Airlines and airports named and shamed for chaos ahead of third runway scheme

 

By RAY MASSEY - More by this author » Last updated at 17:58pm on 21st November 2007 Comments

Delays: Passengers at Heathrow can expect more delays

 

 

 

 

The full extent of the misery endured by millions of air passengers at Heathrow and other UK airports is revealed today.

 

A Department for Transport report highlights gridlocked journeys to the airport, massive queues at check-in and security, delays to take-off and landings, and queues at passport control.

Four of the country's airports - Luton, Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow - are named as being among the top 10 worst in Europe for departure delays.

Luton ranks as the worst with an average hold up of 17.8 minutes in 2006 - 26 per cent higher than in 2005.

The Bedfordshire terminal ranks second in terms of flights arriving late, just behind Istanbul, while Manchester is the ninth worst performing airport for on time arrivals.

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly - who yesterday launched the dossier of shame - is also expected today to use the dismal findings to justify a controversial expansion of Heathrow Airport with a third runway and sixth terminal.

This has already sparked a wave of protests from green groups and neighbouring residents who complain of a "stitch up" and "collusion" between ministers, the airlines and airport operators.

Yesterday's report called "Improving the Air Passenger Experience" was seen as a "softening up" exercise.

The report said Heathrow had some of the lowest satisfaction scores among airports run by BAA for check-in, finding ways round the airport and for departure lounge crowding.

It also highlighted the fact overall delays at all airports have increased by 15 per cent since 2002 nearly 19 minutes per flight.

Miss Kelly said: "It is not simply the flight that matters. It's the journey to the airport, the time spent in the queue at check-in, security or immigration, and any delays spent on the aircraft waiting for a slot to take off.

"If you travel from London to Frankfurt, for instance, you will spend about 90 minutes in the air, yet the whole journey from one city centre to another takes about five hours."

At immigration and customs, Miss Kelly is demanding agreed published airport-by-airport targets for average and maximum waiting times; better lay out of immigration halls, improved signage and a more "welcoming" passenger experience.

She also wants more co-ordinated flight scheduling "to prevent unnecessary pressures when large numbers of flights arrive at the same time".

Miss Kelly is writing to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to improve the transparency of airline check-in times.

Heathrow is creaking because it has 67 million passengers a year travelling through terminal facilities originally designed for 40 to 45 million. Passenger numbers have increased by 21 per cent in the past 10 years - though the destinations it serves has shrunk by 21 per cent in a decade as foreign rivals have overtaken.

Yesterday Miss Kelly gave a clear signal that she intended expansion to go ahead - regardless of any protests.

"Our policy as a Government is to see a third runway if local environmental conditions can be met," she said.

She understood the sensitivity over noise and pollution, but insisted: "It's equally important to understand that if Heathrow is allowed to become uncompetitive, the flights and routes it loses will simply move elsewhere - to those main European hubs that have ample capacity to grow.

"All it will do is shift the emissions across the Channel - at the expense of jobs and the economy here. It may make us feel purer, but it will make us poorer too, with no beneficial impact on the planet."

Greenpeace said there had been "extraordinary collusion" between Heathrow operator BAA over the expansion plans.

It produced evidence from a Freedom of Information request, suggesting that BAA officials had written parts of the Government's consultation document.

Emily Armistead of, Greenpeace, said: "New Labour has cultivated a binge-flying culture in this country."

If the runway is given the goahead, flights at Heathrow could increase from 480,000 a year to 800,000.

Old news :P

 

The only reason why you have to get to the airport hours before your flight isn't to do with security reasons, it's so you have to sit in the departure lounge for ages getting bored so you look around in the shops selling over-priced crap which you won't need, but buy anyway.