Storm Eunice - Flight Disruption

[Scotrail314209]

So it doesn’t clog the main thread, I thought it’d be interesting to create this one to discuss the effects on flights into London.

It looks like there are already several diversions in place with an Edinburgh to Heathrow returning north, a Venice to Heathrow diverting to Newcastle and some flights from Luton heading north too.

It’ll be interesting to see how long the diversions last as things could get busy and slightly messy.

 

[Peterthegreat]

So it doesn’t clog the main thread, I thought it’d be interesting to create this one to discuss the effects on flights into London.

It looks like there are already several diversions in place with an Edinburgh to Heathrow returning north, a Venice to Heathrow diverting to Newcastle and some flights from Luton heading north too.

It’ll be interesting to see how long the diversions last as things could get busy and slightly messy.

An EasyJet Bordeaux to Gatwick flight tried to land twice at Gatwick......before returning to Bordeaux.

 

[Scotrail314209]

An EasyJet Bordeaux to Gatwick flight tried to land twice at Gatwick......before returning to Bordeaux.

I’m watching a livestream at Heathrow. I really wouldn’t like to be on any flights going in as the aircraft are really being blown about. Are conditions due to worsen?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Feb 2022 ==

Update: Birmingham Airport now affected with two Ryanair flights diverting north to Glasgow Prestwick (oh the glamour!)

 

[Domh245]

I’m watching a livestream at Heathrow. I really wouldn’t like to be on any flights going in as the aircraft are really being blown about. Are conditions due to worsen?

You and 225000 others! Glad to see that Qatar A380 finally made it to terra firma!

 

[Scotrail314209]

I’m hearing rumours of a BA plane diverting to Geneva instead of Heathrow? Can anyone clarify?

Diversions so far:
Newcastle:
BA885 Bucharest to Heathrow
EZY193 Belfast to Birmingham
EZY49GT Berlin to Gatwick
EZY2154 Amsterdam to Luton
BA583 Venice to Heathrow

Prestwick:
FR3740 Shannon to Birmingham
FR664 Dublin to Birmingham

Manchester:
BY15 Puerta Vallarta to Gatwick

Quite a few so far, so more will probably happen throughout the day. Will be interesting to see what will happen when/if conditions worsen.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Feb 2022 ==

You and 225000 others! Glad to see that Qatar A380 finally made it to terra firma!

Looks like a Virgin Atlantic 787 from Montego Bay has went around too. Up until recently the wide bodies were coping very well with getting back on the ground, now they seem to be struggling.

 

[sonic2009]

I’m hearing rumours of a BA plane diverting to Geneva instead of Heathrow? Can anyone clarify?

Diversions so far:
Newcastle:
BA885 Bucharest to Heathrow
EZY193 Belfast to Birmingham
EZY49GT Berlin to Gatwick
EZY2154 Amsterdam to Luton
BA583 Venice to Heathrow

Prestwick:
FR3740 Shannon to Birmingham
FR664 Dublin to Birmingham

Manchester:
BY15 Puerta Vallarta to Gatwick

Quite a few so far, so more will probably happen throughout the day. Will be interesting to see what will happen when/if conditions worsen.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Feb 2022 ==


Looks like a Virgin Atlantic 787 from Montego Bay has went around too. Up until recently the wide bodies were coping very well with getting back on the ground, now they seem to be struggling.

BA296 Chicago to Heathrow went to Zurich
BA675 Istanbul to Heathrow went to Stansted
LH2472 Munich to Heathrow went back to Munich
BA1439 Edinburgh to Heathrow went back to Edinburgh
BA661 Larnaca to Heathrow went to Newcastle
TAP1354 Lisbon to Heathrow came tried to land and then went to Paris Orly
ME201 Beirut to Heathrow came didn't attempt and then went to Frankfurt

 

[jb108822]

The Big Jet TV stream from Heathrow has been enthralling so far this afternoon.

