GATWICK
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Sussex,UK
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Thank you for some common sense Pub User!
And you know this because...? Having just driven from LGW, I can assure you the roads have most definitely not self cleared. Put it this way. It 'aint much fun out there! (And I have lived and driven in countries that do get heavy snow so do have some idea of what I'm talking about)
What? Extremely expensive equipment that up until the last couple of years was not really needed and would have sat around doing nothing? As already said by others, this sort of snow is unusual in the South East.
However, saying all that, if this looks set to become the norm for winter, then I do agree that the authorities seriously need to look at getting themselves some of that expensive equipment!
If you watch the snow ploughs in the video, they are clearing it easily and the roads have self cleared.
No. This is what happens when inept managers will not invest in the needed equipment when the opportunity to invest in an extra shop exists.
However, saying all that, if this looks set to become the norm for winter, then I do agree that the authorities seriously need to look at getting themselves some of that expensive equipment!
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: England
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Here we are all over europe there are snclo
United Kingdom
Edinburgh - closed due to snow until 06:00 hours on 2 December
Gatwick - closed due to snow until 10:00 hours on 2 December
Doncaster Sheffield - Currently closed due to snow until 10:00 hours on 2 December
Liverpool - re-opened delays expected
Aberdeen - reopened delays expected Inverness - reopened delays expected
Continental Europe
Basel - closed due to snow until 05:00 hours on 2 December
Geneva - closed due to snow until 05:00 hours on 2 December
Lyon - reopened, delays expected
Milan Malpensa - delays due to heavy snow
Paris CDG - cancellations and delays expected on 02 Dec due to severe weather
Paris Orly - cancellations and delays expected on 02 Dec due to severe weather
All times in GMT
Even the Swiss have problems with snow.
United Kingdom
Edinburgh - closed due to snow until 06:00 hours on 2 December
Gatwick - closed due to snow until 10:00 hours on 2 December
Doncaster Sheffield - Currently closed due to snow until 10:00 hours on 2 December
Liverpool - re-opened delays expected
Aberdeen - reopened delays expected Inverness - reopened delays expected
Continental Europe
Basel - closed due to snow until 05:00 hours on 2 December
Geneva - closed due to snow until 05:00 hours on 2 December
Lyon - reopened, delays expected
Milan Malpensa - delays due to heavy snow
Paris CDG - cancellations and delays expected on 02 Dec due to severe weather
Paris Orly - cancellations and delays expected on 02 Dec due to severe weather
All times in GMT
Even the Swiss have problems with snow.
The snow definately was bad here overnight-other half couldnt get out of here this morning and the neighbour didnt get home from London till 10.00 this morning!( he left work at 20.00 last night!)
we have had 8 ins of snow here and the roads in this village 2 miles from LGW are impassable!
Gatwick did try as HD said and we had far more snow here than LHR did!
we have had 8 ins of snow here and the roads in this village 2 miles from LGW are impassable!
Gatwick did try as HD said and we had far more snow here than LHR did!
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: It used to be an island...
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At STN the ground staff advised the SCCM of the 18:15 EasyJet arrival from AMS that only one set of steps was available due to the number of diverts from LGW. I hope the later arrivals didn't have to wait around for even a single set of steps.
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Lisbon
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And you know this because...?
Then again, I am from Portugal, so I probably have a lot more experience of snow that your average British person
Geneva - closed due to snow until 05:00 hours on 2 December
Lyon - reopened, delays expected
Milan Malpensa - delays due to heavy snow
Paris CDG - cancellations and delays expected on 02 Dec due to severe weather
Paris Orly - cancellations and delays expected on 02 Dec due to severe weather
Lyon - reopened, delays expected
Milan Malpensa - delays due to heavy snow
Paris CDG - cancellations and delays expected on 02 Dec due to severe weather
Paris Orly - cancellations and delays expected on 02 Dec due to severe weather
One airport closed - between the Jura and Alpes ;-), not quite Sussex
One airport open (LYS.)
One airport with delays (not closed.)
And two that are operating normally, but might be shut tomorrow, depending on what happens.
And this somehow makes LGW ok, with a small amount of snow.
I see it is the usual situation, snowfall, Europe isolated from UK.
Please do not generalise or tar us all with the same brush, clearly something has gone badly wrong at Gatwick, it has not elsewhere.
I'm from the land of 30 degrees and sun, I've just driven 20 kms throught this 'disaster area' without problems
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Sussex,UK
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I have just driven from Crawley to Redhill in a Astra rental that I have had for a day and it was passable with a small amount of care and only a little technique.
) However, you and I making our way cautiously to our destinations, in our Astra and 306 respectively, don't quite compare with X tons of aircraft, carrying X amount of passengers touching down at Xmph onto a possibly contaminated runway, does it?
My expertise is not in managing airports.
Believe me, I'm usually the last to defend the new owners of LGW. However, I get a little sick of the bashing the entire UK gets if there is even the slightest bit of disruption due to adverse weather. Yes. Others do cope better than us but that's because usually, others have more practice!
