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Should UK Airports be run by private companies?

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    JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    Another problem is that after seeing the rows about expanding Heathrow and Stansted how the hell are you ever gonna find a mass of new sites to build these new Airports on?! I think we have enough anyway, I think the vast majority of folk in this country have at least one Airport within 50 miles of their home, off the top of my head I have six within 50 or so miles (Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Teeside, Humberside, Doncaster Robin Hood, Sheffield City) and I hardly live in the centre of the universe. Thats before you consider Liverpool or East Mids or Newcastle which are bout 60-70.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JsT wrote: »
    I can think of plenty of train operating companies who would love to find these extra seats that we supposedly have! Even off peak now many companies are struggling for capacity on many many routes. The train companies are busy trying to make money by filling these seats, they don't want the government giving people a free ride!

    Who said it would be a free ride for the rail companies?

    I said free to the people who bought an airline ticket

    I've already pointed out that Airport Departure Tax increases will raise an extra £1 Billion a year for the government so why not use that money to give free passes on the train to and from the airport off peak - i.e. give the rail companies money for passage to and from the airport off peak ...

    I've explained everything already .. why do I have to keep filling in the blanks for you.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JsT wrote: »
    Another problem is that after seeing the rows about expanding Heathrow and Stansted how the hell are you ever gonna find a mass of new sites to build these new Airports on?!


    Building a brand new small regional airport in an economic no man's land is not the same as expanding one of the world's busiest airports, where there is already too much traffic to and from the airport on the roads, I used to work opposite the runway to Heathrow and the morning traffic was a joke.

    There is already lots of military airports dotted all over the place that hardly ever get used and could be used for civilian use as well. I've flown into a military airport abroad several times on a civilian plane and it's not big deal .. you see military helicopters and planes on one side and civilian planes on the other.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Why on earth would you give a free train ticket to someone going to the airport for a short haul or domestic flight? Way to fuck up the environment in one fell swoop. The train is usually cheaper than parking at the airport, too (I had to pay £25 to park at LBA for the day not so long ago).

    And those people who can afford long haul flights can afford their own goddamn train fares.

    We need more taxation on air travel and I'd propose a £50 tax on domestic air transfers. I'd also remove the tax breaks for businesses using air travel. Air travel is unnecessary in most cases but whilst SleazyJet get to charge 2p each way air travel will continue to be used.

    We need fewer airports and fewer air miles. But unfortunately we live in a country which won't say no to the air lobby and now every hamlet in the country has its own airport. There are three in South Yorkshire alone.
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    JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    DG wrote: »
    Who said it would be a free ride for the rail companies?

    I said free to the people who bought an airline ticket

    I've already pointed out that Airport Departure Tax increases will raise an extra £1 Billion a year for the government so why not use that money to give free passes on the train to and from the airport off peak - i.e. give the rail companies money for passage to and from the airport off peak ...

    I've explained everything already .. why do I have to keep filling in the blanks for you.

    You keep filling in the blanks because you are suggesting stupid ideas that will never work.

    I'm saying there is not enough capacity on the rail network currently (even OFF PEAK) for the plan to work, unless the government was to give the £1bn to the rail industry to improve the network. Which lets face it, would never happen.

    This is despite the fact that the rail network is significantly better primed and far more efficient at delivering passengers domestically, significantly better than by air. No security checks (currently), no long pointless check in process, no driving miles and miles out of town to an Airport when there are many rail stations closer to city centres and to where people want to be.
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Private Companies are shit at running anything. End of.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Teh_Gerbil wrote: »
    Private Companies are shit at running anything. End of.

    i don't know, maybe brothels :lol:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DG wrote: »
    From a safety and economic point of view major airports seem so important shouldn't they be run by government? (ignoring the fact most governments are stupid and can't run anything)

    But at the very least shouldn't the company be based in the UK?

    Right now millions of people could have their travel plans ruined by decision makers in Spain.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/Story/0,,2231373,00.html

    ALL of the means of production should be privately owned.

    Government is only an agency of coercion.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ladies and gentlemen, all of you who might have been concerned by the lack of news from sorely-missed moncrat can now breathe a sigh of relief. He's alive and well.

    Still lacks a life though :rolleyes:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote: »
    Still lacks a life though :rolleyes:
    Same thing could be said of most of us forum members... :p
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    wheresmyplacebo wrote: »
    i don't know, maybe brothels :lol:

    Nah. State does that better too. Oh wait, you weren't talking aobut the Commons...
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