Fog delays hit holiday travellers
Thousands of air passengers are facing delays to their Christmas getaway, with fog forcing more than 150 flights from London airports to be cancelled.
Some 88 outbound flights from Heathrow, 25 from Gatwick, and 30 from City Airport have been grounded.
Airlines said customers were being offered alternative flights or refunds.
Fog has also affected parts of the M6, the M40 and M1 motorways. The BBC Weather Centre said visibility had dropped to 50m (164ft) in places.
However, forecasters expected the fog to clear in the early hours of Monday - giving way to milder, wetter weather - and they said rain was likely across the UK on Christmas Eve.
Check with airlines
Of the 88 flights cancelled at Heathrow, 42 are short-haul flights from Terminal 1, 25 European short haul from Terminal 2, 20 short and long haul from Terminal 4 and one long-haul flight from Terminal 3.
Destinations include Edinburgh, Dublin, Milan and Rome.
OLYMPIC AIR - ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΗ "Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΨΗΛΑ" "GREECE FLYING HIGH"
GCT64 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2007, 1104 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 10787 times:
The fog has been heavy all day in the West of London area.
Diversions have also hit Farnborough (aircraft have gone to Bournemouth (G-ZXZX Lear), Southamption (N562ME CL60, G-GALX F900) and Luton (EC-JYQ Lear)).
GCT64 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2007, 1104 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 10735 times:
CN-ROF A321 of Atlas Blue diverted from LGW to BHX this morning and this evening VT-AIS B744 on AI125 diverted into BHX as well.
There have also been RAF Tristar & C-130 movements at BHX which may or may not be diversions (they could also be casevac flights), HZ-124 A340 (normally visits Brize Norton) is also at BHX.
David_itl From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 7144 posts, RR: 14 Reply 6, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 10241 times:
The reliable BBC had "Freezing weather and fog" affecting MAN during the early evening. Which was a bit of a surprise as it was CAVOK when they broadcast those remarks, and indeed was receiving KL1511 at that time which couldn't get into NWI.
OA260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 24896 posts, RR: 60 Reply 7, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 10133 times:
Quoting David_itl (Reply 6): The reliable BBC had "Freezing weather and fog" affecting MAN during the early evening. Which was a bit of a surprise as it was CAVOK when they broadcast those remarks, and indeed was receiving KL1511 at that time which couldn't get into NWI.
LOL.....maybe it moved fast .
OLYMPIC AIR - ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΗ "Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΨΗΛΑ" "GREECE FLYING HIGH"
Mhodgson From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2002, 5047 posts, RR: 29 Reply 8, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 10090 times:
Quoting GCT64 (Reply 2): There have also been RAF Tristar & C-130 movements at BHX which may or may not be diversions (they could also be casevac flights), HZ-124 A340 (normally visits Brize Norton) is also at BHX.
Brize has been reporting zero vertical visibility and freezing fog almost all day; with visibility down to just 150m at one point.
No trees were harmed by this message. However, several million electrons were terribly inconvenienced
Ryanair737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 9993 times:
Quoting Shamrock350 (Reply 4): It reminds me of last year but the fog lasted a few days and was much worse, almost all short-haul flights were cancelled at one time.
I remember that too well, LPL was out of action for about 3 days last December due to fog.
BlueShamu330s From UK - England, joined Sep 2001, 2515 posts, RR: 25 Reply 10, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 9949 times:
Quoting Mhodgson (Reply 8): Brize has been reporting zero vertical visibility and freezing fog almost all day; with visibility down to just 150m at one point.
It wouldn't be unreasonable to expect, in these days when a specific room in a specific house can be detected and destroyed with pinpoint accuracy from '000s of feet up, that our air force would be able to furnish at least one of its airfields and equip its flight crews with the ability to carry out full Cat IIIC landings on aircraft which are already capable of doing so.
Is it runway lighting which prevents this at Brize?
I would have thought the cost involved in the number of diverts Brize loses every year must be significant.
Shamu
So I drive a 4x4. So what?! Tax the a$$ off me for it...oh, you already have... :-(
Mhodgson From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2002, 5047 posts, RR: 29 Reply 11, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 9881 times:
Quoting BlueShamu330s (Reply 10): Is it runway lighting which prevents this at Brize?
Not to my knowledge; the runway is recently resurfaced and has a full approach lighting system in place.
It does seem ridiculous, but then it is the crews who must be trained and rated for CATIIIc as well, so the bean counters might well see it being cheaper to divert.
