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@JDB, I had a look on flight connections recently and counted *34* different regional Spanish airports served from MAD by IB/IB Express. Many of those regional airports then operate flights to other destinations within Spain and its islands (e.g. VGO-PMI, AGP-VLC). Yet BA now can’t even fly MAN-LGW or MAN-LCY, and the MAN-LHR service is dire, as we know.
Unfortunately those responsible for long term planning fifty plus years ago failed us and attempting to retrofit motorways or railways now is nigh on impossible
This isn’t really the problem. It would be nice to have better infrastructure, I agree.
The problem is that the operation of what we already have is highly ineffective.
Short-formed trains, close the entire railway for hours when a trespasser is reported, strikes & cancellations. Hours-long road closures after accidents, everyone happily standing around in hi-vis on overtime; roadworks that last for months with no signs of activity; tens of miles of empty motorway at night with camera-enforced 50 limits “due to traffic”.
If you can’t (and we absolutely can’t) fix the causes of this, there’s no point adding more infrastructure because it will also be cancelled/on strike/closed.
Unfortunately those responsible for long term planning fifty plus years ago failed us and attempting to retrofit motorways or railways now is nigh on impossible
This isn’t really the problem. It would be nice to have better infrastructure, I agree.
The problem is that the operation of what we already have is highly ineffective.
Short-formed trains, close the entire railway for hours when a trespasser is reported, strikes & cancellations. Hours-long road closures after accidents, everyone happily standing around in hi-vis on overtime; roadworks that last for months with no signs of activity; tens of miles of empty motorway at night with camera-enforced 50 limits “due to traffic”.
If you can’t (and we absolutely can’t) fix the causes of this, there’s no point adding more infrastructure because it will also be cancelled/on strike/closed.
TPTBH, that is rather spooky as my husband could have written your post almost word for word, particularly the third paragraph.
@JDB, I had a look on flight connections recently and counted *34* different regional Spanish airports served from MAD by IB/IB Express. Many of those regional airports then operate flights to other destinations within Spain and its islands (e.g. VGO-PMI, AGP-VLC). Yet BA now can’t even fly MAN-LGW or MAN-LCY, and the MAN-LHR service is dire, as we know.
Neither Gatwick nor Heathrow can really accommodate further domestic flights absent a third runway and their commerciality is questionable for a network airline vs a low cost carrier. Spain is more than twice the size of the United Kingdom, four times larger than England and has a number of very significant islands. It has very different population / tourism concentrations and wealth distribution. That’s why it has the largest domestic route network/flights of any European country (even ahead of Italy). I also don’t think you take into account the hugely lower employment and other costs of operating in Spain vs the UK and/or the different operating costs of BA vs EasyJet or Ryanair that render more routes viable for those carriers.
The routes you highlight rather demonstrate the point – Vigo to Mallorca is an air journey of around 1000km (longer by road/boat) so virtually double London to Edinburgh, involves a sea crossing and Mallorca is a major tourist destination even for Spaniards. Malaga to Valencia is twice the distance of London to Manchester.
I was in Norfolk last week and the distance to Heathrow from many parts of that county isn’t much less than Manchester to Heathrow (very roughly 40 miles and 45 minutes less and train connectivity isn’t great) but they seem totally unfazed about needing to travel to Heathrow. It’s not a criticism of anyone or anything but they seem very accepting that while Norfolk is a wonderful place with much to offer and many advantages over London/South East but that for travel, theatre, art exhibitions etc. they need to go to London.
When the govt can’t agree on new runways, airports/airlines choose profitable routes. I imagine regional flights are not as profitable. It’s an absolute travesty that LHR doesn’t have a 3rd and LGW a second.
Nero fiddled whilst Rome burned.
@JDB you are spot-on regarding your comments about Norfolk. We moved here about 4 years ago from the South East so really appreciate the difference. We’re very comfortable travelling to Gatwick or Heathrow by car as we travel exclusively for leisure and treat the journey to the airport as part of the holiday so we might stop somewhere for a nice lunch on the way or to visit somewhere. After all most of us don’t mind travelling few hours away from the airport when we get to our destination so why worry about a few hours travelling to an airport – we are time rich though. It amuses me when I see comments about difficulty in getting to Heathrow or Gatwick but some people are happy going via Dublin!
I commuted into London daily for more than 25 years but since moving further away we go more now for leisure activities than we did previously as I just regarded it as a place to work. It’s no issue at all to go down for a few days at a time to enjoy what’s there.
@ManofKent – if your route ever takes you via Bury St Edmunds – Lark restaurant (next to the Register Office and more or less opposite the cathedral) was just excellent. Tiny place, not smart but phenomenal food and good service. A good end to a week of great food in Norfolk bar the terrible Neptune in Old Hunstanton – it has a Michelin star – I really don’t know how as the food is really poor/out of the ark and the atmosphere grim.
@Man of Kent, it’s not difficult to get to Dublin, though, there are multiple flights daily from the North West, with airlines which have excellent reputations for punctuality. It’s better connected than by our supposedly national carrier!
Thanks for the tip about Lark, we’ll have a look next time we are passing. Coincidentally we were in Old Hunstanton this week but just had a cheap and cheerful pub meal at The Mariner Inn – haven’t been to Neptune but it sounds like we shouldn’t rush there.
The Moorings at Blakeney is worth a look if you happen to be that way.
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