As another ATCO I would like to mirror the comments by GT3 and YS. Yesterday was the first time in the new tower that inbound spacing was introduced due to the utter "chaos" on ground. This is not fair on other operators into LL who can always ensure they can fully park, are fully ready for departure etc... and if it wasn't too much hassle for TC, I would suggest that the increased spacing was only applied between BA flights.
Such increased spacing will become more common simply to protect our guys on ground. With easterly operations yesterday (09L for landing) it is a nightmare when the domestic aircraft parking 109 to 192 cannot park and hang off the gate - it leaves you with just the one taxiway to play with. If you have a westbound outbound, against a vacating inbound, then its not long before you're in the sh*t.
It is so predictable now that each BA aircraft will not be able to park. It would save on RT time if you just told us you can park!! I for one have stopped long push backs to allow inbounds onto the gate - the inbound will not park, delay the outbound and bring the cul-de-sac to a grinding halt, so whats the point!! However, if its an inbound BA delaying an outbound BA, then maybe this will teach them a lesson (probably not!)
The poor guy on GMC2 on 20th at watch changeover time was going potty! I sympathised with him. It is still far too early after the transition to NVCR and EFPS for the chap to have to put up with such a shambles. 7 inbounds all parked down the 09R extension for over an hour without a gate and then of course they all had to move due to the alternation with 27L being the landing runway. The TAM was on the ground for nearly 2 hours before it parked on its gate (the 4th gate it had been given)! The foreigners must dread flying in to EGLL.
Anyway, enough of the moaning... T5 will solve all these problems
