+ COMMENT: Heathrow expansion

It is very easy?

All that is needed is to raise the average passenger load per aircraft from the present 169.  And the beauty of the scheme is that there is no environmental impact, and it will add to the commercial viability of Heathrow for investors/landlord and tenants, plus government, all at no cost. 

On a pro-rata basis 80 million passengers could become 88 million.  

How is this achieved?

Simple.

Encourage the airlines to use larger aircraft and improve load factors even more than they are doing.  Carriers such as Loganair with smaller planes will be unhappy (and that airline is a relative newcomer to Heathrow airport in any event) but it is for the common good.  The smaller Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s are reaching the end of their lives in any event.

The loss of the 747 has not had a big impact and British Airways still has the A380, as does the major long-haul carriers going east. The latest A350 can carry up to 369 passengers whilst the yet to be delivered Boeing 777-9 up to 426 in a two-class configuration.

Something for Mr Woldbye to think about.

See 2024 could be a record airport year in this month’s TNU.

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READERS' COMMENT

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 200 words maximum

James Cole, UK

Growth to ~90m with the existing 2 runways and 480,000 annual ATM cap is already baked in (about 188 pax/ATM). It doesn't really help the capacity shortfall though

Steve Brodey, Norwich

Heathrow will struggle on. Once Stansted gets proper flights to New York watch the Americans come flooding back. Norfolk will be just like wartime, full of Yanks.

John Jones, East London

I always thought that the average passenger per flight was well over 200. Clearly wrong and plenty of growth as the smaller A320’s and 737’s are withdrawn.

Jason Brown, Basingstoke

Since the official go-ahead and then the Covid nothing much from Heathrow on a third runway. But the numbers will climb in 2024 and with it the clamour for more capacity, plus in the newspapers rumours of a sell out by the present owners. But any new investor will take a very careful look before launching a takeover however deep their pockets.

David Starkie, United Kingdom

Yes, I agree that it is important to increase load factors at Heathrow. These have lagged behind the average for IATA airlines. The airport could encourage this by changing the structure of its aeronautical charges. (See chapter 11 in my new book: Airport Enterprises, Amazon).

Chris Pocock, Uxbridge, UK

much better idea than a third runway, which is even more unlikely anyway with the HAL ownership changes and uncertainty

Ralf Simon,

The answer is easy. Use WHEELTUG to speed up movements.