[VintageKrug]

Erm..BA does not run an A319 from London City to anywhere…..

[NTarrant]

Hi Martyn

Thanks for the clarification and I see what you are getting at. If treated as Terminal 6 with a direct rail link it could work. However for those of us that live in the south any split of destinations to another location without the right connections, it just as well be at LTN!

All the best

Nigel

[MartynSinclair]

the negatives:

1. 5500 runway, limiting aircraft size

2. residential area

3. 1 runway

4. would need a “connection” to LHR

5. Perfect for ALL GA movements

6. local transportation, whilst in place would need modyfying

Positives

1. Airport already in situ

2. tube station within 800 metres

3. ideally positioned to link to both LHR and LTN

4. Far cheaper than building a new airport

5. jobs for the area and a financial boost for the local area

6. will probably open up additional slots for LHR

I would not view it as T6, but just another airport in the London area, just like the New York area. with JFK, La Guardia, Newark, White Plains + the others.

[VintageKrug]

Though I think it is prudent to mandate private traffic to Northolt in favour of LHR, NOrthholt has just as many issues as LHR.

Though MS is often keen to find a short term “sellotape and string” solution to any problem, I am afraid this simply isn’t sufficient to address the massive growth in air traffic set out in the report.

Have you actually bothered to read it? Or as with the case against BASSA, are you happy to ramble on without being in possession of the facts of the case?

What is needed is a strategic long term solution to the problem which both alleviates the need to fly on shorter hops (train investment) AND increases capacity massively, not just to address current concerns, but the longer term 50+ year need.

Heathrow is simply not viable twenty years hence as our sole hub airport in the South East; while LHR may serve adequately in the interim, and Northolt might indeed be a stopgap solution to part of the problem if linked by fast train for the masses, it is not the right solution for long term growth for this country.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Stansted is the answer.

But developing it will require three things

1 – political will, to overcome the airlines’ resistance and the local objections

2 – lots of investment

3 – clear long term thinking, to do the right thing, now

Sadly, I don’t think much of any of the three is available in the UK.

[MartynSinclair]

VintageKrug – I think we will all be dead if we wait for a long term strategic plan to be implemented. The BASSA problem will soon form part of history lessons at school. I admit to looking at the short term becasue my business is suffering NOW.

If you had read my post, the suggestion was that if Northolt was deemed unsuitable, it should be sold and the profit used for building a new airport.

I agree with DS (for a change) that Stansted does provide an ideal solution. It needs a high speed link though from the West to make it work more accessable. If Northolt was sold, the money rasied from the property projects that would undoubtadly happen, would go someway to investing into Stansted – and no, I have not done the numbers!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“I agree with DS (for a change) that Stansted does provide an ideal solution”

I better come up with a new alternative, pronto, so we can have a ‘discourse’ again 😉

[LuganoPirate]

Martyn, Nigel, you both make a good point. For the S.E. there is Biggen Hill, which has a 6,000 ft runway (LCY’s is only 4,300 by comparison) and was an ex RAF field but is now given over to civilian flights. Not only would this save an important historical airfield, but could lighten the load at Gatwick.

I’m not suggesting it would help BA who have IC flights that feed into European ones, but could be used for point to point travel such as holiday flights where passengers are rarely interlining. A B737 or A320 needs about 4,500 ft so ideal for those work horses of the charter / holiday flight world.

[LuganoPirate]

There is also Lydd and Manston, which I believe has flights operated by Flybe. Lydd also promotes itself as an alternative to LHR etc and is only 10 miles from Ashford railway station (Eurostar etc).

With a bit of planning and forethought alternative solutions are available.

[MartynSinclair]

The major problem with Stansted, Lydd, Manston and others, is finding a way to get passengers inside the terminal within a sensible travel time. There used to be a time when using a particluar airport proivided the passenger with certain status. i.e. a LHR – JFK looked better than a Gatwick to Newark flight. I think we have moved on a lot from those times.

The above mentioned airports are all up and running – the solution has to include these, why build new ones when the exsiting ones could be developed.

[LuganoPirate]

I agree with you Martyn, but I was really thinking of the SE catchment area, from where getting to Stansted is a bit of a bind, even with the M25. I think if holiday makers from Maidstone, Ashford, S.E. London etc. were offered their charter / holiday flight from B.H. Manston or Lydd they would much prefer this to having to go North.

I agree transport links to those airports are far from ideal, but with greater use the links would improve dramatically. Further a taxi (or mini cab) is much cheaper than to Stansted, with good rail links nearby. I can’t compare parking costs as I don’t have that info but would imagine they would also be less than the major airports.

I’m just surprised that these airports get no mention (as far as I know) and are worthy of consideration as it would provide quite an amount of relief to LGW. But maybe LGW doesn’t really want that solution preferring an extra runway for commercial reasons???

[MartynSinclair]

Hi Lugano

I think the use of the peripheral airports such as Stansted, Lydd etc, is down to the “where can you get to from there” or “its in the middle of nowhere”.

Parking charges at Stansted hae increased steeply over the last month or so.

I agree that if you have a working airport, make that airport accessible and then use it. Mind you, I am not sure whats cheaper to create, a new access link or a new airport, after all – we are talking about the UK where IR, seem more difficult to control than planning permission!!

[VintageKrug]

Lydd as a credible, strategic alternative to a new, 21st Century Hub airport?

You really are in fantasy land now.

[MartynSinclair]

Life does exist in the SE corner VK!

There is a very valid argument for using Lydd as a feeder into other hubs. There is a 5000′ runway, not sure if it can be extended. I dont see the point of trying to cram more aircraft in Heathrow and Gatwick, if the infrasctructure is already bursting.

During the Ash cloud problems, the M4 into London was just bliss. Its not just about the airports, its about getting to the airports as well.

[LuganoPirate]

I was not suggesting, VK, that Lydd be a new 21st century airport, nor Manston for that matter. I just think that for point to point charter / holiday flights, using those airports would relieve LHR/LGW substantially and mean billions would not need to be spent on extra runways or new airports.

As Martyn said, life does exist in the SE, and quite a lot of it as well, people who I’m sure would be delighted to avoid the rigours of LGW/LHR.

[Author]

Posts