Gatwick-3
Have Gatwick let the YTS trainee loose on the website? Looking at the departures today, some of the destinations being displayed are very unusual and not those to which most passengers would use (or indeed recognise):
FR1183 is apparently going to Limerick
BA2157 is going to Basseterre via Antigua
BA2159 is going to St Georges via St Lucia
EZY8837 is going to Villafranca
It's all really rather odd and surely a recipe for confused customers when airports start doing things like this!
FR1183 is apparently going to Limerick
BA2157 is going to Basseterre via Antigua
BA2159 is going to St Georges via St Lucia
EZY8837 is going to Villafranca
It's all really rather odd and surely a recipe for confused customers when airports start doing things like this!
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Welcome, Singapore Airlines!
And so, after many months of waiting, SQ have finally started their 5 times weekly A359 service to Singapore 
A huge moment for LGW in successfully attracting one of the world's top airlines to the airport, and an achievement that should not be underestimated. Congratulations to Singapore Airlines and to Gatwick. I am hopeful, as I'm sure many others on this thread are, that SQ will be successful at Gatwick and that they aren't just here for the short term It's still a shame that Cathay have chosen not to re-apply for slots at Gatwick for this winter, but I'm sure they will be watching how successful SQ are at LGW over the coming months, and hopefully may look again at relaunching their service to HKG from LGW.
A huge moment for LGW in successfully attracting one of the world's top airlines to the airport, and an achievement that should not be underestimated. Congratulations to Singapore Airlines and to Gatwick. I am hopeful, as I'm sure many others on this thread are, that SQ will be successful at Gatwick and that they aren't just here for the short term It's still a shame that Cathay have chosen not to re-apply for slots at Gatwick for this winter, but I'm sure they will be watching how successful SQ are at LGW over the coming months, and hopefully may look again at relaunching their service to HKG from LGW.
Welcoming SQ to Gatwick
And so, after many months of waiting, SQ have finally started their 5 times weekly A359 service to Singapore A huge moment for LGW in successfully attracting one of the world's top airlines to the airport, and an achievement that should not be underestimated. Congratulations to Singapore Airlines and to Gatwick. I am hopeful, as I'm sure many others on this thread are, that SQ will be successful at Gatwick and that they aren't just here for the short term It's still a shame that Cathay have chosen not to re-apply for slots at Gatwick for this winter, but I'm sure they will be watching how successful SQ are at LGW over the coming months, and hopefully may look again at relaunching their service to HKG from LGW.
A huge moment for LGW in successfully attracting one of the world's top airlines to the airport, and an achievement that should not be underestimated. Congratulations to Singapore Airlines and to Gatwick. I am hopeful, as I'm sure many others on this thread are, that SQ will be successful at Gatwick and that they aren't just here for the short term It's still a shame that Cathay have chosen not to re-apply for slots at Gatwick for this winter, but I'm sure they will be watching how successful SQ are at LGW over the coming months, and hopefully may look again at relaunching their service to HKG from LGW.Another possible clue that they may be planning to expand their Gatwick operation beyond a single daily flight longer term (if everything goes well) is how they've chosen the flight numbers. If I'm not mistaken, the early morning inbound flight from Singapore to Gatwick has been allocated flight number SQ 312 while the return flight has been allocated flight number SQ 309. This is unusual as most airlines I know of (and have flown with) number their inbound and outbound flights operated with the same aircraft (i.e., inbound and outbound flights being separated by the same aircraft being turned around on the ground) consecutively. This could mean that Singapore Airlines have "reserved" flight numbers SQ 310 and SQ 311 for a potential future expansion of their Gatwick operation. (When I checked last whether SQ 310 and SQ 311 have already been allocated, it seems one of them is unallocated while the other one was previously used for a regional flight from Singapore to Indonesia).
On a different note, according to a post on Singapore's inaugural Gatwick flight earlier today on a2zaviation, Singapore Airlines have appointed BA-owned GGS as their Gatwick ground handling agent, the same handling agent which apart from BA, also handles Air India at Gatwick. If this a2z post is correct in this regard, it's the first time I heard GGS is also operating in the North Terminal. (I always thought they're confined to the South). Given the financial link between Singapore Airlines and Air India (with the latter due take a 25.1% equity stake in the latter's parent company once the Air India - Vistara merger has been finalised), as well as Air India's expanding its Gatwick footprint with the launch of a five-times-weekly Gatwick-Bengaluru service on 18 August, could this be the first step of Singapore Airlines and Air India consolidating their combined Gatwick operation in the North Terminal?
Re CX having failed to apply for Gatwick slots for the 2024-25 winter season to resume their Gatwick - Hong Kong route, if they really want to resume this route at some point in the future, even if they can't get the slots they need, I guess BA could help them out as both airlines are oneworld members.
