Closed by 17.00 then......

It's snowing:{ but not very hard:)

Ryan Air
 

From their website - Luton Airport has closed for the day and all flights are cancelled. Perhaps they have an insight into the weather !!!!!

The Luton Airport website says that all remaining Ryanairs for the day are cancelled but there are other flights still showing.

The ATIS is reporting the runway wet/wet/wet and the RFFS has reduced. They are accepting acft up to Cat 7.


I've emailed someone.

They should be brought to book for telling lies, but that is not the first time nor it will it be the last time they tell porkies!

Same conversations year after year. Luton is on a hill, when it snows, Luton closes.

As Mr Bust said "we are never going to be totally prepared for snow".

It does not make economic sense. Dozens of snow ploughs to keep an airport open only for the employees and passengers to be held up due to the poor roads and failing public infrastuctue.

Mr Bust was that 27 degrees F?

Buster
 

Well what can I say from observations here in TFS
GCTS 182300Z 29012KT 9999 FEW040 SCT060 21/13 Q1015 NOSIG
Observed: Fri, Dec 18, 2009 @ 23:00 UTC(Z) (16 Minutes ago)
Wifie prefers it to working at Whipsnade.

Going back a few years Reed Aviation were the only company that offered de-icing of aircraft at Luton. Easyjet got priority together with Monarch, as they were handled by them anyway. Next came the airlines that used Servisair and the exec jets were the last in the pecking order.

In this particular year Reeds often only had one serviceable rig, which had already caused problems in the previous weeks and then the snow came followed by the ice. The runway took the normal half day to be cleared but then the one and only rig could only de-ice around 2 or 3 aircraft an hour. It wasn’t long before delays of hours were taking place as the queue of aircraft got longer and longer. Easyjet blamed Reeds yet I raised this very issue at a consultative meeting weeks before with airport management but was told that de-icing was the responsibility of the airlines.

Anyway after that Easyjet bought the de-icing of aircraft in- house thus freeing up capacity for other airport users.

Monarch on short finals and was told to go around. Airport now closed indefinitely due to heavy snow shower

Seems to have landed at 0245. The airport seems to be operating normally this morning.

Every Cloud
 

Looks like a special TUI Belgium charter from Brussels due in at any moment - probably bringing Eurostar passengers? Every cloud etc.

It's snowing like the clappers outside and the airport is closed again

Due in tomorrow at 06.20 to operate a 07.20 flt out. Ummm me wonders if its a morning in the crew room.
Only live in Dunstable and have not seen the Snow ease since it started around 16.00, even heavier now at 19.35.

Snowing Like The Clappers
 

My father told me that the Clappers were a family of runners - nobody could run like the Clappers! (Round the Horne 1967). I see that the South of England has closed for the night - what a country!

All easyJet operations for the rest of the evening from all London airports are cancelled...

Andrew McConnell from easyJet was on 3CR earlier and stated that he had been warned by LTN they were expecting further snow around 8am tomorrow and for the airline to prepare for further disruption then...

There are a number of diversions to EMA, BHX and LPL... Manchester is not accepting no more diversions as their is no room at the inn! Looks like the next 24hrs is going to be chaos for travellers!

Has EZY got all it's LTN based A/C's back in LTN this afternoon and canx the rest of the day's operation to ensure A/C available tomorrow morning?
Hows it looking at the airport now?

It's stopped snowing for the moment but is due to start again soon as the weather turns around and moves south.

Airport officially shut to at least 22.30 which means the early hours.

No road access to the airport which is having an effect on the M1

This the the M1 from live traffic cameras at the airport turn off taken at 21.05

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8724/52490.jpg

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3107/52495.jpg

Its just taken me 3 hours to drive home from Heathrow, left at 4pm, got home at 7pm.

The approaches to Luton were gridlocked, it was queued for over mile on the approach to Junc 10 and the same at Junc 11. Its not just the airport that stops operating, the whole town does.

And to think I was sitting round the pool yesterday. where's the plane back again!!

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9933/52481.jpg


M1 Northbound at 21.18. The exit to the the airport can been seen in the distance.

Traffic England - Motorway Traffic Flow

BBC news24 are showing live reports from a bridge over Airport Way at Capability Green. Guess they were trying to get to the airport and gave up.

Airport now closed to 00:30