22 & 23 Jan : disruption : fog delays at LHR
Jan 22, 2023, 11:13 am
#91
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 62
I was 5 minutes from leaving home when the cancellation text for BA756 came through. Am rebooked on tomorrow’s BA750 at the moment and we’ll see if the meteorological gods smile on me ( and everyone else on this thread it seems!).
Jan 22, 2023, 11:18 am
#92
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,995
Jan 22, 2023, 11:25 am
#93
Join Date: Aug 2006
Programs: BAEC Gold/GGL, IHG Diamond AMB
Posts: 1,075
Queues in First Wing are quite small - rest of T5 is a mess. Seems you can get the Hotel Moxy on Bath Road. I said I would sort myself out rather than faff around on all that.
The KLM flight at 2035 was full so non starter.
Good luck everyone travelling this evening - I was looking forward to the Chinese New Year menu in the CCR too!
The KLM flight at 2035 was full so non starter.
Good luck everyone travelling this evening - I was looking forward to the Chinese New Year menu in the CCR too!
Jan 22, 2023, 11:30 am
#94
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 62
Jan 22, 2023, 11:56 am
#95
Join Date: Dec 2022
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 481
Queues in First Wing are quite small - rest of T5 is a mess. Seems you can get the Hotel Moxy on Bath Road. I said I would sort myself out rather than faff around on all that.
The KLM flight at 2035 was full so non starter.
Good luck everyone travelling this evening - I was looking forward to the Chinese New Year menu in the CCR too!
The KLM flight at 2035 was full so non starter.
Good luck everyone travelling this evening - I was looking forward to the Chinese New Year menu in the CCR too!
There's a KLM from LCY at 2005 with tickets for sale
Jan 22, 2023, 12:01 pm
#96
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: LHR Air Traffic Control
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 880
Just skimming through this thread. I was in today but not in the tower, just working in the office and hosting some visitors.
The arrival rate in Low Visibility goes from 42 per hour to about 30-32 per hour.
The other (bigger) issue today was the mass de-icing required, which is currently a major bottleneck for T5 operations. Opening both remote de-icing locations for T5 impacts significantly upon T5 taxiways (and part of the runway holding area used by the runway controller to marshal and sequence departures) and what we call taxiway Delta (the bit east of T5C). This slows down operations considerably on stands 561-568 and 572-583.
At some points more nearly two thirds of all BA departures (including from T3) were being allocated to those two remote de-icing pads.
The arrival rate in Low Visibility goes from 42 per hour to about 30-32 per hour.
The other (bigger) issue today was the mass de-icing required, which is currently a major bottleneck for T5 operations. Opening both remote de-icing locations for T5 impacts significantly upon T5 taxiways (and part of the runway holding area used by the runway controller to marshal and sequence departures) and what we call taxiway Delta (the bit east of T5C). This slows down operations considerably on stands 561-568 and 572-583.
At some points more nearly two thirds of all BA departures (including from T3) were being allocated to those two remote de-icing pads.
Jan 22, 2023, 12:03 pm
#97
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 395
Absolute disaster of a travel day. Not a great day to attempt an ex-EU. Somehow despite flying with BA a whole lot I’ve never had to deal with a mass misconnect event. Stuck in a long queue for “priority” flight connections. Can one just go up to the first wing instead? Is that likely going to be faster?
Jan 22, 2023, 12:08 pm
#98
Join Date: Dec 2022
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 481
Just skimming through this thread. I was in today but not in the tower, just working in the office and hosting some visitors.
The arrival rate in Low Visibility goes from 42 per hour to about 30-32 per hour.
The other (bigger) issue today was the mass de-icing required, which is currently a major bottleneck for T5 operations. Opening both remote de-icing locations for T5 impacts significantly upon T5 taxiways (and part of the runway holding area used by the runway controller to marshal and sequence departures) and what we call taxiway Delta (the bit east of T5C). This slows down operations considerably on stands 561-568 and 572-583.
At some points more nearly two thirds of all BA departures (including from T3) were being allocated to those two remote de-icing pads.
The arrival rate in Low Visibility goes from 42 per hour to about 30-32 per hour.
