I really think if people are going to sound off about this, they should say from what viewpoint they are speaking! I am a retired medium/widebody pilot with getting on to 20,000 hours. It is an accepted part of BA procedure for the pilot to go out and inspect the actual runway conditions. It is not done from the back seat of a Landrover. It entails several different sampling areas and assessing what lies under the snow and how deep snow and slush is. Unless frequent operations are already taking place, it is a valid and reliable procedure for someone who knows what they are doing and what they are looking for, and is well catered for and fully described in the contaminated take-off performance books on the aeroplane. It is a procedure that has shown no sign of unreliability. Those very people who know nothing about this and see fit to make comment will be the loudest people to complain when all ops are halted at the first sign of a snowflake! The aim of the game is to keep public transport flowing.
Please would people who know nothing about it or aircraft performance stop interjecting! We have quite enough flight simmers/self appointed aviation experts sounding off with opinions here as it is. That idiotic first post takes the biscuit. Who are you KtT? Do you know it is not for ATC to forbid a runway inspection or close airfields?- ATC passes on the weather for the pilot to make his own judgement. I'm glad Ryanair did operate, and safely- he took the care to assess for himself and come to a safe decision. He also followed company procedures presumably, just as they are BA procedures too! Kinda makes your thundering look a bit daft doesn't it?