[Bucksnet]

watersz

The French police are nothing compared to the EU Gendarmerie Force, who can go anywhere in the EU without agreement from local governments and can kill without fear of prosecution because they have immunity.

[LPPSKrisflyer]

To get back to the point, FRA now has four runways, it for me is the main hub of travel in Europe because it is well positioned, has capacity and LH have had the vision to build a fleet which is versitile in capacity terms that allows it to expand into emerging markets particularly China. Controls on EU borders are not a problem and Germany is at least as desirable a place to live as the UK, they don’t seen to be having problems that we apparently are.

While all this goes on, London has an airport which is constrained on all fronts. If Labour were so good on aviation policy as opposed to the Tories, you might ask why after all the years of Labour government there is still such a problem. One more runway at LHR will solve nothing, it needs at least two more and I still believe that what is really needed is a new airport and the infrastructure to go with it, LHR is beyond fixing, it has been neglected for too long and is essentially in a residential area.

We have border controls which concentrate on far too many things and in particular no recognition of the Schengen visa puts people off coming here particularly Chinese business and tourism. That a European business man arriving at LHR has to queue for sometimes way in excess of 30 minutes to pass through controls is just unacceptable these days and the price the other way round is that we have to do it going to Europe. I and many others have better things to do.

BA have continued to focus west rather than east, the current suggestion of adding services to JFK rather than using slots to head east goes to show that yet again they lack vision which is further evidenced in their fleet of 747s and 777s together with a few past their sell by date 767s. What’s on order, the A380 thank goodness, more 777s and the 787, why no A350 series which are far more versitile, usual problem, lack of vision.

The fact the A330 is missing is shortsighted in the extreme and we see nothing happening to sort this out. If SK and AY in the north, AZ in the south, EI to the west and LH to the east can all make the A330 pay then you begin to think BA are missing a trick yet again a bit like their dogged determination to stick with the 734 and 757 when everyone else was buying the A320 series and benefitting from the economies of commonality that at the time were innovation but now accepted as a great strength of Airbus. Madness, absolute madness and no signs of change.

So get used to transfers at FRA, not the best place in the world to do it but at least you can get to where you want to go.

[transtraxman]

Krisflyer

Bravo.

You have said it very well.
Others – please take notice.

[VintageKrug]

It’s good that people are realising that an extra runway at LHR isn’t the panacea some misguided people believe it to be.

I’m not certain Boris Island is the right answer either, but it’s clear a more strategic approach needs to be taken, and that approach doesn’t involve the constrained site on which LHR sits, and which would easily be redeveloped into additional housing and commercial capacity for the London conurbation.

On the point of BA’s fleet renewal, the A380 deliveries from 2013 will be the new enhanced version, worth waiting for, and the 787s should also have been in service by now, but were delayed as is well known, by matters outside BA’s control.

Since 2007, BA has a total of 61 longhaul orders and options outstanding, and deliveries were scheduled to begin in 2011.

In the meantime a slew of shorthaul Embraer’s and Airbuses were delivered in the past 2-3 years as well as the three interim 777-300ERs, with another three joining this year, the fourth example being delivered to BA only last week.

There is a large new fleet order on the cusp of being announced for IAG – Iberia and BA – and this is likely to include some combination of A380s, 787s, 777s and A350XWBs some of which will confirm existing options, others of which will be brand new orders.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/csr-new-aircraft/public/en_gb

[LeTigre]

Sounds intriguing, whatever happens. With all these different types, surely some economies of scale are lost due to lack of interoperability and fleet commonality?

I also heard recently that BA have started proceedings to replace the 747s starting with the oldest. They are looking at the new 777 replacement, the 787-10 as well as potentially the A350-1000 and other potential developments. The A380 wasn’t on the list but it was not officially ruled out- perhaps because it is the most obvious short-term solution to BA’s impending lack of capacity. Imagine…57 A380s!

VK, in what ways are the enhanced A380s worth waiting for, I thought the improvements would have little impact on passengers?

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

LPPSKrisflyer

Excellent post, you get to the heart of the matter.

[Swissdiver]

Schengen: Thank God the UK are not fully in. Stupid Swiss government brained-washed Swiss people to approve Switzerland to be in: an absolute nightmare!

Fleet: One of the reasons I love flying BA is precisely because then have none of these horrendous A330/340

Hubs: while LHR clearly needs a third runway (was btw taken back when I learned it had four 50 years ago), I still prefer waiting taxiing than walking miles in FRA! Last time I connected in FRA, I walked for 30 minutes (I timed it) and I walk rather fast!

