Flights inbound to LHR

[Arfur Dent]

Apparently there were 205 flights into LHR today. Where were they coming from? How many people disembarked? Were they checked for CV19? Were they freight flights (like the recent BA round trip to China)?
I believe 10 of these flights came from JFK.
What is going on?

[Flying Clog]

Nothing. Nothing is going on. No one is being checked on arrival.

[DaveReidUK]

Apparently there were 205 flights into LHR today.

No, there weren't.

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

Passenger traffic is almost non existent, really. A fair few flights are operating, stuffed with cargo.
But passenger traffic has collapsed. One BA long haul flight to the US last week had one single passenger.

[atakacs]

Apparently there were 205 flights into LHR today. Where were they coming from? How many people disembarked? Were they checked for CV19? Were they freight flights (like the recent BA round trip to China)?
I believe 10 of these flights came from JFK.
What is going on?
Where did you get those figures?

There are only a few passenger flights and they are almost empty. That being said some sort of check for those people disembarking would be in order, although I'd wager that there is not much that could be done short of mandatory quarantine.

[Arfur Dent]

Actually, just checked on the Heathrow arrivals site for today and there are nearly 100 inbound and that’s just up to 1300 approx. How many do you think there are then?

[wiggy]

Actually, just checked on the Heathrow arrivals site for today and there are nearly 100 inbound and that’s just up to 1300 approx. How many do you think there are then?

Forgive me for asking but are you amalgamating the codeshares before coming up with that total..?

For example there are 5 arrivals due from Aberdeen all at 1235 local....:bored:

[DaveReidUK]

Actually, just checked on the Heathrow arrivals site for today and there are nearly 100 inbound and that’s just up to 1300 approx. How many do you think there are then?

Actually, there aren't.

If you look at the Heathrow arrivals or departures due on any given day, you will see many instances of multiple flight numbers with an identical arrival/departure time and the same origin/destination. The 166 arrivals currently showing for the remainder of today translate into fewer than 50 actual flights.

Google "codeshare" and you'll understand what that's all about.

It's been three weeks now since Heathrow saw as many as 100 arrivals in a day, let alone your figure of 205; yesterday's total was just 86 landings for the 24 hours.

Edit: Wiggy beat me to it while I was crunching some numbers :O

[Kiltrash]

Any flights with passengers are repatriation flights, and I assume they are not being checked at point of entry. Are these aircraft then taken out of use and deep cleaned?

[DaveReidUK]

Any flights with passengers are repatriation flights, and I assume they are not being checked at point of entry. Are these aircraft then taken out of use and deep cleaned?

I'm not sure I'd class the continuing flights between LHR and Scotland or the Isle of Man as "repatriation".

[Kit Sanbumps KG]

Attractive as it feels to be outraged at the absence of inbound screening, the science doesn’t support it as an effective prophylactic.

Yes, aircraft are being disinfected.

[Arfur Dent]

Thanks. “Codeshare” explains a lot. Looks like incoming pax will be quarantined from now on though.

[happybiker]

I'm not sure I'd class the continuing flights between LHR and Scotland or the Isle of Man as "repatriation".

The flights to Scotland could be for the repatriation of the SNP MPs.

[Landflap]

KG; Doesn't feel attractive to be outraged at all. Other sentiments are fare more attractive. However, we do need some clarification. QR operating throughout the world as though there was no pandemic & regularly in & out of LHR. Iran Air in & out as though there was no tomorrow. I mean, Iran, really ?

It does , however, feel attractive to suggest that there is more to this than we are told. Any allusion, though, is swiftly taken down. Look out, here come the conspiracy loons. I am tending, in lock-down, to move towards some of these theories when I see LHR allowing people to breeze in and out without a sneeze ( pardon the pun).

Dear mate of mine alluded to Governments not telling all in a letter, published in the DM. It was printed but heavily edited to remove the allusion. It was then followed by two lengthy articles in the same newspaper on the same subject . A meek suggestion by the UK Health Authority is that since Britain is in a high stage of infection in vast numbers, screen testing of LHR arrivals would have little or no effect. Blimey ! Repatriation flights (from Iran ?) . QR operating repatriation flights from Doha (really ?). And we were originally told that incubation was three weeks in asymptomatic carriers who would have no idea that they were infecting three other bods, each , in close proximity ! "Little or no effect " -eh ?

