BA109 - diverted to AAN
 

Waiting at DXB for todays BA108 back to LHR and the inbound has diverted to AAN.

We have been told there is a delay of two hours, but as of yet no reason for diversion. Some delays into DXB today due to weather, but no other flights have diverted.

Have checked on ExpertFlyer and it’s showing more info at 11:30.

Any suggestions to get a better idea on ETD?

i don't know why it diverted but my money would be on a medical emergency

Diverting to an airport 100 miles away for medical emergency?

Had to look up AAN:)

Al Ain airport UAE

Regards

tbs

so whats your money on then?

Apparently due to weather, and whilst it was foggy no other DXB flights diverted. My guess is low fuel and they are saying weather to avoid having to pay compensation to everyone….

I drive past DXB airport everyday, this morning around 7:15am, there were parts of the road you couldn't see 10 metres in front so visibility was very poor in places with fog. But also some stretches of road there was no fog at all.

unlikely, they would have had plenty of fuel , but looking at the flights due in around thevsame time there are some lengthy delays. Their hold time due to the weather may have introduced fuel issues

Or maybe - and I’m just putting this out there as a possibility, however remote - the captain made an informed decision based on well established safety protocols and years, if not decades, of experience.

Whilst it is annoying, it isn’t an attempt to not pay out by claiming it was due to weather. More than one flight diverted.
Diverting is a PITA sometimes and especially out there. AAN only has 8 parking stands and rapidly fills. DXB can also impose some really quite horrendous holding times with EATs (expected approach times) vastly in exceedance of any reasonable amount of fuel carried for the conditions forecast. The forecast itself from DXB never mentions fog and given the airport operators comments from their met office only indicate a 10% chance the it’s no wonder when it actually did happen, it caught out some by nothing more than sheer bad luck on timing.

Hopefully you’ll be on your way around the half 12 mark UAE time.

EDIT - for clarity, by ‘forecast’ I mean the information given to flight crew that form the official met forecast given to airline crews in order to assist in fuel decisions. There is no mention of fog on that forecast. The information provided to airport users based there which is reproduced below was subsequently updated to include the smallest chance of it occurring, which it actually did end up doing.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0c1925aca.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c9518c6c9.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...847b76cfd.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...303931297.jpeg

Also affected by the flight & in the lounge , the app shows est dep 1226 hours

My experience is also that when fog or dust storms get to DXB - which is pretty rare - ATC tends to give a fairly outrageous estimated time in the hold leading to diversions to AUH (in my case). The actual arrival queue wasn't anything like as bad, but the flight crew have to go with what they are told.

For the record the schedule for BA109 was
LHR 21:15
DXB 07:30

Actual was
LHR 21:36
AIN 07:46 arrive
AIN 09:53 depart
DXB 10:50

and a 2 hour stop is on the low side in my view. BA108 is going to be delayed and the current 12:20 estimated departure (schedule 09:20) seems optimistic to me, I would expect it nearer to 13:00 hrs.

EC261 will not be payable on either BA109 or BA108.

BA 108 has released brakes at 12:19 UAE time. Not bad considering a diversion, splash and dash, and recovery to DXB making it a 2:59 delay thus far.

Dear oh dear

We do love a conspiracy theory don't we!