MAN Flyer

I kid you not. Landed from MAN over the weekend and while waiting for the doors to open an AF regular flyer who was flying KL for the first time in a while was moaning to the Purser about taking 20+ minutes to get to the gate from the new runway.

The Purser sympathised with him and said that they have been 'banned' from cracking jokes or even mentioning over the PA system how long it takes to get there and back .

And I though it was just the UK where everyone seems to have lost their sense of humour

simonsmith

This weekend we flew MAN to Munich return and all our 4 flights landed on the dreaded new runway; It felt as though we spent more time taxiing than in the air.

Threy

But obviously pilots are excluded from the rules, cause on KL 627 saturday a week ago, the pilot was happy to announce the on time gate departure, but a good 15 minute taxi to the Polderbaan, after already taxiing for 5 minutes

And a 15 minute taxi from E4 requires a good speed on the ground.To be honest, every time I am on a KL flight to Schiphol and we are on time or made up some time in the air, I fear we touch down on the PB.

For people not familiar with the setup of the runways, here is a nice photo of the Polderbaan in relation to Zwanenburgbaan, which is also a good 10-15 minute taxi away from the E gates !

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=217899

johan rebel

I've never heard jokes, but certainly plenty of apologies and the odd sarcastic comment.

This so-called Polderbaan (runway 18R/36L) is closer to the city of Haarlem than to the Schiphol passengers terminals. It has been built solely for noise abatement reasons, and because it lacks parallel taxiways it can only be used for take-offs in a northerly direction (36L), and only for landings in a southerly (18R). The photograph in Threy's post illustrates this nicely. There are only three exits for landing aircraft, whereas 18C/36C in the right of the picture has a parallel taxiway along its entire length, with a full set of (highspeed) turn-offs. Because traffic to/from the Polderbaan has to skirt or cross the Zwanenburgbaan (18C/36C), the latter is not be used if the former is, and vice versa. In other words, the new runway has not resulted in any capacity increase whatsoever.


It does, and they airlines must love the increased fuel burn and tire wear. The taxiway to the Polderbaan runs parallel to the A5 freeway for some distance, and I remember an occasion last December when our aircraft, a Fairchild-Dornier 328 turboprop, actually taxied faster than the vehicles on the freeway!


My impression is that the Polderbaan is used mainly afternoons and evenings, either for take-offs or landings, depending on wind direction.

I wonder if this new runway has effected on-time performance, especially for KLM, Schiphol's biggest user by far. On several occasions I have almost missed connections because a delayed departure from the gate was exacerbated by the long hike to the Polderbaan. Fifteen minutes can make all the difference.

johan

Steve Fenton

I was on 2 landings and departures out of AMS last week and each one from the dreaded runway. I actually thought if we dont take off soon then the sandwiches will be out of date by the time they serve them. ONe guy who obviously had not experienced the scenic route to the air was huffing and puffing and I told him that it gets better once we get on the motorway and he was really wound up about the whole thing. Understandable as when they bus you out to the planes they seem to do a double figure of eight route that seems t take you from D6 around and around the same area before you then follow a spaghetti style road. At eh moment it almost makes travel via AMS on certain routes far longer than train or car. I cannot understand the logic in making a plane drive all the way around the terminal then all the way across to the nes runway via a route that is visible to all spend a good 10 minutes going from the start point to the then crossing over the motorway and then driving again for another 10 minutes to take off. I do feel they are really pissing off passengers with this and no matter what the enviromental reasons you will never convince me that the amount of fuel an aircraft burns during taxi will ever warrant building a runway so far away

ajamieson

Q: Knock Knock
A: Sorry, sir, it's schnot possible to answer your question

simonsmith

I would say 9 out of 10 Manchster flights I have taken use this runway now.

Counsellor

Wow! That really is out in the polders, isn't it!

johan rebel

There was an item on Dutch TV yesterday about a guy who single-handedly is responsible for 83% of all complaints received about the Polderbaan. On Monday he submitted 254 complaints, and he averages 4,000-4,500 complaints every month. Amazing!

johan

LH738

FRA may consider to connect to the Polderbaan and use it as their 4th runway if they can't get an approval for building a new one.

dutchflyer2

For this stupid guy we pay taxes. He probably doesn't work.....exept playing with his dogs!

Grog

That might even save on the current FRA taxiing time

BahrainLad

From a position of total ignorance...........what is the possibility of AMS constructing an entire new terminal complex in the gap between the Poldeerbaan and the other one?

MAN Flyer

Well, funnily enough, the Purser on the flight also told the AF 'regular' that the runway was built so far away because the intention is to eventually build another terminal over there !.

I have to admit, that is the first I've heard of this and would somewhat spoil Schiphol's '1 Terminal connection' strength. Although he did say that it would be linked with a 'rail' system of some form. Anyone else heard anything about this ?

Anyway, BahrainLad, what you doing 'over here' ?. You're supposed to be on the BA board with fbg discussing our flag carriers merits and 'quality tunes' aren't you ?

johan rebel

No. It is my understanding that any new terminal will be built directly across from the existing ones, on the other side of the A4.

johan