HEATHROW
Join Date: Sep 2003
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Iceland!? Really?
Were BHX, EMA, DSA, & MAN all unable to accept a divert? Even PIK?
Surely it is preferable to divert to a UK airport - where if worse comes to worse some pax have the option to terminate their journey and travel overland.
Were BHX, EMA, DSA, & MAN all unable to accept a divert? Even PIK?
Surely it is preferable to divert to a UK airport - where if worse comes to worse some pax have the option to terminate their journey and travel overland.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Stockport
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I think BHX had weather problems, MAN had said it was full and there were
certainly a lot of aircraft on the Saturday evening when I was there, EMA I think was full DSA and PIK I can`t speak for
Ian B
certainly a lot of aircraft on the Saturday evening when I was there, EMA I think was full DSA and PIK I can`t speak for
Ian B
All the southern UK airports were closed and the northern ones full.
BA had diversions to Athens,Larnaca,Shannon,Madrid,Dublin,Toulouse,Nice and Barcelona.
The Iceland one was turned away from Shannon.
BA had diversions to Athens,Larnaca,Shannon,Madrid,Dublin,Toulouse,Nice and Barcelona.
The Iceland one was turned away from Shannon.
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Heathrow Runway Closure
There has been no snowfall at Heathrow since lunchtime on Saturday yet the southern runway is still closed. On Monday, the BAA was able to predict that it would remain closed all day Tuesday – and indeed it has – so what is going on?
A procession of BAA officials have been on the TV and radio telling us how "disappointed" they are that Heathrow collapsed in the course of an afternoon – that routine has worn very thin by now.
No-one seems to have asked the question yet, so I thought I would venture it – three days later what is going on with the runways at LHR?
VC
A procession of BAA officials have been on the TV and radio telling us how "disappointed" they are that Heathrow collapsed in the course of an afternoon – that routine has worn very thin by now.
No-one seems to have asked the question yet, so I thought I would venture it – three days later what is going on with the runways at LHR?
VC
Join Date: Jun 2002
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The whole thing is an utter joke and a reflection on the inability of BAA to do much of anything right. It only happens every 100 years they yelp, but if memory serves, this has happened with some frequency in last few years.
If we spend money on required infrastructure (snow removal equip) we won't have money for other things, they cry. Like what? More body scanners and superfluous security related muck? Or maybe more shopfront facilities. Or more bonuses for the yellow jacketed ones with clipboards? Gotta set your priorities don't ya?
And the latest clownlike bleat, that : The aircraft must have the snow removed from below them before they can move... Cripes guys get a life. How in "entity-not-specific's" name do they do it in other parts of the world like Stockholm, Copenhagen, Boston, JFK, Oslo, etc.... Wow, they actually taxi OVER the stuff! How un-health and safety can you get? Amazing they don't crash airplanes every day there with such ridiculously unsafe practices.
One 3 hour snowfall, 4 days ago, and Heathrow is still on its knees. Unreal.
If we spend money on required infrastructure (snow removal equip) we won't have money for other things, they cry. Like what? More body scanners and superfluous security related muck? Or maybe more shopfront facilities. Or more bonuses for the yellow jacketed ones with clipboards? Gotta set your priorities don't ya?
And the latest clownlike bleat, that : The aircraft must have the snow removed from below them before they can move... Cripes guys get a life. How in "entity-not-specific's" name do they do it in other parts of the world like Stockholm, Copenhagen, Boston, JFK, Oslo, etc.... Wow, they actually taxi OVER the stuff! How un-health and safety can you get? Amazing they don't crash airplanes every day there with such ridiculously unsafe practices.
One 3 hour snowfall, 4 days ago, and Heathrow is still on its knees. Unreal.
Join Date: Aug 2008
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From a member of the public's point of view it seems rediculous that one of the world's busiest airports is unable to cope. As has already been mentioned, other counties and even other airports in the UK seem to cope admirably. 'Learning a lesson from the past' seems secondary to bottom line profit and customer dis-satisfaction.
I personally feel really sorry for the front line staff on the desks who are no doubt having to take the brunt of the passenger anger in the Terminals and who no doubt have no more information than the poor passengers themselves who just want to get where they want to go!
I personally feel really sorry for the front line staff on the desks who are no doubt having to take the brunt of the passenger anger in the Terminals and who no doubt have no more information than the poor passengers themselves who just want to get where they want to go!
Last edited by Pilotinmydreams; 21st Dec 2010 at 14:04. Reason: rubbish english on my part
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
The really telling aspect of this is everybody can come up with a semi-plausable excuse as to why the Airport is closed. Is it a British thing that more time and money is spent crafting the excuse than fixing the problem? On the bright side, it has allowed airports in Gabon and Ulan Bator to finallly measure up to the performance of Europe's busiest International Airport - well done you!
