Heathrow News Updates
Here at Heathrow Airport Car Parking we aim to bring you latest news updates about Heathrow Airport.
We hope you find them interesting:
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the success of the economy depended on improving the transport network. Crossrail would provide an east-west train travel artery across London while an expansion of Heathrow Airport would provide the economy with a £21.7bn boost, according to the BCC.
A stated priority is to improve the levels of customer service at Heathrow Airport.
"The group's strategic objective is to make Heathrow into Europe's hub of choice by making every journey better. This will ensure customers enjoy superior facilities relative to competitors," BAA explained.
It was also revealed that at Heathrow Airport 97.9 per cent of passengers managed to pass through security in five minutes or less.
Heathrow Airport on sea gets thumbs down March 1 2010
The world’s leading airline operators today dealt a body blow to the Mayor of London over plans to replace Heathrow Airport with a new airport in the Thames Estuary.
A £40bn six-runway airport built on reclaimed land dubbed “Boris Island” would bury Heathrow’s third-runway expansion and trigger an end to flights over south-west London, with the airport’s ultimate closure.But the Board of Airline Representatives UK - which makes up 90 per cent of Heathrow’s operators - said there was an insurmountable safety risk concerning the estuary’s bird colonies, which could strike aircraft.
British Airway’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, also claimed in a survey commissioned by Medway Council how closing Heathrow would create a “vast wasteland west of London”.
BAA, the owners of Heathrow Airport, are naturally totally opposed to the plans for a new airport.
US Contintal Airlines starts Mobile Boarding Passes at Heathrow Airport February 27 2010
Continental Airlines announced the expansion of its mobile boarding pass service to London’s Heathrow Airport, becoming the first carrier to offer paperless boarding passes on nonstop flights from the United Kingdom to the U.S. The service allows customers to receive boarding passes electronically on their mobile phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs) and eliminates the need for paper boarding passes.
“We are pleased to add Heathrow to the growing list of airports we serve with mobile boarding passes,” said Martin Hand, Continental’s vice president of reservations and eCommerce. "Customers have told us this is the type of product improvement they want, and we will continue to expand the self-service technology to more of our domestic and international destinations.”
Mobile boarding passes display a two-dimensional bar code along with passenger and flight information, which scanners at the security checkpoint and boarding gate validate. The technology prevents manipulation or duplication of the boarding passes and heightens security.
Continental operates five flights per day from Heathrow - three to its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport, and two to Houston. The airline announced recently that it will add a fourth daily service to the Heathrow-New York route in March and a fifth daily service in October, bringing the total number of Continental daily departures from Heathrow Airport to seven.
The Wandsworth Guardian carried this story today:
"The economic case for expanding Heathrow was “fatally” overstated by the Government, which also failed to prove roads and public transport could cope with extra passenger demand, the High Court heard today.
Lawyers representing a coalition of local councils - including Wandsworth, Richmond and Hounslow - and green groups made the claims on the second day of a judicial inquiry into the Government's decision to expand the airport.
The coalition wants the High Court to rule last January's decision – which includes plans for a third runway and new terminal to increase capacity – unlawful, as it said final plans differed greatly from those consulted on.
The Government lawyer said it had not broken any law and the economic case was not relevant to the consultation and would be developed at a later stage along with transport implications.
Additionally, he said, the Government had decided expansion at Heathrow prior to the public consultation in 2007, and it was merely seeking views on how expansion would take place.
Acting for the coalition, Nigel Pleming QC, said the Government's forecast of a £5.4bn net benefit from expansion was incorrect.
Despite not being part of the public consultation, the Government had agreed to implement plans to reduce carbon levels to 2005 levels by 2050, he claimed, and had overestimated passenger numbers while underestimating the price per tonne of carbon as part an off-setting scheme.
A Climate Change Committee report, produced 11 months after the Government decision, showed Heathrow could expect fewer passengers, he said, and revealed the price of carbon per tonne by 2050 would be £200, against the Government’s figure of £63.
“It would almost bring it [the net benefit] back to zero from £5.4bn,” Mr Pleming said. “If this had gone through the consultation process we say it would have significantly, if not fatally, undermined the case for a third runway.”
Nathalie Lieven QC said the Government also failed to address how it would meet extra demand on the Tube, trains and roads.
While it had taken account of the net benefits of expansion it had not accounted for the “dis-benefits” from stretched road and rail services, she said, adding businesses and local economies around the airport would also suffer.
“It is very clear these costs undermine the economic case,” she said. “He [the secretary of state] chose not to 'monetarise' the dis-benefits and failed to take into account a material consideration.”
The Government lawyer, Jonathan Swift QC, said the public consultation served only to seek views on how extra capacity should be met and when it should take place.
“The policy in favour of expansion at Heathrow was taken in 2003, the 2009 consultation decision was consulting on options for expansion,” he said. “The 2009 decision was simply one step. It is not the final destination of that process.”
He said the secretary of state had been “consistent” and there would have to be consultations when groups would “have their say” on transport and economic concerns.
He said: “There is nothing unreasonable, let alone unlawful in this approach.”
