YOWgary

It's possible "the government" issued a directive to those staff reading "please screw over the passengers, we hate them". I can't prove that didn't happen.

...or, as an alternate possibility, rather than "ditching their posts", the humans working those positions were hours into overtime, can't be compelled to work 20-hour shifts, and those desks dropped down to their usual staffing levels for YVR international arrivals at four in the morning.

Always remember that while organizations should absolutely do their best to prepare for, and react to, unusual situations like this one, at the end of the day there are still human beings standing at the desk, driving the plows and moving the luggage.


I've been flying through that airport every winter for thirty years now, and last night's weather conditions were just about the worst I've ever seen at YVR.

...but at the very least, opening the door of the aircraft in that situation would have earned you the opportunity to test your theory that convicted criminals have better lives than people delayed on an airliner.

Changeup2000

SQ48 arrived a few hours earlier and appeared to head to the gates. So I suspect this is not the case.

yulred

YVR is a 24 hour airport. Exceptionally unlikely that they don’t have 24h customs.

SQ getting straight in doesn’t surprise me. They’re very protective of their “brand”, and I believe they pay a premium for preferential treatment at some airports. Not sure if YVR is one of them.

Also, isn’t it the airline that assigns gates? Granted, with a groundstop, that’s meaningless.

I know a few folk who got into YVR yesterday night. By all accounts, it was a mess. Apparently 121 had bag unloading issues and some folk left the airport long after midnight.

Changeup2000

Not sure if there is any AC flight leaving YVR anytime soon. Most are cancelled, with a few not cancelled being codeshares.

No domestic inbound flight airborne now. I believe other than possibly the Connor and the Turkish flights, all other inbound flights are transpacific ones.

Sopwith

I'm 3 nm south of YVR. Over a foot of snow fell here overnight. So much for forecasts.

YOWgary

Couple of domestic cargo flights as well, plus two MEX and a LHR, but yeah that looks to be it at the moment.

Interesting that TPACs are still taking off for YVR, I guess on the assumption that 10 hours from now when those flights arrive, conditions will have improved.

On the other hand, some inbound TPACS (like AC34 + 38) are cancelled simply because the outbound aircraft never left YVR last night.

Jebby_ca

YVR received 25cm of snow in a matter of hours...

Changeup2000

Just to correct myself. The inbound FRA flight should be by Eurowing Discovery. And as you said, AC861. I guess these three flights will arrive enough late in the afternoon so YVR may return to some sort of normalcy then.

It appears flights still touch down normally. It may just a lot of gates are inoperable and/or occupied that is the constraint now.

secretalcoholic

couple of domestic westjets showing delays instead of cancellation, wonder if it’ll eventually cancel or they’re hoping situation gets better. Environment canada saying 10-15cm between now and 4:08pm.

so glad I’m not flying today.

isaacchambers

The point is when does life and safety to the passengers outweigh the right of the airline and authorities management? This was an emergency with no food or water delivered.....taxi the aircraft behind another....shovel....get something to get these passengers into the warmth of the terminal and on thier way.....police, CBSA, AC and YVR should have made this a priority....they didnt. What if that aircraft didnt have enough fuel to run the APU all night? There was clearly no food on board or sufficient water....diabetic emergency?

The will of people to come together in adversity to think differently to get people to safety was what it lacked....all levels just didnt care it seems......or did the OT bill suddenly become an issue over passenger lives?

5cm or 25 cm of snow.....you will have options .... if you have the mindset that you actually care....clearly all levels at YVR didnt....thats the shame here.

YOWgary

Have you identified specific flights where passengers' lives or safety were endangered last night? Were there situations where passengers were freezing on aircraft with no heat? Were there diabetic passengers who encountered blood-sugar issues because they were denied access to food?

Have you identified specific ways in which "police, CBSA, AC and YVR" decided not to "make this a priority" last night?

Have you identified that the cause of the delays was "the right of airline and authorities management", as opposed to physical limitations on staff, and the safe working conditions for the people who actually have to move the planes?

Come to think of it, what do you even mean by "the right of airline and authorities management"? Please be specific.

Your posts seem to have a consistent theme of assumption that aircraft moved slowly last night because fat men in suits were busy lighting cigars with hundred-dollar bills, and not because ground-level workers had to move literal mountains of ice out of the way, in working conditions completely unusual to the venue, in order to get those planes moved.

TL;DR - from where in the world do you get the idea that this was all easy, and everyone working at YVR just ignored it?

Short hair Francis

Between you and Nitehawk, there will be plenty of stories from last night to share.
Conditions were terrible last night, easily 1 inch an hour territory.

Double Confirm on the 25cm/9.85 inches at the official reader

First of all, if anyone was for blame last night, go blame Environment Canada for missing the mark.
Everywhere except YVR, Gulf Islands, Victoria, East Vancouver, Fraser Valley, even NOAA North Cascades all got Winter Storm warnings,
YVR only got a snowfall warning.

Second of all, this country DOES give Convicted Felon better treatment than invest in things for Taxpayers
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canad...es/ar-AA15t6a0

Even if they had airstairs and a bus lying somewhere last night, whos going to risk their job a passenger isn't going to slip while walking down at 1in/3cm an hour snow rate?
Just as you have to stop ramp operations during a t-storm, same idea.

Now you are welcome to try the slide and see if AC comes after you for the 20K CAD to reinstall the bloody thing afterwards.
Because at least you will have no rights to sue anyone at that point.

And the 20K doesn't apply towards your SQD

Bohemian1

Wow! For once I had less snow than YVR airport. Only 22cm new overnight here on the hill.

But no matter what anyone says, that's a lot of snow for YVR. I suspect some contingency plans will need another look after all of this.

songsc

Don’t want to drift this too far out of topic, but doctors and nurses have been working insanely long hours for the past 3 years. Lots of people in various field often work long hours whenever it’s needed.

I am not saying airport staff did the bare minimum, quite the opposite actually, as I just saw a tweet like this: However, I really can’t say all the passengers and crew who got stuck on aircrafts for hours are happy with the end result.

Symmetre

In fairness, a snowfall warning is all it takes to cause significant delays at YVR. Sorry, but it is the truth.