Has anybody else noticed a lack of urgency on the part of LBIA when it comes to dealing with snow and ice ? These days it seems it actually has to have been snowing for some time before the vehicles are sent out. Yesterday afternoon, it was getting dark, the paved surfaces were beginning to freeze, flights were approaching arrival and departure times and only then were the sprayers sent out to the runways and taxiways. Too late ladies and gents. I thought the idea was prevention rather than clearance. Correct me if I'm wrong. And the stands were a disgrace. Covered with snow, slush and ice. Terrible to walk on. The Airside Safety Unit, to be fair, did appear with some anti-ice pearls but again, only when the movements were happening. Not before. Reactive rather than proactive.
When ATC more or less ran the show, the Watch Supervisor would perform a surface inspection and if necessary give word for the brushes and sprayers to be sent out. And out they came promptly. Nowadays, that sense of urgency seems to have been lost.
