Originally Posted by
Boeing737-8
LTN has had many delays today and yesterday. Does anyone know the reason for aircraft taxing out to the engine run up bay and stands 20-22 to wait to take off. Long amounts of waiting and making more delays for every aircraft leaving LTN.
Slots probably, parking nose out on the south apron frees up stands for the inbounds and gives them better OTP from pushback. If slot comes forward, they start up and taxi out so no ground crew required. Been happening for years.
If they go tech on the taxi out we sometimes park them like that for them to take a few minutes to fix it if they can.
Don't see how its making more delays for every a/c leaving Luton.
We do not intentionally delay a/c, take into consideration the airlines and their handling against, push crews, fuelers, steps, passengers, slots, weather, airspace capacity, route separation and it all adds up to many many reasons why a/c depart as they do.
Flightplans when a/c are on stand are the responsibility of the a/c / airline ops, tolerance +- 15mins, a/c are very often ready with a flight plan out of tolerance, the operator has to update this before they can push or start. This can take them anywhere between 1-30mins depending on who it is.