Random Stuff!

[Coathanger16]

As somebody said on another forum this is flawed:

Arrive Heathrow, train to Euston, tube to Kings Cross, train to Newcastle, taxi home - so many opportunities to spread the 'little bugger'

Yes the journey home may spread the virus, but at least a 14 day self isolation at home would stop that person spreading it when they went to the supermarket or out for their daily exercise if they weren't self isolating.

The aviation industry won't survive if it has to stay grounded until a vaccine is found, so what's the alternative?

Testing all arrivals will only work if the test returns results within minutes and we have capacity to test that many people.

Arrivals into Tokyo have a test and then have to wait in the airport sleeping in cardboard boxes for 48 hours until their test results come back. Even if it comes back negative, they're not allowed to use domestic flights, public transport or taxis for their onward journey, and Japanese citizens are asked to self isolate for 14 days:

Tokyo’s Airport Becomes Cardboard Box Hotel For Passengers Waiting Coronavirus Test Results

The cardboard beds have a futon that is 'pretty good, according to an online review. Sleeping was difficult since the lights remained on. The open-air beds have partitions at alternating corners, but are mostly exposed. Beverages and snacks, including rice balls, were provided.

www.forbes.com

Can't see UK passengers standing for that tbh.

 

[JENNYJET]

Would it be better to insist travellers get medically cleared before a boarding card is issued? Or even prior to ticketing? Delays on arrival can only further inflame tempers after a tense journey in a tube that can be claustrophobic.

 

[Coathanger16]

Would it be better to insist travellers get medically cleared before a boarding card is issued? Or even prior to ticketing? Delays on arrival can only further inflame tempers after a tense journey in a tube that can be claustrophobic.

Would require every country to trust every other countries testing technique. After seeing how some countries do security or check passports I'm not sure I would.

Problem with proving you're negative before arriving at the airport is that test results take 48 hours, so there's a 48 hour window after you've sent off your test swab when you could get infected. If in that 48 hours you get infected, you most likely wouldn't see any symptoms until after you've flown, arrived in another country and spent a day or 2 there, possibly having come into contact with hundreds if not over a thousand people.

Until instant result testing becomes available, and presumably we're wanting to avoid quarantining passengers in airport hotels for 2 days either before departure or after arrival whilst they await test results, it seems there will always be gaps in the net that people slip through.

 

[JENNYJET]

Maybe I am thinking of the Yellow Fever vaccination protocol that many countries adopt, a Covid-19 certificate may be the way to go. No more turn up and go tickets and instead more long term thinking about taking a plane ride to anywhere, the end of domestic flights of less than 60 minutes or flights between major rail terminals.

A United Nations treaty may be necessary or addendum to the IATA charter to facilitate systems and coordinate respective entry laws to all participating nations.

 

[Coathanger16]

Just spotted something on the BBC live feed - apparently quarantine won't apply between the UK and France. Joint statement from Boris and Macron.

 

[mullion]

I actually think there is abit more to this as no dates mentioned, more of an if rather than will happen, I think they have way to check were people are going and it didn`t include people on important business/essential and they may well be able to see when/where any spikes
appear and be able to link them with anybody arriving in UK. Just a few muses

 

[JENNYJET]

I will be careful about what follows but I have just read on BBC webpages that Virgin Atlantic and/or Sir Richard Branson have been or are in talks with Greybull Capital for an injection of capital to save the airline.


HM Government are seemingly reluctant to help a private business even though £Billions have been committed to numerous private enterprise and related workforce to keep them going during lockdown.

With Monarch and British Steel fresh from a tangle with Greybull, would Virgin be desperate enough to accept their help? Who wins?

 

[Seasider]

They may have no choice - accept or go bust.

 

[JENNYJET]

I am getting brick walls on another thread so I shall try on here, hoping to inject some life into the forums.

Hypothetical scenario, Coronavirus remains and strengthens to become a permanent fixture in humans. Government initiates a significant airport closure program keeping only London Heathrow, Manchester and East Midlands ( for cargo ops only ) in England, with Gatwick, Stansted and Birmingham as overflow or diversionary airfields thus containment of virus risk to as few facilities as possible.

What future use would you put redundant airports to? Thinking of Manston and Lydd in Kent, languishing as car storage depots what would you do with your local airport?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I am getting brick walls on another thread so I shall try on here, hoping to inject some life into the forums.

Hypothetical scenario, Coronavirus remains and strengthens to become a permanent fixture in humans. Government initiates a significant airport closure program keeping only London Heathrow, Manchester and East Midlands ( for cargo ops only ) in England, with Gatwick, Stansted and Birmingham as overflow or diversionary airfields thus containment of virus risk to as few facilities as possible.

What future use would you put redundant airports to? Thinking of Manston and Lydd in Kent, languishing as car storage depots what would you do with your local airport?

Bristol Airport. Return it to the green fields of Somerset, or stictly these days the green fields of North Somerset unitary authority although for ceremonial purposes the whole of 'Old Somerset' is still regarded as being in the county but not local government.