Join Date: Oct 2010
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However, you and I making our way cautiously to our destinations, in our Astra and 306 respectively, don't quite compare with X tons of aircraft, carrying X amount of passengers touching down at Xmph onto a possibly contaminated runway, does it?
At least you have the sense to drive a very good car that handles such conditions well and is very safe in snow and ice.
You should try it in the Sierra Nevada, it will still drive very well, even in the mountains
[QUOTE][Well, well done you! But not exactly "self cleared" roads then./QUOTE]
Yes, roads were cleared for snow (tracks for tyres), technique being needed for ice in parts.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Sussex,UK
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Don't start me waxing lyrical about my battered little 306, Joao da Silva, you'll never stop me! I live on a farm down the end of a 2 mile long lane and get great pleasure trundling past the big posh 4x4's stranded on various hills! Mind you, I tend to think that says more about their driving skills than their vehicle's capabilities.....
Safe trip to Paris and will be genuinely interested to hear how it is there.
Safe trip to Paris and will be genuinely interested to hear how it is there.
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: North, UK
Age: 67
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Joao
I am a European too and do not find that in itself amazing, however what is interesting is you feel free to snipe at Brits yet offer nothing to suggest you could any better.
I am a European too and do not find that in itself amazing, however what is interesting is you feel free to snipe at Brits yet offer nothing to suggest you could any better.
Join Date: May 2005
Location: UK
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I agree that LGW has put on a poor show, they should have been able to clear it better, although the snow was heavy at times LGW need to learn to deal with it better. I wonder how long it will take Easyjet to complain!
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult
Join Date: May 2007
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Just thinking it through a bit (just to get other views) If LGW set up a procedure that they would sweep between each movement on the runway (they would need some special equipment) it would obviously reduce the hourly and overall movements.
So which flights would be allowed to operate and which cancelled.
Which airline(s) would be at a disadvantage and which would win
In one way a total closure ensures that all airlines get treated the same and that there are not thousands of passengers stuck on site!
So which flights would be allowed to operate and which cancelled.
Which airline(s) would be at a disadvantage and which would win
In one way a total closure ensures that all airlines get treated the same and that there are not thousands of passengers stuck on site!
It was pretty heavy snow.
Numerous aircraft were running out of holdover time before making it to the runway and having to return to stand.
Ok, better airports do have de-icing areas at the holdover point, but how often do we require that facility?
SW
Numerous aircraft were running out of holdover time before making it to the runway and having to return to stand.
Ok, better airports do have de-icing areas at the holdover point, but how often do we require that facility?
SW
As someone who was on the road last night from that area I can attest to how bad it was and eventually getting up Reigate hill (A217) after 3 hours of a wait and seeing numerous cars and trucks abandoned on the top with many people walking down the hill.
On way to a meeting for Wednesday, North of Heathrow and going night before to make sure I was there, I can confirm that a little past the Leatherhead junction (and the jacknifed lorry 90 mins from Reigate to Leatherhead) there was no snow and it was 3 degrees warmer +1 V -2 in Redhill. The M25 heading clockwise was 15 miles of stationery traffic up to Reigate and probably more after that with waits of 8-9 hours.
Still little if any snow up where I am as staying here another night.
Pictures on TV showing GEX were right outside Gatwick station where points completely frozen up.
IMHO cancelling all flights was most sensible option as it stops people trying to get there, staff do not have to spend hours travelling in putting themselves and others in danger.
Gatwick management may have a financial duty to the airlines BUT they have a moral duty of care and safety to the people who work there and who travel from there and that has to come first.
On way to a meeting for Wednesday, North of Heathrow and going night before to make sure I was there, I can confirm that a little past the Leatherhead junction (and the jacknifed lorry 90 mins from Reigate to Leatherhead) there was no snow and it was 3 degrees warmer +1 V -2 in Redhill. The M25 heading clockwise was 15 miles of stationery traffic up to Reigate and probably more after that with waits of 8-9 hours.
Still little if any snow up where I am as staying here another night.
Pictures on TV showing GEX were right outside Gatwick station where points completely frozen up.
IMHO cancelling all flights was most sensible option as it stops people trying to get there, staff do not have to spend hours travelling in putting themselves and others in danger.
Gatwick management may have a financial duty to the airlines BUT they have a moral duty of care and safety to the people who work there and who travel from there and that has to come first.
Join Date: Sep 2009
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I really wish that some people would stop comparing Gatwick with Heathrow. On this occassion Gatwick had much more snow than Heathrow. I admit that LGW handled the situation poorly, so on the subject of snow clearance, there doesn't seem to be much improvement since GIP took over from BAA. However, the fact that LGW only has one runway and LHR has two, clearly explains why the former will close more often than the latter during adverse weather conditions. Until Gatwick has a second runway, it is always going to suffer. If you look around the world, airports as busy as Gatwick rarely have only one runway. The problem with Gatwick only having one runway should have been addressed years ago. Snow is the least of Gatwick Airports problems. Anyway, that's a completely different topic!