Britains Airports

[stevek1969]

As the country comes to a standstill with airports coming to a close with 6" of snow here's a report from a country which has extreme temperatures.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12042213

 

[bobmac]

The thing is, they have it every year so they invest money to help keep their runways clear.
Britain has had it twice in 25 years.
If Heathrow knew they were going have major snowfalls for the next 25 years, they might invest some money to help.

 

[CliveW]

I agree with Bobmac, if this was a common occurance we would be able to deal with it. The problem is that Heathrow is a hub airport and the knock-on effect really cocks things up. I was watching the news special tonight and all the problems seem to be in the SE of England. The amount of snow seemed minimal in London, yet the disruption seemed massive.
As for the roads, we still run around on normal tyres in the winter and wonder why we get stuck. Perhaps if we fitted winter tyres the problems would be less. Up here in Perthshire I haven't seen green grass for a month now and the back roads are still covered with about six inches of solid ice. I have been trying to buy winter tyres but they are like hen's teeth, so I am driving around with 4 x 20kg bags of coal in the back of my rear wheel drive car and have never been stuck (Yet).

 

[JustOne]

I think it's funny that people think it's as simple as throwing some bags of grit on the runway.

I'm not sure the knock-on effect of having an aircraft engine ingest a handful of grit that was thrown up by the front wheels but I definitely wouldn't want to put my family on the plane when it takes off again afterwards!

I also think it's hilarious that everyone is a 'Mr Fixit' know it all in these situations, can practically run the country and sort out world peace in 20 minutes but mostly can't be bothered to get off our asses and clear the snow from in front of our own houses.



What is even funnier still is that the article posted above says..

"The preparation consists of good equipment, extra winter staff, and a choice of three runways"

Well Gatwick only has 1 runway and there's a fleet of frikkin' protestors running around all the time stopping them from having 2...and then we complain when it closes!

Heathrow only has 2 that it can use and building another frikkin' terminal (5) required 50,000,000 documents of legislation, so what's the chances of building another runway? ZERO ...and still we'll complain when it closes!

Persoanlly I couldn't care less if Heathrow never opened, at least we'd see a growth in the ship building sector

 

[thecraw]

I sense somebody getting worried about their mystery trip to GM in January!!!!!!!!

 

[chrisd]

The overiding problem that crops up all the time is the lack of information at airports, train stations. Eurostar etc etc

As somone caught in the "ash cloud" problems earlier this year, it was impossible to get information, everything was hiked in price and the insurance companies abrigated their responsibilities, to pay out.

Every public travel company knows that there will be problems like this at some stage and they really cant keep treating people so badly at airports etc etc. I heard one woman being interviewed saying that she had been told to leave the airport despite having nowhere at all to go. Also, the airlines just cancel the flight and its then down to you to rebook so they actually dont help anyone by sorting out the next available flights for them, and what if you can't/don't use the internet ??

The fact is that this sort of thing happens, it's unavoidable so plan for the consquences - look after the customers!


Chris

 

[HomerJSimpson]

What I don't understand is why all these airport closures are newsworthy. It's only people off on a jolly. We rarely hear how bad it is for train commuters, people waiting in bus queues trying to get to work etc. I really don't get why airport closures are such a big thing

 

[coolhand]

It’s a lot more than people off on jolly’s this time of year. Lots of people travel home to see family for Xmas – spending it on their own on a terminal floor can’t be much fun.

 

[coolhand]

I totally except that UK travel can’t be expected to cope with freak weather events but I don’t see how it can take 4 days to clear 5 inches of snow from an airport. Even if it’s just a case of bodies with shovels I’m sure in the current economic climate they could easily be found.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It’s a lot more than people off on jolly’s this time of year. Lots of people travel home to see family for Xmas – spending it on their own on a terminal floor can’t be much fun.

I totally agree but what about the vast majority though left at home and struggling to get to work, do their shopping, get to their hospital appointments. All we see is a 30 second piece at the end of a 10 minute feature on the airports saying the roads are icy and don't go out. I just think the whole thing is skewed

 

[bobmac]

– spending it on their own on a terminal floor can’t be much fun.

