Newcastle International Airport

[AngerOfTheNorth]

The suggested restriction on expansion of the airport is in terms of there not being any new runways (and therefore an expansion of the number of daily flights). If some of the Newcastle-London flights (and flights to other cities linked to by high-speed rail) can be ditched we'll have more space for flights to these further-flung foreign cities surely?

[TownPlanningNE]

Yeah thats true Anger, I don't think NIA suffers from any capacity issues at the moment though. But I do agree it would be better to drop some domestic routes in favour of international ones. We could do with connections to the likes of Milan, Berlin, Prague and it would be nice to have a USA flight!

[AngerOfTheNorth]

I've flown Newcastle-Prague before on Easyjet - has it been dropped?

[Salif]

I think it would actually be illegal for the Government to force regional airports to not expand whilst favouring expansion at another. They are after all private companies and something like this would be seen as an act of unfair business practice and anti-competition.

But if push comes to shove the third runway at Heathrow can be stopped by physical means, there'll be enough environmental protesters getting in the way.

Either way this should never be accepted and I think an organised campaign with various airlines to step up connections at other European hubs to undermine Heathrow's business case is the way forward.

[TownPlanningNE]

Originally Posted by AngerOfTheNorth

I've flown Newcastle-Prague before on Easyjet - has it been dropped?

Yeah the route was dropped last year I believe.

[TownPlanningNE]

Originally Posted by Salif

I think it would actually be illegal for the Government to force regional airports to not expand whilst favouring expansion at another. They are after all private companies and something like this would be seen as an act of unfair business practice and anti-competition.

But if push comes to shove the third runway at Heathrow can be stopped by physical means, there'll be enough environmental protesters getting in the way.

Either way this should never be accepted and I think an organised campaign with various airlines to step up connections at other European hubs to undermine Heathrow's business case is the way forward.

Do you mean for people to fly to the likes of Schipol and Charles De Gaulle for their connections instead of Heathrow?

[AngerOfTheNorth]

Originally Posted by Salif

I think it would actually be illegal for the Government to force regional airports to not expand whilst favouring expansion at another. They are after all private companies and something like this would be seen as an act of unfair business practice and anti-competition.

But if push comes to shove the third runway at Heathrow can be stopped by physical means, there'll be enough environmental protesters getting in the way.

Either way this should never be accepted and I think an organised campaign with various airlines to step up connections at other European hubs to undermine Heathrow's business case is the way forward.

Nope, I'm pretty sure the government can plan this sort of transport infrastructure however they like - and quite rightly. Things like this need to be managed on a national scale.

Like I say, I'd stop all airport expansion and I'm sure so would a lot of those environmental compaigners if Newcastle tried to build another runway.

(PS can you tell I'm working from home and am bored out of my tiny mind?)

[johnnypd]

tbh i think adding a £5 tax to flights is a pretty good idea, as long as half the money is dedicated to a HSR fund, and the rest to green initiatives like carbon offsetting or investing in renewable energy sources. £2 from each passenger per flight would give the govt 5 to 6 billion pounds over a decade - a huge boost to getting HSR off the ground.

[TownPlanningNE]

Originally Posted by johnnypd

tbh i think adding a £5 tax to flights is a pretty good idea, as long as half the money is dedicated to a HSR fund, and the rest to green initiatives like carbon offsetting or investing in renewable energy sources. £2 from each passenger per flight would give the govt 5 to 6 billion pounds over a decade - a huge boost to getting HSR off the ground.

What, and you honestly think thats where the money will go? Otherwise yeah I'd be all for that.

[Geordie Ahmed]

Originally Posted by TownPlanningNE

What, and you honestly think thats where the money will go? Otherwise yeah I'd be all for that.

Indeed - it will just be used to bail out some retarded banks and to give those bankers nice bonuses for pissing lots of money up the wall

[spiked032]

Originally Posted by TownPlanningNE

Yeah the route was dropped last year I believe.

