Second Gatwick shuttle canceled

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kristopher Levasseur
  • 48 Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  The RAF Lakenheath Airport Shuttle Service discontinued its Gatwick International Airport 7 a.m. shuttle due to the lack of official travelers.

In addition to the cancelation, the price of official travel has been reduced from £60 to £50.

"The opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow caused many of the major airlines to switch their operations from Gatwick to Heathrow," said Jose Pina, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron distribution and deployment flight chief. "Of the two shuttles to Gatwick, the 7 a.m. run has suffered the most declines in ridership often operating with zero to two duty passengers per bus."

According to Mr. Pina, the shuttle also carries an average six space available travelers. Space available travelers are not required to pay the £50 fee, but are only allowed to travel if there is room on the bus. The 4:30 a.m. shuttle to Heathrow International Airport and Gatwick and the 7 a.m. shuttle to Heathrow will continue to transport both official and space available travelers.

"Canceling the shuttle will save the Air Force more than $180,000 annually," said Mr. Pina. "It also allowed us to negotiate a lower price with the carrier taking into the account the reduced operating cost for the company from cancelling the shuttle."

As stated in the 48th Fighter Wing Commander's memorandum, the airport shuttle bus is the primary means of transportation for official travelers. Commanders are charged to ensure the shuttle is used to the maximum extent possible by official travelers to save funds and guarantee continued shuttle service.

"It is a smart move for all involved to ensure continued bus services at lower cost to the government," said Mr. Pina. "This change makes sense in many levels; why continue to operate the bus with one or virtually no riders? We all must continue to look at the processes we own to ensure we are utilizing government resources to their fullest potential."