LHR on single runway this morning (5th Oct)?

[llondel]

Landed at LHR this morning on 27L and noticed a queue of aircraft waiting to take off on the same runway. From what I know of Heathrow, either they or we should have been using the other runway if things were normal? Or was VS020 one of the last ones in before switching runways?

[paddy_22002]

Pre 6 AM Single runway ops at LHR is not unusual. After 6 it's also not unusual to land on the T/O runway. Prior to the lifting at 6am of the night jet ban there will be quite a few aircraft in the holds and hence ATC seem to do their best to maximise the landing rate.

[llondel]

This was more like 11am than 6am.

[n90bar]

LHR

Beacuse of the windy and wet weather today around London, LHR were using 27R as the main landing runway, and 27L for departures but there was a few landed on 27L - we waited 40 mins at the holding point 27L due to arriving/departing a/c from 27L. Were u on a A340 by any chance? I might have been one of those aircraft waiting to go!

[Gonzo]

If the inbound delay reaches 20 minutes, we can land up to 6 a/c an hour on the departure runway, in an effort to equalise the delay.

[llondel]

n90bar:

Were u on a A340 by any chance?

It was a B744.

Gonzo:
Thanks for that - the PA announcement as we approached the London area made mention of 15-20 minute delays, so I assume that's what was happening. For some reason the in-flight entertainment was on all the way from pushback to arrival at the gate, so I got to see that we only did one lap waiting for a landing slot (normally the IFE is off by then so we don't get the enlightenment)

[Flightman]

Gonzo
If the inbound delay reaches 20 minutes, we can land up to 6 a/c an hour on the departure runway, in an effort to equalise the delay.

That'll be TEAM?

[Gonzo]

That'll be TEAM?

Yes, that's right.

[HeathrowAirport]

• During periods of excessive inbound delay
• Inadequate spacing on final approach which may result in a missed approach, the aircraft can be switched to the departure runway
• Propeller driven aircraft of MTOW not exceeding 5700kg (Nothing bigger than a Jet Stream 31)
• Royal/CAT D flights who may wish to land on 27L/09R due to its proximity to the Royal Suite

[Phantom99]

From where I was sitting, seemed to be 30 mins delay all afternoon at LAM

[n90bar]

LHR

We came in to hold at LAM twice yesterday and both times ATC vectored us to BIG for holding as LAM was so busy!