/Can hardly wait for the Olympics...
/Can hardly wait for the Olympics...
Join Date: Jul 2008
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"'Learning a lesson from the past' seems secondary to bottom line profit and customer satisfaction."
From where I'm sitting, customer satisfaction seems to be at an all time low.
From where I'm sitting, customer satisfaction seems to be at an all time low.
Join Date: Jan 2008
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As I was there last night rescuing 4 relatives, we weren't even allowed to see desk staff but were just shouted at by some faceless BAA employee who looked to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Ah well, at least the carparks were free.....which must be a first.
Ah well, at least the carparks were free.....which must be a first.
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Why is Heathrow still not up and running?
Because of the same people who yell at you for not wearing a yellow west. Because the same people are trying to "outsafe" each other. Because the Brits have allowed their country to be run by CCTV and the people that will keep them "safe". I love it when I am told "taxi at your own discretion". Are they telling me that if i run into something when this is not said I would be free of any responsibility related to said incident? I doubt it.
I went for a walk from the Cheshunt Marriott the other day and felt like a sheep. All along the sidewalks they had fencing to prevent stupid, incompetent people like me from crossing the road at a place other than that approved by someone that obviously knows much better than me what is safe.
During last years snow event I was delayed from unloading passengers for over one hour while they removed snow from my parking spot. Due to extensive cold weather experience I knew I could safely taxi in there, but the dipsticks wouldn't let me.
Maybe Heathrow will open again by April???
I went for a walk from the Cheshunt Marriott the other day and felt like a sheep. All along the sidewalks they had fencing to prevent stupid, incompetent people like me from crossing the road at a place other than that approved by someone that obviously knows much better than me what is safe.
During last years snow event I was delayed from unloading passengers for over one hour while they removed snow from my parking spot. Due to extensive cold weather experience I knew I could safely taxi in there, but the dipsticks wouldn't let me.
Maybe Heathrow will open again by April???
Join Date: Jan 2004
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-- DavidsOffice
Three days later? What can there be left to clear by now? Again, there has been no snowfall on LHR since Saturday
-- Pilotinmydreams
We are not talking about desk staff here. I am wondering why one of the world's most important airports is operating without one of its two runways. This should have been the No. 1 priority for ground ops staff who should have been ready and waiting for this. We all knew it was coming. Clearing snow should have been a 24-hour job, at most, but three days later a runway is still closed.
The chaos in the terminals is another matter, but with a proper snow clearing plan there wouldn't be so much chaos.
Why is that runway still closed? Did someone scrape the surface off in the initial clearing attempts? I am struggling to find a reason, any reason, for this mess.
Three days later? What can there be left to clear by now? Again, there has been no snowfall on LHR since Saturday
-- Pilotinmydreams
We are not talking about desk staff here. I am wondering why one of the world's most important airports is operating without one of its two runways. This should have been the No. 1 priority for ground ops staff who should have been ready and waiting for this. We all knew it was coming. Clearing snow should have been a 24-hour job, at most, but three days later a runway is still closed.
The chaos in the terminals is another matter, but with a proper snow clearing plan there wouldn't be so much chaos.
Why is that runway still closed? Did someone scrape the surface off in the initial clearing attempts? I am struggling to find a reason, any reason, for this mess.
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Violet Club,
The problem could lie in the fact that the BAA made a £1 Billion profit last year and spent a massive £6 million in 'de-icing' investment.
I watched, somewhat distraught by the sight, a single tractor (Elf 'n' Safety yellow) with a rotating brush trying to make a dent on frozen snow on a 10,000 x 45m runway the other day. It's laughable.
When they (BAA) were challenged last time about the lack of infrastructure to deal with snow and ice the BAA merely claimed that their risk management strategy precluded further investment as the occurences were statistically too low to warrent it.
Once again the bean counters decide the strategy based upon a probability graph and the rest of us have to live with the results.
The problem could lie in the fact that the BAA made a £1 Billion profit last year and spent a massive £6 million in 'de-icing' investment.
I watched, somewhat distraught by the sight, a single tractor (Elf 'n' Safety yellow) with a rotating brush trying to make a dent on frozen snow on a 10,000 x 45m runway the other day. It's laughable.
When they (BAA) were challenged last time about the lack of infrastructure to deal with snow and ice the BAA merely claimed that their risk management strategy precluded further investment as the occurences were statistically too low to warrent it.
Once again the bean counters decide the strategy based upon a probability graph and the rest of us have to live with the results.
reputation rule No. 1...........
Never allow PR people to publish claims in the good times that your organisation can't deliver on when the going gets tough................. 
All Points North | Heathrow’s army of snow ploughs stretch their wings as snow bites
All Points North | Heathrow’s army of snow ploughs stretch their wings as snow bites