Saturday 29 December 2007

So much bigger?

A few years ago, I was flying to London with the children, when we heard the following dialogue in the row behind us: [English passenger] "... of course, Heathrow is so much bigger than Okęcie..." [Polish passenger, incredulously] "SO much bigger?" The phrase (pronounced in Polish 'soł macz biger?') has become a family catchphrase. With its four terminals, a fifth coming on-stream very soon, a third runway and sixth terminal planned, Heathrow is indeed massive in comparison with our local airport. Waiting for our flight back to Warsaw this afternoon, I watched plane after plane coming into land, with a 90 second interval between landings. At any one moment, I could see four planes stacked up the final approach. Below: Heathrow - A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340 comes in to land as a BA Boeing 757 taxis to its gate. Right: Flying out of Okęcie before Yuletide, I snapped this forlorn view of a LOT Boeing 737 standing on the apron. The majority of planes are boarded via stairs after passengers have been bussed to the apron from the terminal. We still await the formal opening of Terminal 2 for departures. I've long forgotten when it was originally due to open or why its opening has been delayed for so long.

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