Arfur Dent is right to show concern. Those of us swaying towards other theories will be taken down or even go missing. Please, don't tell me I need to get out more !

[DaveReidUK]

The flights to Scotland could be for the repatriation of the SNP MPs.

Or bringing back English second home owners. :O

[homonculus]

We should have closed the borders many months ago but the UK Government did too little too late and played with 'herd immunity' ie doing nothing. Imperial College provided their calculations on 1 March suggesting unacceptable levels of death. Ignored. Represented about 21st March when there was a hasty volte face and a lock down. By the time we had got to that stage the number of infected people in the UK was already at its peak and closing the borders would have only reduced it by a fraction of 1%.....so they didnt. In addition the modelling of how many people would lock down (school attendances, number going out to work, transportation) massively underestimated compliance and with it the number of passengers inbound was less than expected

When the lockdown is eased there will need to be a much smaller pool of infected people and the 'hope' is that track and trace will keep R0 below 1 so it will continue to fall. People will die but it is a a balance between the economy and acts that cause death - not a decision I would want to have to make. At that stage any given influx of passengers has a greater effect. In addition track and trace only works if you can trace so if significant foreigners come in who have no fixed abode or dont speak english or dont use the app the house of cards falls.

It seems the exhortations of a number of people is now being heard and the UK Government will restrict and or control passengers from abroad at that time, bringing them in line with almost all other first world countries. New Zealand is the best model - several industrialists led the politicians, closed down early, total closure of borders (except permanent residents who are quarantined), track and trace so that the country is expected to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 within a month. It will then be able to remove all restrictions but will keep the borders closed until there is a vaccine.

[wiggy]

We should have closed the borders many months ago.

That's easy given hindsight is 20/20 but given we are still only in April when did you think circumstances objectively demonstrated the need close the UK Borders?

Singapore, a country not exactly unaccustomed to handling these type of outbreaks, was letting people in with just the standard walk through temperature check as late as the first week in February...Looking at where I've been this year working and the various hoops I've had to jump through as this has escalated I'm not sure many places really started going What The * until mid Feb/early March...

But yes, HMGs response has been somewhat tardy...

[ATNotts]

That's easy given hindsight is 20/20 but given we are still only in April when did you think circumstances objectively demonstrated the need close the UK Borders?

Singapore, a country not exactly unaccustomed to handling these type of outbreaks, was letting people in with just the standard walk through temperature check as late as the first week in February...Looking at where I've been this year working and the various hoops I've had to jump through as this has escalated I'm not sure many places really started going What The * until mid Feb/early March...

But yes, HMGs response has been somewhat tardy...

I would have said at latest 23rd March at midnight. The date of the start of the UK lockdown.

[renfrew]

I think Qatar Airways have done us a favour by returning vast numbers of UK citizens from Australia,New Zealand and elsewhere.

[G-ARZG]

Heathrow website shows just 15 more arrivals for the rest of the day. Doesn't show 'pure freighters' obviously.

[SloppyJoe]

I expect quite a few of the arrivals are passenger aircraft carrying cargo but no people other than flight deck crew. They will show up as passenger flights as will be using the passenger call signs, it is simpler to do this rather than going through the overflight approval process etc for a new cargo callsign.

[Flying Clog]

Indeed, lots of airlines are using the regular call signs, but operating as purely freighters using passenger jets, with cargo in the belly and some have approval to load cargo on the seats too. Loading cargo on economy seats is a hugely time consuming process taking 5-6 hours to unload/offload though. As opposed to the usual 1-2 hour cargo and/or passenger turns. But worth it I guess.

[3db]

I do think we are being kept in the dark over some aspects of the flights. Last week my wife was on a repatriation flight from Terminal 2 LHR. Destination board showed one airport only for that flight as destination. Wife advises A/C full (320ish SLF). Over Germany SLF were advised of new destination. New destination was same Country but around 150miles away. In flight, FR24 suddenly showed 2 forward flight paths for the same aircraft - never seen that before. As soon as the flight landed (during roll out) it vanished from FR24. Doesn't exist if you search for it. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to the Governments concerned for arranging the flight, but it would seem to me we are not being told everything. On arrival, all SLF were placed in 2 weeks quarantine, but I hope my wife can get out tomorrow after 1 week, due to the serious situation with her family.

