YClass

Plan extra time. As of 15 min ago no one can get through security incl F wing.

YClass

Correction all of heathrow

Lynyrd

IT issue causing loss of baggage, checkin, CCTV etc according to airport community app.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, there is a server failure on the HAL side, affecting security, CCTV (which is partly linked into security), check-in (probably FLY is ok though) and Automated Ticket Presentation. Reported at 10L35. Separately there are some baggage system problems in Terminal 3 (and 4), which is network related. T5 OK on that one for now.

YClass

manual operation now but moving

though one of fast track liquid scanners dead so queue stacking up again

13901

FLY's working at present.

[The postings on this site are my own and do not represent those of my employer, but for some reason the signature's not showing when I write]

FlyingSquirrel_

It boggles me that Heathrow is the only major airport in the world with such massive issues (remember the baggage problems over the year). HAL management should be sacked with bonus clawbacks. Really a bad image for the UK. Out of my 17 flights from Heathrow this year, I've had issues with the airport about a third of the time.

(1) Lifts and escalators broke after security, no one could go to their gate at T5 (October)
(2) No baggage handles, baggage arrived 2hrs late (October)
(3) ATC failure (August)
(4) Baggage did not even make their planes due to broken belts (May)
(5) Only one escalator working at T3 to go to security, creating a massive queue (March)

When is the HAL management going to be held accountable?

sigma421

2 and 4 are BA's fault since they do the baggage handling (although often like to imply that they do not)

FlyingSquirrel_

In the case of (4), it was due to the broken belt. That is airport infrastructure.

RichieMc

3 is not BA or HAL's fault. ATC failures and strikes happen all over the place, France basically invented ATC strikes.

PUCCI GALORE

May I add three to your list of shame?

1. No tugs to push back. How often have we sat fuming for someone to show up
2. No one to turn on the guidance systems to get on to stand.
3. Bus boarding in this day and age. Why can they no tug aircraft on to a gate for boarding at least - or is that beyond the wit of anyone at Heathrow.

I frankly do not care who is to blame, but when you look at all the charges and taxes that we pay you realise that this is money for old rope and not only do they not care less but they are answerable to nobody.

ermis177

If I am not mistaken all these 3 are BAs responsibility. Basically BA and HAL are making huge profits and offering worse service compare to other airlines/airports. Oh and before we see some kind of irrelevant argument, people DO pay for these services and covid cannot be used as an excuse anymore…No offence

FlyingSquirrel_

I do not agree, this is the airport's responsibility. Why would BA pay HAL for slots and infrastructure. The only thing BA is liable towards with ground operations are check-in agents and baggage handlers. Anything else it is the airport's responsibility. The problem is that there is no law that protects passenger rights from airport's bad practice.
If BA was liable, why would the Gatwick operations run much more smoothly?

sigma421

3. Is debatable (in reality it's probably down to how constrained T5 was by the endless playing process). 1 and 2 are definitely BA. BA does its own ground handling at LHR. At T5, it's also responsible for stand allocation. The stand guidance is turned on when a British Airways staff member arrives at the stand to start the process.

13901

In fairness, 1 and 2 are due to lack of people. Tug-related delays have declined with the introduction of Mototoks, for there's at least one for every two stands. Now, that has caused the rise of delays deriving from not having enough people driving the Mototoks! The one on guidance system is a symptom of a larger problem, i.e. lack of people. Flight crews mention that because it's the first thing they encounter in the daisy-chain of events leading to the eventual disembarkation of passengers and their bags, but if one were to - say - automate the stand guidance system without fixing the underlying issue, then the next bit (chocks and power) would be the problem. I'm told things are changing with the gradual un-doing of the plans put in place by the then CEO and director of LHR, but it takes tiime.

Remote stands, I'm afraid, will never be avoided. Runway capacity is often discussed, but the other big issue is stand capacity. That's as much of a problem as slots to take off and land.