| Topic: | Northolt as Heathrow satellite | |
| Posted by: | Tim Henderson | |
| Date/Time: | 27/01/12 16:58:00 |
| I'm not convinced about "needing" extra runways either. I guess HS2 trains could stop there if a satellite terminal was built - but it defeats the idea of a fast train if it keeps stopping ! I don't hold out much hope for lengthening the Northolt runway - but the guys on pprune reckon that it would be long enough to service domestic flights. Whether there is sufficient demand for domestic flights to warrant the costs of the rest of the infra-structure and whether it releases the capacity for Heathrow's ambitions to be a proper hub don't seem to be cartain. Opening it out to international flights (even if shortish-haul planes from Europe could land there) is a bit problematic in terms of keeping the borders secure on the extended transfer from Northolt to Heathrow. How do you stop airside transfer passengers from mingling with others ? The problem with runways is supposed to be that Northolt is not perfectly parallel to the Heathrow runways. As the approach flightpaths are currently long and straight, the approach from the west into Northolt crosses over the approach paths from the west into Heathrow (which wouldn't occur with a purpose-built third runway). It makes air traffic control a bit more complicated - but the prune guys do mention that there is work going on generally to develop curved approach flight paths (if only to spread the noise round a bit) and so that argument shouldn't be a showstopper. I don't think Heathrow has much in the way of dedicated cargo freight planes - but a lot of freight arrives in the hold of passenger flights. |