"Recliner" wrote in message
...
tim... wrote:


"Recliner" wrote in message
...
tim... wrote:
posted without comment

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-a9160851.html

Of course Tim Clark has an axe to grind, just as Willie Walsh does. For
quite different reasons, it would suit both of them if the runway is
never
built.

you need to explain that because that article says that he wants more
slots
in Heathrow and wont get them without the new runway

Heathrow is a hub that competes with Dubai,

Really

People fly from e.g. SE Asia via London to other parts of Europe in droves?
Don't see it personally.

I can see that they will use London for East Coast USA, but I don't see that
option needs any strengthening. It's already strong enough

West Coast USA is usually better reached Trans-Pacific

and he doesn't want it to be
strengthened.

With six A380 flights a day, EK has far more seats available on the
LHR-DXB
route than all the other airlines combined. It also has three EK A380
flights a day to Gatwick, and two 777 flights to Stansted, so there are no
fewer than nine EK A380 and two 777 flights a day on the LON-DXB route.
BA,
Virgin and Qantas combined only have a fraction of that capacity.

It also has direct flights from five regional UK airports — Birmingham,
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle — and can easily get more
regional slots if it needs them.

Yes, I know all that I did read the article (and in any case DXB is a
popular routing for people who join me on my holiday choices from non-London
starting points, and I'm doing it myself on the next but one holiday -
because I've added in the stop over - but only the once).

EK has a competitive advantage by operating flights direct from five UK
regional and three London airports to its Dubai hub. For example, someone
from the UK regions can get to, say, Sydney with only one stop with EK,
but
would need two stops using any European airline.

So how is a bigger hub at LHR going to change that?

If LHR does get 50% more slots, preference will be given to new airlines
without an existing presence, probably followed by other local carriers.

you think?

You really think that there will be enough new (to the airport) carriers who
want slots?

I see them being handed out (well presumably sold to) already established
airlines with few slots each.

It's hard to see EK being favoured in such an event. The net result is
that
EK would lose some of its competitive advantage.

EKs advantage is its reputation for quality, both in the air and, I presume
at the stop over.

For Central Asia my most recent experience is with Turkish and Ukrainian.
The first was passable and the second awful (it was the connection that made
it so, not the point to point flight). I don't think I'll be trying
connecting via a second string airline again.

Of course, where it is competing with the established SE Asian airlines, who
also have a high reputation, most of that competition is going to with a
direct flight. Sunday I was expected to go to BKK via SIN. I said to the
TA, don't be silly, find me a direct flight! Which they did for 30 pounds
more (in 700).

tim