Snow cancelations Heathrow
 

I am sitting in BCN at the moment due to return to LHR on Tuesday 15th on BA0485 13.15.

I have been reading a lot of speculation with regard to weather cancellations anyone with up to date info it would be appreciated.


I am the worlds unluckiest with snow as got stuck at LHR until 04.30 then off loaded until next day last year and lost a couple of days of holiday.


I am getting that feeling of dejavu!

Weather forecast for LHR tomorrow looks OK with the odd sleet shower expected so you'd be very unlucky if your flight was cancelled.

What a joke, a few cm's of snow and the worlds busiest international airport comes to a grinding halt.

I sometimes think we are a third world country, maybe we are, if so we should be asking for aid to ensure we can keep Heathrow open.;)

Except that it hasn't. But hey, don't let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Obviousy my winking smiley face wasn't enough to show the ultimate irony of the post.

Doh! Promise to try harder next time:O

I am far from being a BAA supporter, but I do have a little sympathy for them when it snows.
Because LHR is basically working at close to capacity, anything that reduces the number of aircraft movements [eg using a snow-plough] is bound to impact on flight schedules.
That is not to say that LHR should not have the right kit in place for when the weather turns chilly [!] but obviously whilst a runway is being swept, it cannot be operational.

On Iberia metal down to madrid tomorrow evening - what do you guys think the odds are of clear taxi ways and runways at LHR then.....!!!!:uhoh:

Get the LHR hotel booked now....:}

2013/01/17 18:18
TAF EGLL 171706Z 1718/1824 10004KT 9999 SCT040 PROB30
TEMPO 1718/1722 8000
BECMG 1807/1810 4000 -SN BKN005 PROB40
TEMPO 1810/1818 1000 SN BKN002

Should be OK. Forecasting 3-4cm between 1000 Fri & 0800 Sat with low risk of more than that.

Trick is, Mother Nature will decide where she wants to dump the snow and how long she wants to snow for. If the front stalls to the West, then just sleet &/or freezing fog. If it stalls overhead EGLL then it'll be more.

To be fair to BAA, you can't be certain how much snow there'll be and if airlines don't plan properly (de-icing, cancellations due reduced capacity etc) then it'll go bad very quickly.

Let's hope they've got a good plan (& good people to execute it).

How did it go ?

17:40 IB3171 MADRID CANCELLED Terminal five

18:40 IB3167 MADRID CANCELLED Terminal five
18:40 IB3177 MADRID DELAYED 19:54 Terminal

20:15 IB3173 MADRID DELAYED 21:00 Terminal five

Afternoon and evening MAN - LHR s were cancelled.

Ioniser
And they wonder why we do not use LHR, your post says it all , London airport and London airways.:ugh:

Cancelations were made in advance as we all knew the snow was coming therefore slot capacity reduced.. BETTER to cancel the flights in advance to minimise people traveling to the airport...

That being said LHR stayed open all day.. And kept the operation running even if reduced..

Flight cancelations WILL happen in bad weather.. That is just what comes to expect in this industry. LHR is not an individual here.

Well done LHR for staying open today! Unfortunately, those who are always quick to judge LHR for closing for a mm of snow are not here to comment today, Not here or over at the blue side.So ill say it..

Well done LHR.

@kazzie
 

Your comments make no sense whatsoever. LHR practically shutdown. Have a look at the amount of cancellations. An airport is not deemed "open" if flights such as the huge number of long and short haul that had to be cancelled. Would you go into to your local and ask for a pint only to receive a half and accept it along with paying for a full one? A small drop of snow and its chaos is a zero excuse.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not customary for aircraft to land or takeoff if it involves leapfrogging over snowploughs on the runway.

Ergo it follows that if the runways (and exits, and taxiways, and stands) have to be cleared of snow (and it was snowing pretty well continuously yesterday) then capacity will be reduced while snow clearance is taking place, plus of course the effect that poor visibility has on the movement rate even after the runways have been periodically cleared.

I can't think of any airport that encounters snow to which the above doesn't also apply to a greater or lesser degree. To expect continuously falling snow not to affect an airport's operations is completely unrealistic.

No it didn't 400 flights were cancelled out of about 1300 - so it was more open than closed!

When you think about it snow will not disappear by itself. Depending on the severity of it will depend on how long runways will be closed for. The other factor is visibility. Regardless of technology if it's snowing hard visibility will be reduced and the aircraft will divert. Any carrier will have its hands tied during inclement weather and the detail will be in the planning.

Having said that BA operations have to make the appropriate choice of which flights will go and which will won't. As kazzie says the airport stayed open all day which allowed some movements. Those that arrived and departed were lucky, but there is no guarantee on any flight movements be it short or long haul during bad weather.

Airlines are in the business of making money and not refunding it and BA will do all they can to move passengers to their destination.

To be fair to the airport (because it happens at them all in the UK) you can invest in all the equipment you like for intensive snow clearing ops, but if the snow continues to fall & fills in the area just cleared behind the snow crews, there isn't much you can do...other than keep going & do it again!

And - as much as I hate to say it - it really is the wrong type of snow! Much wetter & heavier than the drier, powdery stuff you get on the continent. Therefore longer & harder to clear, having to get rid of the slush as well as the snow on top.

Just my 2cm-worth! :}

Sky News reporting that if a "plane" has been deiced it has to fly within twenty minutes.

Oh really?

Almost every large airport will have a ontingency plan during adverse weather such as fog, snow and weather etc.

The plan is that airlines will have to cut X% of their movements between a said time in advance.

This would take into consideration the reduction in the flow of departing/arriving aircraft and any other factors.

This will ensure the safe operation of aircraft around the airfield based on the conditions. And in the case of snow it would provide the opportunity for snow clearing vehicles to operate during ground movements.

It is a case of damage limitation i'm affraid and we all seen the complaints when an airport closes especially the larger ones. The airports did not close however some flight disruption is always going to happen during these conditions especially when the airport is almost running at capacity.