo, who has recently acquired a stake in the airline with a firm view of turning around its flagging financial performance of recent years to enable it to look to the future with confidence again and to firm up new, major expansion plans)

It'd be nice to see as many of these tails at LGW as possible.

I have been reading the TAAG Angola Airlines may be going through some changes. Might those changes mean that the Lgw service never starts or is seriously delayed?

Some strange goings on with TAAG Angola Airlines recently.

A couple of weeks ago, the airline announced that Madrid would cease being a destination on the airline's network. Only last week, the airline announced that Madrid would resume again four months after it was stopped.

Several months ago, TAAG Angola Airlines announced LGW with a December 2023 launch, but it never materialised.

I'm also very curious if TAAG Angola Airlines' planned service to LGW will be seriously delayed or, at the worst, will it ever start.

Just returned to London with CX via HKG. An excellent set of flights overall, notwithstanding a series of delays when I flew LHR-HKG a few weeks ago. Definitely preferred the A351 on CX238 versus the 77W (CX251)- as others have experienced and commented previously, the A350 feels much more spacious and certainly quieter over the 77W, so I'm glad I got the chance to fly on it before LHR flights are fully reverted to the 777 come March.

I am very interested to see what CX plan (if anything) RE. capacity in London now that this route is becoming busier and in higher demand. While in transit in HKG yesterday, both my flight (CX251) and CX255 were completely full and the ground staff mentioned that this is common now, with overbooking also occurring on the two overnight flights to London. Luggage space on board during boarding was also limited, with cabin crew having to check many bags into the hold. I'm wondering wether CX will try and add further capacity to LHR (unlikely due to slot availability) or reopen LGW this year, as it seems like more capacity is needed?

Sri Lankan to Gatwick would be interesting- essentially the same thing as what Air Mauritius did when they left LHR. Unsure what their existing frequency at Heathrow is, but I'm thinking a move to LGW would only happen on the basis that they could increase frequency over what is currently offered at LHR.

RE. Play- I wonder if this would be in addition to, or a replacement of their STN service?

I see Ethiopian is going up to 4 per week from June.

Also, EI is pulling out from end of March. Who will pick up those slots, I think 4 daily?

Think FR might increase services on the news EI is leaving

Aer Lingus leaving AGAIN? How many times is that now? Was pleased they came back in 2008 with the A320 after leaving when the 146s were retired. I've never been on a quiet DUB-LGW, and unlike long haul passengers who will make the journey to LHR, this will surely cost traffic and market share on their core Dublin-London offering. Or has the move of NOC to LHR meant they no longer feel it necessary?

There must have been decent connectivity from EI to BA long haul at Gatwick.

Will BA step in, either with EuroFlyer or W patterns from LHR, or is this a lack of joined up thinking at IAG?

Reading elsewhere that it was the loss of VIR connections that has killed it for EIN.

Iraqi Airways
 

The London Gatwick Airport Wikipedia page is currently showing Iraqi Airways on it's airlines listing.

I've done a lengthy search online to and find any information regarding Iraqi Airways resuming London Gatwick but with no luck.

Iraqi Airways has recently announced a return to Europe with flights to several German airports along with Copenhagen, Denmark. Iraqi Airways are expected to operate these flights with their own aircraft.

With an ever increasing amount of modern aircraft joining the fleet I'm sure that Iraqi Airways would want to expand further into Europe with a resumption of service to London.

Does anyone have any further information regarding a possible resumption of service of Iraqi Airways to London Gatwick.

Iraqi Airways have been saying for ages that they expect to be approved to operate their own aircraft to Europe 'soon'. But as far as I'm aware, they are still included on both the EU and UK Safety List, so are in effect banned. Iraqi Airways flights to Germany and other States in the EU are currently operated by wet-leased aircraft (as they must be with the carrier itself on the Safety List).
Until this changes, there will be no Iraqi Airways operated aircraft allowed on commercial services to the EU (and the UK).