BMI to be sold to IAG (BA)

[orudge]

I did a quick google search, and building a new airport on an island is estimated to take five more years, and cost £3.5 billion more, than a conventional airport.

Well let me put this way, if the Tories/Lib Dems lose to Labour in 2015, it will still take years and years of legal delays and lawsuits etc until it is finally built, without a doubt it will take more than T5 took to build (20 years!)

None of the major parties, Labour included, support a third runway at Heathrow at present. It's been reported that many Conservatives do think a third runway would be the best option (and recently a load of peers, Conservative and Labour, suggested the government should backtrack on what it said and build the runway), but the official party position is against it, as is the coalition agreement.

[Hitperson]

they may never do, currently i would suspect that the current government has enough on it's plate as it is.

also consider changing trends, use of higher MGW and Capacity aircraft will reduce the required number in order to shift the bulk therefore to keep the same number of passengers in transit with fewer aircraft thus allowing more passengers to be moved with a larger number of aircraft, sadly though this would then affect short haul and internal flights as larger gates would be built reducing the number of slots for smaller aircraft.

They should reorganise the operations of the airports like this:

London Heathrow: Should recive all long haul (outside Europe) fights

London Gatwick: Should be a overspill of Heathrow

London Stansted: Should recive all short haul fights

London Luton/Southend: Should be a overspills of Stansted

that isn't too far from how it is now, but bare in mind connecting flights connections with two separate airports are incredibly difficult to co-ordinate and add to that the horrific traffic that likes to crop up on the M25 and you have real issues.

[Ameecher]

But Heathrow is a major transit hub for Europe so eliminating short haul would kill the airport off.

[orudge]

They should reorganise the operations of the airports like this:

London Heathrow: Should recive all long haul (outside Europe) fights

London Gatwick: Should be a overspill of Heathrow

London Stansted: Should recive all short haul fights

London Luton/Southend: Should be a overspills of Stansted

How do you propose to get people from, let's say, Heathrow to Stansted, and vice versa? Currently, if I'm flying into Heathrow (or Gatwick, for that matter) on a long-haul flight, I can get onto my domestic connecting flight within an hour or so. Likewise, if I'm flying down from Aberdeen to Heathrow, I can be on my Heathrow to San Francisco flight in an hour. I don't have to pick up my bags, I don't have to go through security again (at least when going dom->intl), I don't have to get new boarding passes - I can just sit in the airport lounge and relax. I'm definitely not going to be able to get from Heathrow to Stansted in an hour, though, and are you going to be forcing everybody to pick up their bags, check them in again at the other airport, go through security, etc? Realistically you'll need at the very least 3 hours to make any connection then. Funnily enough, people will choose to fly through Amsterdam or Frankfurt instead in such situations.

If you could come up with some kind of high-speed rail service linking all the airports, including baggage transfer facilities (so you don't touch your bags until you get to your final destination) and secure "airside" coaches/trains (so you don't have to go through security again at your next airport), and could do all that in under an hour, then it might be workable. But it's also going to cost a huge amount of money to build all that.

[Ameecher]

But Heathrow is a major transit hub for Europe so eliminating short haul would kill the airport off.

Stansted, Luton and Gatwick have a lot of short haul servcies already!

Yes I know, thanks for reminding me though. What I'm saying is that the short haul flights into Heathrow are big business and feed a lot of the Long Haul flights, you can't strip those out without affecting the Long Haul. The fact that the others all deal with short haul is irrelevant.

[Ameecher]

Crossrail wouldn't be a secure connection, ie, you'd still need to lug your own luggage across London and go back through security. Silly idea.

[Hitperson]

How do you propose to get people from, let's say, Heathrow to Stansted, and vice versa? Currently, if I'm flying into Heathrow (or Gatwick, for that matter) on a long-haul flight, I can get onto my domestic connecting flight within an hour or so. Likewise, if I'm flying down from Aberdeen to Heathrow, I can be on my Heathrow to San Francisco flight in an hour. I don't have to pick up my bags, I don't have to go through security again (at least when going dom->intl), I don't have to get new boarding passes - I can just sit in the airport lounge and relax. I'm definitely not going to be able to get from Heathrow to Stansted in an hour, though, and are you going to be forcing everybody to pick up their bags, check them in again at the other airport, go through security, etc? Realistically you'll need at the very least 3 hours to make any connection then. Funnily enough, people will choose to fly through Amsterdam or Frankfurt instead in such situations.

If you could come up with some kind of high-speed rail service linking all the airports, including baggage transfer facilities (so you don't touch your bags until you get to your final destination) and secure "airside" coaches/trains (so you don't have to go through security again at your next airport), and could do all that in under an hour, then it might be workable. But it's also going to cost a huge amount of money to build all that.

