I understand this situation even less as :
Jujupilote wrote:
I understand this situation even less as
It’s a bizjet, maybe they have flexible flying requests (time, pob) with frequent changes while Orleans operations have rigid terms?
I recall one PC12 pilot who flew owner family & friends on-the-fly: VFR to Calais or LeTouquet before heading IFR to Cannes
From personal experience, while ago my PNR request was refused by OPS after I added one extra pax on the return leg and changed my arrival time on Sunday by 1h (they accepted my initial request on Friday), I cancelled my PNR request and went via LeTouquet, turning up on tarmac with no flight plan did surprise the operation chaps
Operations will reject change of places unless you have well paid handlers who push your case
Customs usually don’t mind last minute changes but you will need their phone contact
turning up on tarmac with no flight plan did surprise the operation chaps
You can’t even land then…
Peter wrote:
You can’t even land then…
On 2nd flight LeTouquet to Caen (after clearing customs at LeTouquet) there was no need for any PNR/PPR/FPL
Operations were still puzzled that we turned up at their desk with the extra pax 
I don’t fly there anyway, they have 24 PPR now and hassle-o-meter exceeds 100%
Ibra wrote:
What is the add value? It has permanent UKBF but you have to send GAR and stick to PN/ETA anyway !
@Ibra, I meant that the add value would have been clearing EU customs & Schengen Immigration in Biggin – that way you could travel direct to any place in continental EU. Not going to help people that live south of Biggin, while LFAT is still there. :)
Peter wrote:
but if we lose LFAT then the situation will change dramatically.
In normal times, the UK traffic to LFAT must be very lucrative.
With Macron still around for another four years – with his wife having a house there – and the forthcoming change to LFAT becoming Elizabeth II Airport – I can’t see the diplomatic gains of customs leaving LFAT soon.
But then there are many predictions on this forum which never seem to work out . . .
Well, we’ve done this one before too, and nobody actually knows what is driving the great LFAT police availability situation. And of course anybody who actually knows isn’t going to be posting it; that kind of thing cannot ever be published.
My money is on the simple one: the Macron house → heavy 24/7 police / army presence in the town near the house → need to show a “presence” at the airport because that is how the Macrons will be travelling to Le T from Paris. One could argue it is done “for show” but let’s not wish it away
The other explanation is that Le T has “friends in high places” (or “friends in low places” to use the ironic English variant, referring to mafia etc connections). That is possible. Lots of French provincial airports have been funded for decades from the local chamber of commerce, without any apparent financial justification in terms of traffic, and that funding must be supported by “relationships”. But this is really risky, because people retire, die, come under new scrutiny, etc. Look at the severe de-staffing at places which lost airline traffic e.g. Dinard; we had a meetup there recently. Somebody is doing their best to shave off costs around the place.
This conversation may be different 5-10 years from now but that’s the story of GA
Peter wrote:
The other explanation is that Le T has “friends in high places”
The airport management usually has the mayor or the ex-mayor and airport never relied on state and airliners and has lot of UK connections: horses and royals, private flying…
This is unlike Dinard: CCI/FP money was replaced by RyanAir/WizzAir money
The airport management usually has the mayor or the ex-mayor
I don’t understand the grammar there. Is there something missing?
and airport never relied on state and airliners and has lot of UK connections: horses and royals, private flying…
That may be the economic case for LFAT but it doesn’t explain the police availability. French police have absolutely zero interest in whether an airport survives.
The guy who runs the airport today is the ex-mayor of the city…