 

[Scotrail314209]

BA296 Chicago to Heathrow went to Zurich
BA675 Istanbul to Heathrow went to Stansted
LH2472 Munich to Heathrow went back to Munich
BA1439 Edinburgh to Heathrow went back to Edinburgh
BA661 Larnaca to Heathrow went to Newcastle
TAP1354 Lisbon to Heathrow came tried to land and then went to Paris Orly
ME201 Beirut to Heathrow came didn't attempt and then went to Frankfurt

Chicago to Heathrow diverting to Zurich?! Some way from home.

Surely they could’ve found an airport in the UK to go to, maybe Prestwick as they are more than capable of handling big planes.

 

[TheEdge]

I notice Ryanair FR8267 Katowice - Stansted has diverted to Bordeaux. Similar but different to Stansted.

--- EDIT ---

FR8143 also looks to be having fun. Knock - Luton diverted to Stansted but has gone around there and now looks like he's trying for Luton again.

 

[sonic2009]

I notice Ryanair FR8267 Katowice - Stansted has diverted to Bordeaux. Similar but different to Stansted.

--- EDIT ---

FR8143 also looks to be having fun. Knock - Luton diverted to Stansted but has gone around there and now looks like he's trying for Luton again.

FR8143 seems to be off somewhere else.

 

[TheEdge]

FR8143 seems to be off somewhere else.

I've just spotted he's climbing and is off on an adventure...

 

[sonic2009]

I've just spotted he's climbing and is off on an adventure...

Could be off into East Midlands down to 10,000ft

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Feb 2022 ==

Chicago to Heathrow diverting to Zurich?! Some way from home.

Surely they could’ve found an airport in the UK to go to, maybe Prestwick as they are more than capable of handling big planes.

Could be down to where BA have crew?

 

[TheEdge]

Could be off into East Midlands down to 10,000ft

That looks pretty likely now

 

[Walter Whigham]

Chicago to Heathrow diverting to Zurich?! Some way from home.

Surely they could’ve found an airport in the UK to go to, maybe Prestwick as they are more than capable of handling big planes.

As I understand it, beforehand, a pilot has to nominate an airport to which the plane, for whatever reason, will be diverted. It seems that Geneva was nominated in this instance although the flight ended up in Zurich. These days not at lot happens at Prestwick.

 

[island]

FR9852 Cork to Gatwick made two aborted landing attempts and eventually diverted to Edinburgh, where it sat for a few hours and is at some point continuing back to Gatwick as FR985

 

[AlterEgo]

I flew in earlier on BA475. Uneventful, don’t know what the fuss was about.

 

[Trackman]

How much fuel do these aircraft have for a possible diversions?
I was reading today one had to travel about 850 miles.
Do they fuel more in iffy conditions?

 

[LucyP]

It depends on circumstances and where they routinely refuel. They will normally carry at least the normal flight time plus one hour, but in poor weather where diversions are likely they will carry more. There was clearly enough fuel to fly from Manchester to Bordeaux as otherwise they wouldn't have done it.

The bigger question is why it happened at all. Another Ryanair plane landed at Manchester immediately after this one rejected, which might make for an awkward conversation between the Captain and the company. Other planes diverted to other UK airports. Why all the way to Bordeaux and then back to Manchester again in the evening?

 

[Ted633]

It depends on circumstances and where they routinely refuel. They will normally carry at least the normal flight time plus one hour, but in poor weather where diversions are likely they will carry more. There was clearly enough fuel to fly from Manchester to Bordeaux as otherwise they wouldn't have done it.

The bigger question is why it happened at all. Another Ryanair plane landed at Manchester immediately after this one rejected, which might make for an awkward conversation between the Captain and the company. Other planes diverted to other UK airports. Why all the way to Bordeaux and then back to Manchester again in the evening?

