Originally Posted by
Flying Wild
The diversion in itself may have been handled well, but the aftermath certainly wasn't. I would seriously question whether the situation has ever been wargamed by the airport and the based airlines/handing agents, as it was a shambles trying to get aircraft turned around once they were able to make it back to BHX. Not enough staff, Not enough busses available to service the remote stands. No joined up thinking like using a bus to take passengers to an outbound, then that same bus going to an adjacent stand to collect inbound passengers. There was plenty of time between the runway closing and then reopening for extra staff to be called in. Hugely frustrating experienxe all round.
A three hour closure on a Saturday afternoon in summer was never going to be easy.
The incident itself seems to have been handled well but the aftermath is still ongoing, Jet2 seemed to have found aircraft from all over the place but even they still have one Saturday afternoon departure to go out (midday today to Zante) and as for TUI some seriously unhappy passengers sitting in Manchester and still delayed from yesterday afternoons Fuerteventura. Their only crumb of comfort it appears they are going on the 789 which is scheduled to operate back to BHX. TUI had 4 of the based 7 short-haul fleet divert at least 2 others stuck on the ground delayed
Pete