Lord Justice Carnwath asked Mr Swift about the timing of the Government's January decision, given it knew an important report from the Climate Change committee was imminent.
He asked whether the Government had considered in waiting for a report “that people may find it critical to what happened in the long term”.
Mr Swift replied: “The short answer is it could have been done that way but there is no reason it couldn't have been done the way the secretary of state did it.”
He added: “The present policy position is that they [the Government] supports expansion at Heathrow, subject to air quality and noise conditions being met.”
He conceded they had not been met in the Government's January decision, but added it “only said they could be met, not that they were met”.
The review continues."
Arguments over the third runway at Heathrow Airport will run and run
Third Runway at Heathrow Airport will boost UK economy February 22 2010
The BBC carries this report today:
"A third runway at Heathrow airport would provide a £21.7bn boost to the UK economy, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has suggested.
This is the single largest benefit from 13 key transport projects that would boost the economy by £85bn, it said.
The business group said spending on key UK infrastructure projects must not be cut despite tight public finances.
UK firms believed investment was "essential to the future success and growth of regional economies", it said.
The Labour and Conservative parties have said they would cut public spending to reduce the budget deficit.
"Transport infrastructure cuts must not become a politically convenient way to slash spending after an election, especially when there are huge savings to be made in far larger budgets, including health, education and welfare," said David Frost, the BCC's director general.
"Cutting or scrapping plans for regional transport improvements means fewer jobs, and ultimately fewer businesses driving recovery."
The BCC put the total cost of the infrastructure projects, which include London's Crossrail train link, a third runway at Heathrow airport, as well as road and rail improvements, at £29.8bn.
The public sector would contribute £3.1bn a year for five years, with the private sector making up the remaining £14.3bn.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said: "Even in tough economic times, we must continue to invest in vital transport infrastructure which benefits jobs, businesses, our economy and the environment."
Some Americans upset with Heathrow Airport body scanners January 29 2010
Many American passengers are not happy that passengers will have no right to refuse to go through a full-body search scanner when the devices are introduced at Heathrow Airport next week, ministers have confirmed.The option of having a full-body pat-down search instead, offered to passengers at US airports, will not be available despite warnings from the government's Equality and Human Rights Commission that the scanners, which reveal naked bodies, breach privacy rules under the Human Rights Act.
The transport minister Paul Clark told MPs a random selection of passengers would go through the new scanners at UK airports. The machines' introduction would be followed later this year by extra "trace" scanners, which can detect liquid explosives. A draft code of practice covering privacy and health issues is being discussed in Whitehall.
Air New Zealand introduces beds from Heathrow Airport January 27 2010
From next April, those flying economy from London Heathrow to Auckland on Air New Zealand will be able to put it to the test on the gruelling 26-hour journey.The pioneering design has been developed specifically to cater for young families or older couples on the high-end tourist route. It takes up no more space than a conventional economy seat, so the airline will not lose passenger numbers — although a couple will have to buy a third ticket at half the standard fare to be able to lie together.
The bed is activated on rows of three seats, which look like standard economy seating until a button on the armrest is pressed. This raises what looks like an elongated foot rest, which becomes a mattress panel abutting the seat in front. Passengers sleep across the cabin. Two adults can just about lie shoulder to shoulder, but the bed would be more comfortable for an adult and two young children.
“The days of sitting in economy and yearning to lie down and sleep are gone,” said Rob Fyfe, the chief executive of Air New Zealand, which has spent several million pounds developing the concept. The company is not yet willing to say how much a London-Auckland fare will be, but its long-haul boss, Ed Sims, acknowledged that prices might rise if they proved popular.
Better things to do at Heathrow Airport January 23 2010
The big news from Heathrow Airport today was that Victoria Beckham was seen arriving on a plane from Milan. Wow. Even more exiting was the news that she been to Milan to see husband David, and they spent several happy hours shopping in fancy Milan shops. Wow, wow.
Pathetic, isn't it?
No British Airways strike at Easter January 22 2010
Passengers from Heathrow Airport will be pleased to learn that there will be no British Airways strike at Easter.
Scanners to be re-introduced at Heathrow Airport January 21 2010
Although an initial trial was cancelled in 2008, body scanners are now once again to be introduced at Heathrow Airport.
Third Runway at Heathrow Airport will mean more domestic flights January 17 2010
The UK Department of Transport has said that a third runway at Heathrow Airport will mean more domestic air travel.
“Additional runway capacity would clearly provide more opportunity to cater for demand for regional air services,” it said.
A BAA spokesman said: “There is a powerful argument that regions of the UK need to be connected to Heathrow in order to do business around the world.”
Bizarre behaviour at Heathrow Airport January 16 2010
The following day, Miss Boyle, who has learning difficulties, had a tantrum in the British Airways VIP lounge at Heathrow Airport.
She was seen dancing and singing with a mop in front of fellow first class passengers. She also shouted obscenities and tried to polish a passenger's shoes with the mop.
The incidents are another sign that Miss Boyle, 48, could be becoming overwhelmed by the demands on her after her success on ITV's Britain's Got Talent.
