LHR Air traffic controllers going to digital system what delays should I expect?
Apr 4, 2018, 3:16 pm
#1
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 55,189
LHR Air traffic controllers going to digital system what delays should I expect?
I just read this news piece about air traffic control going to a digital system and the delays that will emanate from it.
https://news.sky.com/story/weeks-of-...gital-11316207
Specifically, I am arriving at LHR Terminal 3 on Delta tomorrow morning and leaving for JFK from the same terminal Tuesday morning, April 10.
Will this have any effect on my flights?
https://news.sky.com/story/weeks-of-...gital-11316207
Specifically, I am arriving at LHR Terminal 3 on Delta tomorrow morning and leaving for JFK from the same terminal Tuesday morning, April 10.
Will this have any effect on my flights?
Apr 4, 2018, 3:24 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,190
I wouldn't expect delays of any note. This change has been known about for a long time and airlines have done things such as cancelled or retimed flights to help smooth arrivals and departures to reduce the possible impact.
Apr 5, 2018, 3:51 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,899
They were suggesting potential delays of up to 20 minutes
For me that's pretty normal potential delay for LHR anyway
checking the heathrow arrivals board I am not seeing anything significant acoss the board
https://www.heathrow.com/arrivals
For me that's pretty normal potential delay for LHR anyway
checking the heathrow arrivals board I am not seeing anything significant acoss the board
https://www.heathrow.com/arrivals
Apr 5, 2018, 10:39 pm
#4
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,933
Unlikely to be any significant delays if any. I think there have been some proactive reductions during peak times for the 10 day period already put in the system to give some slack.
Apr 6, 2018, 10:14 am
#5
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,476
It might be a very small sample, but my flight from HAM this morning wasn’t placed in a hold pattern at all - the first time in a very long while that’s happened.
Nothing at all for the OP to be concerned about, I’d think.
Nothing at all for the OP to be concerned about, I’d think.
Apr 6, 2018, 2:35 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,405
My flight spent ten minutes in the hold (generally it lands directly). Even with the 10 minutes in hold, we were about 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Immigration was very calm too (no queues at all).
Apr 14, 2018, 4:41 pm
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 55,189
I had no issues with flight delays both inbound and outbound at LHR. What DID surprise me (having nothing to do with air traffic control) was that the immigration queue took 1 hour & 20 minutes. My flight arrived early (06:35) on April 5. Prior to that, the longest I had ever waited was 15-20 minutes.
I asked the immigration officer after he stamped my passport about that long wait and he just said "Easter". Never again will I travel to London on Easter Week or near any bank holiday.
Conversely, for my 10:30 flight to JFK this past Tuesday, I arrived 3 hours early at T3 as Delta suggested. Including bag drop, passport control and security, it took no longer than 15 minutes.
I asked the immigration officer after he stamped my passport about that long wait and he just said "Easter". Never again will I travel to London on Easter Week or near any bank holiday.
Conversely, for my 10:30 flight to JFK this past Tuesday, I arrived 3 hours early at T3 as Delta suggested. Including bag drop, passport control and security, it took no longer than 15 minutes.