Well done Luton and TBI!
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Lufthansa now owns 30% of bmi. My understanding and please correct me if I have be mis-informed, is that bmi are down sizing aircraft at Heathrow shortly. I was told Fokker's and Jungle jets are moving in. Loads of cabin crew are not being retained for the winter. This may be to keep the slots, drive the yeild up and then fill their Boeings and the half dozen Cambridge parked up Airbus, from an airport close to London? Remember this is a rumour forum!
Add to the above list www.lowfarejet.de
Helios should be twice a week over the winter, poss daily next summer.
Arran could double the freq to Galway and poss new destination next summer.
As I said above, there is a big feature in the local rag speculating about baby and no, I am not a secret reporter for them.
As they say, no smoke without fire!
So how about Rome, Frankfurt, Copenhagen to start with?
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Helios should be twice a week over the winter, poss daily next summer.
Arran could double the freq to Galway and poss new destination next summer.
As I said above, there is a big feature in the local rag speculating about baby and no, I am not a secret reporter for them.
As they say, no smoke without fire!
So how about Rome, Frankfurt, Copenhagen to start with?
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Should have guessed really.
No, as far as I am aware, the 'jungle jets' belong to Regional and I don't think mainline pilots would be too happy. The intention is to make it an all Airbus fleet at LHR.
No, as far as I am aware, the 'jungle jets' belong to Regional and I don't think mainline pilots would be too happy. The intention is to make it an all Airbus fleet at LHR.
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You may well be surprised by other rumours circulating about London-Luton, I hope plenty of tarmac is being laid over the winter!
When there is an easterly wind, Whipsnade is a great place to watch the world's favourite bear performing and the planes landing at Luton. Watching those Jets out of the Blue will be fantastic!
"Have a nice day!"
When there is an easterly wind, Whipsnade is a great place to watch the world's favourite bear performing and the planes landing at Luton. Watching those Jets out of the Blue will be fantastic!
"Have a nice day!"
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Blue Fox, next it will be Burgundy Bear! Now talking of Blue....
If IBT (Whoops cant spell) get thier way and extend the concession with Luton Borough Council to 999 years, who knows! (Well I have exagerated the number of years a bit.)
All I know is that BAA Essex is almost full next summer, so if you are a low cost airline, where do you fly too in the London area so all your eager passengers can see me, Buster the bear?
London has a massive appetite for low fares, both from within and from abroad, so where do you fly too?
I understand that the Luton "Pipeline" is full at the moment with rumours, gossip and facts.
If you want to make a sucess of low cost, you must expand in London (Zoo-Whipsnade)!!!!
Anyway, I must decide if I am to hibernate this winter????
I might be a bit busier next summer!
If IBT (Whoops cant spell) get thier way and extend the concession with Luton Borough Council to 999 years, who knows! (Well I have exagerated the number of years a bit.)
All I know is that BAA Essex is almost full next summer, so if you are a low cost airline, where do you fly too in the London area so all your eager passengers can see me, Buster the bear?
London has a massive appetite for low fares, both from within and from abroad, so where do you fly too?
I understand that the Luton "Pipeline" is full at the moment with rumours, gossip and facts.
If you want to make a sucess of low cost, you must expand in London (Zoo-Whipsnade)!!!!
Anyway, I must decide if I am to hibernate this winter????
I might be a bit busier next summer!
Last edited by Buster the Bear; 10th Nov 2002 at 21:56.
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Looks like I could well become the worlds favourite bear as I understand that there will be a dramatic increase in passengers using Luton next summer, most of them visiting me no doubt!
Yogi and Pooh are finished!
All will be revealed over the next few months!
Yogi and Pooh are finished!
All will be revealed over the next few months!
As reported in the Guardian
Luton airport's owner, TBI, yesterday accused the government of overlooking its potential to help ease congestion at London's terminals, claiming it had the potential to grow larger than Gatwick.
The company, which also runs Belfast International and Cardiff airports, signalled its ambitions for London's "fourth airport" despite a 23% plunge in half-year profits to £18m, mainly due to bargains struck by no-frills airlines.
