Tag Archives: LGW

British Airways reportedly reaches an agreement with Unite for a new LCC at London Gatwick

British Airways has reversed course on its plans for Gatwick Airport after reportedly reaching an agreement with the Unite union which represents cabin staff, engineers and ground staff.

The new agreement will now pave the way to create a new low-cost subsidiary at London’s Gatwick Airport.

BA needed the agreement in order to move forward in its plans to create a low-cost competitor to easyJet and other carriers at LGW.

Previously BA has publicly announced it was cancelling any LCC plans due to an earlier failure to reach an agreement with the unions. At that time, it also stated it was cancelling most short-haul operations at LGW.

British Airways’ pilots have previously voted in favor of the LCC proposals to operate short-haul flights at London Gatwick.

BA has not publicly commented. An announcement is now expected within weeks.

JetBlue arrives at London’s Gatwick Airport

JetBlue Airways today announced it has expanded its presence in the transatlantic market with new, nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

LGW joins LHR as JetBlue’s entry points into the United Kingdom.

The first customer-carrying JetBlue flight from the U.S. touched down at Gatwick just before 8 o’clock this morning, local time. The flights – which operate four times weekly in October, then daily onward from November – arrive well timed for the long-awaited easing of U.S. entry requirements for travelers from the U.K. and other European destinations.

Schedule between New York (JFK) and London Gatwick (LGW)

JFK – LGW Flight #43

LGW – JFK Flight #44

7:50 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. (+1)

12:00 p.m. – 3:33 p.m.

Gatwick is the second busiest U.K. airport and provides JetBlue with an important presence where it can attract a new base of travelers. JetBlue will operate from the North Terminal.

Airbus Aircraft

The A321LR platform – offering the range of a wide-body but with the economics of a single-aisle aircraft – allows JetBlue to effectively compete, with award-winning service and low fares on flights between the U.S. and London. JetBlue converted 13 aircraft in its existing A321 order book to the LR version in April 2019 with the ability to convert more. Additionally, JetBlue has converted another 13 aircraft in its existing order book to the Extra-Long Range – or XLR – version of the A321.

The A321LR allows JetBlue to tap into new long-haul markets, like London, that were not previously accessible with the airline’s existing fleet. The LR’s range of up to 4,000 nautical miles is made possible by three additional center fuel tanks and the aircraft delivers 30 percent fuel savings and nearly 50 percent reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generations of aircraft. JetBlue is also the global launch partner for the new Airspace by Airbus cabin, bringing long-haul style to the A321 for the first time ever.

JetBlue’s A321LR is powered by two Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. The GTF engine, with its revolutionary geared fan technology, is transforming aviation by delivering game-changing economic and environmental performance. The Pratt & Whitney GTF engine also incorporates advances in aerodynamics, lightweight materials and other major technology improvements.

British Airways gives up its plans for a Gatwick LCC after pilot union pushback

British Airways has given up its plans for its low-cost short-haul operations at Gatwick Airport due to pilot unions pushback.

BA was seeking a new approach at LGW to better compete with easyJet and other low-cost carriers.

BALPA and British Airways were unable to agree on a plan for Gatwick Airport (below).

The airline stated it was disappointed that pilots union BALPA had rejected its plan for the LCC subsidiary, which would have been British Airways branded.

BA will continue to use LGW mainly for domestic flights that connect to its long-haul flights.

The flag carrier will now pursue alternative uses for the London Gatwick airport slots.

German Airways parks its Bombardier Q400 fleet, the end?

"Mannschaftstransporter" for the German football team "1. FC Union Berlin"

German Airways’ fleet of 16 ex-LGW Bombardier DHC-8-402s (Q400s) is grounded. The fleet was due to be replaced with new Embraer 190s.

The Q400s were previously operated for Eurowings. 15 of the fleet have been flown to Bratislava for storage, reportedly returning to the lessor.

Only D-ABQK, which exited the Eurowings lease on November 20, 2019, is still in Saarbrücken preparing for the final phase out. Is this the early end of the Q400 era at the airline?

The airline also operates five Embraer 190s.

Top Copyright Photo: Eurowings (LGW) Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) D-ABQA (msn 4223) (1. FC Union Berlin) NUE (Gunter Mayer). Image: 949752.

