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London mayor planning to close Heathrow?
It seems that the fiasco of Heathrow's Terminal 5 opening earlier this year was really just the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.Heathrow, a "national disgrace," according to some of its officials, finds itself in the crosshairs of London's Lord Mayor Boris Johnson, who has a team at city hall preparing plans to build a new major airport closer to the city that would close Heathrow for good.
You're thinking: He must be joking.
He's not.
Heathrow has been something of a punch line for years now, especially in the UK, where it's known for its abysmal lines, delays and general dreariness. Now a task force is drawing up a proposal to build a new hub in nearby Kent, directly on the high speed line that links London with continental Europe. Four to six runways could be built on a tidal estuary in the Thames River, Johnson says. Passengers could get to central London in as little as 35 minutes and not much longer than that if they're heading to France.
Will this really happen? Hard to tell. We'll certainly be hearing more about this. Officials figure a new airport could be built in six years. But so far they're studying island airports such as Hong Kong's to see if it can be done. No price has been pinned to this idea yet, and one of the question marks is just how much officials are going to have to pay Heathrow owner BAA.
A few deadlines, though, seem like they'll keep this idea from simply languishing on the shelf. At the end of the year the British government is to decide whether to permit a third runway to be built at Heathrow. And, of course, you have the 2012 Olympics.
Look for short haul airlines to object to the plan: If passengers have easy ground connections to continental Europe, they're not going to need many puddle hoppers.
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Filed under: Airports
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
M-D Sep 24th 2008 9:45PM
If memory serves, Boris is the Mayor of London ("London", in this case, being a semi-incorporated combination of the various boroughs that make up the capitol), not the Lord Mayor (a largely ceremonial position which applies only to the actual City and not the surrounding boroughs).
Leslie Sep 26th 2008 1:22AM
OMG, thank you so much for clearing up that important matter.
Robin Sep 25th 2008 8:29PM
I was appalled recently, connecting through Heathrow Terminal 5, that somoene in their infinite wisdom designed an automated new luggage security system that has trays too small to handle standard size luggage. becuase the system is so higly automated and works with conveyer belts, seems they are not able to easily chnage things.
Now the yahoos running the show expect the rest of the world to buy new, smaller luggage just so they can move easily through their airport. I guess they need to go pound sand and I will "fine" them $100,000 and travel through other airports until I have spent $100,000 on business that could have gone their way, for the inconvenience caused. I do not aprticularly enjoy being told to check a small $2,000 carry on board piece of lugagge becuase of their ineptitude.
sandra Sep 25th 2008 10:31PM
im surprised i think france de gale air port is a national disgrace. i thought it was a international airport. but when i got there the airport shut down at 8pm none of there employes seam to speak a second language. and are very unwilling to help a travler. how can you work at an airport and not speak a second language. it had no stored that where open all night long. no one to help you with anything. i was just stuck with no where to go nothing to buy myself something to eat just a dead airport. and i couldnt get anything from a vending mashine since i had no place to change my money into euros. and there was no one there to help me or assit me on how to use the payphone they had nothing there posted in english or german or and other language. i was stranded there locked in a building with other people that couldnt comunicate with other travlers. because none of the airpost staff spoke any other language. so we all missed our connecting flight. the only people at the airport where the cleaning crew. i was stuck at the airport for over 14 hours till i could make my connecting flight. now that airport is a national disgrace if you ask me.
Jane Sep 25th 2008 10:49PM
This is why I won't travel to France. When I was in England, everywhere you went there were signs in multiple languages to direct you. Not in France, though! If you don't speak the language, or can find someone who speaks yours, you're screwed.
P Sep 26th 2008 12:37AM
Sandra's comment is a rambling mess; some of it barely comprehensible. I really wish that spell check was a requirement in order to post a comment. And it seems particularly difficult for some to use correct punctuation and capitalization. Really, enough with the typos already.
Poppy Sep 25th 2008 10:20PM
I agree I went to Italy via British airways and almost missed my own flight due to a connector bus that refused to leave on time for the other terminal!
JPuzzleWhiz Sep 25th 2008 10:44PM
Sandra, where did you learn how to spell so badly?
Joel Lafargue Sep 25th 2008 10:51PM
Sandra, I'm willing to bet that you have NEVER won any spelling bees in your life, your spelling is so atrocious.
Larry Sep 25th 2008 11:02PM
Stay at home, save money, save the planet. Quit bitchin.
basketpam Sep 25th 2008 11:27PM
Well they better get their act together. Heathrow is THE major hub into Europe. I've landed there and learned they have a plane landing about every 10 seconds. Now that's no exeration. It's the busiest airport in Europe. They took their good old time keeping "up with the times." But why should anyone be surprised, this is the British who would still be using horse and buggy if they could stick to tradition in travel as much as they do in other things. Seems it would cost less to fix up the old. But then, this is one time it's not my tax money.
