Airport expansions

[Bald Rick]

Fairly easy to extend it, though, as while one end has Luton directly next to it and a massive cliff (not as pronounced as it was with the road added I guess) the other end is just farmland. Offer the right price and it can easily be purchased for an extension.

(One could argue that extending it the other way over Luton would be an improvement, though )

It's not exactly flat at the western end either, would probably need some fairly significant earthworks to make a runway out of it.

This, and the airport have bought it anyway. But not for a runway extension.

 

[camflyer]

The usefulness of an airport for potential passengers depends on the destinations served. For example, Luton focusses on short-haul flights to popular holiday resorts, Eastern Europe and Tel Aviv. EasyJet and Ryanair respectively provide services to UK domestic and Irish destinations and there are a limited number of services to major Western European cities, but there are no long-haul flights whatsoever.

I suspect an expanded Luton will try to attract a Middle East carrier such as Etihad to give more route options just as Emirates are at Stansted.

 

[QSK19]

I suspect an expanded Luton will try to attract a Middle East carrier such as Etihad to give more route options just as Emirates are at Stansted.

Indeed. In such a scenario, maybe Etihad could use their future A321LR for flights to Luton. Seems a suitably-sized aircraft for such a route and the provision of 2 First Class, 14 Business Class and 144 Economy seats looks interesting.

 

[YorkRailFan]

I suspect an expanded Luton will try to attract a Middle East carrier such as Etihad to give more route options just as Emirates are at Stansted.

Wouldn't surprise me if Emirates' sister carrier, FlyDubai were to start Luton flights.

 

[QSK19]

Wouldn't surprise me if Emirates' sister carrier, FlyDubai were to start Luton flights.

Maybe also an outside punt at IndiGo flying 321s there as part of expansion into Europe.

 

[camflyer]

Maybe also an outside punt at IndiGo flying 321s there as part of expansion into Europe.

Indeed. Given the local demographics a route to India could work well.

Meanwhile, the BBC have the headline "Man plans to sell house". Must be a slow news day...

London Luton Airport expansion sees man plan to sell his house

London Luton Airport is planning to grow its passenger numbers to 32 million by 2043.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[pug1]

My concern with all this is that something will happen at some point where airlines put the brakes on or maybe even go backwards. In the case of private sector investment I’d say indeed go ahead. When it comes to public money, well that’s best spent elsewhere. Aviation is cyclical and volatile, public investment is best focussed on surface transport like road and rail which isn’t as susceptible to fluctuations in demand.

 

[daodao]

I suspect an expanded Luton will try to attract a Middle East carrier such as Etihad to give more route options just as Emirates are at Stansted.

Luton Airport has a single runway, whose length is only 2,162 m (7,093 ft) and it occupies a hill-top location, with a roughly 40 m (130 ft) drop-off at the western end of the runway. As @Bald Rick has pointed out, this is unsuitable for the larger aircraft typically used on long-haul flights, and there are no plans to lengthen the runway (only possible at the eastern end), merely plans to expand the terminal capacity.

My post was simply to point out that not all airports provide the full range of destinations. In the London area, there are 3 other airports with longer runways that can service long-haul flights, although the furthest that one can currently fly directly from Stansted by scheduled services is Dubai.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

In USA news CHA - Chattanooga Metropolitan airport has expanded and we now have 8 gates. Quite a few new destinations being added and one new airline- the dreaded Spirit Airlines .

 

[Chester1]

Luton Airport has a single runway, whose length is only 2,162 m (7,093 ft) and it occupies a hill-top location, with a roughly 40 m (130 ft) drop-off at the western end of the runway. As @Bald Rick has pointed out, this is unsuitable for the larger aircraft typically used on long-haul flights, and there are no plans to lengthen the runway (only possible at the eastern end), merely plans to expand the terminal capacity.

My post was simply to point out that not all airports provide the full range of destinations. In the London area, there are 3 other airports with longer runways that can service long-haul flights, although the furthest that one can currently fly directly from Stansted by scheduled services is Dubai.

The A321 XLR might open up some extra routes but nothing spectacular. The City, Luton and Gatwick expansions are for more of what they are already do. I am struggling to think of a British airport that in the modern era, once established, has fundamentally changed its target passengers.

 

[daodao]

The A321 XLR might open up some extra routes but nothing spectacular. The City, Luton and Gatwick expansions are for more of what they are already do. I am struggling to think of a British airport that in the modern era, once established, has fundamentally changed its target passengers.

In Scotland, Prestwick airport lost its primary role as the transatlantic gateway after 1990 to Abbotsinch airport, but now Glasgow only has a single transatlantic destination (Toronto). Edinburgh (Turnhouse) is now Scotland's main airport for long-haul flights.

 

[Howardh]

I've just flown to/from Newquay and noticed a lot of building work going on, but no explanation as to what exactly they are doing. (we were walked round the back of the "arrivals hall"!)
The departures terminal is adequate for one, maybe two flights but any more and they would struggle.

One issue for me was on arrival I just missed the bus, the next was slightly over an hour away, and although you could enter departures landside, and the toilets were open, the cafe bar was closed and no drinks/snacks machines.

So can anyone inform me what are they developing?