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Airport meltdown as EVERY flight leaving Heathrow is delayed
Last updated at 19:22pm on 16.08.07With protesters camped outside, and the luggage problems still piling up, bosses at Heathrow might have thought that things couldn't get any worse. Then along came Black Wednesday.
During a morning of chaos, every single plane leaving the airport was late. A survey of 100 departures between 09.40 and 13.05 the day before yesterday showed that none left on time and 14 per cent of them were delayed by more than an hour.
Live flight information boards on the official website of BAA, which runs the airport, showed both long-haul and local flights delayed by up to two and a half hours.
The most lengthy hold-up involved a British Airways flight to Newcastle, which took off two hours and 38 minutes late - longer than the flight time.
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Passengers waited a staggering 2,434 years in total at Heathrow last year because of flight delays
This was followed by a flight to Delhi, which left two hours and 23 minutes behind schedule. Four out of ten late flights were operated by British Airways.
While the hold-ups might not seem dramatic to families used to marathon waits for holiday charter jets, they are a major annoyance to business passengers on scheduled flights who have appointments to keep and depend on punctuality.
BAA defended itself over the delays and said there were several reasons why planes could be late arriving and taking off.
A spokesman for the airport operator said: "On this particular day, air traffic control chose to slow down planes around Heathrow because of high winds. However, it is very difficult to pinpoint the causes of delays as there are hundreds of reasons - from a passenger late in a terminal to overcrowding at the airport."
She said that the opening of Terminal 5 next year would ease congestion within the airport buildings but would not affect runway congestion.
"Currently Heathrow operates to nearly 100 per cent of its capacity. The possibility of a third runway will mean the option of more flights, not necessarily spreading them out between runways."
During the same period on Wednesday, 87 per cent of 100 monitored arrivals were late, some of which BAA blamed on high winds.
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List of shame: The delayed flights and the length of time that each was delayed
Heathrow: every flight on Wednesday morning was delayed
The worst delay was to a flight from Jamaica, which was due in at 9.55am but did not arrive until 7pm. The BAA spokesman stressed that none of the delays was down to the actions of the demonstrators outside.
British Airways' own internal figures show that fewer than a third of its flights - 29 per cent - currently leave on time. And only 60 per cent leave within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time, one of the worst performances among major airlines.
Passengers waited a staggering 2,434 years in total at Heathrow last year because of flight delays.
Reader views (18)
The advice I have been giving for well over 20 years. Do not fly from any London airport and do not use BA. Good advice, as I have not had many problems when flying abroad. Use your local airport for as many international flights as you can. Use foreign hubs instead of the London monopoly. T5 BA will be a white elephant in years to come.
- Neil Cannon, Manchester
Half the problems that Heathrow (and other airports) face is lack of staff. Passengers all want to pay as little as possible for flights coupled with the competition between airlines, and therefore this eventually filters down to the amount the staff get paid. Trying to survive in the most expensive part of the country on what most airport staff get paid isn't easy which is why the airport always has jobs available, because people don't want to work unsociable hours in difficult conditions, often facing verbal and physical abuse from passengers when they can go work for a supermarket for more money and less hassle, with much better working hours.
The monopoly that BAA also has over London's airports is another factor. Breaking up the monopoly and allowing the airports to compete with each other would see an improvement in the facilities on offer.
I myself work at Heathrow, and I have been told by a member of BAA management that they don't bother spending money on the gate areas because the airlines have no choice but to use the airport - so it is not only the passengers that get shafted by BAA, the airlines do too.
- Lee, Slough, England
I flew in and out of Heathrow 2 weeks ago and I have nothing but positive comments. Flights arrived and took off on time. My only comment is that the airport looks a bit run down, but that's true for every other major airport I've been to.
- Anibal Parra, Ottawa, canada
Part of the overcrowding problem is that airlines regard Heathrow as a prestige location, so are reluctant to fly into other UK locations like Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow which all have capacity. Therefore most people have no choice but to use Heathrow. BA are the worst offenders having withdrawn almost all its international and European flights from domestic airports so they can concetrate on Heathrow. In 2002 Cathay Pacifc withdrew from its Manchester - Hong Kong route, but fly 3 times a day into Heathrow!
