A little gem about the new road that came out in the public enquiry is that once it is completed the speed limit for the full length of the dual carriageway will be just 40MPH and not the present limit of 70 MPH. This will explain why new speed camera signs went up last year on the existing dual carriageway as this road is going to be a real money earner in the future.
There will also be a set of traffic lights at the Gypsy Lane / Parkway turn off instead of the present roundabout. If you are coming from the airport direction only busses will be able to turn right towards the station.
Also one of the objectors to the project was London Luton Airport who objected to the amount of car parking spaces they were going to loose.

Government incompetence
 

The delay in funding is due to Government incompetence. I expect some junior "civil" servant is
At the dentist:} ,
Got a sore thumb:ok:
Suffering stress due to it being a long time till pay day:{
Asleep on the job:zzz:
Poked themselves in the eye with a pencil:ouch:
Scared at making a decision:eek:
On holiday (again):cool:
Doesn't know what day it is:confused:
Hasn't finished the crossword yet:8
Has lost the paperwork:ooh:
Or is just:yuk: :yuk: :yuk:

The delay is simply because LTN isn't owned and operated by BAA plc and the fact that the DfT still behaves as if BAA is a government-owned QANGO.

You only have to see all the new signage to Stansted on the M25 (paid for by taxpayers' money) to realise that a monopolistic cabal still exists in high places.

ACDL ought to be seeking a judicial review into all this underhand hanky-panky and Luton Borough Council ought to find the one council official that allegedly has a brain cell and despatch him or her to the DfT to make suitable representations.

The whole thing just makes me feel :yuk:

A German-registered exec jet (Challenger?) is rumoured to have landed fast and late, and got stuck in the mud.

Recovery under way.

No casualties.

Runway closed and passenger check-in suspended.

The ATIS is giving a reduced runway length. I was told that ""a Challenger had gone off the end and was stuck in the mud!

D-ABCD CL6 which landed at 12.33 was the offending aircraft. The airport will remain closed for arrivals until at least 20.00

20:00 - is that official or a guess ?

That's what the tower are reporting to aircraft stuck on the ground. Only 1685m available for a take off run from 08 with no back tracking with a wind direction of 300 degrees at 6 knots

LTNman thanks very much - can't see it NOTAM'd anywhere though :uhoh:

A0203/06

Aga : Q)egtt/qmrlt/iv/nbo/a/000/999/5152n00022w005
From 06/02/05 17:15 To 06/02/05 20:00 A0203/06
E)rwy 08 Open East Of Bravo Int For Departures Only.
Rwy 08 West Of Bravo Int Remains Closed.
Rwy 26 Closed. Ad Not Avbl For Arr.

The aircraft at LTN http://www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/open.file/0744801/M/

vintageATCO Thanks, shame NATS don't publish anything :eek:

Where do you think the NOTAM came from . . . :rolleyes: ;)

well its not on the NATS site that dishes out NOTAMS etc :cool:

If you mean the AIS site, that's where I got it from!! :p

The NOTAM was issued by the Airport Authority (LLAO) after consultation with the AAIB and the CAA.

The aircraft recovery team is currently inserting an air bag underneath the aircraft to lift it after which it'll be winched clear onto a transporter and taken away.

Stansted took most diversions but eventually became full and refused any more except in emergency. Others have gone variously to Birmingham, East Midlands and Gatwick.

LLAO reckons the runway will be re-opened between 2000 and 2030; wonder if LLAO will suspend its overnight Luton runway closure tonight in order to help the airlines catch up...??

:confused:

Tower just said that the scheduled overnight runway closure will not be taking place tonight.

Aircraft still stuck in the mud at 21.00 but should be moving soon. Looks like it will be 22.00 before the airport can start checking the ILS. All easyjet departures have been cancelled.

Why, oh why, can't Luton Airport and Easyjet's websites give an approximation of the truth? Problems happen - reflect them! Publishing complete cr@p on their websites does credit to neither. If theres a delay, fine - just tell me the truth.

I wonder why runway 26 has a displaced threshold of around 275ft. Just can’t see the reason seeing the runway is on the top of a hill. Those 275ft might well have been the difference between stopping on the runway and going off the end.

Listening to the RT traffic the move of the Challenger is not going at all well with the airport now closed until midnight. Seems the aircraft sunk into a lighting tray when being pulled backwards. Planks of wood, airbags and lorry recovery vehicles seem to be the order of the day.