My plan is to divert soem Crossrail servcies to Stansted, and extends those trains to 12 car

However, my ideal plan is reaplce them all with one airport by the Thames

there would be no where near the capacity, the airport would have to be huge.

[Hitperson]

there would be no where near the capacity, the airport would have to be huge.

Certainly it will be as big as the one they are building in Dubai!

that costs involved would be massive.

[Ameecher]

there would be no where near the capacity, the airport would have to be huge.

Certainly it will be as big as the one they are building in Dubai!

In Dubai there is no one to annoy and it's just a desert they're building over. In SE England where ever you build it there are a lot of people to p*** off, a lot of habitat to destroy or farmland to destroy.

[Ameecher]

Find 54sq miles then for this behemoth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Maktoum ... al_Airport

[Pilot]

Find 54sq miles then for this behemoth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Maktoum ... al_Airport

The Isle of Sheppey, Hoo Peninsula, the area surrounding Southminster and Cranfield along with the Aylesbury Vale

Right, Alan Fry, Listen to me and Listen to me Good!
I am sick and tired of hearing all of the S*** that you post, especially considering you don't even back up all of your Claims with any Evidence to prove a point. There isn't a spare 54sq Miles within the British Isles to build that Airport that Ameecher is on about, where it wouldn't cost at least £100bn. Want evidence! Well it costs $82bn to build that Airport on Unihabited, Flat Desert, with no one to P*** off. In Britain, you would first have to decide where to put it, then relocate Hundreds of Thousands of people, then flatten the 54sq Miles of Land, Then start Construction. Don't know if you have noticed, 54sq Miles is a heck of a lot of space, something that we have next to nothing off in Britain.

Also, all of this Crap you have been posting about Heathrow being unsuitable! Heathrow is amazing at doing what it does. Considering that Flights are restricted between 11pm and 7am every night, Aircraft like the Boeing 747 are not allowed to land there because of Noise. This makes Heathrow amazingly Busy in the Day, but all of the Controllers and Pilots that use Heathrow are highly experienced in Flying into the Airport, making the Stacking not a problem. If the Current Government had sense, they would see a Third Runway at Heathrow as Sensible, not this 'Boris Island' or 'Thames Estuary Airport' S***.

Also, another Major floor I see in 'Your' Plans, is I don't see anything to do with the Different owners. Maybe Cranfield University don't want to hand over there Airport to BAA. Maybe BAA (and also BA) don't want to Own/Operate/Use this new Airport. Maybe the Government doesn't get 'Competition' or maybe, that is just you.

So Seriously, Stop sprouting a load of S***

RANT OVER.

[Kevo00]

Find 54sq miles then for this behemoth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Maktoum ... al_Airport

The Isle of Sheppey, Hoo Peninsula, the area surrounding Southminster and Cranfield along with the Aylesbury Vale

That's three sites, not one.

Anyway, it's hilarious that you go on about tax evasion and the largesse of the 1%, then cite Dubai, a place driven by that sort of activity.

[Kevo00]

Find 54sq miles then for this behemoth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Maktoum ... al_Airport

The Isle of Sheppey, Hoo Peninsula, the area surrounding Southminster and Cranfield along with the Aylesbury Vale

Right, Alan Fry, Listen to me and Listen to me Good!
I am sick and tired of hearing all of the S*** that you post, especially considering you don't even back up all of your Claims with any Evidence to prove a point. There isn't a spare 54sq Miles within the British Isles to build that Airport that Ameecher is on about, where it wouldn't cost at least £100bn. Want evidence! Well it costs $82bn to build that Airport on Unihabited, Flat Desert, with no one to P*** off. In Britain, you would first have to decide where to put it, then relocate Hundreds of Thousands of people, then flatten the 54sq Miles of Land, Then start Construction. Don't know if you have noticed, 54sq Miles is a heck of a lot of space, something that we have next to nothing off in Britain.

Also, all of this Crap you have been posting about Heathrow being unsuitable! Heathrow is amazing at doing what it does. Considering that Flights are restricted between 11pm and 7am every night, Aircraft like the Boeing 747 are not allowed to land there because of Noise. This makes Heathrow amazingly Busy in the Day, but all of the Controllers and Pilots that use Heathrow are highly experienced in Flying into the Airport, making the Stacking not a problem. If the Current Government had sense, they would see a Third Runway at Heathrow as Sensible, not this 'Boris Island' or 'Thames Estuary Airport' S***.

Also, another Major floor I see in 'Your' Plans, is I don't see anything to do with the Different owners. Maybe Cranfield University don't want to hand over there Airport to BAA. Maybe BAA (and also BA) don't want to Own/Operate/Use this new Airport. Maybe the Government doesn't get 'Competition' or maybe, that is just you.