A source close to Miss Boyle said she felt she was being pulled in different directions by her managers - Andy Stephens who used to work with George Michael, U2's former accountant Ossie Kilkenny and one of her nieces, Kirsty.
The source added: 'No wonder Susan may be a bit frazzled - it's all a bit too much to take in.'
The first of the latest incidents came on Monday at The Mill Cafe, near the council house in West Lothian, where Miss Boyle has lived since she was a baby.
One staff member - who asked not to be named - said the singer was 'effing and blinding' when she walked in.
She then started complaining to others about her personal assistant - believed to be another niece - who, according to Miss Boyle, had said she needed to go on a diet.
The cafe worker said: 'When my boss came in with a delivery, I was sitting talking to her and Susan shouted over, "You better not be ****ing talking about me".
BMI reduces flights on Dublin services to Heathrow Airport January 10 2010
BMI staff are at risk of redundancy after the airline today announced it was cutting the number of daily flights from Dublin to Heathrow Airport to four for its summer schedule, ending the necessity to base an aircraft at Dublin."Currently, bmi flight operations between Dublin and London Heathrow requires one aircraft to be based at Dublin and one at Heathrow, with the additional cost of retaining aircraft and crew at both bases," the airline said in a statement.Commencing with the summer 2010 flying programme, bmi will base the required aircraft at London Heathrow.
The airline said the move was part of further restructuring efforts as it focused on returning the company to profitability.
Incident at Heathrow Airport January 10 2010
Armed policeboarded a plane at Heathrow airport and arrested three men over a verbal threat
The Metropolitan Police said three people have been arrested.
Passenger Cameron McLean said one man was taken off the plane in handcuffs before sniffer dogs were brought in.
"Police just swarmed the guy and rushed him out.
"I think he was a white male. There was another one but I didn't see him."
An airport spokesman said: "I can confirm there has been an incident on the EK004 flight to Dubai.
Brunt added: "A verbal threat of some description was made. It was overheard. It was reported to members of the crew.
"They were understandably very concerned. "They stopped the plane. The plane was taken back to some part of Heathrow, at which point anti-terror police boarded the plane.
"I think, at the moment, this was just a verbal threat but, of course, an investigation ensues until police are satisfied.
Airports across Europe reported some flight delays Monday due to heightened security imposed after an attack on a Detroit-bound airliner, but advance warning from airlines kept disruptions to a minimum.
At London Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest air hub, there were delays of about an hour on flights to the U.S., and small lines built up at departure gates. But most passengers took things in stride.
"It's Christmas as well, so you'd expect some delays," said Mary Lecarpentier, 45, who was traveling from London to New York for New Year's celebrations. "I've only just joined this line and it's fine. I'm nearly there."
British Airways told customers flying to the U.S. from London to limit themselves to a single item of hand luggage and expect any gifts they're carrying to be unwrapped at security. Virgin Atlantic posted a similar announcement on its Web site. Both airlines said delays had been minimal.
Marta Ostovich, a 28-year-old archaeology student returning from a two-week vacation, said the situation was "definitely not as bad as I thought it would be."
"I was worried but I think I came needlessly early, as it seems to be OK," she said.
Winter weather is continuing to cause disruption across the UK with road, rail and air travel all affected.
Channel Tunnel services remain badly affected after Eurotunnel closed its car shuttle service to new passengers.
British Airways cancelled all European and UK domestic flights leaving Heathrow Airport after 1900 GMT.
Many roads in the Home Counties are gridlocked and the AA said London and the South East were hotspots for vehicle breakdowns.
Luton airport is closed until 0030 GMT and London City airport is shut. Stansted airport is open but flights may be subject to delays or cancellations.
Easyjet said it had operated over 80% of its flights, "albeit with some delays", over the last five days despite the weather, but added that further snow on Monday night could result in continued flight disruptions.
A Met Office severe weather warning is in place for ice in many parts of the UK, where snow freezing on the ground is causing treacherous conditions.
Temperatures are expected to fall to 1C (34F) in central London overnight, -4C (25F) in Newcastle, -3C (27F) in Glasgow, -4C in Manchester and -1C (30F) in Cardiff.
The ceremony at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre at Bond End saw Sue join forces with MP Phil Willis and Knaresborough’s Mayor and Mayoress, Couns Mavis Clemmitt and Jean Burdett, and representatives from the Friends of the Earth and the Woodland Trust.
“Last month celebrities and politicians planted an apple orchard on the runway site as a mark of opposition to the plans for a new runway,” Sue said.
“The planting of the orchard represented the re-introduction of the breed into the area and was designed to act as a potent symbol of the local community’s determination to stop the runway and save their homes and schools.
“The planting of an apple tree in Knaresborough will be a symbol of solidarity. Now we will have our own apple tree to show them they have support up and down the country in the fight to save their community and save the climate.
“The people in Sipson have fought a brave campaign to save their village from the bulldozers and to save our environment from the climate wrecking effects of a new runway at Heathrow.
“We hope their orchard will be bearing fruit in years to come, instead of being under tarmac, and, as long as their orchard stands, then we hope our tree in Knaresborough will grow as well and show that people here care.”