Weather conditions aren't constant! One flight may get a particularly nasty gust when landing and have to go around, whilst the next flight 2 mins later may get away with it. They can only really have a couple(ish) of go's at landing and then they will have to divert as if they keep trying and don't get in, it'll be too late to divert due to lack of fuel and then the captain will be in serious trouble.
As to where they divert, that is up to the airline, but one reason would be availability of maintenance support. It's no good landing somewhere where you have no ground support to enable you to get back out.
The Ryanair flight that went back to it's origin, there was possibly uncertainty in whether they would get in the Manchester later on and flew back to base at Bordeaux so they could just cancel the flight and the aircraft and crew aren't all out of position. It is also likely there were more passengers on the 2nd attempt to cover for other cancelled flights.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I am very surprised they didn’t send the BA plane up to Prestwick rather than Zurich. Would’ve meant that the passengers and crew would’ve still been in the same country. They’ve managed it before.

I felt bad for people on an Edinburgh to London BA Shuttle, which got within touching distance of Heathrow and went back to Edinburgh

 

[Walter Whigham]

I am very surprised they didn’t send the BA plane up to Prestwick rather than Zurich. Would’ve meant that the passengers and crew would’ve still been in the same country. They’ve managed it before.

I felt bad for people on an Edinburgh to London BA Shuttle, which got within touching distance of Heathrow and went back to Edinburgh

Prestwick is a shadow of its former self. There were only three or four flights in or out yesterday and these were around midnight. The airport would not have had the ready resources to deal with an incoming flight out of course.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Prestwick is a shadow of its former self. There were only three or four flights in or out yesterday and these were around midnight. The airport would not have had the ready resources to deal with an incoming flight out of course.

Are Eireflop not using it much these days?

 

[Scotrail314209]

Are Eireflop not using it much these days?

Prestwick has always been in decline. They used to have a massive base with many flights per day, but I believe the schedule was stripped down immensely about 10 years ago in favour of Edinburgh.

Prestwick is now a diversion point for transatlantic aircraft due to its favourable weather conditions, space and its long runway which means it has the ability to handle big aircraft.

 

[Walter Whigham]

Prestwick has always been in decline. They used to have a massive base with many flights per day, but I believe the schedule was stripped down immensely about 10 years ago in favour of Edinburgh.

Prestwick is now a diversion point for transatlantic aircraft due to its favourable weather conditions, space and its long runway which means it has the ability to handle big aircraft.

I agree that the configuration of Prestwick allows it to handle the larger aircraft. The problem arises if you have no ground staff to handle diversions at quiet times of the day. It is a sad fact that the Scottish Government has done little, if anything, to revive it as an going entity since it assumed control of it.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I agree that the configuration of Prestwick allows it to handle the larger aircraft. The problem arises if you have no ground staff to handle diversions at quiet times of the day. It is a sad fact that the Scottish Government has done little, if anything, to revive it as an going entity since it assumed control of it.

I agree, it's a good airport.

It does beg the question, if that BA flight had to divert all the way to Zurich, did that mean other airports in the UK weren't willing to accept diversions?

 

[Walter Whigham]

It does beg the question, if that BA flight had to divert all the way to Zurich, did that mean other airports in the UK weren't willing to accept diversions?

Possibly. The BA pilot diverted to Switzerland may have sought a closer destination in his flight plan but been denied it.

 

[LucyP]

What rubbish. The Ryanair flight didn't originate in Bordeaux and it eventually landed in Manchester after 6pm, so it wasn't about cancelling, etc. And if the next Ryanair to land managed to do it, then it could have gone around and tried again. It could also have gone to Leeds or Newcastle or Teesside or to Scotland where the weather was calm at the time. It was ridiculous to send it 850 miles away to Bordeaux.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What rubbish. The Ryanair flight didn't originate in Bordeaux and it eventually landed in Manchester after 6pm, so it wasn't about cancelling, etc. And if the next Ryanair to land managed to do it, then it could have gone around and tried again. It could also have gone to Leeds or Newcastle or Teesside or to Scotland where the weather was calm at the time. It was ridiculous to send it 850 miles away to Bordeaux.

There is an upside of returning to origin - at least some passengers will have been from Bordeaux and able to give up and go home, rather than requiring coaches and/or hotels for everyone. Also it might have left the aircraft in the right place to avoid knock on disruption - if it was to have done UK to Bordeaux next, that might actually have been operationally sensible.