I agree it must be terrible not being able to travel to see your loved ones, but alone???
There's 1000s of them.
Instead of moaning and complaining at some check in assistant who hasn't been told anything, make new friends with others waiting like yourself and let the staff get on with their job ie. helping you.

 

[USER1999]

What I don't understand is why all these airport closures are newsworthy. It's only people off on a jolly. We rarely hear how bad it is for train commuters, people waiting in bus queues trying to get to work etc. I really don't get why airport closures are such a big thing

Becuase a lot of foreign people want to get home for Christmas?

 

[coolhand]

The “alone” was figurative not literal. I do have huge sympathy for the poor staff stuck on the front line; they’ve been as let down by their employers as the passengers. It can’t be pleasant having to tell an understandably irate customer that there is nothing you can do for them.

I’d also understand that in reality those of us that have to trek to and from work/get on with our daily lives get ignored but as everyone is on the same boat it’s hardly news.

 

[funkyfred]

– spending it on their own on a terminal floor can’t be much fun.

I agree it must be terrible not being able to travel to see your loved ones, but alone???
There's 1000s of them. make new friends with others waiting like yourself.

They could play virtual golf, 397 yard par 4, ditch at 200 yards, pond on the left, 200 to 260 yards, narrow fairway rough right. Another pond in front of the green.
SI4 so I get two shots, 6iron straight hit 175 yards, 180 yards to the pond, 200 yards to clear it. Heavy rough right (dont go there) rough back of green then OOB. small copse of trees to the left.

I think the last round took 27 hours, so thats Tuesday sorted, you can always play another round tomorrow.

 

[bobmac]

They could play virtual golf, 397 yard par 4, Boing 737 at 200 yards, Cesnas on the left, 200 and 260 yards, narrow runway right. A Cathay Pacific in front of the green.
SI4 so I get two shots, 6iron straight hit 175 yards, 80 yards to the Airbus, 200 yards to clear it. Cabin crew accomodation right (dont go there) rough back of green then M4. Small Chinook to the left.

 

[stevek1969]

I sense somebody getting worried about their mystery trip to GM in January!!!!!!!!

Not at all mate,it just gets on my nerves when down ssouth they get 6" of snow and the world has come to an end .In this era of climate change i think resources should be spent on valuable equipment to keep a major airport open and instead of opening another Terminal build another runway the same as Helsinki .Ok there used to these conditions but surely we can learn from it,it some eastern european countries its law to have winter tyres on your car after a certain time of year, but as Clive said there like hens teeth here and bloody expensive as well. Rant Over ,Hacked of Dundee.

 

[USER1999]

So you would be happy to pay alot more tax, so we southerners can improve an airport you never use, so it can be kept open for one week a year. What are they going to cut expenditure on to pay for it then? Health? Education?

How many planes fly into Helsinki anyway? Heathrow is the busiest airport in the world. That alone makes it more of a challenge.

 

[viscount17]

back in olden days, when commercial and military aircraft were more or less the same size, we had things 'master divertion airfields'. these were military (Yeovilton was one, I think either Lossie or Kinloss too) and had to be of a minimum length (and strength) and with a specified minimum standard of navigation aids. they were spread around the country on the basis that they wouldn't all be closed at once.
commercial aircraft got bigger and demanded more nav aids. at the same military airfields became fewer and military aircraft got smaller.
who was going to pay to maintain airfields at a standard higher than needed now and that might be needed at some unspecified time? you got it - no one

 

[coolhand]

BAA are a commercial organisation so getting it right won’t cost tax payers a penny, might just eat into their outrageous profits a bit.

 

[Smiffy]

Instead of moaning and complaining at some check in assistant who hasn't been told anything, make new friends with others waiting like yourself and let the staff get on with their job ie. helping you.

Always makes me laugh when I watch these "airport" programmes when you have a bunch of whinging tossers moaning because a flight is delayed because of technical problems or the weather. Send 'em up. Let the plane crash and then say "told you so"..
Knobs