John Sep 26th 2008 12:08AM
I somewhat disagree. I'm honestly not bragging, but I usually get to go Miami/London in Business or First. They have the best arrivals lounge. All the best products, food, showers, a massage, get your clothes ironed and more. Leaving, once you've cleared TSA there is a kiosk that serves just champagne, caviar, oysters and pate. China, crystal, silver and fine napery.
Returning from Nice we stopped in De Gaulle. It was pouring rain. No jetway. The pilot parked as far as possible from the terminal as possible and not an umbrella or slicker insight. Same thing...once inside, most everyone wasn't very cooperative if you were American. Susan, even if in English I don't think you could read the signs. Your spelling is a mess.
Anna Sep 26th 2008 1:11AM
After serving in the military and then being a military spouse, I've flown all over the world. My vote for the worst airport every is: Detroit Metro!
And yes my spelling and grammer is horriable. lol. sorry....
James Sep 26th 2008 1:50AM
I recently flew through Heathrow. I had a first class flight from the US arriving in terminal 3. I had to transfer to terminal 5 to complete my connection to Munich. I followed the transfer signs leading to the bus for the transfer to terminal 5. The walk was long and there was a wait to board the bus to 5. The wait on the bus breathing diesel fumes was cumbersome. The ride to terminal 5 was like riding a stagecoach with frequent stops and sharp turns. The view was something akin to industrial waste. Upon arrival to terminal 5 there was a fast moving but inefficient security check before admittance to the terminal. Finally when in terminal 5 the walk to the restroom was down an escalator and away from my departure gate. The walk to the departure gate was long again and a bit confusing. All of this followed a long overnight flight which dulls ones senses and responses. I was not impressed.
Mike Sep 26th 2008 1:55AM
Readers, instead of commenting on the spelling of a writer, you should comment on the post. Am glad all of you are champion spellers. I counted 4 words mispelled and I quickly detected Sandra is not very fluent in english, probably an emigrant. Relate to the problems she encountered which was the reason for the story not how she wrote it. This way you will all seem intelligent. By the way I am also an emigrant with a college education and certain I can out speak, out write and even out think any of you.
P Sep 26th 2008 4:44AM
Mike, you wrote a post that does not pertain to the topic to scold us about writing posts that do not pertain to the topic. Now I understand.
As far as out writing or thinking me goes:
When we write in English we do not drop pronouns, we write out the number four, we capitalize the names of languages and we spell it: misspell.
Congratulations on your community college education.
Glasstech Sep 26th 2008 2:23AM
I have flown in/out of Europe twice a year, every year since 1991. I used to use LHR, and sometimes Gatwick airport, till 1997 when price and availability made me change to Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. I have not looked back since. Great airport, good connections, shopping, airport services and more. London Heathrow is a terrible airport. Very busy. Very dirty. Very congested and of course very expensive. For a prime airport in the UK, it does not have much to boast about.....but then neither do American airports either. If we really want to take notice of efficient airports we should look at some of the Asian airports such as Singapore which leave us all in the dirt.
Mr Trixx Sep 26th 2008 2:35AM
Sounds like the airport in france that sandra speaks of and apparently doesn't like, should be closed down. "close at 8pm" ? what is that all about? Imagin if you will the pilot and co-pilot's conversations going near there. exactly... hardly spoken of! ... ha, ha.
Where I live, the Airport bought a lot of land, then tore down the house's of several neighborhood's then they just left the streets and did nothing with it. Looks really pretty in a 'Blair Witch' kinda way but what a waste of space. (would be a great park to watch the planes at, but that would be to much to ask I guess) happy flying all, I don't.
Glasstech Sep 26th 2008 2:36AM
I have flown in/out of Europe twice a year, every year since 1991. I used to use LHR, and sometimes Gatwick airport, till 1997 when price and availability made me change to Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. I have not looked back since. Great airport, good connections, shopping, airport services and more. London Heathrow is a terrible airport. Very busy. Very dirty. Very congested and of course very expensive. For a prime airport in the UK, it does not have much to boast about.....but then neither do American airports either. If we really want to take notice of efficient airports we should look at some of the Asian airports such as Singapore which leave us all in the dirt
Donna Burnett Sep 27th 2008 2:30AM
Sandra not only needs a spell-checker, she needs a grammar-checker as well. Most people who use lower case letters throughout do so because they don't know when to capitalize and also, are not sure of what a sentence is. Sandra, you are no e.e. cummings.