Manchester: Weather & Technical Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

[Aviador]

Yes, it's not seeing me either, I'm still trying to find what's causing it. I'll keep you updated in the Feedback forum.

 

[jfy1999]

The American 752 from JFK (N195AN) diverted into Miami but should have arrived at MAN now. Also Virgin 744 G-VXLG diverted to Gatwick. I don't know the reasons for either diversion.

 

[User001]

The United B757 from Belfast diverted into Manchester due to hydraulic issues.

United have now just sent a B757 up from LHR to pick up the passengers.

 

[Land23R]

I'm afraid the MAN departure boards (and arrivals) make pretty depressing reading with cancellations and the amount and length of delays. Let's hope we get no more bad weather, but if it freezes tonight there will no doubt be more problems in the morning.

 

[Aviador]

I think it was reported that over 100 flights were delayed by the weather yesterday morning.

Passengers at Manchester Airport have been stuck "for hours" inside planes waiting to take off due to a lack of de-icers, it has been claimed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-35729801

Reporting like this really gets my back up. I am sure it is frustrating to be "sat around for hours" waiting for your aircraft to be de-iced but I would rather be delayed than depart with ice on my wings. Clearly some people don't understand the consequences of trying to fly with ice covering the wings of an aircraft.

 

[Land23R]

I agree the standard of reporting in these circumstances is often very poor and you're certainly right about safety issues.

However, it doesn't explain why some delays were up to 9 hours and others only 2 hours for example, or why the sequencing for de-icing, according to reports of what passengers were being told, kept changing. Of course, crew going out of hours would have been a problem but the signs clearly are that the operation didn't go smoothly.

There are comments and information on other forums about the companies that do the de-icing, and that it's the airlines who have contracts with handling agents who are responsible, with questions re how many rigs were serviceable and staffing levels.

Criticism of the airport itself, who did well to keep the runway open, may be unfair but it's still bad PR.

 

[Aviador]

Usual problems I have come across with de-icing rigs include staffing problems; insufficient de-ing fluid in storage; number of serviceable de-icing rigs; airline "pecking order".

On some occasions all the above factors can come into play which is what possibly happened yesterday. The snow was forecast but the de-icing fluid has to be ordered and delivered from external sources. It's late on in the winter season and possible the de-icing companies thought they could get away with what supplies they already had in storage.

 

[Dobbo]

Sadly just a diversion (photo credit @cpnewton86).

 

[jfy1999]

Other diversions were a Delta 767-400 and a British Airways A321.

 

[Dobbo]

Other diversions were a Delta 767-400 and a British Airways A321.

Do we know where they were from/to?

 

[jfy1999]

Delta was from JFK, British Airways from Dublin.

 

[David_itl]

Out of interest, this is what Flightradar24 had for the diversion airports for the LHR arrivals

Missed the Air New Zealand as I was far too busy doing some work rather than noticing what was going in. The southeast has got some iffy TAFs for the morning but I doubt we'll see the scale of diversions everywhere that was seen today.

 

[Dobbo]

Would love to see ANZ on a regular basis - as is obvious from the thread!

Perhaps one day...

 

[andyc941]

B772 AP-BHX PK797 routing Lahore Toronto has just diverted in,

 

[Land23R]

B772 AP-BHX PK797 routing Lahore Toronto has just diverted in,

I take it this was not our own PK709 from Lahore, in which case 2 x PKs landed within a few minutes of each other.
Is that right?

 

[andyc941]

I take it this was not our own PK709 from Lahore, in which case 2 x PKs landed within a few minutes of each other.
Is that right?

Our PK709 is B772 AP-BGJ, PK797 diverted in on a fuel stop.

 

[Land23R]

Our PK709 is B772 AP-BGJ, PK797 diverted in on a fuel stop.

Thanks Andy

 

[andyc941]

Hi Land23R Im home now and just done a playback, PK797 landed at 16:09 and PK709 our flight at 16:22.
Hope this helps you 🙂.

 

[David_itl]

technical issues I 've been told

 

[User001]

His onboard computer was telling him the MAN runway was too short to land, so, been re-calibrated but will have to land on 23L (runway 2).