Before this week’s summit on climate change in Denmark, Sue spent a weekend showing people around the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, which was on its way to the country’s capital, Copenhagen.
Third Runway at Heathrow Airport back on the agenda November 11 2009
Much to the horror of environmentalists, a third runway at Heathrow Airport has been approved again; this time by the Committee on Climate Change, an independent body set up to advise the government on the impact on carbon emissions of a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow Airport. Environmentalists had been pretty sure that this group would contradict the government's findings and thus help to kill the project.
Instead the committee found that it would be possible to build the extra runway and allow an extra 140 million trips a year by 2050 and the government would still be able to meet its carbon target. The report endorses the expansion of Heathrow Airport because of the economic benefits to the UK and fear of loss of business to other European cities.
According to the report, The Future of Aviation, passenger growth will have to be limited to 60% between now and 2050, allowing the UK a maximum of around 370 million air travellers. Since 1990, there has been an increase of 130% alone, with 230 million travellers now.
The report proposes a number of ways that the carbon target for the UK can be achieved. The creation of a high-speed rail network, and more use of video-conferencing to cut business travel are suggested. A carbon tax on flights which would force up fares.
Limiting the runway growth at certain airports, particularly Birmingham, Newcastle and Bristol is proposed. The growth of regional airports would be limited severely. This would mean that more flights would be from Heathrow and this would add to the price of flights and would favour international routes leaving from Heathrow. Stansted, Gatwick and Edinburgh will be allowed to expand.
Take-off and landing slots at airports would be restricted. Most importantly, they are relying on improvements in aviation; with aircraft manufacturers and airlines improving fuel efficiency, by use of biofuels. Greater use of the A380 superjumbo jets and more seats sold per flight are also part of the plan.
The opposition, including a bizarre meeting of the minds of Greenpeace and the Conservative party, argue that the government's figures don't add up. The head of Greenpeace UK said "The Government's aviation policy, the basis for their Heathrow decision, has been conclusively rejected by the Government's own advisers as incompatible with their climate targets. The Aviation White Paper and the poor decisions it led to must be ripped up in Cabinet, or ripped up in court. We urge the former, but are fully prepared to see Heathrow's third runway in the dock."
This fight will continue all the way to High Court; in fact the government has no hope that the new airport runways will be in operation until 2020. But this decision will make stopping the expansion harder for its opponents.
Government to push through third Heathrow Airport Runway December 11 2009
Ministers are set to rush through planning permission for a third runway at Heathrow Airport without a full public inquiry, the Standard can reveal.
Official documents show the Government is prepared to make the decision itself instead of waiting for a new planning system to be introduced.
Under government reforms all decisions will be made by a new independent Infrastructure Planning Commission, due to start work next March.
But the commissioners cannot take a decision on Heathrow until ministers have drawn up a new national strategy on airports. It means the Transport Secretary will retain the power to make the final decision on Heathrow — and will not have to hold a public inquiry.
Official transport department documents, released under Freedom of Information laws, state: “If the “strategy” has not been designated, the [commission] will have an advisory role only, with the decision ultimately taken by ministers.”
MPs accused Labour of using a loophole to push through the expansion. The Government has indicated it will back the third runway, which would raise the number of flights at the airport from 480,000 a year to more than 700,000.
Shadow London minister Justine Greening said: “This is totally unacceptable. It just shows that Labour are determined to ram through a third runway and don't care about public opinion.”
John Stewart, chairman of anti-Heathrow expansion group HACAN, said: “It's a foregone conclusion that this Government will give permission for a third runway if the decision is left with them. This makes a mockery of the democratic system.” Public hearings held by the commission would not allow the level of cross-examination of BAA and the Government as under a public inquiry, he added.
Terminal Five at Heathrow was only given approval after an eight-year process. The inquiry cost £80 million and sat for 524 days. Under the new planning system the examination of any proposal, including public hearings, would last for only six months.
The Department for Communities and Local Government said: “The new system will be faster and fairer with fuller public scrutiny. People will be able to make their case at every stage and speak at open-floor hearings.”
Story source: London Evening Standard
Heathrow Airport Passenger number increase November 10 2009
Heathrow Airport reported a 1% rise in passenger numbers last month as strong demand for long-haul flights compensated for an ongoing slump in domestic travel.Heathrow handled more than 5.6 million passengers in October, with long-haul routes excluding the US the strongest performer. The figures put Heathrow back in positive territory after a marginal decline in September on the back of two consecutive traffic increases in July and August.
New Skyteam facility at Heathrow Airport T4 October 31 2009
SkyTeam, the world's second-largest global airline alliance, recently unveiled its new facility at Terminal 4 at London Heathrow airport. The new facility includes an exclusive premium check-in area for first and business class passengers, premium economy passengers, as well as SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus passengers.
Also unveiled was the second level of the SkyTeam co-branded lounge. When the check-in area and second level of the lounge open to passengers on November 5 and November 9, respectively, the combined amenities will offer an enhanced experience for customers traveling through London Heathrow. SkyTeam is the first airline alliance to unveil a permanent, common facility in one terminal at London Heathrow.
