Fog in CHC

[ozziekiwi]

Flight radar 24 very interesting ATM. CHC fogbound and have been watching an SQ A350 continually orbiting north of the city. As a matter of interest can A350 land in WLG or maybe he has to divert to Ohakea soon? My reckoning he's been orbiting for over an hour now.
Several domestic flights have returned to AKL - looks like a real shambles there.

Have seen many right hand orbits over NSN with associated contrails - amazing stuff !

Cheers

Ozziekiwi

Footnote - FYI - he's now set heading for AKL he must have been carrying a helluva lot of extra fuel

[maggot]

Soft as. I bet Malindo wouldn't have any problem getting in.

[davys747]

My best guess: Due to the forecast fog for Auckland this morning (it was PROB40), SIA297 held east coast Australian airports as alternates, hence the extended holding time due to the amount of fuel they had on board.

A number of aircraft were holding north of Nelson at high level in case they had to go to WN or back to AA. That way they didn't have to go all the way to CH and then truck all the way back up country.

CH is already fogging in again and it is forecast for AA again too.

[ozziekiwi]

My best guess: Due to the forecast fog for Auckland this morning (it was PROB40), SIA297 held east coast Australian airports as alternates, hence the extended holding time due to the amount of fuel they had on board.

A number of aircraft were holding north of Nelson at high level in case they had to go to WN or back to AA. That way they didn't have to go all the way to CH and then truck all the way back up country.

CH is already fogging in again and it is forecast for AA again too.

Actually 2 or 3 NZ flights AKLCHC were in the holding pattern at OD (Woodend) for some time before high tailing it back to AKL.

Later this afternoon ZK-OKI did an AKLCHC return, no doubt to clear some of the backlog.

Be interesting to see what tomorrow brings. This morning was quite an awesome sight above NSN with all the
contrails.

Ozziekiwi

[Ollie Onion]

NZ drives me nuts, on average 44 days per year are disrupted at NZCH with Fog which costs millions for the airlines and passengers. Back in 2017 there was this article in which the owners of NZCH are quoted as saying a full CATIII system would cost $14 million to install. Well that seems cheap to me, they must spend that at the drop of a hat when it means they can add car parks or shops or hotels? Spend some money where it is important for god sake.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/93636840/fighting-fog-delays-at-our-airports

[clark y]

https://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/en/about-us/corporate-information/facts-and-figures/

At $14m, it seems to me the airport could pay for it easily within one years budget but chooses not to.

[Slippery_Pete]

Of course they won’t pay for it.

Why pay $14m for something that only saves money for the airlines?

If there’s delays and cancellations they just make more money from shops and car parks.

[neville_nobody]

Therein lies the problem of privatised monopoly airports. They actually have zero commercial incentive to provide an aviation service.

A similar problem evolved in Sydney a while ago where the airport were embarrassed into to actually spending money on building a CAT II ILS after a particularly bad fog season.

[puff]

Found $80 million to spend on a hotel at the airport which is now nearing on 2 years late!

[maggot]

Therein lies the problem of privatised monopoly airports. They actually have zero commercial incentive to provide an aviation service.

A similar problem evolved in Sydney a while ago where the airport were embarrassed into to actually spending money on building a CAT II ILS after a particularly bad fog season.
Strange how they just seemed to pop up all over the country (well, kinda) over a short span of time after a few incidents..

[Chris2303]

Perhaps a cat IIIa ILS would be installed if SQ and CX told CHC airport that they weren't going there any more.

[Ollie Onion]

Yes, I have never understood the, only thee Airlines benefit from a CATIII, surely the more infrastructure you can offer potential airline customers the more attractive a destination it would be.