Yep, but in Yellowknife they see snow for a good 6 months of the year, every year. That makes the investment for good snow clearing equipment worthwhile. Additionally, it's nowhere near as large as LHR - so less area to clear and keep clear. Not making excuses for LHR's poor performances, but I don't think using Yellowknife is an entirely fair comparison.
A pre-planned cancellation of a third of all flights indicates a serious concern that Heathrow will not be able to support normal operations.
12 months ago, I recall the public relations people at BAA making a big fuss over the new investment in equipment to deal with snow and how it would keep their airports working whatever white powdery stuff may fall from the sky.
I'm sure the money means that Heathrow now has lots of big machines painted in birght colours that make very loud noises, have big flashing lights, and would make Jeremy Clarkson terribly excited.
May I ask however what that investment has purchased in terms of keeping runways open and flight operations normal ?
Just think how many flights operate in and out of LHR a day. It's almost (or is)at full capacity no?
So when the snow falls heavy, Of course there are going to be delays for runway / taxiway / stand clearing. So cancelling in advance is maybe good prep as they will be limited on slots, plus less stranded passengers.
But it is justa very modest snowfall tonight . the sort than can happen most years here at 52 North but for some reason it is acceptable in Uk to allow disruption on such a large scale because its 'not economic'. Its an airport for xxxx sake it is supposed to be open almost all the time so planes can oeprate not to make money for the woners who along with successive governments have mismanaged the Airport itself and UK runway capcity toa stunning degree.
You cannot allow critical facilites to be utilised at 100% capacity because as has been pointed out once something goes awry the whole problem snowballs ( Hmmm)
I am astonished that after last year and the 'massive investment' and 'lessons will be learned' a very modest snowfall will again bring utter chaos. As it is weather we cannot easily blame the EU,the French,immigrants, the unions, benefit scroungers etc for it and of course it cannot be the fault of Governments of management can it so it must be 'unprecedented or once in a lifetime extreme conditions LoL once again?
Forecast for Hay River and Yellowknife this Wednesday overnight is minus 37c.I'm sure that Buffalo Joe will fire up the DC3 and operate as normal. Just imagine UKPLC SE England getting temperatures like that.It would be a national disaster,since a wee drop of snow brings total chaos.People in northern areas that are used to snow are just laughing now.
People in northern areas that are used to snow are just laughing now.
Funny thing, I grew up in a Northern Scottish-type area and aside from when I was a we'an, it didn't really properly snow for two decades afterwards on the west coast. We honestly and wrongly thought those days were behind us
Good God,all you jokers on about the DC 3's being able to fly in the snow at yellow knife. Regardless of the BA decision over tomorrows flying program, You are trying to compare a major international airport, operating large jet transport aircraft, with a backwater flying club. just stick to watching Ice pilots on sky.
Skipness One Echo, I think trow a dyce ment real northerners like us. Here in Oslo we have had a rather cold day (started this morning with -17.5°C and is now only -12.9°C) and light snow. The operation at OSL today has been like a regular day with only one cancellation (KLM didn't come in with KL1151 from AMS on Friday evening and therefore no KL1140 this morning) and 79% punctuality (SAS and Norwegian was as normal better than the average with 86% and 84% respectively).
It is indeed funny to watch the flight radar with the airspace over London almost deserted. A number of aircraft circling over Stansted in hope an opening (many have already given up and deverted to Liverpool), a still open Gatwick, Ryanair circling over Leeds Bradford, EK20 departing 3 hours and 17 minutes late from MAN, ...
YZF has limited resources but manages to keep ops going most days. You could give LHR 4 miles of plows and 2 miles of blowers and they would still cancel flights. Do folks remember the promises they made last year?
Spanish-owned operator BAA announced yesterday morning that 30 per cent of today’s flights from the world’s busiest airport – about 200 – would not take off to ‘minimise disruption to passengers’. It means that the flights of up to 18,000 travellers could be cancelled or rescheduled as airlines scramble to adjust their flight plans. The decision was in stark contrast to airports across most of Europe where, despite arctic conditions, flights were due to take off as normal.
Travel had already been disrupted across the whole of Europe - flights from Rome and Amsterdam's Schiphol airports to UK destinations, and Saturday morning flights to Amsterdam from Birmingham, Manchester and Heathrow were cancelled or delayed.
Well I worked for over 25 years in ATC at the airport that probably gets the most snow in the UK,and our snow team was excellent.As minimal disruption as possible,and if we had more machines even less closures. Oslo's team for clearing the ramp is more than we had for the whole airport,so if you have enough machines you can operate normally. It just the end of the world stuff you hear from the south.It's called Winter,so deal with it,and stop saying ''We're not used to it''.Get some proper clothes and start shovelling. Ps I'll go back to watching Ice Pilots.Funny how their runways always seem to be clear.
