Heathrow

[Blairgowrie]

I don't get it! What am I missing here?

Surely the cost associated with Heathrow being closed for several days must cost a small fortune. Why not put the cost towards some heavy snow clearing equipment and deicing equiptment and voila?

[fruitbat]

because they're fecktards.

[DD_Brando]

Just another example of the British ability to dither over such important decisions. It goes along with us being pretty well bankrupt since around 1918, and the philosophy of 'make do and mend' that has prevailed ever since. It's become endemic, and you'll be hard put to find any area of our infrastructure that hasn't been blighted by this foolishness.

B

[JensenPark]

curious - and a bit off topic:

was Heathrow a base during the war? Or was it built afterward?

[Blairgowrie]

http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EOur+business+and+community%5EAbout+Heathrow%5EOur+history/12223de26aa32010VgnVCM100000147e120a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/

Boy! Some of you North Americans are so dumb.

[DD_Arthur]

I don't get it! What am I missing here?

Surely the cost associated with Heathrow being closed for several days must cost a small fortune. Why not put the cost towards some heavy snow clearing equipment and deicing equiptment and voila?

What are you missing!? Are you kidding? It's money of course! Closing Heathrow costs the airlines, freight companies customers and the travelling public a large fortune. However, it only costs BAA (British Airports Authority), the owners and operators of Heathrow a small fortune. Loss of landing fees is a pain as is the loss of footfall through all those shops and restaurants but is nothing as to making a major investment in snow ploughs and de-icing equipment. They can live with the bad PR as long as the share price keeps up there.

Apparently today the CEO of BAA, Colin Matthews, announced he is to forgo his annual performance bonus for this year as the buck stops with him, etc, etc.

What he didn't give up is the huge bonus in share options he is due in 2012 if the company meets it's financial targets set him by it's owners - a Spanish property company!

Here ya go, JP;

Heathrow 1949

[fruitbat]

your so cynical arthur

[DD_Brando]

At the end of the day it makes no difference if Colin Matthews foregoes his bonus. The money stays with BAA and does nothing for the people affected by his supposed inefficiency. Maybe if he'd taken the gentleman's route and blown his brains out with a revolver we might feel convinced that he was sorry

[fruitbat]

Maybe if he'd taken the gentleman's route and blown his brains out with a revolver we might feel convinced that he was sorry