Originally Posted by
crewmeal
So what are the diversion options at LHR knowing that every aircraft these days has to go into a hold pattern before arrival? STN? LGW? BHX?
At the risk of stating the obvious, it depends on the weather. LGW is close enough that there'll pretty much always be gas for it. But it can share the FG issues that LHR will occasionally have by being so close.
Timing is important, it's planned to arrive at 5am iirc, which is mostly traffic holding free. A free pass.
MAN or AMS was carried often when needed when I used to fly up there, or a DPA on the latter or FRA/maybe CDG.
The London basin has many more environment controls these days vastly reducing the airborne pollution that the industrial revolution made seem normal making the old pea souper less of a thing than back in the day.