The common alliance facility at Terminal 4 was designed to invoke movement through a modern look inspired by the SkyTeam brand. For the first time, all SkyTeam co-located members will share airport services, including check-in desks, self-service kiosks, and bag drop off locations.
The premium check-in area, the first to be SkyTeam branded, will offer first and business class passengers as well as SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus passengers 14 check-in desks and 10 common-use, self-service kiosks. By early 2010, passengers will be able to access travel reservations with any of the eight SkyTeam carriers serving London Heathrow at kiosks in the premium zone and throughout the terminal.
Once airside, first and business class passengers and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers will enjoy access to the SkyTeam branded lounge. Services on the second level of the lounge will include a quiet room with day beds; two VIP rooms; and a separate children's area with games and television. The first floor, which opened in June, offers a variety of amenities including wine bar, oxygen bar and full-body massage chairs.
Currently, Delta, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Kenya Airways are operating out of Terminal 4. The remaining SkyTeam carriers at Heathrow (Aeroflot, Air France, Alitalia, Czech Airlines and Korean Air) move to Terminal 4 in November.
How the Americans See BA new service from Heathrow Airport October 31 2009
The Las Vegal Sun carried this story, written by Richard N Velotta
""Like many people, Willie Walsh decided to celebrate his birthday in Las Vegas, the party capital of the world.
But his birthday celebration here, although short, may someday be remembered as a red-letter day for the city.
Walsh, 48, the CEO of British Airways, was aboard his airline’s first flight from
London’s Heathrow International Airport to McCarran International on Sunday.
Because the flight crossed eight time zones, he had the unusual experience of having a birthday that lasted 32 hours. (Luckily, he didn’t travel west from Los Angeles to Asia, as I did a few years ago — by crossing the international date line, he could have lost his entire birthday.)
Walsh stayed in Southern Nevada for just more than the amount of time it took him to fly from London to Las Vegas and back, but the time was memorable.
He greeted representatives of Wynn Las Vegas, where he stayed. The next morning, he met with representatives of the media. At lunch, he addressed more than 100 Las Vegas businesspeople at Jasmine at Bellagio. And afterward he toured the Grand Canyon by air before heading home.
Walsh stressed the benefits of British Airways’ new Las Vegas service. At the top of the list is the airline’s connectivity to the rest of the Europe and points east. Flights originate at Heathrow’s 1 1/2-year-old Terminal 5, a bright, airy departure from the rest of the airport.
British Airways is the primary carrier at Terminal 5, and most of its flights arrive and depart from there, making connections easier than at most airports.
Walsh noted that if you transfer at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, you usually arrive at one terminal and leave from another. That is also the case for Los Angeles International when people fly to Asia.
“I’m not much of a gambler,” Walsh told the group at Jasmine. “But I’d be happy to bet with anybody that this is going to be a great route.”
Based on early booking data, Walsh called Las Vegas the best-performing new route he had ever seen and that he will “speak with great passion about what I’ve seen here.”
British Airways is trying to jump-start the Las Vegas-to-London side of the round trip, which Walsh admits will be “challenging.” But he says advanced bookings for London to Las Vegas already have exceeded expectations.
He said the weakness of the British pound against the euro and the U.S. dollar enables the company to offer a low introductory fare.
The airline offered a $276 round-trip economy fare for flights from Nov. 2 to Dec. 20 and from Dec. 24 to March 28. The airline also offered one-stop trips to Paris, Milan, Rome, Madrid and Athens for $358 round trip. The bad news, though, is that if you didn’t already book them, they’re gone — the sale ended earlier this week.
Travel agents have told me not to get too excited about the fare because taxes and fees bump the price up considerably, and the deal requires a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday departure and a Saturday-night stay. By the time all the taxes are applied, the ticket costs $663.10 — the taxes, to U.S. and British entities, are more than the fare itself.
Still, tickets went fast and by the afternoon after the announcement, they were as hard to get as Garth Brooks tickets at Encore.
British Airways’ connectivity is a big plus for the new service. So would the airline take advantage of the new environment of bilateral agreements and “open skies” proposals that would enable it to offer flights from anywhere in Europe to anywhere in the United States to add more international lift to Las Vegas?
It’s not likely, Walsh said. Although “open skies” could enable British Airways to fly from Paris or Rome to Las Vegas, it’s probably not going to happen because of the strong connectivity at Heathrow.
A more likely scenario, he said, is that British Airways could increase capacity between London and Las Vegas if demand remains strong. That could come in the form of larger aircraft making the run — British Airways’ Boeing 777 has a capacity of 272 passengers — or expanding to two daily flights.
Walsh said the airline would analyze loads and evaluate booking patterns to determine if expansion is in the cards. He explained it could be a matter of juggling the fleet to match the right aircraft with the route or removing flights elsewhere to add to the Las Vegas route.
British Airways operates some larger jets with a range capable of reaching Las Vegas from London — 54 Boeing 747s. It also has an order for 12 Airbus 380 double-deck jumbo jets, although they probably would not see Southern Nevada airspace until the Ivanpah Valley airport opens.