Finance director Caroline Price said the government's consultation paper on airport expansion underestimated Luton's capacity by suggesting that it could handle 31m passengers a year if a second runway was built, compared to the existing 6.5m.
"They're under-egging what Luton is capable of doing," she said, pointing out that Gatwick already handles 32m people annually with just one runway.
TBI's three UK airports have seen a transformation in the past year, with 700,000 additional passengers on low-cost flights compensating for declining numbers on charter airlines and traditional scheduled carriers.
Budget passengers tended to spend just as much as traditional travellers, buying takeaway "grab bags" at TBI's airport cafes because of a lack of free meals on board aircraft. They are also more likely to use airport parking while taking cheap weekends abroad.
Luton airport's owner, TBI, yesterday accused the government of overlooking its potential to help ease congestion at London's terminals, claiming it had the potential to grow larger than Gatwick.
The company, which also runs Belfast International and Cardiff airports, signalled its ambitions for London's "fourth airport" despite a 23% plunge in half-year profits to £18m, mainly due to bargains struck by no-frills airlines.
Finance director Caroline Price said the government's consultation paper on airport expansion underestimated Luton's capacity by suggesting that it could handle 31m passengers a year if a second runway was built, compared to the existing 6.5m.
"They're under-egging what Luton is capable of doing," she said, pointing out that Gatwick already handles 32m people annually with just one runway.
TBI's three UK airports have seen a transformation in the past year, with 700,000 additional passengers on low-cost flights compensating for declining numbers on charter airlines and traditional scheduled carriers.
Budget passengers tended to spend just as much as traditional travellers, buying takeaway "grab bags" at TBI's airport cafes because of a lack of free meals on board aircraft. They are also more likely to use airport parking while taking cheap weekends abroad.
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I presume Caroline Price’s comment of “a second runway” should be a described as a "replacement runway."
LTN Man/Caroline Price, I am all for LTN's expansion, but I do not see how you could add a second runway to LTN that is operational at the same time due to not unsubstanial terrain restrictions or having an "X" runway configurtion that would reduce the potential. Alternatively a second more southerly runway making the current runway a stanby runway (like LGW) could be what was meant.
The current government ideas for a new runway describe the present runway becoming a taxiway, although there is much misunderstanding amongst the local general public on this issue.
Good luck to TBI giving some competition to BAA’s dominance, the apron at LTN is becoming very congested at times.
LTN Man/Caroline Price, I am all for LTN's expansion, but I do not see how you could add a second runway to LTN that is operational at the same time due to not unsubstanial terrain restrictions or having an "X" runway configurtion that would reduce the potential. Alternatively a second more southerly runway making the current runway a stanby runway (like LGW) could be what was meant.
The current government ideas for a new runway describe the present runway becoming a taxiway, although there is much misunderstanding amongst the local general public on this issue.
Good luck to TBI giving some competition to BAA’s dominance, the apron at LTN is becoming very congested at times.
The option to build a new runway 200m south of the existing one is a non starter as the costs are the same as a re-aligned runway. The advantages of a realigned runway are that less (Luton) people will be affected by noise and that the runway would be in the same direction as Stansted’s runway.
Luton council voted to support the runway realignment option last night. Bad news if you live in Hitchin and Harpenden and bad news for me as I will live inside the 57dB contour line at Wigmore. So much for Wigmore Park which was created by the council as a sound buffer between the airport and new housing. Under the plans for a runway re-alignment the park will become aircraft stands.
Luton council voted to support the runway realignment option last night. Bad news if you live in Hitchin and Harpenden and bad news for me as I will live inside the 57dB contour line at Wigmore. So much for Wigmore Park which was created by the council as a sound buffer between the airport and new housing. Under the plans for a runway re-alignment the park will become aircraft stands.
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Comments form TBI supremo
Luton, meanwhile, saw profits slip £200,000 to £14.5m for the six months, with a fall in charter traffic resulting in a decrease in passengers to 6.7m from 6.8m.
