BMI drops Glasgow to London route

[minestrone]

The airline BMI is to suspend daily flights between Glasgow and Heathrow from the end of March.

BMI said forthcoming rises in domestic passenger charges at Heathrow had made the loss-making route "unsustainable".

The airline, which employs 138 staff at Glasgow Airport, said a number of staff were now "at risk of redundancy".

Its decision to suspend the route means that from April, BA will be the only airline to provide flights between Glasgow and London Heathrow.

Break out the huskies, it is the only way we will be able to do business now with the big smoke.

[Platypus]

BA will be the only airline to provide flights between Glasgow and London Heathrow.

Ah, back to the good old days of £300 domestic air fares.

[AtW]

Ah, back to the good old days of £300 domestic air fares.

Why should AIRFLIGHT cost less than already subsidised train fare for same distance?

[centurian]

Why should AIRFLIGHT cost less than already subsidised train fare for same distance?

Because while the aircraft themselves may be more expensive than trains (although at £9m for a Pendolino, the difference probably isn't that great), the main infrastructure cost is two 1.5 mile strips of land, rather than a 400 mile strip of land.

[AtW]

Because while the aircraft themselves may be more expensive than trains (although at £9m for a Pendolino, the difference probably isn't that great), the main infrastructure cost is two 1.5 mile strips of land, rather than a 400 mile strip of land.

Main cost of railway is building it - maintenance is spread over years.

Given high price of fuel it is crazy that flying large aircraft a few hundred miles is more cost efficient than rolling stock.

It should not even be time efficient for short haul routes provided proper high speed rail is build - it is crazy situation that Govt can't make up their mind about 120 miles HS2 that won't be build for next 15 years even if they agree to the project, where as China is building like 2000 km of high speed railways in the next 5 years, hell even Putin has got brains to push high speed rail - they plan to spend 50 bln euros to build around 3000 km of high speed railways before World Cup 2018 takes place - ffs, that's one of the reasons why they got it (compared to this expense a few hundred on bribes is peanuts).

[MrMark]

Because while the aircraft themselves may be more expensive than trains (although at £9m for a Pendolino, the difference probably isn't that great), the main infrastructure cost is two 1.5 mile strips of land, rather than a 400 mile strip of land.

Also the plane can earn money umpteen times a day, well if it had customers, it could.

[AtW]

Also the plane can earn money umpteen times a day, well if it had customers, it could.

It's harder on short haul routes - train can only stop for 5 mins on major stations, and airplane has to be maintained before each flights, allow plenty of time for security checks, people that are late, take off/landing etc etc - with proper high speed railway system that can do 200 mph+ airplanes should not be viable within 400-500 miles radius.

[RichardCranium]

Also: Plymouth to Gatwick and Newquay to Gatwick

Also: Plymouth to Gatwick and Newquay to Gatwick routes gone.

The last flight between Plymouth and London has taken off.

Air Southwest is ending the Plymouth to Gatwick route - which goes via Newquay - as new owner Humberside-based Eastern Airways is seeking to cut costs.

The move means no airlines will offer flights from Devon to the capital. It also sees Air Southwest axing its Newquay to Gatwick flights.

Air Southwest, which was founded in 2003, scrapped its service to London City Airport last May.

Flybe will become the only airline offering a London service from South West England, with its flights from Newquay to Gatwick, but no flights from Devon.

Business leaders and local economists have said they now fear for the future of Plymouth Airport itself because of the cutting of the route.

The city has had an operational airport at its current location since 1925.

[AtW]

Plymouth to Gatwick - 182 miles, ffs - just one hour on reasonably high speed railway - airplanes should not even be involved with this sort of distances. WTF there is no very high speed railway right along the south coast??!?!?! FFS, demand Chinese build high speed railways here as a condition of selling Chinese goods into the UK.

[minestrone]

Bollocks, I got Air Southwest from Glasgow to Newquay last year, pretty handy.