The other plus for Las Vegas is that British Airways will compete with another established British carrier, Virgin Atlantic Airways, with the big difference in service being that Virgin flies the route from London’s Gatwick International Airport, which is farther from central London than Heathrow.
Virgin Atlantic, operated by flamboyant adventurer Richard Branson, also operates daily Las Vegas flights. As of this writing, Virgin hadn’t responded to British Airways’ introductory fares, but you can bet that it will match them, which should keep the cost of flying to and from London in check.
Walsh discounted Virgin being anything more than just another competitor on the landscape, but aviation watchers know that the British Airways-Virgin rivalry is one of the most spirited in the industry. The two companies disagree often and publicly, and Las Vegas will be the newest battleground.
In the early 1990s Branson received a settlement from British Airways when he sued it for libel over an article written in its internal magazine. The suit led to the disclosure that British Airways had conducted a “dirty tricks” campaign against Virgin.
Branson has frequently aired his views on his planes, painting “No-Way BA/AA” on his aircraft to voice his displeasure with a proposed merger between British Airways and American Airlines.
Branson also had the winglets on his planes painted with a Union Jack in a tongue-in-cheek challenge to British Airways considering itself the flag-carrier airline of Britain after it removed the colors in favor of world images.
So for now, everything is good for Las Vegas. It has nonstop round trips to Heathrow and Gatwick. It has great connections to the rest of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It has world-renowned companies to partner with.
And it all couldn’t have happened at a better time, when the city could use an economic lift.
Richard N. Velotta covers tourism, technology and small business for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. He can be reached at 259-4061 or at rick.velotta@lasvegassun.com.""
BAA stills wants third Heathrow Airport Runway October 28 2009
BAA Ltd. said it still wants to build a third runway at London Heathrow airport, rejecting claims from Conservative Party leader David Cameron that his opposition to the project has caused the company to shelve it.
The airport operator, which had a 636 million-pound ($1.04 billion) nine-month loss at its three London airports amid a slump in traffic, is proceeding with the planning process, Chief Executive Officer Colin Matthews said in an interview today.
Cameron said last week in Richmond, England, that he would overturn any decision to expand Heathrow and that BAA was “already backing off” in the face of Conservative pressure and public disapproval. The opposition party has led the ruling Labour government in polls for two years in advance of a general election that must be held within seven months.
“It’s just not true,” Matthews said of speculation that London-based BAA was retreating from its expansion strategy. “I am confident that if you look at the numbers then the economic case is pretty straightforward.”
A third runway at Heathrow would boost the number of annual takeoffs and landings at Europe’s busiest airport by 46 percent to 700,000 from the present maximum of 480,000. Opponents say the plan will blight homes around the site in west London while increasing traffic congestion and heightening emissions of carbon dioxide blamed for global warming.
The government gave BAA permission to go ahead with the project on Jan. 15, and a planning application will be submitted by the “middle or end of next year,” Matthews said today.
“It’s a long process,” he said. “Today the government policy is that we should go ahead with a third runway. It’s not for us to second-guess who the future government is going to be, or what their transport policy is going to be.”
The Liberal Democrats, the third-largest party in the U.K. parliament, reiterated their opposition to the expansion of Heathrow and said the size of BAA’s nine-month loss should compel it to reconsider its strategy.
“Since BAA has refused to listen to local people and those concerned with climate change on their calls to abandon the third runway at Heathrow, perhaps now they will recognize financial reality and abandon this project for good,” spokeswoman Susan Kramer said today in an e-mailed statement.
Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at BGC Partners LP in London, said that the likelihood of the Conservatives winning power next year means BAA and British Airways Plc, Heathrow’s biggest user, should give up its “unending struggle” for the new landing strip.
“The chances are better of my flying to the moon than seeing additional runways built at Heathrow, at Stansted or, for that matter, at Gatwick over the next 15 years,” he said.
Passenger numbers at Heathrow fell 2.3 percent to 49.9 million in the first nine months as the global recession curbed demand for travel. Traffic fell 7.2 percent at Gatwick, which BAA last week agreed to sell to Global Infrastructure Partners for 1.51 billion pounds amid pressure from antitrust regulators, and was down 12 percent at Stansted, which it wants to keep.
“At Heathrow, you would say with some confidence that the worst has passed and at other airports the decline has slowed down,” Matthews said.
More Airlines change terminals at Heathrow Airport October 28 2009
Gulf Air and Malaysian are the latest airlines to switch terminals at Heathrow Airport.
Both airlines now operate from Terminal 4 instead of Terminal 2.
Their move follows the preparation to close Terminal 2 for construction work on November 26th.It comes after the transferral of Air Quantas flights and British Airways flights to Bangkok, Sydney and Singapore, which now travel from Terminal 3.Jet Airways has also moved from the terminal and now operates from Terminal 4.Earlier this month airport officials warned passengers to check which terminal they were flying from before setting off on their journey.This is because a number of airlines are set to move terminals this month.
Work has begun on the new Terminal 2 building and the existing Queen's building is being demolished.At a cost of £1 billion, the renovation works are expected to transform the airport and allow for additional passenger capacity.
