Aer Lingus will cease operations from Dublin to London Gatwick and London City within the next few months as the BAe 146 aircraft are fazed out of the fleet.
The routes will be axed for various reasons. Gatwick has failed in being a popular route with loads being generally poor as the airline failed to acquire extra business travel from other airlines.
London City will be axed due to the BAe 146s’ outsource. As a result of the airport not being capable of handling the A320 or 737, which will be leased as the six BAe 146s leave, the route will therefore be axed with aircraft size being the primary problem.
I would think London City would be taken over by British Airways with Gatwick being left to Ryanair.
By: Mark L - 21st June 2003 at 18:52
According to the AIS charts the glideslope is still 5.5 degrees
By: wysiwyg - 21st June 2003 at 14:57
I was told recently that the glideslope at LCY is now down to 4.5 degrees. I have no figures to work with but my gut feeling is that with the current runway length (1200m?) I can’t see an A318 getting close to making it. Mind you, I didn’t think an ERJ135 would have been a candidate either but it looks like they are about to prove me wrong!
By: Saab 2000 - 21st June 2003 at 08:09
JetMagic would have been flying from Cork not Dublin as Aer Lingus do. I doubt there would have been any competition.
Swiss wanted to operate the EMB 170 into LCY, however, because of the steep 5.5° glideslope and shortness of the runway, it posed payload problems so nothing came of it. JetMagic hope to start flying in August to LCY, with the shortness of the sector load problems will hopefully be non-existent
By: mongu - 21st June 2003 at 00:36
I know, I am a little sceptical about the A318!
As for the Embraers, well I can only say that RJ’s need big long runways.
I’ve flown from/to my home airport, IOM, in 737’s (up to -700), MD-80’s (Finnair, MD-87 I think, but all the MD’s look the same to me!) and once in an A319.
Yet the ERJ-145 only just makes it, with payload restrictions. Heaven knows it won’t manage LCY unless they chop the passenger capacity in half. Maybe the -135 will do better, I don’t know, that’s a pilot question I suppose.
That is basically why I like the 146 so much, in spite of all its shortcomings.
By: A330Crazy - 21st June 2003 at 00:26
I think Aer Lingus would have lost out anyhow to Jetmagic at LCY, who start ops in Aug with now what I have heard to be the 135 rather than the 145?
As for LGW, I didn’t know Aer Lingus went there? Ryanair pretty much take care of connecting LGW to Ireland anyhow.
By: Benair316P - 21st June 2003 at 00:15
Maybe so… but what about the approach. Would it be possible to manouver such an aircraft as the A318 on to the LCY Approach and with that high approach angle? What about parking and handling at the terminal if LCY got several A318s all at once? I’m unsure myself, I’m not familiar with the spec on the new Airbus.
Cheers
BEN
By: mongu - 21st June 2003 at 00:00
Well, they can fit an A319 into IOM. That’s got a runway 1,753m long. They might therefore just about be able to fit an A318 into LCY.
By: EGNM - 20th June 2003 at 23:53
hmmm those A318s must b very lightly loaded, unless they have a new wing design for extra lift?
By: Mark L - 20th June 2003 at 20:25
The A318’s and Embraer 170’s were sold with the preimise that they would be able to get into LCY I believe.
By: wysiwyg - 20th June 2003 at 20:05
Very true Mongu. The airlines won’t want to keep one type just for one route.
By: mongu - 20th June 2003 at 20:00
LCY has a big problem stored up for itself.
The largest aircraft types are what – Dash 8-400 and ATR-72, presuming the 146/RJ fleets are retired over the next decade.
Big runways are back in fashion with the RJ’s, just like the the 1960s with VC-10s and 707s.
PS – would the A318 be possible for LCY?
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June 20, 2003 at 7:54 pm