No trees were harmed by this message. However, several million electrons were terribly inconvenienced
David_itl From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 7144 posts, RR: 14 Reply 12, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 9825 times:
Quoting Mhodgson (Reply 11): It does seem ridiculous, but then it is the crews who must be trained and rated for CATIIIc as well, so the bean counters might well see it being cheaper to divert.
Believe BHX got the regular A340 HZ-124 plus 3 RAF (VC10, L1011 and C130 I think) whilst MAN got an An124 (RA-82080) and a RAF L1011
Theginge From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2006, 1110 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 9686 times:
Quoting OA260 (Reply 3): Didnt the same thing happen last year???
Yes but it was for about 4 days solid. Hopefully today will only just be today! Won;t knock on so much either as there isn't much shorthaul on Christmas day so rosters etc will recover in that gap. Usually these things knock on for a few days!
Boeing777228 From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 21 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 7403 times:
Come on....
we all know landing a 777 in 0/0 would be awesome!
Jfr From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 227 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 6963 times:
Quoting OA260 (Reply 3):
Didn't the same thing happen last year???
Yes but it was for about 4 days solid. Hopefully today will only just be today! Won;t knock on so much either as there isn't much shorthaul on Christmas day so rosters etc will recover in that gap. Usually these things knock on for a few days![/quote]
Yes....I was stuck in it. It was so cold and so very foggy........I had business at Gatwick, and it was a mess. Flew out of Heathrow and it was unbelievable. Long lines, tent cities, etc.........Had to take NZ to HKG just to get to SIN......
Wolverhampton From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2005, 42 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 6298 times:
Good news that BHX was able to accommodate the weather diversions. In recent times, it did seem like planes in similar circumstances avoided landing there for some reason.
Fastenseatbelt From United Kingdom, joined May 2004, 76 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (5 years 5 months 1 day ago) and read 5804 times:
I flew to Vienna from Glasgow yesterday. BA was the cheapest when I bought the ticket but decided to pay a bit extra and go with KLM via AMS. Soooo glad I did this now! Totally paid off! I just don't trust London and BA, espcially this time of year.
GCT64 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2007, 1104 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (5 years 5 months 20 hours ago) and read 3870 times:
In attempt to catch up with yesterday's delays and diversions, there were >30 movements at LHR in the curfew period between 0000 and 0400 this (24 Dec) morning.
Not sure how the local residents will have liked that!
LGWspeedbird From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2005, 459 posts, RR: 3 Reply 22, posted (5 years 5 months 19 hours ago) and read 3806 times:
I was working yesterday on a late shift it was hectic at LGW! they canx about 10-11 flights by the end of the day mostly domestics and AMS. there were very long qs at the tkt desk.
We had pax going up to MAN on coaches and the WOW PLH-NQY flight diverted into Lydd so the pax were coached to there! It was a complete nightmare.
By 10 pm BA at LGW was quiet although the last MAN flight and EDI flights were not due to depart till 2330 hours!! Apparently in the departure lounge many of the catering outlets had run out of food!
GCT64 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2007, 1104 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (5 years 5 months 19 hours ago) and read 3568 times:
LTN got diversions in and out yesterday (23 Dec) as the fog came and went.
Diverted from LTN were an EZY 737 which went to EMA, 2 Gulfstream 5s (one to BHX, one to ZRH!), 2 Netjets which went to MAN and a Falcon 2000 to BHX.
Diverted into LTN were 2 TOM 737s from BOH and CVT, KLM F100 from NWI (see above), EZY A319 from STN plus 2 Lears and a Premier from Farnborough, a Be200 from Blackbushe, Netjets C560 from Cambridge and a TBM700 from Biggin Hill.
Stratocruiser From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 13 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (5 years 5 months 19 hours ago) and read 3166 times:
Landed Sunday morning (Dec 23rd) at 6.30 am on BA112 (747-400) from JFK. Before landing the pilot announced there was dense fog, which would cause a short delay but it would be an automatic landing. It was amazing to see the previously visible wingtip disappear from view as we entered the fog (it was that bad!) followed about 30 seconds later by a very smooth touchdown on R/W 28L and, even then, the lights on the side of the runway were only barely visible! Overall a very impressive display of the benefits of modern technology!
25 GCT64: From the BBC "Greg Ward, operations director for BAA at Heathrow, said as many as 200 people would have to spend Christmas in hotels. " Apparently ope
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