Nevertheless TBI chief executive, Keith Brooks, said he was ‘very confident’ of growth at Luton, citing new services from Ryanair and TUI’s budget airline Hapag-Lloyd Express, which are expected to add over 400,000 passengers annually. ‘We think we can grow by between a third and a half at Luton over the next 18 months,’ Brooks said.
That is a lot of extra business!!!!!
Nevertheless TBI chief executive, Keith Brooks, said he was ‘very confident’ of growth at Luton, citing new services from Ryanair and TUI’s budget airline Hapag-Lloyd Express, which are expected to add over 400,000 passengers annually. ‘We think we can grow by between a third and a half at Luton over the next 18 months,’ Brooks said.
That is a lot of extra business!!!!!
Well if TBI et al get a map out they will see the topography for the x configuration is a non starter. Looks like LTN council are as usual blind to the airports real potential!.
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It would appear that LBC (Luton Borough Council) are just toeing the government line. It will be years before a new runway is actually needed, a bit of re-surfacing might not go a miss! A re-aligned one probably will never happen. I hope not as I will not be able to see all the planes landing on 08 from my cage!
The town and the region needs a vibrant airport, so why go against a national policy consulation proposal.
Those queues approaching the zoo could well have an environmental impact though!
Just think of all those EXTRA picnic baskets!
The town and the region needs a vibrant airport, so why go against a national policy consulation proposal.
Those queues approaching the zoo could well have an environmental impact though!
Just think of all those EXTRA picnic baskets!
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I love Fedex
Six special passengers are to get a fast ride to a new life in the US with the help of freight carrier Federal Express.
The six, Wilhelm, Masha, Boris, Kenneth, Royale and Barle, are endangered polar bears and they will be flown in on a DC-10 aircraft from San Juan, Puerto Rico to new homes at US zoos in Seattle, Detroit and Charlotte.
"It is our privilege to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and these zoos as part of this rescue mission," said Michael L. Ducker, executive vice president, International, FedEx. "We are proud to put our unique global network to this use in order to relocate the bears to a more suitable environment."
The bears have been rescued from circuses where they were found to be in poor condition.
"Not too sure how they all arrived flat packed though!"
The six, Wilhelm, Masha, Boris, Kenneth, Royale and Barle, are endangered polar bears and they will be flown in on a DC-10 aircraft from San Juan, Puerto Rico to new homes at US zoos in Seattle, Detroit and Charlotte.
"It is our privilege to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and these zoos as part of this rescue mission," said Michael L. Ducker, executive vice president, International, FedEx. "We are proud to put our unique global network to this use in order to relocate the bears to a more suitable environment."
The bears have been rescued from circuses where they were found to be in poor condition.
"Not too sure how they all arrived flat packed though!"
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Summer timetables for 2003 are released on or around Dec 6th.
Now roles reversed, I am thinking of selling picnic baskets back to the public from a beary good spot in the tinminal next summer.
I think I could make a fortune!
Now I guess we could see all sorts of new routes to Whipsnade's finest airport and zoo.
I had better get a mobile check-in to help, for Whipsande might not be able to cope with all the demands to see me!
Now roles reversed, I am thinking of selling picnic baskets back to the public from a beary good spot in the tinminal next summer.
I think I could make a fortune!
Now I guess we could see all sorts of new routes to Whipsnade's finest airport and zoo.
I had better get a mobile check-in to help, for Whipsande might not be able to cope with all the demands to see me!
Last edited by Buster the Bear; 29th Nov 2002 at 07:39.
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BTB
Please answer - one eyed bear? etc
So will the new baby bee (sic) a liteweight?
Where will easy's 25% network growth go if LTN already has 40% of eJ network, not nuch room at LGW and STN full at peak?
Is the hole in the terminal south wall for bear viewing or bating?
BTB tell us all and we'll bring the picnic baskets to the zoo!
Please answer - one eyed bear? etc
So will the new baby bee (sic) a liteweight?
Where will easy's 25% network growth go if LTN already has 40% of eJ network, not nuch room at LGW and STN full at peak?
Is the hole in the terminal south wall for bear viewing or bating?
BTB tell us all and we'll bring the picnic baskets to the zoo!