Weather -No, Runway blockage -No, ATC slot -Yes, miss a slot -No.
Rainboe,
How do you know the slot wasn't due to weather? If there's a strong headwind at heathrow the arrival rate plummets, same if there has been weather avoiding or fog previously. weather might have improved but you'll still get a slot as the backlog is cleared.
To reduce delays into heathrow would you advocate a ban on weather avoidance? 2 mile spacing in strong wind conditions? Perhaps LVPs with land after clearances?
A couple of years ago, working Heathrow approach in LVPs, we had the misfortune to see the fog come back in just as restrictions had been taken off and a massive wave of inbounds was appearing on the radar.
The TMA was creaking at the seams and several sectors were close to being overloaded as 48 per hour arrived at the inner stacks just as the landing rate went down to 28.
This unforecast fog dissapeared as suddenly as it had come and we started landing more and cleared the holding traffic.
The Traffic Manager did a fantastic job removing the flow rates quickly and we soon had another wave arriving, the first of which I was able to put straight in. and as it caught up the last in the sequence of the holding traffic (ensuring we hadn't wasted a single landing slot) the pilot had a good old moan about why he'd had to sit on the ground in brussels for half an hour when there was no delay!
You can't possibly see the bigger picture from the flight deck but remember
1. safety always comes first for us
2. we can't control the weather
3. don't argue with the guy that decides when you land
