Weather Disruption
Aug 9, 2019, 12:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Newcastle/London & Worldwide
Programs: BAEC Gold, Virgin Flying Club Silver
Posts: 818
Weather Disruption
Looking at tomorrow’s (quite horrendous) forecast with ‘damaging winds’ should we be expecting some Heathrow disruption? Winds are planned to be South West but not an expert on that impacting runway ops?
Im on the late JFK flight in J but if there is weather disruption I’m hoping to use it to my advantage and switch to an earlier flight
Im on the late JFK flight in J but if there is weather disruption I’m hoping to use it to my advantage and switch to an earlier flight
Aug 9, 2019, 1:57 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,530
There will be likely more spacing between aircrafts, thus leading to delays.
Some information about ATC Ops here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27632906-post52.html
Some information about ATC Ops here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27632906-post52.html
Aug 9, 2019, 3:17 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,196
BA will only switch you if it helps them out. They won't do it out of the goodness of their hearts - unless you have a flexible ticket that allows it or pay the change fees!
Aug 9, 2019, 3:47 am
#4
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,964
When there is weather disruption often BA is now putting up signs in T5 to allow free changes to other flights on the same route on the same day, however this only applies to short haul.
If there need to be pro-active cancellations due to weather for the next day they will be targeted at short haul. Long haul is rarely targeted.
Aug 9, 2019, 4:30 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 1,736
The 9.15 arrival from LHR into Leeds had to circle for the best part of an hour. Most of the return plane have missed connections as it arrived late but now 1 person not boarded with 3 bags in the hold.
Warned expecting weather delay into LHR on landing as picking up to be windy from the south west. Pilot said tomorrow is going to be worse.
Warned expecting weather delay into LHR on landing as picking up to be windy from the south west. Pilot said tomorrow is going to be worse.
Aug 9, 2019, 8:12 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 387
There will be likely more spacing between aircrafts, thus leading to delays.
Some information about ATC Ops here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27632906-post52.html
Some information about ATC Ops here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27632906-post52.html
If the issue is only wind, and it's a significant headwind component as opposed to tailwind, then the spacing between arrivals actually becomes smaller not greater.
Although the aircraft on final approach are flying the same Indicated Airspeed as ever it is the reduced speed of the aircraft over the ground due to the headwind component that then leads to the decrease in the hourly landing rate, albeit Time Based Separation on the final approach and TEAM (landing a set number of arrivals on the departure runway) recovers some but not all of the otherwise lost capacity.
Aug 9, 2019, 8:23 am
#9
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,804
No cancellations showing yet, apart from an Iberia Madrid service and BA215 BOS, which I think is a long dated cancellation.
Aug 9, 2019, 9:49 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hampshire UK
Programs: BA Silver, Virgin Red, Accor Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 148
The trouble is this is not headwind, so TBS won’t help that much. Current metar shows the wind 200/22, a significant crosswind and reduced landing rates as a result. Heathrow schedule maximum landing rates most of the day, any bad weather leads to delay/cancellations.
Aug 9, 2019, 9:51 am
#13
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,804
Aug 9, 2019, 10:01 am
#14
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 113
Aug 9, 2019, 10:32 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 387
For the controllers the challenge in a strong crosswind at altitude is accuracy in vectoring and merging two streams from different sides of the final approaches, and therefore significantly different ground speeds despite the same indicated air speeds, into a single stream at the required minimum separations.
If the controllers can still vector accurately TBS will offer a landing rate benefit.