Manchester: Weather & Technical Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

[David_itl]

On the Evening News breaking news feed:
10.05am Alexandra Rucki
14 diverted flights land at Manchester Airport

Stormy weather conditions in the south has forced 14 diverted flights to land at Manchester Airport

Storm Katie has disrupted some flights due to land at Gatwick Airport.

A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “Manchester Airport has this morning accepted 14 diverted flights from the south east as a result of Storm Katie.

“In the majority of cases, passengers will remain onboard the aircraft, as the airlines concerned hope to quickly turnaround and make the final leg of their journey once able to do so.

“There are a couple of flights where we expect to welcome passengers into the terminal building and are working with the airlines to arrange the necessary support to enable this.”

 

[David_itl]

This is what I've got as a diversion list

from Heathrow
BA12 A388 G-XLEC
SQ322 A388 9V-SKI
MH002 A388 9M-MNF
BA106 B744 G-CIVW
AA100 B77W N726AN
BA142 B772 G-VIIS
UA110 B763 N660UA
AA174 B763 N381AN
BA935 A3221 G-EUXE

From Gatwick:

BA2723 A320 G-MIDS
BA2635 A319 G-DBCD
VS30 B744 G-VROS
BA2232 B772 G-VIIW

What the 14th one is, I don't know.

 

[Land23R]

This is what I've got as a diversion list

from Heathrow
BA12 A388 G-XLEC
SQ322 A388 9V-SKI
MH002 A388 9M-MNF
BA106 B744 G-CIVW
AA100 B77W N726AN
BA142 B772 G-VIIS
UA110 B763 N660UA
AA174 B763 N381AN
BA935 A3221 G-EUXE

From Gatwick:

BA2723 A320 G-MIDS
BA2635 A319 G-DBCD
VS30 B744 G-VROS
BA2232 B772 G-VIIW

What the 14th one is, I don't know.

Have been told there were 2 x EZY diversions from LGW earlier in the night before the 2 x BA (A320/319)

Hats off to MAN anyway for accepting that lot, including 10 wide bodies. Never thought I'd see 3 x A380s on the ground at once at MAN.

Let's hope the handling is reasonable - it can never be perfect in these circumstances - and that we see the same positive policy in future.

 

[User001]

The BA B744/B777 and A389 as well as Malaysian A380 have been cancelled so passengers disembarking at MAN.

 

[David_itl]

Ops manual says we can handle 3 so I'm wondering if there may be an amendment to make it 4 should EK21/22 be upgraded, unless they decide to stay with the official 3. The wording says:

"This will be reviewed during times of significant disruption and /or emergency scenarios by the ADM and a Hazard Analysis will be conducted prior to any approvals"

But it doesn't mention 80 as being suitable for an A380 when from the visual evidence it appears to be.

 

[User001]

I think 5 can be accommodated in times of emergency.

12/61/62/63/80 can be used, however, 63 was being kept clear due to the Lufthansa Cargo MD11 needing to offload it's cargo.

Interesting to think that by the end of the day, MAN will have handled 5 different A380's in one day.

The BA A380 is due to leave 1800 but not sure when the Malaysian will depart given the crew are out of hours and pax taken off the aircraft.

 

[Dobbo]

Perhaps indicates the extra capacity that will be found when the TP is concluded.

 

[David_itl]

With 2 shuttles cancelled, is there the remote possibility of a larger aircraft substituting later today?

 

[Dobbo]

Who are stranded?

I guess the airlines will try and disperse PAX if they can from MAN but otherwise will fly a crew in to take them and the aircraft the LHR?

 

[Aviador]

I wish I lived a little closer to Manchester on days like today.

 

[User001]

These sorts of days are brilliant for MAN. To have 5 A380's in one day though, that's a real special treat.

 

[Land23R]

These sorts of days are brilliant for MAN. To have 5 A380's in one day though, that's a real special treat.

Absolutely. I can't readily recall when we last had 10 wide bodies divert in 1 session. Even on that Saturday in Dec. 2010 when heavy snow hit LHR & LGW (and LHR was closed for 3 or 4 days), I reckon we only accepted 9 w/b before we said we were full.

It's mentioned on another forum that with the summer schedules kicking in, there were more stands available this morning than recently when lots of Jet2 etc. were just parked up on remote stands. It may also mean that handling agents had taken on extra seasonal staff.

 

[Dobbo]

These sorts of days are brilliant for MAN. To have 5 A380's in one day though, that's a real special treat.

If the aspiration is to grow the volume of these sorts of services I agree. Clearly it is not likely that we would see BA, SQ, MH operating A380s into and from MAN any time soon, but having a large number of wide body aircraft is clearly envisaged based on the TP renders and flythrough so it is good to see the base from which that is being developed.

 

[David_itl]

That Emirates triple go-round on Saturday finally made it into the Evening News. Score 1 for "passengers starting to panic".http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...tes-flight-aborts-manchester-landing-11104259

 

[andyc941]

For those people who keep records of all the diversions,ive read the two Easyjets that diverted from LGW early hours were.
EZY8930 A319 G-EZFR FAO-LGW
EZY8672 A320 G-EZTL PRG-LGW

 

[Land23R]

Absolutely. I can't readily recall when we last had 10 wide bodies divert in 1 session. Even on that Saturday in Dec. 2010 when heavy snow hit LHR & LGW (and LHR was closed for 3 or 4 days), I reckon we only accepted 9 w/b before we said we were full.

Just to add that for those of us of more mature years, 10 wide body diversions was not all that unusual back in the 80s and 90s. David has mentioned on another forum an occasion in Feb. 1992 when there were approx. 30 wide bodies on the ground at one time. Of those, I think 22 were diverted flights, including would you believe 19 x B747s. Saturday, 8th Feb. if I'm not mistaken. Now that really was something to behold.

 

[User001]

This has been confirmed by 4 people who should know their stuff, including an ACTO at MAN, now, but, MAN today were willing to accept all 6 A380's due into LHR this morning if needed, as well as leaving stand 12 open for our Emirates.

We obviously took in the Malaysian, British Airways and Singapore, but, MAG and NATS had planned to also take in the Qatar, Qantas and Etihad on top of that, parking those 3 on 63 and 2 taxiways.

Not only would that have been a stunning sight (potentially 7 A380 on the ground together had the 'perfect storm' situation happened, but, this is a remarkable turn around from the 'no divert' notam from previous years....

 

[Land23R]

This has been confirmed by 4 people who should know their stuff, including an ACTO at MAN, now, but, MAN today were willing to accept all 6 A380's due into LHR this morning if needed, as well as leaving stand 12 open for our Emirates.

A remarkable turn around as you say. I wonder who the driving force was for the change. There were also considerable implications for the handling agents of course.

 

[David_itl]

David has mentioned on another forum an occasion in Feb. 1992 when there were approx. 30 wide bodies on the ground at one time. Of those, I think 22 were diverted flights, including would you believe 19 x B747s. Saturday, 8th Feb. if I'm not mistaken. Now that really was something to behold.

When I had to move flat due circumstances beyond my control, I had to get rid of all my logs/mags to save space in my new flat. However did retrieve that log and for reasons I've still not yet worked out, I made a plan of where most the aircraft were! This is what me and my brother noted over something like a 2 hour period - he was reading them off and I was noting them down. Anything listed as Tway is aircraft noted on a taxiway, not necessarily where it parked.

 

[Dobbo]

That would have been stunning!

Puts MAN in the shop window...