Given the value of Heathrow slots (as much as $75m apiece), you can be sure that the airlines would already be doing so if it were profitable. The fact of the matter is that the A380 is too large and inefficient to profitably run on most routes - it's cheaper for BA/AA to run 10 JFK-LHR flights in the space of 5 hours using 777s, rather than operating say 2 or 3 less with just A380s.
Aer Lingus' cost base is evidently much lower, hence IAG choose to operate MAN-JFK flights through them rather than BA.
I think the issue the industry has is that its found itself in a cycle of airlines ordering smaller, twin jets, so when manufacturers do build a larger aircraft (think A380 and 747-8) airlines don't order them, so manufacturers not building them.
I’d say the cost of Heathrow slots encourages slot-sitting, to be quite honest. Which is why you get the small jets running more frequently- if BA stop running LHR-JFK pretty much hourly then they’ll have to give up the slots.
Oneworld frequent flyer status holders will.
Yes but in other cases one would have status with KLM so it makes no difference.
If they have Avios to spend and are rapidly approaching a deadline, then yes, it can make a difference.
But if you don't use such airlines then why would you be collecting Avios? If I didn't live within the catchment area of London airports then there is no way I would choose to transfer via Heathrow.
I too don't transfer at Heathrow, but I guess passengers who prefer to check in their bags at smaller airports like Edinburgh and then only have to transfer at Heathrow, meaning that they don't have to stress about it in such a big airport as Heathrow.
I think most people go on price. If KLM/Air France are cheaper they’ll use them, if not it’ll be BA or Lufthansa or whoever. Most people don’t fly enough to get status with any airline.
Where are these A380s going to come from? Most airlines that have them already send them to Heathrow.
I'm sure people would use it but would BA need to base more staff and catering kit at MAN to make it work?
I’d agree with that aspect too. By the time an expansion is agreed, designed, built, and put into operation, the expansion of airports is going to look like a huge anachronism.
Somewhere between a third and half of all A380s built remain in storage.
BA inc BOAC / BEA had a base at MAN for many years and certainly a non code share JFK service.
The problem is that airlines can stimulate demand by flying small planes frequently.
Nothing like, there are very few now in storage. Just about every airline has reactivated them. There are just shy of 200 in service out of 251 built, and Lufthansa has announced that it's reactivating a further one.
Just because a route operates numerous times a day with small aircraft doesn't mean you can swap it for a couple of flights with larger aircraft. Reducing frequency while maintaining capacity doesn't tend to work. The Airbus A300 was originally designed to operate as a high capacity, shorter range aircraft. It was only when it's range was increased that it became the success it is today.
Given the environmental impact of aviation, I fail to see any downsides to this.
Well you can, very easily.
No, we shouldn't be encouraging more air travel until we have proven sustainable means of flight. journeys from London to the central belt can be done by train or coach.
Not for you, perhaps, but existing passengers wouldn't be impressed.
They don't need a 3rd or fourth runway. There is plenty of capacity at Southend and the terminals/maintenance facilities/runway can be upgraded for much, much less.
How does this help when over a third of customers at Heathrow are on connections?
Because BA runs a fair number of European flights from Heathrow, and the more valuable connections are on to long haul services not available from regional airports.
But are you not suggesting that the short haul BA routes are moved to Gatwick, meaning that customers will no longer be effectively able to connect at Heathrow? Most connections at Heathrow are international, primarily from European destinations to the US.