So Seriously, Stop sprouting a load of S***

RANT OVER.

Less than helpful - this sort of post is what he wants (goes for others that should know better).

[Dave]

Lol major floor.

[Pilot]

If you look at those sites, there is space to build an airport of that size without demolishing too many homes.

Yes, but, I don't know if you have ever noticed, but Airports need LOTS OF FLAT LAND!!!! And for God Sake, If you did some Research, you would find out that this country has a Population Density of 660 People per Square Mile, for a 52sq Mile project, that is an Average of 34,320. That is a lot of people.

If you have read my posts, I stated that this project will be the most expensive in Europe. It without a doubt cost at least £100 Billion (maybe more). But it is needed because Heathrow cannot be expanded (they tried you know) and nether can Stansted (they tried you know) and Gatwick (at least until 2019). That’s a problem since all those airports are pretty much full (Luton and Southend are not far behind). This means those airports serve fewer and fewer destinations (not good in a globalised world) and struggles to cope with current numbers and fall apart every time there is some fault (weather, security etc).

Heathrow can be expanded, same with Stanstead and Gatwick. All they need is the Government to put there foot down and say 'We are doing this NOW!' and it will be done, no matter how much people protest, we can relocate them. In fact, there will be less people to relocate (only build one Runway and Terminal) on one of the Current sites, than say Building a completely new Airport, plus it would be a hell of a lot Cheaper.
Southend is no where near Full, It has just opened as a Proper Airport so get your Facts right.
Also regarding Security and Weather, would you rather your Plane was Blown out of the Sky by Terrorists (Heathrow is a major Terrorist Target), or your Plane Crash on Take-Off due to too much snow on the Runway, I don't think you would.

What make the problem at Heathrow worse is they can only use one runway, due to air traffic laws. Lastly there is not the political will to even allow the use of both runways at the same time (let alone expansion). Not only does that but the ban on 24 hour use not help either. Frankfurt and Paris will soon overtake us.

Both Runways are in use when the Airport is open, one for Take-Offs and one for Landing, but that has nothing to do with Air Traffic Laws. It is to do with the Residents in the houses below the Flight Path being Whingy. AFAIK the Government are pushing so that Both Runways can be used for Both Take-Off's and Landings which would allow an Increase in the Use of Both Runways.

What you do not is that London’s airports are only just coping, when the Olympic come, it will fall apart again. My plan is to set up a company known as “London Airport Limited” They will buy the airports and will not be taxpayer funded (the government will not be allowed to bail it out or add their debt to the governments accounts). They will get the funding from sell offs, bonds and benefit from a monopoly on London’s civil air traffic.

London's Airports are Coping well at the Minute, and also some of the Flights into the Various London Airports currently are not Fully Loaded. The Olympics will be a time when Airports like London Southend, London Oxford or Biggin Hill will come into there own, accepting the Large number of Private Jets, instead of them having to go into Heathrow or City. Also, If more capacity is needed at Heathrow during the Olympics, I am almost certain that the Government will make Cargo Flights that normally operate into Heathrow, use another London Airport, or make a Special Exception and Force BAA into operating 24/7.
Also, Can this 'In your Plans' Rubbish. I very much doubt that anyone with a Brain would vote you to anywhere with any Power within the Government. So you can say buy to them.

The London/UK Economy badly needs a decent airport, and we need to plan for one before the situation becomes bad enough to hinder the UK Economy. It would also kick-start economic growth!

Yes, and London has more than 1 Decent Airport, It has 4. Want a List here you go:
London Heathrow
London City
London Gatwick
London Stanstead.
In fact, all of these are more than Decent, they are Excellent.

[Ameecher]

What is it with people not spelling that airport near Bishop's Stortford correctly? It's Stansted.

[Pilot]

What is it with people not spelling that airport near Bishop's Stortford correctly? It's Stansted.

My Apologies, I have always spelt Stansted as Stanstead for some reason. I shall make sure I change my ways.

[orudge]

What is it with people not spelling that airport near Bishop's Stortford correctly? It's Stansted.

Are they the same people that want to catch trains from St Pancreas?

[andel]

What is it with people not spelling that airport near Bishop's Stortford correctly? It's Stansted.

Are they the same people that want to catch trains from St Pancreas?

Or go to Edinborough? Or maybe Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

[GurraJG]

Heathrow cannot be expanded, BAA have tried, but their efforts have failed, unlike China we are a democracy, we can’t just drive people out.

That's a bit rich for you, isn't it? Seriously, if there isn't the political will to expand Heathrow, what makes you think that there'll be the political will to build a massive new airport over a few villages somewhere else?