Just realiased that Biggin a/c parking appears to be 4 times cheaper.
And which a/c parking is cheaper HIAL or Luton? Hm…
I emailed HIAL to ask them why this was being done & noting the impact that the parking charges would have on light GA. Their response cited “financial challenges” and a desire to “increase commercial revenue to reinvest in its services and reduce the cost to the taxpayer” – the result of which was that a full review was “undertaken to support route retention and maximise income”. However, since the new pricing scale came into force:
The review identified aircraft parking as an area that required re-assessment. The feedback received has highlighted the unintended impact of the new pricing scales on the private light aircraft community. Therefore, the inclusion of an additional parking scale for aircraft up to 2.5 tonnes will be explored.
So that’s some good news. No idea on timeframe, or what the new pricing scale for <2.5T will look like, though.
Indochine wrote:
No idea on timeframe, or what the new pricing scale for <2.5T will look like, though.
Old trick. “We are doing something about it” and then wait until all have forgotten.
Indeed; very low GA traffic up there is what facilitates this kind of thing.
Like I said – it’s like Greece. A given visitor may come only once a year, so he is not strongly invested. I bet you an awful lot of people visiting Greece pay the €400 fraport “recovery of the ‘EU Marshall Plan’ for Greece” charge and while they don’t like it, they accept it as a part of the cost of a nice holiday. So the pressure on fraport is close to zero.
New scale announced today:
It has retrospective effect from 1 April; credit notes will be issued for the difference.
Interesting. Thanks for posting.
Do we know about the other charges?
Are navigation charges applicable to a VFR flight? £15+VAT
Do Passenger Load Supplement (PLS) apply to private flights? (£24.20 per terminal departing passenger. Includes security recovery charges where applicable.)
If it’s just the landing (£21+VAT) plus parking it’s not too bad. That would make an overnight (24 hours) stop to be (21+10+0.6*20)+20% VAT = £50.40
At little pricey for a deserted airfield, but acceptable in the context of a nice trip (won’t see may Sunday – let’s go anywhere- type of flights for that).
But if it’s
Landing, + Parking + Navigation + Passenger Load Supplement + VAT then it’s a little over the top still for what it is.
(21+10+0.6*20 + 15+24.20)+20% VAT = £98.64 (Assuming 1 passenger)
I went to Islay EGPI the other day (and so will be due a credit), VFR from Belfast, and was charged £36 for “private light aircraft charge”, and £40 for the 4 hours flat rate parking (i.e., this would be £10 under the revised scale) – plus VAT.
The “private light aircraft charge” is equal to landing (£21) plus the navigation fee (£15) per the price list.
No PLS or Aviramp fees.
Not sure when I will use my £36 credit .. it was a great flight though.
Well… all this will make places like Glenforsa (still a tenner in cash) and some of the smaller fields the more attractive.
Pity and unnecessary really.
The new fee schedule is an acknowledgement that they made a mistake and have moved to correct it, and I appreciate that.
Thank you Indochine for contacting them.
Their explanation seem genuine.
Yes their way to manage airports is not the cheapest, but it is not the taxpayer’s role to totally subsidy our flying.
With this new fees list, I don’t complain.
