I Love New York - Landed at LGA But Can't Get to the Terminal
May 8, 2017, 4:57 pm
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I Love New York - Landed at LGA But Can't Get to the Terminal
After we landed, the pilot made an announcement that it would be a three or four step process before we are allowed to the gate. Many planes visible out my window.
May 8, 2017, 5:01 pm
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May 8, 2017, 5:47 pm
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May 8, 2017, 8:13 pm
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May 8, 2017, 10:33 pm
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LGA is usually at its worst for surface congestion when using RWY 31 for departures and arrivals... its a very sub-optimal configuration for ATC. (The map is not north oriented, so the departure end of RWY 31 is at the bottom).
You can see the congo-line for departures (blue planes) backed up all the way on taxiway B (parallel to RWY 13/31). Departures leaving from C and D terminals have to taxi west on Taxiway A to get in line, so ATC needs to carefully meter inbounds and outbounds on taxiway A to prevent airplanes ending up nose-to-nose. This exacerbates the gate situation, as planes ready to push back often aren't allowed to.
The orange planes at the top are arrivals being held on the west end of the airport until ATC can work them down taxiway A to get to the terminals. OP's pilot was accurate; its a multi-step process!
You can see the congo-line for departures (blue planes) backed up all the way on taxiway B (parallel to RWY 13/31). Departures leaving from C and D terminals have to taxi west on Taxiway A to get in line, so ATC needs to carefully meter inbounds and outbounds on taxiway A to prevent airplanes ending up nose-to-nose. This exacerbates the gate situation, as planes ready to push back often aren't allowed to.
The orange planes at the top are arrivals being held on the west end of the airport until ATC can work them down taxiway A to get to the terminals. OP's pilot was accurate; its a multi-step process!