Liverpool Airport.

[Jim H]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c24gnv18jvyo?a...

Perhaps I am missing something here? However, how can this be the only airport in the UK today which surely should know how to prepare for what was not entirely unexpected? It is after all their bread and butter.

Speaking myself as an extremely grumpy person who had his flight cancelled today. Some speculation I have heard and perhaps Liverpool JL’s spin. The ice was formed after the runway de-icing fluid froze overnight.

So, in my view, it’s not De-icing fluid- surely?

Anyone on here know how airports elsewhere prepare for this, and prevent it happening?

[MarkwG]

It depends on the circumstances: if it's continuous snow, there's no point deicing as sweeping/ploughing just removes the deicing agent, which means the snow covers the surface again. Better to close, wait it out, remove it properly & deice once it's stopped.

[Simpo Two]

Schipol was closed to incoming flights too. I'm surprised because it didn't seem that cold and Europe is supposed to be better than us at everything.

[twister]

Simpo Two said:

Schipol was closed to incoming flights too. I'm surprised because it didn't seem that cold and Europe is supposed to be better than us at everything.

I still recall, with limited warmth (pun only somewhat intended), the work trip I did some years back which almost saw me stranded first in Zurich and then in Dusseldorf, both due to snowy conditions which wouldn't have seemed unduly severe even by UK standards... Zurich was so particularly, and surprisingly, poorly geared up for dealing with it, that not only did my flight up to Dusseldorf almost end up being cancelled, but I came within a gnats doo-dah of not even making it to the airport in time because of how badly affected the roads were.

So since then, whenever I hear people criticise the UK for never being able to cope with a bit of snow, comparing us unfavourably against pretty much anywhere else in Europe, I just think to myself "oh, just how wrong can you be". This tired old trope of poor old Blighty being rendered helpless by so much as a single snowflake hitting the ground, whilst plucky Europe powers through even the mightiest of blizzards, really needs to be laid to rest IMO.

[Simpo Two]

twister said:

This tired old trope of poor old Blighty being rendered helpless by so much as a single snowflake hitting the ground, whilst plucky Europe powers through even the mightiest of blizzards, really needs to be laid to rest IMO.

Agreed; comparing ourselves unfavourably to Europe started in the 1970s. Regarding snow etc, perhaps generally it's the risk-averse H&S-infested litigation-threatened pawns we've all become...

[croyde]

For the past few days the roads and pavements round here in South West London have been lethal to walk on.

Clear blue skies and a sun shining with absolutely no warmth.

Conditions I don't remember having here for what seems like a non too wintery day, apart from the cold.

I think there was an early light snowfall on Saturday which immediately froze and it just hadn't thawed.

My pretty new Hybrid car has forgotten that it has an electric engine and that amazing 60mpg has plummeted to around the high 20s.

Modern tech can't deal with our winters

[MarkwG]

Simpo Two said:

twister said:

This tired old trope of poor old Blighty being rendered helpless by so much as a single snowflake hitting the ground, whilst plucky Europe powers through even the mightiest of blizzards, really needs to be laid to rest IMO.

Agreed; comparing ourselves unfavourably to Europe started in the 1970s. Regarding snow etc, perhaps generally it's the risk-averse H&S-infested litigation-threatened pawns we've all become...

Not killing people in aircraft crashes was a bigger factor...

[Jim H]

Morning,

It’s particularly hard for me to understand the weather conditions back in Blighty right now as I have been out of the country for two weeks.

I’d had an alert from my flight provider stating it was a delayed schedule (first excuse ATC issues). I’d been keeping abreast of weather on Met Office app so I understood there were issues. To me it now looks like Liverpool JL never really had much hope of clearing that runway yesterday- I could be wrong.

Rather annoying to have navigated the Whole Malaga airport experience ( it was rammed yesterday) sit at the gate for hours awaiting updates only finally to be informed - cancelled. Try getting back out of Malaga AGP in the reverse direction with all that can be considered - customs etc. it’s not for the feint hearted.

No other flights with my flight provider from Malaga to Liverpool until Friday now ( I am going through the process of refund etc).

So tomorrow I try again. I’ve got a flight to Manchester now, yes, you’ve guessed it. My car is at Liverpool airport. Grrrrrr. Just booked my Uber connection.

Not wishing to sound boastful, I’m in a fortunate position that I have a property here so it was no real hardship. I really feel sorry for other passengers who had booked out of hotels etc and left really on the hop in a situation like that. Not to mention having had their luggage booked in on the scheduled flight.

Serves me right for going abroad over Christmas!

[bucksmanuk]

A few years back, with similar conditions, Liverpool Airport was only kept open by them “nicking” all the snow ploughs from Southport and similar regions and sweeping the runways clear.
Southport came to a halt as none of the roads were cleared.
It didn’t impress my sister with her Merc CLS on 255 low profile normal tyres…

[fooman]

Some airports are better equipped for adverse weather, Leeds Bradford usually does a pretty good job in snow being at a higher altitude they get more than Liverpool and are more used to it