[LPPSKrisflyer]

Why is Schengen a nightmare? I would have thought the average Swiss person IME was too intelligent to be brainwashed. Switzerland will benefit from their foresight while we in the UK continue to have all the problems of the EU and none of the advantages.

Personal preference about the A330/A340 v 777/747 has no place in business sense. It becomes even more obvious when you can’t fly to where you want to go because the niche markets filled by the A330 for almost every airline in the world is missing from BA.

As above, a third runway at LHR is a solution to nothing. Take the train at FRA if you prefer it to a 30 minute walk. I rather enjoy the walk.

VK, if not Boris Island, where would you put a new airport? I accept there are major problems with the Thames Estuary but I really can’t think of anywhere else unless it is further up the Thames Valley.

[VintageKrug]

Well, I’d support Boris Island in principle – many people get confused between the onshore Cliffe proposal which would have significant issues with local wildlife, which would not be the case with Boris Island’s offshore location.

People thought Michael Heseltine’s decision to regenerate Canary Wharf was madness thirty years ago – yet how would the City have expanded without it? London without it is now unthinkable.

Sure the transport links were appalling to start with, but they are pretty good now, and I’m sure the same would be the case for a fast train link out to Boris Island.

I’m not qualified or well versed enough (yet!) to have an opinion on what other alternatives are out there; Boris Island (perhaps “Winston Churchill International”?) sounds right to me, but I know others have valid concerns, which would need to be addressed.

In the short term, what is needed is:

1. Better Air Traffic Management across Europe to reduce holding over South East UK.

2. Mixed Mode flying at LHR

3. A strictly regulated trial for quieter jets (probably just the 787) to use LHR for landing-only outside the midnight-5.30am closure period, with a public referendum at the end by those affected to avoid a sham by the regulator/BAA.

4. The government to override the expansion ban at LGW, and approve a new Terminal and runway there. Privately, I believe this to be already well advanced with the recent expansion in Apron space. This should take a key role in absorbing domestic, shorthaul and point-to-point flights. LGW has two licensed runways already, so technically you could just “move” the main runway further south and start using the existing secondary runway, but they are at present too close together to be used concurrently.

5. A ban on private aircraft using LHR.

There are many problems laucnhing the Boris Island concept, not least the massive investment BAA is making (nobly!) in LHR to make it fit for the 21st century after decades of mismanagement; with many of the major construction firms dependent on these contracts for the new LHR Central Area terminal it might be a barrier to them also bidding for work on any competitor to LHR.

Either way, LHR will be with us for at least another generation; the Boris Island issue is all about what the aviation landscape will be like in 2030, probably after many here will no longer be Business Travellers, and it’s in that context we should see these strategic choices.

[Bucksnet]

Holding over the south east is mainly due to not enough runways at LHR. A third runway, for landings only, would eliminate the problem.

There is a legally binding agreement not to expand LGW until 2019 which should be kept to, otherwise what is the point of it. And VK, LGW does not need 3 runways.

Boris Island is a non starter!

[Swissdiver]

LPPS:

Schengen: Criminality is sky-rocketing notably in Geneva: robberies are becoming common here and on evenings this city sounds like New-York now. A shame… Police openly, and rightfully, explained how challenging it is for them to face it and how they struggle hiring and training enough officers to deal with the situation.

Aircrafts: No need for a A330 when B767, and to some extent B777-200 (only slightly bigger), and soon B787 are covering the needs. Airlines are considering Airbus 330/340 only when Airbus is price dumping and/or political pressures are exercised.

FRA: Trains is not helping walking miles in corridors… Nor it helps dealing with lost luggages (very common when connecting at FRA) and constant LH delays…

[LPPSKrisflyer]

I’m still not sure how the comments on Schengen equate to the Swiss people being brainwashed.

I would be surprised if Airbus are dumping the A330, more a figment of imagination than reality I think given how widely it is used.

Strange but I’ve never lost a bag in transit at FRA in over thirty years of passing through there quite regularly. You do seem fated with lost bags and non-credited miles in to an M&M account. Perhaps you should just stay away from there completely no matter how inconvenient the alternative is. Then you can also include flying only on Boeing aircraft in your itinerary.

[Bucksnet]

@ Swissdiver

Criminality has sky rocketed in the UK as well, with London alone now getting more crime than the whole of the country used to. The British population seem to have a mental block and forget history when they go to vote. Switzerland will go the same way unless the people wake up.

And this is before we go into Schengen!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

On the other hand, if the UK judges continue to favour the crims over the citizens, expect more.

Perhaps we don’t want the UK in Schengen?

[Bucksnet]

No we don’t, and Dave won’t give us a vote on it like the Swiss had.

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