The other (bigger) issue today was the mass de-icing required, which is currently a major bottleneck for T5 operations. Opening both remote de-icing locations for T5 impacts significantly upon T5 taxiways (and part of the runway holding area used by the runway controller to marshal and sequence departures) and what we call taxiway Delta (the bit east of T5C). This slows down operations considerably on stands 561-568 and 572-583.
At some points more nearly two thirds of all BA departures (including from T3) were being allocated to those two remote de-icing pads.
THanks for the insight!
Do you have any info on whether tomorrow will be any better?
Jan 22, 2023, 12:16 pm
#99
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: BA silver
Posts: 126
I fondly remember whizzing through the egates at PRG too.
Jan 22, 2023, 12:17 pm
#100
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,228
Tomorrow all depends on what actually happens with regards to the visibility, but the forecast is for more of the same until 11am and arrivals regulations are in force for tomorrow
And if it stays below zero again with freezing fog, it won’t just be JEDI delays (de-icing for BA deps as described by HeathrowTower), it will also mean some engineering de-icing if the conditions are right for fan blade icing on arrivals that are heading back out.
Aerodromes:
EGLL & EGLC: Due to the continued low visibility, arrival regulations are applied at reduced rates throughout the morning with high
delays likely to continue into the afternoon period.
Further airfields throughout the UK South, are subject to tactical measures, pending the weather outlook. EBBR: Low visibility regulation applied during the early morning, moderate delays expected.
Risk of tactical measures for ENGM & ESSA, due to forecast low visibility.
EGLL & EGLC: Due to the continued low visibility, arrival regulations are applied at reduced rates throughout the morning with high
delays likely to continue into the afternoon period.
Further airfields throughout the UK South, are subject to tactical measures, pending the weather outlook. EBBR: Low visibility regulation applied during the early morning, moderate delays expected.
Risk of tactical measures for ENGM & ESSA, due to forecast low visibility.
Last edited by Sigwx; Jan 22, 2023 at 12:28 pm
Jan 22, 2023, 12:28 pm
#101
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: BA silver
Posts: 126
Waiting for the pushback truck and then de-iceing.
It would have been smarter to get the evening EasyJet or Ryanair direct flights MAN BER. Much cheaper too. But I fancied a late afternoon arrival in the Hauptstadt. 🤔
The train might even have been quicker from Chester. Eurostar and a cross platform change at Brussels Midi. The maninexitrow defers to the man in seat61
www.seat61.com
It would have been smarter to get the evening EasyJet or Ryanair direct flights MAN BER. Much cheaper too. But I fancied a late afternoon arrival in the Hauptstadt. 🤔
The train might even have been quicker from Chester. Eurostar and a cross platform change at Brussels Midi. The maninexitrow defers to the man in seat61
www.seat61.com
Jan 22, 2023, 12:30 pm
#102
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London
Programs: Ba Silver ( for now!)
Posts: 776
And Now - bear in mind there are less flights so more gate - drum roll. A bus gate. Now 19:30. No sign of movement for a 20:00 flight. On time ! Emmm. Doubt it. Plane has been here since 2pm. The shambles continues
Jan 22, 2023, 12:53 pm
#103
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 389
If my flight has a bus gate on arrival, I may possibly be a gibbering wreck...
Jan 22, 2023, 1:16 pm
#105
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London
Programs: Ba Silver ( for now!)
Posts: 776
And with apologies for the grumpy post ( I am grumpy !). Now spare club seats. Can I sit in one please. I have paid for it. No.
so much for basic service recovery.
it is only 1:25 but as a group we booked 8 in club.
one mate is in club. I got same flight down the back. The rest got London city today / tomorrow and paid for the German wings flight and will sort out the cost later.
so the boys trip now is split up and we miss dinner with another 6 people as we arrive gone 11.
I know you will all send me your sympathies ( not !). End of grumble
so much for basic service recovery.
it is only 1:25 but as a group we booked 8 in club.
one mate is in club. I got same flight down the back. The rest got London city today / tomorrow and paid for the German wings flight and will sort out the cost later.
so the boys trip now is split up and we miss dinner with another 6 people as we arrive gone 11.
I know you will all send me your sympathies ( not !). End of grumble