gcoabc1
Well-Known Member
Well put WH.They have borrowed the money to build the terminal, so clearly they don't have a bottomless pit of money to spend on infrastructure. They have to be self sufficient. That means that they are not going to be able to commit to multiple high cost projects at the same time without taking a huge commercial risk .
They are already funding the runway works, a necessary evil, they've just installed multi million pound scanners, and then there's the general running costs for the airport which are huge. And the costs associated with funding the terminal. So much as we would all like them to just build all the extra 10 stands asap, it's unlikely to happen just to cope with the occasional traffic jams on summer weekends. They have always said they will build them as needed, and clearly they think they currently need two more.
I've seen aircraft waiting to go on stand near the terminal whilst there were empty stands on more remote areas of the apron up the Eastern end. We've been told that aircraft dont use these because of the need to use bus transfers to the terminal, and there aren't enough buses at peak times to.serve all the stands. Frankly, that's nuts. So perhaps the immediate solution is two more stands and several more buses.with drivers to drive them?
Maybe there will be less need for bus transfers when the extension opens and the entrance to border force is more central, and maybe there'll be enough buses then to serve the remote stands so they can be used by aircraft.
I cannot see the airport going into further debt to build even more stands now unless they have an absolute commitment from an airline that makes it necessary right now, and not just for Saturday afternoons in peak summer when scheduling goes wrong. Plans can change though so we will just have to hope that on this issue, they do, even if it's just two becoming three - or maybe four.
In addition to what you detailed, additional infrastructure such as buildings, surface facilities, equipment amongst other elements, all require ongoing maintenance and at some point update or replacement. Of itself that can impose substantial ongoing and additional costs to current operations.
Incremental additions and improvements in an era of economic uncertainty must be the way forward. I hate waiting and am not the most patient but needs must.
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