Disruptions at Heathrow due to snow

[Geegeela]

Flights cancelled as snow sweeps across UK

 

[TonyHancock]

BA usually cancels its Short Haul flight at the merest hint of fractionally less than mild weather. It is pitiful really. All to do with the inability to efficiently de-ice.

 

[Denali]

My UK FICO sent me a photo of his back yard and there is snow.

 

[Himeno]

Heathrow gets snow almost every year and always seems to close up, while airports that rarely get snow, like DFW, don't have as many issues.

 

[Ansett]

It is the wrong type of snow though every year LOL

 

[kpc]

Recently in Tromso and Oslo airports...they deal with ice and snow remarkably efficiently ps I know much smaller airports than Lhr but the point is Lhr should be prepared for snow / ice!

 

[Melburnian1]

BA usually cancels its Short Haul flight at the merest hint of fractionally less than mild weather. It is pitiful really. All to do with the inability to efficiently de-ice.

Tony, could you please ask Griselda to expand on 'inability to efficiently de-ice?' In Germany I've experienced this and it seemed efficient (as much as a layman could judge.)

Does Heathrow lack sufficient, or the right type of equipment? Is there a problem with insufficient 'standing room' on the tarmac/ apron for this procedure to 'efficiently occur?'

 

[TonyHancock]

Tony, could you please ask Griselda to expand on 'inability to efficiently de-ice?' In Germany I've experienced this and it seemed efficient (as much as a layman could judge.)

Does Heathrow lack sufficient, or the right type of equipment? Is there a problem with insufficient 'standing room' on the tarmac/ apron for this procedure to 'efficiently occur?'

Snow at LHR is a rarity. Northern Europe suffers colder temperatures more consistently and consequently has the equipment and experience to deal with ice.

I was caught up in the December debacle at LHR when a brief "snow flurry" brought it to a standstill. In reality it was the temperature that was the issue. At T5 aircraft could not be de iced fast enough and were "stuck" at the gates. All of the time aircraft were landing and then had no free gates to get to. There were aircraft standing all over LHR with pax stuck on board.

I started an ex EU trip on Friday out of OSL which was both sub zero and had experienced some heavy snow recently - it did not appear to be disrupting travel.