Lastly, it has been confirmed today that BA are canning Gatwick-Amsterdam for winter 2024-25.
SQ 051 (IAH-SIN-MAN) diverted to LGW
On a different note re SQ heavily advertising the fastest connection from London to Sydney from Gatwick with only a 55 minute change of planes at SIN, I wonder re the wisdom of doing this, especially given that both yesterday's and today's Gatwick-Singapore flights were about an hour late (at both ends of the route). And this is not only a Gatwick-specific issue.Having checked SQ's departure and arrival times on various Heathrow-Singapore flights for the past two days at both ends of the route, these seem to have been invariably delayed by 30-40 minutes as well (in this context, it should be noted that SQ also heavily advertised the fastest connection from Sydney to London, flying into Heathrow, with a 50-minute stop to change planes at SIN). Although it is the airline's responsibility to take care of and to reaccommodate passengers missing their connecting flight on the next available flight (within the same fare class), and I'm sure an airline of SQ's standing will look very well indeed after passengers having the misfortune to find themselves in this situation - especially, their premium passengers, in my experience, common sense dictates to not book connections that are too tight to account for the aforesaid ever-present potential flight delays, regardless of whether an airline "guarantees" a 'comparatively short minimum connecting time. When connecting between two long-haul flights, I have never booked anything with a minimum connecting time of less than 90 minutes and actually aim for a two-hour connecting time. It has so far worked well for me, in a number of instances allowing me to make a connecting flight I would have missed had I stuck to the airline's advertised minimum connecting time.
I hope for SQ's sake that advertising such short connections won't eventually blow up in their face.
Last edited by FlyGatwick; 23rd Jun 2024 at 16:04.
SQ flight arrival times
If you mean SQ 309 arriving into SIN - 7:36 am local time - exactly 1 he 16 min behind scheduled arrival time (yesterday's LGW departure); SQ 309 expected arrival into SIN 7:50 am local time - ecactly 1 1/2 hrs behind scheduled arrival time (today's LGW departure).
If you mean actual LGW arrival time of SQ 051 inbound from IAH to MAN & diverted to LGW, that flight arrived into LGW at 9:40 this morning (and left again for SIN elevenish).
If you mean actual LGW arrival time of SQ 051 inbound from IAH to MAN & diverted to LGW, that flight arrived into LGW at 9:40 this morning (and left again for SIN elevenish).
According to FR24 the A350 of Singapore Airlines that diverted to Gatwick instead of landing at Manchester is still on the ground at Gatwick. Registration 9V-SML
It was the scheduled Singapore Airlines flight from Gatwick to Singapore that left at about 1130am this morning. Registration 9V-SMD
I would imagine the crew may need an overnight stop before returning to Singapore.
It was the scheduled Singapore Airlines flight from Gatwick to Singapore that left at about 1130am this morning. Registration 9V-SMD
I would imagine the crew may need an overnight stop before returning to Singapore.
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SQ
Anyone know what the loads have been like on the new SQ service over the last few days since launch? I've noticed they've all been running about an hour late, with today's SQ309 still not having departed. Is there a specific reason for the delays?
The service has only had two departures so far, so a bit early to say much about loads.
Singapore Airlines A350 9V-SML that diverted from Manchester to Gatwick on Saturday left Gatwick this morning for Manchester. From there it will fly to Singapore later today.
Problem at Gatwick today caused numerous diversions out, to LTN (5 EZY, 1 WUK), STN (1 BA, 2 EZY, 1 FR, 1 VLG), LHR (1 BA), BRU (1 EK) and BOH (1 Norwegian)
Try again
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cllynl5yl81o
A total of 23 flights had to be cancelled due to a "departing aircraft having hot brakes", the airport said. It said the runway has now been cleared and is operating as normal, and the broken down plane has been moved. The airport said the runway was closed for 50 minutes.
The incident involved a British Airways flight to Vancouver, Canada. A statement from the airline said: "Our pilots took the precautionary decision to cancel take-off due to a technical issue. Safety is always our top priority and we apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused."
The incident involved a British Airways flight to Vancouver, Canada. A statement from the airline said: "Our pilots took the precautionary decision to cancel take-off due to a technical issue. Safety is always our top priority and we apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused."
Daily Express has an alternative, and more dramatic, explanation :
Planes are being diverted after an aircraft, possibly from British Airways, stalled on the busy runway at the London airport this afternoon.
[I can't post links yet]
Planes are being diverted after an aircraft, possibly from British Airways, stalled on the busy runway at the London airport this afternoon.
[I can't post links yet]
Must have let the clutch out a bit sharpish!