[DaveReidUK]

I do think we are being kept in the dark over some aspects of the flights. Last week my wife was on a repatriation flight from Terminal 2 LHR. Destination board showed one airport only for that flight as destination. Wife advises A/C full (320ish SLF). Over Germany SLF were advised of new destination. New destination was same Country but around 150miles away. In flight, FR24 suddenly showed 2 forward flight paths for the same aircraft - never seen that before. As soon as the flight landed (during roll out) it vanished from FR24. Doesn't exist if you search for it.

Everyone loves a good conspiracy theory, and it's not unknown for flights to be missing from FR24.

But assuming you're referring to Lufthansa/Eurowings flights from LHR to FRA and DUS, every one that has operated in the last 10 days is clearly visible on FR24 landing at its intended destination.

What was the date and flight number of your wife's phantom flight ?

[nivsy]

Attractive as it feels to be outraged at the absence of inbound screening, the science doesn’t support it as an effective prophylactic.

Yes, aircraft are being disinfected.
Funny how "the science" does not support it" according to HMG yet say in Australia it's been implemented and rather successfully so. Oh western Australia is now opening up and has recorded very few deaths. Again UK seemed to lag behind.

[DaveReidUK]

Funny how "the science" does not support it" according to HMG yet say in Australia it's been implemented and rather successfully so.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc) ?

[3db]

I wouldn't say conspiracy, just some information is being withheld. I don’t want to make the airline/flight public in case some “rule bending” is taking place that would make it more difficult in future for other SLF on similar routes. PM me if you want fuller details, which I will give in confidence. Also, I was following it on FR24 and it was present – just vanished on landing which is strange.

[Anti Skid On]

In NZ everyone arriving into quarantine for 2 weeks, no exceptions; total deaths under 20, lowest person to person transmission rate. I read in the UK press there are still 10000 inbound arrivals per week and no checking. What a mess, but no point locking the stable door now, the horses have well and truly bolted. The UK is reporting 20000 deaths, but that is only the hospital deaths. If we had done that n NZ we'd be on 3. The majority were in nursing homes, and int the UK there have been around 14000 not recorded. I predict the figure will be more like 100000.

BTW, daily repatriation flights to the UK started last Friday, so 200 per day inbound for 10 days, operated by CX

[goeasy]

I wouldn't say conspiracy, just some information is being withheld. I don’t want to make the airline/flight public in case some “rule bending” is taking place that would make it more difficult in future for other SLF on similar routes. PM me if you want fuller details, which I will give in confidence. Also, I was following it on FR24 and it was present – just vanished on landing which is strange.

not strange at all. That usually just means it had dropped below the coverage of the FR24 receiver that was forwarding its position. Especially at odd hours a lot of FR24 receivers are disconnected or off. I have seen this phenomenon many many times.

[wiggy]

Also, I was following it on FR24 and it was present – just vanished on landing which is strange.

Contrary to popular belief apps such as Flightradar aren't all seeing, all knowing...

As goeasy says flights suddenly disappearing is not strange at all.....app coverage, especially at low altitude depends on the availability of local receiver coverage. For example we don't have many spotters in our part of the world so as a result at our locali'sh provincial airport it is quite a common to see a flight disappear off Flight radar as it descends through maybe 500-1000 feet and goes below the radio "horizon" of whoever the local spotter is who has their receiver switched on and connected that day.

In flight, FR24 suddenly showed 2 forward flight paths for the same aircraft - never seen that before.

For reasons that I think some have explained previously, on this thread or elsewhere, FR24s and some other tracking apps destination info and route depiction can be highly unreliable at the moment...nothing sinister, no conspiracy, just a consequence of the way some of the apps use historical info get some of their information and the fact that due to the disruption flights are not necessarily following their habitual routes.

[DaveReidUK]

I wouldn't say conspiracy, just some information is being withheld. I don’t want to make the airline/flight public in case some “rule bending” is taking place that would make it more difficult in future for other SLF on similar routes. PM me if you want fuller details, which I will give in confidence. Also, I was following it on FR24 and it was present – just vanished on landing which is strange.

PM sent. Happy to share my findings with you.