Closed airspace
 

This morning about 0300 we were inbound to EMA form Germany and another of our A/C was inbound to LTN. We were kept a bit higher than normal but the LTN flight had to route via Detling instead of Abbot because of non available airspace.

Just wondering why the airspace in the Stansted area was closed?
Sorry I havn't looked at a chart to see which sector it would have been.

Don't know but staff shortage wouldn't surprise me.

The abbot 1E routes via det, and I have seen it used occasionally on nightshifts when tc east is closed, normally due to staff sickness at late notice.

yep - staff shortage...............

Staff shortage, interesting.
Surely "managers' would ring staff who are on leave, or on days off and get them to come in, to cover for the unexpected sickness?
Surely the recently departed 'Human Resources Director' (who was appointed in 1990 to set up a 'HR planning function'), should be contacted to explain the the lack of suitably qualified personnel.
Surely the current 'Human Resources Director' should be summoned to HQ to receive a class alpha b*llocking, due to the lack of suitably qualified personnel?
"Failure is not an option".
- Eugene Kranz.

<<Surely "managers' would ring staff who are on leave, or on days off and get them to come in, to cover for the unexpected sickness? >>

"Get them"? And if they refuse, as they are fully entitled to do? On principle I never worked any extra duties in my career and I'm utterly against the practice. The place should be properly manned, but staff shortages are a day-to-day occurrence in NATS.

Trying to get people to cover night shifts can be difficult due SRATCOH limitations.If people won't come in,or can't then you're stuck,no matter how much £££ are available with AVAAs.
Zooker,
Gene Kranz never actually said those words.In the film Apollo 13 the actor said it,but the real Captain Savage liked the catchphrase so much he named his Autobiography ''Failure is not an option''.:)

It is quite common for airspace to be closed at night due to sickness. In theory the closure is notam'd, although I know of several occassions where this was not done. On each occassion this was to cover up failings in the process to arrange cover. I understand it is a contravention of the licence if nats can't provide the service which it is supposed to, the odd time is no doubt understandable but it is becoming much more commonplace. It is possible to keep closures like this one hidden from everyone outside the atc operation including srg and the caa, which is why sometimes it isn't notam'd.

It will be interesting when the new Network Manager (in Europe) starts monitoring things like this. The the licence conditions may be the least of the worries for NATS and the CAA!

Prior to PPP and the liberalization/modernization* of ATC, I had never, ever heard of UK Airspace sectors being "closed".

*Delete whichever management-bull**** term is applicable.

Not sure why he couldn't have flown the standard route and be descended just before the boundary to get below the unavailable sector-assuming it was an AC sector that was closed.

Depending on the validation combination on the nights it sometimes only needs one person to be sick to cause an issue. It is also one of the consequences of keeping a 2 person operation as recommended after the Uberlingen tragedy.

Bren, Hear Hear!!:D:D

But I do recall 20 years ago when Hank was our Watch Manager and we were short on a night, that he rang and offered the earth to G****m F****** ( who was on AL)to come in - not sure which casino he found him in!

250kts, think it was TC East that shut, not CLN.