BAA buys homes at Heathrow Airport October 21 2009
Airport operator BAA has agreed to buy 700 homes under threat from the new third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Proposals for the runway have made it difficult for residents in the area to sell their properties.
BAA had refused to commit to buying the homes but has now offered to purchase properties within the area in its Property Market Support Bond scheme.
The government has agreed to a third runway but the Conservatives and Lib Dems are fighting the plans.
'Properly protected'
BAA said the step was being taken "to reduce the uncertainty faced by residents wishing to sell their property (subject to eligibility)".
The airport operator said it would also fund legal and removal costs and stamp duty equivalent to the value of properties at the time they are sold to BAA.
The offer is open to residents of 700 properties - including homes in the village of Sipson and part of neighbouring Harmondsworth - for the next 12 months.
Labour MP John McDonnell, who has been campaigning on behalf of residents, welcomed BAA's announcement, saying: "BAA has finally realised what a PR disaster this has been in trapping the lives of local residents.
Conservative Party slammed over Heathrow Airport stand October 13 2009
Businesses will face "disaster" under Tory plans to scrap the third runway at Heathrow, the airports operator warned today.
Heathrow Airport owner BAA said Tory leader David Cameron "simply doesn't get aviation policy" and warned that the London economy will lose out to the rest of Europe.
The damning criticism came a week after the Tories announced their anti-expansion stance would be a key green election pledge.
Airlines are pushing for more slots at the airport, which is operating at 99 per cent capacity, but residents and environmentalists say more air traffic would generate too much noise and pollution for a built-up area.
Mike Forster, R3 (third runway) director at BAA, said the Tories' alternative plan to build more international capacity at regional airports and high-speed rail lines to replace domestic air services "just won't work".
He said money needed to be invested in expanding a hub airport like Heathrow, where many flights link up, rather than developing more "point-to-point" routes from airports outside London that are less useful for companies.
Speaking after addressing The Place West London Conference, he said: "The Tory party simply doesn't get aviation policy. We're trying to engage with them but it's hard. The message we're getting is that they've made up their minds. But we're going to keep pressing them and trying to discuss it with them. If we don't expand Heathrow we will end up with a country effectively on an airline branch line rather than a main station in Europe. Businesses would relocate to growing European hubs. It would be a disaster."
BAA has cited research from the British Chamber of Commerce which claimed the UK was losing £1billion a year in business from not expanding the west London airport.
Mr Forster said BAA is prepared to wait for a Cameron government to "come round" to an extra runway. "They can have a think about this and then settle on the only right answer - a third runway at Heathrow," he said.
But the Tories immediately hit back. Shadow Transport Secretary, Theresa Villiers, said: "There are simply no credible statistics whatsoever which prove that the country's economy will spiral into decline without a third runway.
"There is, however, clear evidence which shows that a third runway would damage the health of surrounding communities and undermine the quality of life of those living under the flight path, not to mention make a mockery of our fight against climate change.
"BAA need to realise that the argument has moved on. They should be focused on making Heathrow a better airport for passengers and airlines, and not on picking fights. Under a Conservative Government there will be no third runway at Heathrow Airport."
Sceptics have questioned whether the Tory stance on Heathrow is a calculated bid to win over residents of key marginal constituencies surrounding the airport.
New technology at Heathrow Airport October 12 2009
British airport operator BAA Limited (BAA) has announced plans to implement an RFID-enabled electronic marking system by 3M to identify and map each of its 12 underground utilities at Heathrow Airport in London.
The system will use 3M ID Extended Range Ball Markers, each one containing an RFID chip that will supply information about the utility to workers above ground before they begin to dig. Each of these markers will be geo-referenced and integrated with BAA Limited’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping system.
Heathrow Airport has many miles of underground utilities, including fuel, aircraft ground lighting and even a water supply reserved for use by the fire and rescue services. To manage this underground infrastructure, BAA chose 3M to implement an RFID system that will record, identify and verify every on-site utility.
Previously, BAA used traditional cable tracing techniques, but these were largely inaccurate and in some cases completely unavailable. According to a press release by 3M, one utility company at Heathrow has been digging trial holes for more than a year trying to find their pipe. In some cases, Heathrow would employ specialist surveying companies.
The new electronic marker system from 3M will identify all utilities without the need for trial and error. The electronic mapping at Heathrow will identify the locality of a given utility and the 3M ID Extended Range Ball Markers (which are buried together with the utility) then validate the exact location and provide on-the-spot verification of the mapping records.
The 3M ball markers, which will be placed underground at six meter intervals, require no on-board power source and can lie dormant for decades. Each marker is encased in a polyethylene shell which is resistant to minerals, chemicals and extreme temperature.
In the future, BAA hopes to use the 3M ball markers to identify and map the tens of thousands of manhole chambers at Heathrow, each housing various services, allowing workers to verify what services are contained within them without needing to open the covers at all.
Air India changes to keep Heathrow Airport Slots October 12 2009
Here is an interesting little story from India
"" During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and subsequently in British Governed India Amritsar was considered virtually the second capital of Punjab.
