Stansted Airport hole in Runway...
 

"Just diverted to BHX from BFS STN shut as an aircraft on runway sunk into ground"

Reports of a loud bang heard. Lots of people talking about it on twitter.


A2471/14 - RWY 04/22 CLSD DUE SURFACE BREAKOUT. 25 JUL 21:33 2014 UNTIL 25 JUL 23:30 2014 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 25 JUL 21:47 2014

Open again at the moment pending further landings and inspections...

A large hole has been found on the runway, hence the reason flights are diverting to other airports.

Runway
 

Landing now.

Three Ryanair and one easy to BHX, Qatar freighter to Heathrow and Jet2 freighter to East Mids were amongst the diverts.

Pete

Several Ryanair's diverted to Luton and Gatwick as well plus another Ryanair to East Midlands. One EasyJet went to Southend.

Inaugural Germanwings up to thrice daily DUS-STN service flown this AM with CRJ900....Interestingly this service/City has a DLH code too,nice to see the DLH designator back in the screens @ STN...

Operating with a German Wings callsign though

With that way of thinking, you will soon be without DUS flights from STN. Germanwings/Lufthansa is not interested in DUS-STN as a route, they are interested in driving Etihad Regional out of business. Once they have achieved that, they will pull out (or prices will go up significantly). Around 2000, Lufthansa had a sizeable presence at STN as part of a (failed) strategy to react to Ryanair and easyjet (flights from FRA, HAM, CGN, MUC, some operated by bmi and flightline). Needless to say, they stopped STN after a rather short while.

I saw it as a backup move for when FR start CGN and 4U have to pull or reduce their flights. I think they'll slaughter Etihad on DUS. They're very popular with all the German expats in London.

I think you'll find the difference between Lufthansa and Germanwings is that Germanwings are an already established STN resident, so comparing them to the efforts of LH back in the day @ STN is somewhat unfair. However I have no doubt that they are trying (and will succeed) in seeing Darwin/Etihad off the route. It's just a shame we've said goodbye to AB.

I'm assuming the LH flight number allows for connections @ DUS?

re: Stansted airport website schedule
 

I see it's still not updated - slots should be finalised with ACL pretty soon which is when a confirmed schedule is released. At the moment it's still open to 'handbacks'.

How often is 04 used? Been looking around, but can't seem to find any exact number.

To my knowledge its about 35% of the time.

Thanks for that. On of the he STN departure flight path tends to go over my house at about 7000ft and I was trying to work it out.

STANSTED - 2
 

04 is used whenever the wind direction dictates it to be used. Just like any runway?

Some airports like Heathrow have a "westerly preference", Manchester has a preference to 23L/R where even if there is an easterly wind but it's less than 5 knots they'll still use the preferential runway(s).


I think Birmingham has a preference to 33 as well. Don't know in any of you have ever heard BHX ATIS message: "Preferential use of runway 33 is in operation. Landing aircraft requiring runway 15 must state that it is for operational reasons", often when it's a light south/easterly breeze (it avoids landing a/c flying over Birmingham for 15 when the wind is only fairly light).


As far as I am aware Stansted doesn't have a preference to runway 22 (albeit it is used 65% of the time due to prevailing wind direction). If the wind is to go generally easterly regardless of strength, they'll generally switch to 04. Or they tend to keep it on 04 unless the wind starts to favour 22, where as some airports like Manchester will switch back to 23L/R really as soon as they can for preferential reasons.

Stansted preferential runway is 22 and will be used up to a tail wind of 5 knots.

They were using 04 today so I presume tailwind was beyond that 5knot limit?

EZY looking pretty cr*p again at STN for next summer.


Only one more route dropped (Sofia). Maximum 7 aircraft it seems at the moment (one less than this year). Suppose I should be grateful?

FRatSTN
 

Why should you be grateful ?