The b**tards...Easy Jet keep doing that, dropping the routes to interesting cities like Prague, Berlin, Krakow and introducing ones to Spanish resorts, shame really.

[Smash17]

Originally Posted by spiked032

The b**tards...Easy Jet keep doing that, dropping the routes to interesting cities like Prague, Berlin, Krakow and introducing ones to Spanish resorts, shame really.

I've noticed that, it's such a shame. I'm glad I took advantage of the Prague flight while it was here, a really beautiful city.

[maxtoon]

Originally Posted by spiked032

The b**tards...Easy Jet keep doing that, dropping the routes to interesting cities like Prague, Berlin, Krakow and introducing ones to Spanish resorts, shame really.

If afraid it doesn't matter how interesting the city is ... If load factors are extremely low the these links just can't be sustained .. hence they get dropped in favour of the 'money shot' bucket and spade routes.

Newcastle like many uk regionals has seen a considerable drop off in pax no's in the last 2 years and are unfortunately struggling to break the 5 million mark this year so any significant investment has been put on hold along with the 10 yr masterplan. However, on a positive note EK (Emirates) are currently doing better than projected with a load factor of around 75% per flight.

The CC report are ultimately looking to put a halt to any 'long haul' operations from regional airports in favour of a decent 'inter city' link (whether HSR or not) allowing passengers to travel to main hubs such as LHR or MAN and then travel on to destinations worldwide effectively ending the ambitions of any 'non BAA' regional airport such as Newcastle.

[toonlad]

TBH I wouldnt mind if the regionals disappeared if we could develop HSR properly and have secure trains. But it would have to be:

1. Arrival at HSR station
2. Check-in bags and clear airline level security
3. Board HSR service to MAN or LHR
4. Transfer from HSR to Flight (no more security, bags transferred automatically)
5. Arrive at destination

It can be done that seamlessly, I did it in Kuala Lumpur (the rail station has an airport code so you can check-in right through to England from there before you board the train!)

[bigchrisfgb]

Yeah, maybe we should get BAA to purchase Sundelrands "majority" shares, so it would still be one of the favoured BAA airports.

[Salif]

Originally Posted by toonlad

I agree, there is scope for a legal challenge. The government is creating trading conditions which favour a particular airport, therefore a particular airport operator. Shareholders in BAA stand to get rich as traffic expands at Heathrow, whereas stakeholders in Newcastle Airport will lose out at the reduced growth devalues the airport. The government is creating a market place that favours a particular company and stifles the competition.

It has to be illegal

Exactly!

I hope this Government gets it's arse handed to them once again on this one. Wouldn't be the first time they've tried to over step their remit and been horribly shown up. Bunch of corrupt arrogant pricks, I hope they pick that one fight too many which finally kills them off.

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by Salif

Exactly!

I hope this Government gets it's arse handed to them once again on this one. Wouldn't be the first time they've tried to over step their remit and been horribly shown up. Bunch of corrupt arrogant pricks, I hope they pick that one fight too many which finally kills them off.

I think they'll be doing just that, next year at the General Election!

[Seamaster]

THE region’s biggest airport, Newcastle International Airport, has been crowned the best in the UK.

The British Air Transport Association (BATA) awarded the accolade to Newcastle International at a glitzy London ceremony. It comes as the region has been boosted by the announcement of extra services. Brussels Airlines has confirmed it is increasing the number of daily flights it runs from Newcastle to the Belgian capital to three from January. The move is in response to feedback from some of the region’s major employers, including Procter and Gamble and Komatsu. And low-cost carrier Flybe has revealed it is launching a route to Hannover, Germany, in March.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...2703-25370985/

[Newcastle Historian]

Good stuff eh!!

Newcastle Airport on a high after BATA win

[johnnypd]

say what you like about Newcastle airport, but it has an impressive array of scheduled links on proper full service airlines.