The 600 foot AMSL Broadfield Down was part of the rural scene until the fields that adorned the plateau became the Skakespearean-sounding RAF Lulsgate Bottom in WW2. Having grown up in the area - but living there no longer - I used to half expect to see Titania and Oberon put in an appearance on a balmy midsummer evening.

BRS is situated within the Green Belt so if the Down is no longer neeeded for an airport taking the land back to nature would seem the obvious thing to do.

Some years ago my alter ego did a slightly (but not completely) tongue-in-cheek post on another aviation website arguing that the Bristol region could get by without an airport if it had to, situated as it is within reasonable reach of half a dozen other airports. I didn't ponder then what might become of the airport land though.

 

[Coathanger16]

A rather pessimistic and very unlikely scenario, but if it were to happen I'd imagine lots would be turned into vast housing estates. Lots of airports have good public transport (rail, bus, tram) connections into the cities they serves - they'd make perfect commuter towns.

 

[JENNYJET]

When I was a document courier I once had to go to Lulsgate but it was a tricky place to get to, I recall road signs that were somewhat lacking in direction as the surroundings were like nothing could be there other than what nature had provided. Unlike the other place where Concorde was built, perfect location for a passenger airport.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

When I was a document courier I once had to go to Lulsgate but it was a tricky place to get to, I recall road signs that were somewhat lacking in direction as the surroundings were like nothing could be there other than what nature had provided. Unlike the other place where Concorde was built, perfect location for a passenger airport.

BRS is sometimes described by people posting to the local press is an airstrip deep in the countryside. They certainly don't mean it as a compliment but in some ways I think it is.

I used to think that Continental missed a trick with their BRS-EWR service. They should have marketed it to Americans as a flight directly into Little Ole England's fields with cows looking over the hedge.

Incidentally, I'm pleased that you found your way to Lulsgate and, even more important, found you way out again. Not everyone does.

No other takers have yet come forward to suggest the future of their local redundant airport site. Perhaps they can't bear the thought.

 

[58terminus]

A rather pessimistic and very unlikely scenario, but if it were to happen I'd imagine lots would be turned into vast housing estates. Lots of airports have good public transport (rail, bus, tram) connections into the cities they serves - they'd make perfect commuter towns.

How about turning them into hospitals. If, God forbid, the pandemic turns out to be long term then judging by the way patients with non
Covid illnesses have been treated (or not as it happens) they will be needed.

 

[JENNYJET]

So long as it is the military that build them otherwise it may take until the next century before they see a patient.

 

[Aviador]

The UK has followed an after the horses bolted approach to closing down aviation. The World Health Organisation has made it clear, stopping flights early on in a pandemic only delays the progress of the disease by a couple of weeks. It doesn't stop it.

The likelihood is that a lifting of restrictions to neighbouring countries such as the EU block would make little or no difference to the UK whatsoever.

The idea that by closing airports will mean we're somehow safe is the equivalent of locking the burglar inside your home.

 

[JENNYJET]

At least one knows where the burglar is and can isolate the mug with that said I would prefer a strict lockdown to remain until safety permits otherwise, less opportunity for confusion by the media. I would not be best pleased if I contracted Covid following a limited loosening of restrictions and by someone that considered self interest more important..

 

[58terminus]

The UK has followed an after the horses bolted approach to closing down aviation. The World Health Organisation has made it clear, stopping flights early on in a pandemic only delays the progress of the disease by a couple of weeks. It doesn't stop it.

The likelihood is that a lifting of restrictions to neighbouring countries such as the EU block would make little or no difference to the UK whatsoever.

The idea that by closing airports will mean we're somehow safe is the equivalent of locking the burglar inside your home.

We have a group of piliticians and scientists running scared at the moment becuase they know that in the hopefuly near future they
are going to be held accountable for the UK,s response.
In the meantime they will grasp any straw however small just in case it works and in the future they can say "I did that" and try and escape the repercusions.
.

 

[Aviador]

At least one knows where the burglar is and can isolate the mug with that said I would prefer a strict lockdown to remain until safety permits otherwise, less opportunity for confusion by the media. I would not be best pleased if I contracted Covid following a limited loosening of restrictions and by someone that considered self interest more important..

I agree with that on the whole except when you have multiple hundreds of thousands of people currently with the disease and you have no idea of "where the burglar is". So in effect having restrictions being imposed at this stage is pointless.

My reference to loosening aviation restrictions refers to when there is an appropriate and scientifically set figure that's considered to be as safe as it can be. A figure that is closely aligned with our neighbours in Europe and other countries regarded as safe.

Flights or travel originating from South America and Africa along with possibly the USA should be restricted until their covid levels reach a similar level to our accepted level.

The future is somewhat worrying but SAGE has made it clear the disease could be here to stay, in which case we will have to have some kind of normality reinstated at some point.

 

[JENNYJET]

My personal motto has been " Expect the unexpected ". and life has proven that big time for me because I did not expect the consequences of my medical condition and I am having to deal with them as best I can.

For most people, it is going to be the economic damage to family and employment and potential loss of holidays and defaults on cars or Houses
and financial obligations and promises to children being broken that is going to be painful and nothing the government does will mitigate that.

I wish everyone on the forums well and good fortune and be strong in the coming recovery.