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-   -   Gatwick and City Airport closed due snow (https://www.pprune.org/spectators-balcony-spotters-corner/360439-gatwick-city-airport-closed-due-snow.html)

jamier 1st Feb 2009 20:34

Gatwick and City Airport closed due snow
 
Just heard on bbc news that gatwick and london city have closed while they clear the "snow" from the runways/taxiways,

why werent they ready for this as its been forecasted all day!

OpsSix 1st Feb 2009 20:47

You've answered your own question.... forecast.... so not coming down. Now it has started to come down, they need to clear it hence the airfield closing.

TUGNBAR 1st Feb 2009 20:49

jaimer
:ugh::ugh::ugh:

Wolfman857 1st Feb 2009 20:52

Some airports like to wait for the snow to fall rather than sweep a dry uncontaminated runway !!

simfly 1st Feb 2009 20:57

bugger, they forgot to put on the under-asphalt heating and put the covers over again!

ItsAjob 1st Feb 2009 21:06

Hope they spray the runway with the correct fluid this time!

jamier 1st Feb 2009 21:32

yes im currently

:ugh::ugh::ugh:

HEATHROW DIRECTOR 2nd Feb 2009 07:38

Why "snow" with the inverted commas?? Was it not the real stuff?

Rainboe 2nd Feb 2009 08:33

I think the 'outrage' at LGW closing for snow clearance stems from 'how come other airports can stay open during snow clearance and still maintain operations?'. Wel, the reason is simple: we have hamstrung LGW, the country's second or third airport, with a single runway. The Emergency 'Runway' is not suitable for contaminated runway operations. So we have to wait for the snow to fall, close the runway and clear it. Somehow the fuzzy brained idiots have persuaded us that LGW can survive on a single runway, and they are trying to persuade us that LHR can make do with two! Even Dubai is getting six! So there is no point blaming LGW or BAA for this- you don't invest- you pay when problems happen.

We will realise what fools they are when UKplc slides below Italy, and we lose the business centre that was the City of London to Frankfurt and Paris. We have to stop this lash-up the UK has become if we want to be one of the wealthier nations. We don't seem to be able to do anything unless it is on the cheap.

HEATHROW DIRECTOR 2nd Feb 2009 08:59

<<I think the 'outrage' at LGW closing for snow clearance stems from 'how come other airports can stay open during snow clearance and still maintain operations?'.>>

I think you'll find that most of the LTMA airports were closed this morning. Heathrow has suffered dozens of cancellations, both inbound and outbound.

Having worked most of my life at Heathrow I know a little about the problems - and understand them. It's simply not feasible to have the airports operating normally in those weather conditions, given that we don't experience them that often. In my 31 years working with Heathrow traffric I saw snow on a handful of occasions and only once or twice was it serious.

I guess if we had a really bad heat wave and the tarmac started to melt there would also be "outrage"!!

befree 2nd Feb 2009 10:00

The snow shows why it is important not to put all the UKs long haul into Heathrow. We have lost routes at other airports to keep Heathrow full. More be spread out so that some service is maintained. You could then come from the US and get the train from Mancester or Birmingham. Instead we have a system were almost everything goes via LHR.

hellsbrink 2nd Feb 2009 10:19

Befree

Until there are some major upgrades to the UK rail network then that is a non-starter. How many businessmen would want to fly to Man and then spend quite a few hours on the UK's ailing rail network to get to London? It just wouldn't happen

BarbiesBoyfriend 2nd Feb 2009 10:24

This'll be that damned Global Warming at work then?

We're all doomed ah tell ye!:hmm:

Skipness One Echo 2nd Feb 2009 12:36


We have lost routes at other airports to keep Heathrow full.
Or because people wanted to go to London? Worst bleeding heart ever (!)

muckin fuddle 2nd Feb 2009 14:53


I think the 'outrage' at LGW closing for snow clearance stems from 'how come other airports can stay open during snow clearance and still maintain operations?'. Wel, the reason is simple: we have hamstrung LGW, the country's second or third airport, with a single runway. The Emergency 'Runway' is not suitable for contaminated runway operations. So we have to wait for the snow to fall, close the runway and clear it. Somehow the fuzzy brained idiots have persuaded us that LGW can survive on a single runway, and they are trying to persuade us that LHR can make do with two! Even Dubai is getting six! So there is no point blaming LGW or BAA for this- you don't invest- you pay when problems happen.

We will realise what fools they are when UKplc slides below Italy, and we lose the business centre that was the City of London to Frankfurt and Paris. We have to stop this lash-up the UK has become if we want to be one of the wealthier nations. We don't seem to be able to do anything unless it is on the cheap.



:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Bang on the button !


It's things like this that makes over 200,000 peple want to leave this ( once fantastic ) country every year !!

Musket90 2nd Feb 2009 16:01

Just to clarify, both main and standby runways at Gatwick and most, if not all, other airports are not suitable for contaminated runway operations. Gatwick's standby runway is visual operations only, shorter length than the main, achieves less capacity than the main and has limited approach and ruway lighting, so when it snows and runways become contaminated the main is closed and swept with primary taxiway routes also swept, which may include part of the standby runway as it is used as a primary taxiway when not used as a runway.

VAFFPAX 2nd Feb 2009 21:33

Rainboe, don't forget... Dubai has the space, and the man who can do what he wants in it because he OWNS the joint. This country is a hamstrung democracy.

S.


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