Maps for iPad coming soon...@JohnMorrisHello I'm intrigued - pray tell where this new runway east of current site would go, and where would taxiways go?
@MarkGoughITV Did anyone check a map first to work out exactly where this new eastern runway at BHX would go?
@chrisw100 @flightmapping @Bham_FOE @cathtm @bbcmtd Look at the whole saga about Air India returning - all about politics, not runway length
@chrisw100 @Bham_FOE @cathtm @bbcmtd Extension is about new long haul routes, not terminal capacity, but yes - very few identified
Your Comments (17)
Adrian
David Knowles
James Avery
Paul Smith
James Avery
We don't decide the airline routes, we just stick them on our maps and provide route listing tables. The reasons behind which routes work and which ones don't is a complex mix of business and geopolitics. I actually flew to Brunei on this route 20 years ago, and it operated via Singapore and Dubai. As the flights continue on the same aircraft, they count as a direct route. Despite their size, I'm afraid there are no direct flights to either Indonesia or the Philippines from the UK, so we don't include them.
Tom Johnston
James Avery
The routes you mention are all a very long way round to get to Bangkok. Bear in mind that there are four airlines offering flights to Bangkok from London - this is as much due to the 'Kangaroo' route as it is to any other reason. I really don't think it is worth the expense and hassle to take flights from Birmingham in this scenario - you will find much better convenience and value if you go from London.
James Avery
Renu
Malcolm Adams
We approached KL from the west coast of Malaysia flying over Penang.
Has this changed in the 3 years?
James Avery
Nothing has changed. The purpose of our maps is to give an indication of which airlines fly where, not to provide an accurate plot of the route you are likely to take. We aim to do for direct flights what the tube map does for London - just show how cities are linked by flight routes.
If you want to see the course you would be likely to take, I suggest looking at flight tracker type sites. Even they can only show the route being flown at the time, as flight routes are always subject to changes due to the weather and other factors.
Ryo
James Avery
James Heath
I am doing coursework for aerospace engineering, it has been asked in the coursework to set up a business plan for a G-550 Gulfstream private jet. Part of the coursework asks if you could take a client from Manchester Airport, to an airport in Japan or Houston without stopping, there are no direct routes to Japan from Manchester and I was wondering whether it is legal, or do most companies not have the range? It is within the jets range.
James Avery
There are numerous factors which determine which airline operate to which destinations, and range is only one factor. So to answer your question, just because an airline does not operate a particular route, does not mean it is out of range of a particular jet aircraft. Your other factor would be the ability of the departure and arrival airports to handle the jet concerned. This is much less of an issue with a business jet, as they do not need anything like the same amount of runway length to take off and land.
Your final point would be whether or not the airports at each end would accept business jets, and whether there are any customs formalities, such as clearing immigration at the first available port of entry, which might be somewhere like Bangor, Maine, in the case of the USA.
As a general rule, airports which are less busy commercially are more likely to handle business jets, although you could check commercial rates for this on each respective airport's website. So MAN-HOU (Hobby Airport) is 4729m, using gcmap.com
Japanese airports are notoriously over-crowded due to their lack of land, and landing fees are astronomical. However, your question was whether or not the flight would be physically possible, so I'll let you work out the business plan. I'd avoid either of the Tokyo airports if you can. Osaka Itami might be less busy, but still relatively central for the industrial areas around the Kansai region. That's 5856 miles. I make full range for a G550 7758 miles.
The only city outside London that has been rumoured to get flights to Houston is Aberdeen, because of the oil industry. It would be likely that a small jet would be used for this service, quite possibly with business class only seats, to improve range. Flights from Manchester to Las Vegas, which is a similar distance, are widely available. Japan is simply too far east to make flights to Tokyo or Osaka likely to be viable from Manchester. flights to Hong Kong were due to start a few years ago, but the route never materialised. This route would have had a stop in Moscow, although that would have been for commercial reasons, as it was not technically necessary. flights to Singapore from Manchester also operate via Munich, again to plug into the Star Alliance hub there. There have been suggestions this route might operate non-stop at some stage. Flights to Bangkok would also be technically feasible, especially with a continuation to Australia, but for now, the emerging market for this route is via the Middle East.
If you look at the existing commercial routes, you will almost always see that they are driven by commercial considerations, not simply by flying to the furthest point an aircraft can go. When you fly at these extremes, you need to take on more fuel for the latter stages of the journey, so you end up carrying extra fuel just to cater for this extra payload. That is why the longest flights in the world (eg flights to New York from Singapore) are business class only.
James, I hope that gives you some insight into the differences between private jet and commercial operations. Please let me know how you get on, James.
Neill
Nice site - very clear and concise.
Don't know if you can help with what is perhaps a stupid question but of all the airports geographically located between Shanghai and Singapore which is the cheapest one to fly into from the UK?
I'm going to visit my brother in Shanghai but I want to take in as much as Asia as possible whilst I'm there and I'm trying to work out a route which will either start or finish in Shanghai.
Neill
James Avery
I'm sorry but I can't give you a direct answer to that question, as it depends on seasonal factors as well as distances and demand. As a general rule, competition is strongest on flights to Hong Kong and Bangkok, so I'd check there first. For onward travel, most of the main Asian cities are now also hubs for low cost airlines, so I'd base your decision around the places you want to see most, rather than just flight cost. For example, if you can get to KL cheaply (sadly, much harder now Air Asia X have pulled out of Europe), you have plenty of onward options in the low cost terminal. Downtown KL is also well worth a visit, or you could stay for longer and head up to Penang and Langkawi.