Eurowings-LGW aircraft slide show:

 

LGW and WDL Aviation to operate under the German Airways brand

Delivered on March 13, 2019

Zeitfracht Group has announced its two airlines, Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter mbH (LGW) and WDL Aviation, will operate under the German Airways brand. However the two airlines will keep their separate AOCs.

LGW operates for Eurowings.

WDL Aviation was acquired by the Berlin logistics company Zeitfracht on October 1, 2017 and operates charter and wet lease services.

Top Copyright Photo: WDL Aviation Embraer ERJ 190-100LR D-ACJJ (msn 19000114) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 947368.

WDL Aviation aircraft slide show:

LGW to replace its Bombardier Q400s with Embraer E190s

Eurowings (LGW) Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) D-ABQC (msn 4231) ZRH (Andi Hiltl). Image: 943756.

LGW has released this statement (translated from German):

Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter (LGW) is renewing its fleet. From December 2019, the regional airline will phase in the first Embraer E190 aircraft. The new Embraer E190s will replace the existing Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) fleet. This will take about two years, until autumn 2021.

The replacement will harmonize the fleet within the group. WDL Aviation, the time-freight subsidiary based at Cologne/Bonn Airport, is currently also being equipped with aircraft from the Embraer E190 series. This will create synergies within the group.

LGW will continue flying as a wet lease provider for Eurowings in the longer term.

Zeitfracht Group took over LGW from the Lufthansa Group only at the beginning of April.

Top Copyright Photo: Eurowings (LGW) Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) D-ABQC (msn 4231) ZRH (Andi Hiltl). Image: 943756.

Eurowings-LGW aircraft slide show:

Lufthansa Group to sell LGW to Zeitfracht

Operated by Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter

Lufthansa Group has agreed to sell subsidiary LGW to Zeitfracht (Berlin), which already owns WDL Aviation.

The group acquired LGW from Airberlin and had placed the division under the Eurowings banner.

LGW will continue to operate for Eurowings.

The sale is expected to be completed on April 1, 2019.

LGW currently operates 18 Bombardier DHC-8-402s (Q400s).

Above Photo: BriYYZ.

Top Copyright Photo: Eurowings (LGW) Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) D-ABQH (msn 4256) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 941071.

 

 

easyJet Gatwick statement for today

easyJet is planning to largely operate a full schedule of flights to and from London Gatwick Airport today, Saturday 22 December.  This includes six flights delayed from the closure of the runway yesterday evening.   We are experiencing some disruption due to crew being out of place, but we continue to do all possible to ensure we can get customers to their destinations at this important time of the year.

We are still advising all customers flying to and from London Gatwick today to check the status of their flight on our Flight Tracker www.easyjet.com/en/flight-tracker or via the app, before travelling to the airport, in case of further disruption.

The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority.

British Airways announces its biggest summer schedule in a decade at London Gatwick

Damaged on takeoff at Las Vegas on September 8, 2015

British Airways has made this announcement:

British Airways is turning up the heat at London Gatwick as summer 2018 to be the airline’s biggest schedule in almost a decade.

In summer 2017 the airline operated around 1000 flights a week at its peak.  More than 150 additional weekly flights will take to the skies this summer* following the airline’s successful acquisition of Monarch’s take-off and landing slots.

Weekly flights to Malaga will be boosted from 27 to 35, Alicante from 14 to 22 and Faro from 17 to 21, while the airline’s summer flights to Tenerife will increase from six per week to 13, Madeira will be bolstered from six to nine per week and Lanzarote will rise from three to five flights per week at the Sussex based hub.

Over the last five years the BA operation at Gatwick has seen a 40 percent more customers travelling, with passenger numbers increasing from 4.4 million to 6.2 million. According to CAA figures we are the most punctual of the three big short-haul carriers flying from London: at the 15-minute level and at Gatwick we outperformed easyJet’s punctuality by 13 percentage points and Ryanair’s by nine percentage points in 2017.

Return fares from as low as £69 to ski hubs such as Geneva, Turin and Grenoble are available.  Lead in return fares to Malaga start from £76 and Tenerife and Lanzarote from £106 for travel dates up to March 19.

 

As well as the extension to the short-haul network, British Airways has already introduced more long-haul destinations to London Gatwick next summer with the arrival of Toronto and Las Vegas, joining Oakland and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood which commenced last summer.

