Flights Between EGLL and EGKK
 

So my friend says that BA fly aircraft between the two airports frequently for maitenance.
Is he talking utter :mad:?

Thanks :ok:

The only regulars are the occasional change over with the Gatwick based B777s with occasional sub of a Heathrow machine I think. Having said that, I have seen a Gatwick BA B737-400 at Heathrow Maintenance last year.....

VS also used to regularly do this until the hangar opened last year at LGW. It's actually much quicker to fly them as when they tried using the M25 to taxi them round, it caused the most horrendous traffic jams.

:E

There is (or was?) a specific ATC procedure for such flights so, yes, they do happen...... but not too often.

Used to be called EPM 3 clearance? But that was way back early '70s, so it's probably different now.

Nowadays its only BAW 777s and VIR 744s who position to and from LGW. There is a specific departure SID for such flights via Mayfield.

Thanks.

Also seen a Virgin B747-400 leave on a Biggin 3P for EGLL

Wouldn't that be expensive in terms of landing fees? I assume they pay for landing at both EGLL and EGKK.

Not at all. Most of the "Landing Fees" charge banded about is actually made up of Passenger Departure Charges. ( BAA charge a Landing Fee, Parking Fee and Pax Departure Charge, which is lumped together and usually referred to as a Landing Fees in the popular press ).

Thanks guys.

BA used to fly them into Cambridge as well to Marshalls for maintenance.

Just looking at the figures for January 2008, there were 17 Gatwick to Heathrow and 8 in the opposite direction during the month, so nearly one a day. A variety of reasons. Repositioning following inbound diversions seems to be a principal cause (hence the imbalance in numbers). There's a BA 737 to/from a fortnight-long check at Heathrow, and several Virgin 340s and 747s doing the opposite. On 17 Jan evening there were 3 Gatwick to Heathrows, two BA Airbus and a Singapore 747, in the space of 3 hours, after diversions.

Also happens from Heathrow to/from London City, in this case often positioning business jets.

How long does that flight take then? 15 mins (pure guess) subject to traffic?

Yup, aircraft can often be found making short trips. ATC Lasham at Southend, reguarly has aircraft come into maintenance that come from airprots that are 10-15 minutes away (in the air) such as London Stansted

And ATC Lasham at Lasham often receives aircraft from Gatwick which barely have time to reach 3000 before starting descent for SRA runway 27.

#12
BA at LHR don't regularly do any maintenance on 737s . The whole fleet is based at LGW and all minor servicing is done there, with the majors being done at Glasgow. They get sent to LHR for out of phase painting or occasionaly casualty repairs when the limited facilities at LGW are over-whelmed.