Madrid ATC at it again....
Time to take even more holding fuel.......
Imagine coming back at 1 in the morning to empty skies only to be told you have to hold for an hour! A calculation of the fuel available shows we have 45 mins holding fuel before burning down to minimums for diversion.
So we ask why we are holding having been airborne bang on our slot time and no one else in the skies. Answer: because you have to. We explain our timings and then have a very persistent ATC controller ENCOURAGING us to divert!!!
Her next instructions, you have to descend to FL350, if you dont youŽll lose your place in the sequence and youŽll have to divert!
So we descend, she again asks us if we are now going to divert! No no, weŽll wait for 45 mins and then divert.
We ask what our EAT is - no reply, we ask again, "ask the next sector"
Ok, then leave the hold and proceed on heading blah blah blah.
The end result, no holding and the nearest aircraft ahead of us was 15 miles and no one behind us!
How unprofessional. I understand from other pilots, and from the controller herself (quote šits not our fault, blame AENAš), that they have had their manning levels reduced at night and wanted us to divert to make a point!
A new low from MAD ATC?
Take a bit more gas........