Virgin To Buy Stake In Gatwick?

Hmmm…. interesting. 😎

Interesting indeed, especially when local reports suggest MAG would like to purchase Glasgow as well, and especially so as Virgin have been dipping their toes in the GLA leisure market this past couple of years…

GLA-MAN-LGW under one/group ownership could prove to be a formidable contender…:cool:

I think we are going to have some fun with this post!
We all want to be the fat controller of Gatwick Airport and have our own ideas about how to run it!!
Here’s my mine for you all to shoot down in flames:diablo: Some of this I’ve said before. I write this in an easy reading ‘local’ format and mean no disrespect to anyone involved. Deep groval to the moderators.
If Dick buys Gatwick he will be the principle long haul operator after BA go to LHR T5 when C building is built. Sleezyjet will take over the North terminal. Between them Dick and Sleezy will get an agreement going that will fill up Gatwick, their aircraft and their pockets. They will also free up slots for other new carriers at Gatwick. That’s what it has been good at for years.
Us punters will be happy and so will Dick & Stelios. Good luck to everyone. Where’s the problem?

Additionally, LHR is well renowned as one of the world’s largest hubs. It makes sense for some carriers to move to LHR – to offer maximum connectivity and as such, ease to passengers (seeing as LGW is not a hub). Although this is somewhat of a catch 22 scenario – what purpose does LGW serve if everyone is at LHR 🙂

I totally agree with you. Everyone would prefer to be at LHR, because LGW is owned by the same company, so the airports are not competing with one another. If they where not owned by the same company, they would be more competition between the airlines, and im sure that when LGW is eventually sold to whoever, there will be a couple of carriers move over from LHR, the smaller ones that operate less frequently. Perhaps airlines like Kenyan, Ethiopian, Bellview, China Eastern could all move ops to LGW, because they would be getting a better deal. Only reason most carriers are at LHR in my opinion is because most others are there.

About, the distance thing, LGW may not be within M25, but it is still alot quicker to reach the center of London, via the Brighton-Bedford Train line, on a normal train this takes around 40 minutes to get from Gatwick to London Bridge, and that includes stops at two or three stations. If you remove those stations, and put it onto High speed trains like the Gatwick Express, then LGW becomes more convinient. I personally havnt done the journey from LHR to London Bridge or Canary Wharf, but i am certain that from LGW it is alot lot quicker.

And interesting thing about LAS too! Sounds like a plan!:D

Just one comment Josh, IMO, you say that it’s a shame that DL/CO/AA/NW etc have migrated from LGW to LHR. Then you continue to say that if Virgin moved in to LGW they could get them into central London by train, even though it’s further. Is this not maybe one reason why such carriers have moved to LHR – for convenience?

Additionally, LHR is well renowned as one of the world’s largest hubs. It makes sense for some carriers to move to LHR – to offer maximum connectivity and as such, ease to passengers (seeing as LGW is not a hub). Although this is somewhat of a catch 22 scenario – what purpose does LGW serve if everyone is at LHR 🙂

BTW – I was in Vegas in July and a tour guide was telling us that Sir Richard had bought up a whole load of land down the south end of the strip (next to MGN Grand). His plans are to build a mega casino/resort in the style of “London” and also have the facility built into the airport. It is planned that when on a flight into LAS, passengers staying at the resort are issued their key while in the air and the aircraft will pull up at the resort (air side) at a dedicated gate and offload passengers where they will be cleared at customs within the resort and pass straight on through to the strip – thus bypassing the airport. If this actually happens, SRB will once again cement himself as one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the time!

I was talking with good old forum member Cloud_9 earlier, and i said to him what i will say here too.

Personally i would love to see VS purchase LGW. In my honest opinion, BAA has really begun to let down LGW, by increasing costs too much, we have lost lots of business. In this year alone we have lost Wizzair (who only started in Jan!) AA, first time in something like 60 years(correct me please), Lost lots of DL flights, CO too, as well as NW. All because they wanted LHR, again BAA owned. They could have offered them a better deal to stay at LGW, but because they are too LHR orientated they didnt. They really dont give a damn about LGW. To them its sort of like the child….that was a mistake. They really have no interest in it. I cant remember the last time we have any “expansion”. And im not talking about new runways or stuff like that, but apron space etc.

What benefits would VS bring?

In my opinion, an awful lot. If they are serious about putting in a bid, then it indicates that the airline does still also have an interest in Gatwick. Therefore if they were too put in a bid and it was accepted i could see them moving all there ops over from LHR. Selling there slots from there and making an awful large amount of money (perhaps even enough to cover to costs of buying LGW!). Once all there ops are moved over to LGW, i imagine they would operate from the South Terminal only, Perhaps they would develop the parking stands along the right hand side of the main pier and have them for themselves and also have the satelite for themselves. Now i know many of you will say “oh but they would rather use LHR as it is a better place for connecting” etc etc…This is true, but in reality VS are not in any alliance. So there would be no real loss. And for the people travelling into London, Virgin could also offer them highspeed train serves on Virgin Trains, who currently operate frequently from the airport station. This would also get customers into London alot quicker? I say this because it is only 30 minutes on the Gatwick express to London Victoria, and i believe that London Bridge is close. From London Bridge and Victoria they could easily offer bus connections to the main parts of the city, ie Canary Wharf.

Now, with this movement that i think is possible. I believe that BA wouldnt be too happy, and this would cause them to possibly move all LH flights over to LHR. Leaving them at LGW with there obismal network, which could also decrease? This could then open up opportuities for VS to move BA over to South Terminal, clearling space for themselves to move all of there ops into the more modern complex at the North Terminal.

Another way this could make more sense is that VS last year purchased the maintenance hanger on the terminal side of the airfield. If they had all there London ops at LGW they would be able to repair aircraft alot lot quicker. It would also mean that they would not have to position aircraft in from LGW to LHR if a plane went tech at LHR, or the other way around.

And yet another point is that VS are currently operating a mixed airport operation crew wise. Not sure what the professional expression is but they are currently operating crews over the two airports, moving them around with the frequent VS crew bus. If they used just one airport this would not be needed and would alow crews more time before they have to leave there homes to go to work.

Now, what can VS do for LGW? I personally think they would develop it to meet the customers needs. Sure they would open up more of there chain brand in the airport. But who cares, Virgin Records is just as good as HMV etc etc. But i know for a fact they would not close down all the outlets. Chains such as McDonalds, Frankee and Benies etc, there is nothing in the Virgin group similar to these therefore they would stay.

Anyway thats just my views and how i see things…So yeah, you can comment, but my views wont change;)

Josh

Could we see then virgin getting passengers opinions on how to improve such airports as Gatwick and the valid ones been but forward on the table?

A bit like
‘An Airport By The Public for the public’

Very interesting 😛

That would be slendid, maybe the MAN influence could persuade a few of the long haul Gatwick users to start flights form MAN

OOOooooo the excitment grows:diablo:

Hmmm…. interesting. 😎

Indeed Grey…thanks for the info.

Perhaps they could join forces with Manchester Airport Group too…They where looking for someone else to buy wick with them wernt they?