Notes:

A small number of flights will be operated by Titan Airways on behalf of British Airways, which is a provider of chartered aircraft to many UK airlines and which we have worked with for many years.

*British Airways’ summer schedule runs between March 25 and October 27, 2018. The 150 additional flights will be released for sale on BA.com gradually.

**This fare is based on a family of four with two adults and two children between the ages of two and 11.

Since 2012, British Airways has started Gatwick services to Cape Town, Fort Lauderdale, New York, Oakland, Lima, San Jose (Costa Rica), Lanzarote, Alicante, Barcelona, Cagliari, Dalaman, Friedrichschafen, Funchal, Fuerteventura, Grenoble, Heraklion, Larnaca, Limoges, Malta, Nuremburg, Porto, Rhodes, Seville, Tenerife, Vienna and Valencia.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by British Airways): British Airways Boeing 777-236 ER G-VIIO (msn 29320) LGW (Terry Wade). Image: 929349.

British Airways aircraft slide show (current livery):

 

Norwegian reveals its plans for 2018 from London Gatwick

Delivered on April 14, 2016

Norwegian Air Shuttle (Oslo) has announced its growth plans for this year from London Gatwick:

Low-cost airline Norwegian reveals its plans for 2018 as the award-winning carrier’s rapid expansion will take the airline to new heights. Norwegian will build upon its growth by launching new long-haul routes – including its first service to South America, introducing a new enhanced Premium cabin and inflight Wi-Fi to new long-haul aircraft. Norwegian will also add more affordable flights to its most popular USA destinations.

Europe’s third largest low-cost carrier flew 5.8 million passengers from the UK and Ireland and launched more than 15 routes in 2017. Some of its successes include commencing groundbreaking transatlantic flights from Scotland, Belfast and Ireland to smaller US east coast cities and taking low-cost long-haul global with the world’s longest low-cost route between London and Singapore.

Norwegian’s continued expansion is cleared for take-off and here are five developments to expect from the airline in 2018:

  1. Norwegian’s first route to South America – On February 14, 2018, Norwegian will launch its first route to South America with a brand new direct service from London Gatwick to Buenos Aires available from £299 ($406.20) one way. Four flights per week on the 787 Dreamliner will unlock more affordable travel to Argentina, offering travellers access to a unique mix of European and Latin American culture.
  2. New enhanced Premium cabin to fly on the 787 Dreamliner – Norwegian will introduce an expanded Premium cabin which will have 60% more seats for passengers wanting an enhanced experience. The new 56 seat cabin configuration will offer passengers more than a metre of legroom and 11” Panasonic monitors providing hours of complimentary inflight entertainment. The new cabin will be fitted on Norwegian’s final 20 787 Dreamliner orders set for delivery from February onwards.
  3. Chicago and Austin to become newest US destinations – Norwegian will add Chicago and Austin to its growing list of long-haul destinations from London Gatwick this spring. From £149.90 ($203.65) one way, holidaymakers and business travellers can fly daily to the Windy City which launches on March 25, 2018. From March 27, 2018, Norwegian will commence a new three weekly service to Austin, Texas, known for its world-famous cultural scene and for providing the backdrop to the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival. Direct flights are available from £164.90 ($224.00) one way.
  4. Introducing Wi-Fi on more state-of-the-art aircraft joining Norwegian’s fleet – Norwegian will add 11 Boeing 787 Dreamliners to its fleet in 2018 which are exclusively used on long-haul routes from London Gatwick. 10 of these new aircraft will feature the enhanced Premium cabin. Meanwhile 12 new Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 aircraft will land in Norwegian’s fleet this year to service the carrier’s transatlantic flights from Edinburgh, Belfast and Ireland to the US east coast. Later in 2018, Norwegian will begin to rollout inflight Wi-Fi on long-haul routes that will keep passengers connected in the skies.
  5. Daily Boston flights and planned increases for Oakland and LA – Next spring, Norwegian will increase the number of flights on some of its most popular routes from London Gatwick. Boston increases from five weekly flights to a daily service with fares from £134.90 ($183.28) one way. Plans are underway to increase Oakland-San Francisco to a daily service and more flights are planned to Los Angeles, with twice-daily departures on select days of the week.

Copyright Photo: Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) (Norwegian Long Haul) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner EI-LNJ (msn 37308) (Ole Bull) LGW (SPA). Image: 932556.

Norwegian aircraft slide show: