DURHAM TEES VALLEY AIRPORT - 5
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: DARLINGTON
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I heard a KLM Pilot who was holding at MME at FL140 why he couldnt see anything going on regarding snow clearance.
The Controller assured him things were happening!! I think a YTS was out there on a moped with a hairdryer!!
No movements again today, poor passengers!! whats left of them.
MME is a laughing stock
The Controller assured him things were happening!! I think a YTS was out there on a moped with a hairdryer!!
No movements again today, poor passengers!! whats left of them.
MME is a laughing stock
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: The Early hours.
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Looks like the 1534 operated from NCL again today!
Am i right in thinking so far this year only one flight has made it out of MME to AMS?? You would think MME would pull a finger out and get the place operating for there biggest customer!
It will be interesting to see if KLM is still as committed to MME as they were last year!
Must be so bad for the passengers to leave MME and drive up the road to NCL where the snow was pretty much as bad as MME and find NCL operating pretty much as normal!
Am i right in thinking so far this year only one flight has made it out of MME to AMS?? You would think MME would pull a finger out and get the place operating for there biggest customer!
It will be interesting to see if KLM is still as committed to MME as they were last year!
Must be so bad for the passengers to leave MME and drive up the road to NCL where the snow was pretty much as bad as MME and find NCL operating pretty much as normal!
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm involved in the snow clearing operation up the road. It takes a massive amount of man power and equipment to clear an airfield of snow, in order for aircraft operations to recommence after significant snowfall. That's before you start applying deicer to the runway, taxiways and stands which is when the real cost kicks in 
.
.
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: England
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have they all gone home!
Oh well
still closed.. maybe they have all gone home,switched the lights out and decided to give 2010 a miss as they couldnt possibly be as successful as they were in 2009?
still closed.. maybe they have all gone home,switched the lights out and decided to give 2010 a miss as they couldnt possibly be as successful as they were in 2009?
KLM copies Ryanair?
Looks like KLM have taken a leaf out of Ryanair's book.Selling tickets to Teesside but flying all passengers into Newcastle?? Good Ploy methinks.
Oh Dear what a shambles
ps B&Q selling two for one de-icers at the moment(wednesdays extra 10% off if over 65)
Oh Dear what a shambles
ps B&Q selling two for one de-icers at the moment(wednesdays extra 10% off if over 65)
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: NE ENGLAND
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Andrewcharlton
Andrew, sometimes dangerous to quote as can be very misleading, grit costs me c. £37 per Tonne (ex vat) !!. Incidentally a Tonne doesn't actually go that far when one takes into account carparks etc. Ironically grit is in short supply at the moment, hope DTV have sufficient in stock 
Not sure if this is accurate or not but on another thread they were commenting on the cost of the specialist grit / de-ice compund at around £30,000 a day to clear a fully snowbound runway with the grit osting upwards of £5,000 a ton.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Newcastle
Age: 54
Posts: 515
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I did say I wasn't sure if it was accurate. I suspect that is probably the total cost to buy, store, apply etc etc. Either way its a **** load of money. A quick google search showed me standard pavement grit was £150 + VAT a ton and I recall reading that the airport recommended was many multiples more expensive due to chemical addatives.
Anyway, my point was just wondering if they looked at arrivals and departures and thought "nah, too pricey".
Anyway, my point was just wondering if they looked at arrivals and departures and thought "nah, too pricey".
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Middle England
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You don't put grit or salt down on airside areas of airports because it has a magical capacity to damage aircraft. Instead you use specialist de-icer which costs around £1/litre, if the suppliers haven't run out.
The cynical amongst us might think that this shambolic state of affairs is a deliberate ploy to wind down the traffic at MME to the point where Peel can say that the airport is no longer sustainable and then close it and sell off the land.
I have happy memories of MME and there are a lot of good people who rely on MME for a living, sadly these hard working folk do not mean anything to the current bunch in charge of the place who are more interested in "holding court" at Yarm in the Black Bull on a Friday night than running an airport,
You know who you are !!
Lions led by Donkeys is too charitable for the lot of them,
Good luck to the MME staff you really do deserve better.
I have happy memories of MME and there are a lot of good people who rely on MME for a living, sadly these hard working folk do not mean anything to the current bunch in charge of the place who are more interested in "holding court" at Yarm in the Black Bull on a Friday night than running an airport,
You know who you are !!
Lions led by Donkeys is too charitable for the lot of them,
Good luck to the MME staff you really do deserve better.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What's the point of opening its runway for no planes???!!! I see all arrivals and departures have been cancelled for today! What a joke. This cannot have been good for MME's relationship with KLM and Eastern. How can NCL operate without problem just a few miles up the road?
The DTV management should be doing anything to keep their customers sweet not push them away. I'm beginning to think this is indeed a way of driving all custom away and beginning the long and painful winding down of the airport as a going operation.
Oh well, atleast the few pax left are getting plenty of practice going up the A1 to NCL as they'll soon get used to it on a more regular basis
The DTV management should be doing anything to keep their customers sweet not push them away. I'm beginning to think this is indeed a way of driving all custom away and beginning the long and painful winding down of the airport as a going operation.
Oh well, atleast the few pax left are getting plenty of practice going up the A1 to NCL as they'll soon get used to it on a more regular basis
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You'll never belive this!
But MME has just reopened its runway. I guess they found some spare grit stored somewhere..
But MME has just reopened its runway. I guess they found some spare grit stored somewhere..
SNOWTAM
FROM: 10/01/04 16:45 A) EGNV B) 01041645 C) 05 E) 25/28/26 F) 2/7/8 2/7/8 2/7/8 H) 9/9/9 L) TOTAL R) NO T) CLEARANCE CONTINUES SNOW CLOSED UNTIL 050600)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
IF the airport does make it open by 0600 that will be over 80 hours closed...a record?
The whole problem started on New Year's Day when ops didn't put the anti-ice mix down on the runway after doing such a good job of getting it cleared. Subsequent problem - snow falls, freezes on the runway and becomes almost impossible to remove!
The whole place is quickly becoming a joke in the aviation world and worse still, I've heard that upper management are happy that every effort has been made to get the runway clear
I just feel sorry for those ex-collegues still at MME as it must be embarrassing and frustrating working for an "airport" that can boast ZERO movements in over three days now and still counting....
More snow expected tonight - don't hold your breath if you're flying out of there tomorrow (or at the weekend!)
The whole problem started on New Year's Day when ops didn't put the anti-ice mix down on the runway after doing such a good job of getting it cleared. Subsequent problem - snow falls, freezes on the runway and becomes almost impossible to remove!
The whole place is quickly becoming a joke in the aviation world and worse still, I've heard that upper management are happy that every effort has been made to get the runway clear
I just feel sorry for those ex-collegues still at MME as it must be embarrassing and frustrating working for an "airport" that can boast ZERO movements in over three days now and still counting....
More snow expected tonight - don't hold your breath if you're flying out of there tomorrow (or at the weekend!)
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Newcastle
Age: 54
Posts: 515
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Given that the 2nd was a Saturday and I think that's the day the one (and only) train operates does that mean that the Railway Station currently has more movements chalked up this year than the Airport?
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Here, there and everywhere
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bit harsh Andrew lol...not quite although I think they have matched us with that! 
(KLM in and out on NYD)
Yes, it is a bit frustrating but let's hope we will be open tomorrow and this can all be forgotten! (Let's just hope we don't get much snow tonight...warning in force for upto 5cm)
-HD-
(KLM in and out on NYD)Yes, it is a bit frustrating but let's hope we will be open tomorrow and this can all be forgotten! (Let's just hope we don't get much snow tonight...warning in force for upto 5cm)
-HD-
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Teesside
Posts: 463
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think that this may force Peel to show their hand at last. If the press release on the continued closure blames the " wrong type of snow " then they are supporting the management and the airport is closing.
If on the other hand there is no press release and it is blamed internally on the " wrong type of management " then they are in it for the long term and heads must roll immediately.
It can't be ignored because it even made a mention on the local TV news tonight so someone has been making waves behind the scenes.
If on the other hand there is no press release and it is blamed internally on the " wrong type of management " then they are in it for the long term and heads must roll immediately.
It can't be ignored because it even made a mention on the local TV news tonight so someone has been making waves behind the scenes.
Onwards and downwards..still
Not only military flights..what about all the Flight Refuelling work with the Falcons?? they cant be very happy? Or the ILS calibration unit?? other airports will be non too happy either if they loose there ILS because of us?
Oh by the way...we are still closed...contact the guiness Book of Records someone...KLM off the NCL again....Ryanair eat your heart out..
Oh by the way...we are still closed...contact the guiness Book of Records someone...KLM off the NCL again....Ryanair eat your heart out..
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: NE ENGLAND
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Beaconinbound
Errr... is there to be a "stewards enquiry" as to why this didn't happen? Or is this simply evidence of lack of funds / deteriorating industrial relations at DTV ?
Taking this a step further, then how confident can one be with the above scenario that safety may in future be unnecessarily compromised ?
The whole problem started on New Year's Day when ops didn't put the anti-ice mix down on the runway
Taking this a step further, then how confident can one be with the above scenario that safety may in future be unnecessarily compromised ?