Bagso
3rd Dec 2003, 04:48
Like Christmas TV, this is a repeat....but a few readers suggested re brodcast in this forum so here it is..........
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Never mind expanding another bloody airport in the South East , how about placing some capacity at the point where demand actually occurs...?
Everyone that is clamouring for more capacity in the SouthEast has no grasp of the main issue involved in this !
ie THERE IS NO AIRSPACE LEFT, geddit !
Take a reality check guys and gals, it wouldn't matter if you put in 5 extra runways (unless they were in the same place), there is simply no room in the stacks above !
Ask the guys at LATCC !
This shambles is a result of 30 years of total aviation mismanagement, which has resulted in total UK demand being forced into the London area. It started in the early sixties and was compounded in the seventies when numerous airlines applied to serve Manchester but were denied.
Bilateral agreements in place at the time prevented direct access to Manchester. The designated UK gateways were deemed to be LHR and PWK; nobody wanted PWK so left with no choice this simply forced more and more traffic into the South East.
We then had clamours for expanding LGW and then lo and behold we ended up with Stansted, (...now where did I put that flask !)
By the time the bilaterals were changed it was too late, many airlines ended up serving LHR and were not then prepared to split costs by operating from a second base elsewhere.
If evidence were needed of how centralised the UK air transport infa-structure actually is, just consider our national airline ( I use the term loosely).
It has just one meagre daily service to New York.... it's a joke, its been running 30 years and has not expanded in all that time in frequency or capacity despite 5 new airlines now also operating on similar routes and using frequency and aircraft type to match demand.
In Germany they do not have a centralised airport policy the national airline operates direct long haul services not just from Frankfurt but also from Dussledorf and Munich.
In the UK we choose to use up much needed slots at LHR by funnelling traffic from Manchester on upwards of 30 flights a day, slots that could actually be used more effectively to provide extra capacity out of London itself. There is however now no desire to change this status quo. It is all too cosy !
Consider the facts
LHR - Japan, 6 a day but from Manchester none
LHR - USA an obscene number - from Manchester about 5
LHR - South Africa 6 a day - Manchester none
LHR - Australia 8 a day - Manchester none.....
etc etc etc..............
We are however where we are, ideally there should be two hubs, one new major airport with 6/8 runways in the South, close down LHR, LGW etc and create one airport that serves all the South.......
As for developing Stansted I would suggest it is the option nobody actually wants !
---------------------------------------------------------
Never mind expanding another bloody airport in the South East , how about placing some capacity at the point where demand actually occurs...?
Everyone that is clamouring for more capacity in the SouthEast has no grasp of the main issue involved in this !
ie THERE IS NO AIRSPACE LEFT, geddit !
Take a reality check guys and gals, it wouldn't matter if you put in 5 extra runways (unless they were in the same place), there is simply no room in the stacks above !
Ask the guys at LATCC !
This shambles is a result of 30 years of total aviation mismanagement, which has resulted in total UK demand being forced into the London area. It started in the early sixties and was compounded in the seventies when numerous airlines applied to serve Manchester but were denied.
Bilateral agreements in place at the time prevented direct access to Manchester. The designated UK gateways were deemed to be LHR and PWK; nobody wanted PWK so left with no choice this simply forced more and more traffic into the South East.
We then had clamours for expanding LGW and then lo and behold we ended up with Stansted, (...now where did I put that flask !)
By the time the bilaterals were changed it was too late, many airlines ended up serving LHR and were not then prepared to split costs by operating from a second base elsewhere.
If evidence were needed of how centralised the UK air transport infa-structure actually is, just consider our national airline ( I use the term loosely).
It has just one meagre daily service to New York.... it's a joke, its been running 30 years and has not expanded in all that time in frequency or capacity despite 5 new airlines now also operating on similar routes and using frequency and aircraft type to match demand.
In Germany they do not have a centralised airport policy the national airline operates direct long haul services not just from Frankfurt but also from Dussledorf and Munich.
In the UK we choose to use up much needed slots at LHR by funnelling traffic from Manchester on upwards of 30 flights a day, slots that could actually be used more effectively to provide extra capacity out of London itself. There is however now no desire to change this status quo. It is all too cosy !
Consider the facts
LHR - Japan, 6 a day but from Manchester none
LHR - USA an obscene number - from Manchester about 5
LHR - South Africa 6 a day - Manchester none
LHR - Australia 8 a day - Manchester none.....
etc etc etc..............
We are however where we are, ideally there should be two hubs, one new major airport with 6/8 runways in the South, close down LHR, LGW etc and create one airport that serves all the South.......
As for developing Stansted I would suggest it is the option nobody actually wants !