Originally Posted by
dkc192
As I posted upthread, the B ramp was open and running with relatively little delay for most of the evening while the A and C ramps were fully shut down.
LarryJ indicated that ramp opening/closing decisions are handled individually, so maybe the PA decided that it was acceptable to open the B ramp while UA decided it was unacceptable to open the C ramp.
IIRC UA SOP system wide is that if there is a lightning strike reported by monitoring within 10 miles of the airport, UA ramp is shut down until at least 10 minutes have passed without a strike anywhere within that radius.
Other airlines and ground handlers may (likely do) have more liberal policies. Also worth considering that many of the B departures will be to the East which was the only cardinal direction, it seems, not significantly impacted by route availability