Then there is dreadful road access via a motorway sytem which the police constantly close down for hours and hours, and BAA's greedy obsession with retail rather than passenegr comfort, all cramed into a limited site with some terminal buidings dating back to the 1950's. No wonder its in such a mess. My message to travellers is to stay away if you can.
- Gary King, Bristol UK
The horrible and 'usual' mess at Heathrow which I avoid at all costs, combined with the baggage problems, delays and higher flying with BAA is almost comical if it wasn't so ridiculous. Aeroflot very likely has a better record and that is sad. At a minimum, start by firing the top managers of the airport authority first and follow that with top BAA officials. How can you demand improved efficiency from those who can't even make the place run at a minimum acceptable level?
- Michael, Prague, Czech Rep
My company now uses Gatwick - about a thousand flights a year.
We have recorded a 63% drop in flight related hassle by avoiding Heathrow. Gatwick seems to manage despite BAA's instututional corruption and ineptitude.
- O, London
Heathrow is always in a state of chaos and disrepair. The last time I flew from there, I waited in line for 3.5 hours because the luggage belt / screener for the quick check-in screens was broken - resulting in an even LONGER line for everyone involved. To make matters worse (this is BA again), there were only 7 people checking passengers in when there were over 15 possible counters that could have been open. This is a completely typical experience. There's almost never any seating in the boarding area if you DO make it through security in time and it is grossly understaffed. I fly in and out of the UK frequently, and if at all possible, I avoid Heathrow. Coming back into the country is just as bad with too few staff at customs as well. Agree with Jeff - the most frustrating airport in the world!
- Catherine, Somerset, England
I avoid Heathrow at all cost. Without a doubt, it is the most frustrating airport in the world. BAA pull it together!
- Jeff Demers, Andover, MA
If politicians and rich business owners were forced out of their private jets, this problem would be fixed very quickly. We normal people are forced to put up with the delays like our time is totally worthless. In the US the politicians will not even pass a bill of rights for travellers. It is becoming worse than taking a bus.
- Jeff Cleveland, Miami Beach, FL, USA
A friend who works at the airport has said bags are being lost because luggage handlers are refusing to lift some heavy cases and cases are not being loaded onto aircraft and just left. BAA Should sack these people and passengers who lose cases should sue BAA and their contractors, not BA!
- Paul Humphreys, Essex
British Rail had the wrong kind of snow, BAA has high winds; when will these people stop insulting our intelligences with their lame excuses blaming anything but their own incompetence?
- Francois Duret, London
No surprise there. I had a horror last year at Heathrow when BA and airport personnel alleged that the main luggage conveyor belt in our terminal had broken down. Not one of the staff were courteous, instead were downright rude and the very experience gave me a sour taste for the whole idea of travelling to London. More specifically, I'll never fly British Airways ever again after the way they treated all of us and I'll avoid Heathrow at all costs the next time I travel to the UK.
- Raphael, Hollywood, USA
Gordon Brown take note. Tell the police to stop wasting their time in spying on climate change protestors camping outside Heathrow.
It seems obvious that a hard-core of eco-activists have infiltrated BAA management and are intent on bringing Heathrow to a standstill from the inside.
- Austen, London
These airports here are very bad. There is no service at all just shops, shops and more shops.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Heathrow and the UK in general has failed miserably at the airports.
One bag to enter the airport? That's moronic! NO common sense exists. Even with one bag rule, it does not help pathetic Heathrow. The rest of world allows 2 bags. Heathrow's rules are not leading edge - they are only designed to make life miserable for people who want to travel.
Maybe the UK wants to get rid of their airports? Soon travel will only be by land and sea. WELCOME to the 21st Century!
- Dennis Shumaker, Reading, England
I think the chaos at heathrow is being deliberately engineered by BAA in order to press home its campaign for an extra FULL length runway.
- S Byers, London UK
The airports in this country are bad. Especially the (few) people who work there are bad I think. Why is the government ignoring also this?
- Michael, London NW1
And they worry about protestors disrupting the airport?
- Philip, London, England
