LONDON'S AIRPORT

Waiting for the intense air traffic planned for the 2012 Olympic Games, many airports  are preparing to receive the many scheduled flights.

London has an excellent network of airports, five of them for scheduled and charter flights -London City, Hesthrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton- but there are a dozen, if one considers fields for executive and small charters, and about fifty counting all the small field for general aviation, within s range of 30 miles.

More airports up to a radius of 60 miles offered themselves as serving the capital, even picking up its name,with bizarre combination such as London Manston or London Ashford Lydd.

Recently the increase in traffic, and particularly the coming Olympic Games of 2012 have launched a new growth of airports as an alternative to the congested existing ones.

The point is not so much scheduled traffic as expected huge influx of executive and air taxis for thousands of athletes, politicians and VIP's that will attend.

Many smaller airports are thus building new terminals, hotels, hangars and railroad station to connect to the London rail system.

London City, conveniently located in East London, close to the Olympic Park, recently was allowed to grow from 80.000 to 120.000 movements per year. Northolt is a small former RAF base that is now operated by Jet Center of LCA, and it can accept executive jets. London Heathrow, despite its well known congestion, also has pace for general aviation. BAA Predicts that 80% of all Olympic traffic will pass through Heathrow, and is considering the construction of a temporary Olympic Terminal to accept the rush of luggage at the games' end.

London Biggin Hill has huge potential, is much used for flights coming from the US, and

East London can be easily reached. London Gatwick, the second busiest airport, can still accept General Aviation, but it lacks a dedicated parking area, on the other hand it has good connections thanks to the Gatwick Express. London Luton manages many executive flights and also has good road connections. London Stansted is basically a low cost airport, offering a few slots to executives, but one of its operators, Harrod's Aviation ,can manage aircraft up to the Boeing 747.

Farnboriugh, proud of its history, is the only airport completely dedicated to GA. TAG Aviation has invested hugely and recently the ceiling for movements was raised from 28.000 to 50.000.

Blackbushe is a former military base, now open to executive jets. Southend is the third busiest airport in the UK, it has a large investment plan, including stretching its runway and a new station was opened, connecting it to London, it aims to be an alternative during the Games, and thus has added London to its name, while Easyjet just opened its fourth base there. Oxford is some 90 km from the center, but it also added London to its name in 2009. Cambridge boasts the Marshall Business Aviation Center. Ashford Lydd, on the Southern Coast, also added London to its name, while Manston, which has a very large runway dating from the war, now calls itself Kent's International Airport.