Lahore was the cultural, social and educational capital of Punjab and Amritsar was the industrial and commercial capital of Punjab. The British Government was earning more revenue from Amritsar than from the largest Punjabi city of Lahore.
After India’s independence, the successive central and state governments tried to scuttle the dominance of Amritsar. Only one chief minister of Punjab, Sardar Partap Singh Kairon, who hailed from Amritsar district, was fair to this city. It was during the chief ministerial tenure of Sardar Kairon that Amritsar maintained its status as the commercial, cultural, educational and industrial capital of Punjab.
After the creation of Punjabi Suba, even the Akali Chief Minsters of Punjab persisted with the policy of destroying the prosperity and dominance of Amritsar. First, due to government’s apathy, the local industry started fleeing the city and then New Delhi replaced Amritsar as the bulk supplier of cloth.
There was a time when only Sri Darbar Sahib (popularly known as the Golden Temple) saved the city from total collapse. Pilgrims kept thronging to this city to pay obeisance at the Darbar Sahib and the local Bazaars earned their livelihood from the pilgrims.
After the turn of the millennium some foreign airlines started taking interest in operating from Amritsar. These were Uzbekistan Airways and Turkmenistan Airways. Somehow the top brass of these airlines came to know that a lot of Sikhs are living in Bermingham, London and some European capitals. These two airlines started serving these expatriate Sikhs. Most of the Sikhs settled in the U.K. hail from the districts of Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Nawanshehar, Ludhiana and Kapurthala. Landing in New Delhi and traveling to their destinations in Punjab takes at least eight hours and the journey is arduous and hazardous.
In addition the Delhi Police and Haryana Police also fleece and harass these visitors. Some senior citizens, who had not traveled for years to Punjab also started taking advantage of traveling by these airlines. From Amritsar Punjabi folks would take between an hour and three hours to reach their ancestral destinations. A small Russian airline also took advantage of flying Punjabis to Amritsar. The Punjabi passengers had the added advantage of pilgrimage to Sri Darbar Sahib on arrival and while departing. These few smaller airlines gave a lot of boost to the hotel industry in Amritsar and a number of budget hotels started mushrooming in the city. In the meanwhile traveling between New Delhi and Amritsar on the domestic circuit also started increasing. When some other aviation companies especially Singapore Airlines and Bombay based Jet Airways started showing interest in operating from Amritsar International Airport, the Government of India started levying higher charges for landing, parking and operating from Amritsar. These charges were twice compared to much busier Bombay and New Delhi airports.
For some unknown reasons, the Government of India’s baby Air India has always been reluctant to operate from Amritsar International Airport. In 2005, they also decided to operate on Amritsar – Bermingham – Toronto route. The date chosen to start the service was from the first of May. Everybody knows that Amritsar’s tourist season starts with Diwali (Bandi Chhorh Diwas) and ends on Baisakhi. According to English calendar Amritsar’s tourist season starts from the end of October and ends by April 15. But Air India decided to start flying on Amritsar – Bermingham – Toronto route on May the first. Air India’s expectations were that this flight will become non-profitable within a couple of months and after that they will have a good excuse to discontinue the service. But what happened is totally on the contrary, the passenger load started picking up with every passing day. Flabbergasted, the Air India persisted with this flight. Then they played another gimmick. In order to keep their full quota of landing slots intact at the Heathrow Airport London, Air India stopped operating to Bermingham and diverted their flights to Heathrow Airport London. Since fewer Sikhs live in the London area than in the Bermingham area, Air India reduced their service to thrice a week from six times a week. Again in 2009, public demand forced Air India to increase the service frequency on Amritsar – London – Toronto to seven flights per week.
At present Amritsar – London Heathrow – Toronto Route is Air India’s most profitable route. On most most other routes Air India is losing money, but on Amritsar – London – Toronto Route, they are still minting money. Air India is not oblivious to the fact that there are more Sikhs living in and around Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) and in the Province of Alberta than in the Province of Ontario (Toronto area) and these Sikhs have been living in that area for a longer duration and thus are financially better off. Air India knows that more traffic is generated everyday from Vancouver to Amritsar than it exists between Toronto and Amritsar. In spite of that Air India is quite reluctant to start Amritsar – Vancouver flights.
Air India has two choices for flying to Vancouver. They have the option of flying directly via the North Pole to Vancouver in 14 hours by long haul Boeing 777-200Aircraft, or they can fly by conventional aircraft via Seoul, Beijing or Tokyo.
The expatriate Sikh community can help Amritsar International Airport. Recently some Sikhs based in England talked to the executives of Mahan Airlines of Iran to start a service between Amritsar and Bermingham via Teheran. Mahan Airlines obtained rights from the British Government to operate to Bermingham Airport. Since Bermingham is not a frequently touched international airport, the British authorities readily agreed to the request. After that Mahan Airlines applied to the Indian authorities to allow them to operate from Amritsar International Airport. Since Amritsar Airport is not very important to the Indian authorities, permission was readily granted to Mahan Airlines to start operating from Amritsar Airport. Consequently from July of 2009, Mahan Airlines has started flying thrice a week to Teheran International Airport and fr