Diverted flights at Brussels

liebensd · Post by **liebensd** » 26 Aug 2003, 10:49

There are today a lot of diverted flights at Brussels. Do someone knows more? Most of them are diverted to Ostend.

Greetz,

Dave

Post by **sn26567** » 26 Aug 2003, 10:52

I'm sure our today's spotters will appreciate. Let's wait for their report.

Post by **sn26567** » 26 Aug 2003, 10:55

Another odd schedule today: BG 011 from Dhaka via Dubai (eta 07:55) made an additional stop at London LHR and will arrive only at 11:45. Why???

Post by **sn26567** » 26 Aug 2003, 11:03

Still more strange things today: a lot of flights to BRU first landed at OST before continuing to BRU. Fog? But then why did some flights land at BRU anyway?

(DM253 from Billund, SN2910 from Vienna, SN3604 from Marseille, BA1616 from Manchester, SN3130 from Bologna, SN2590 from Berlin, SN2050 from Birmingham, SN3708 from Barcelona, SN3732 from Madrid, KF801 from Helsinki)

Ostend spotters must have had a lot of fun today!

OO-VEX · Post by **OO-VEX** » 26 Aug 2003, 13:11

These are indeed strange things. Even 2 Ryanair flights (from Dublin and Bergamo) were diverted to OST.
I didn't see fog today in Zaventem, so i'm wondering what the reason could have been.

OO-VEX

744rules · Post by **744rules** » 26 Aug 2003, 13:16

Don't know why a/c diverted today, but generally there are a few reasons can have this results:
- landing category : when visibility is below certain minima,lets's say for CAT III, several parties need to meet the correct criteria : captain, f/o, a/c and airport. So if one of these criteria is not met, they cannot land CATIII and CATII will apply.
- long haul flights are getting low on fuel, and are burning their extra fuel (such as contingency fuel and holding fuel). If ATC tells they have to hold 15-30 more minutes, they might consider to divert for extra fuel.
- if weather is clearing very fast, airlines prefer to divert for fuel uplift (also see above reason) and wait for atc clearance in stead of putting pax on busses. Crew limitation times might also be a consideration.
- technical issues : airport/runway closed due whatever reason.

Skystef · Post by **Skystef** » 26 Aug 2003, 13:51

OO-VEX wrote:These are indeed strange things. Even 2 Ryanair flights (from Dublin and Bergamo) were diverted to OST.
I didn't see fog today in Zaventem, so i'm wondering what the reason could have been.

The one & only reason was unpredicted fog on 4 airports in Belgium: ebbr, ebaw, eblg, ebci. Visibility was reduced to 100 meter with clouds less then 100 feet. The only place with fine weather was ebos.
Situation improved after 1000 local.

SWS

Avro · Post by **Avro** » 26 Aug 2003, 17:05

I saw that fog this morning, but at 11am it was ok again.

Are the Avros not certified for CAT III

Ciao
Chris
8)

Sabena_690 · Post by **Sabena_690** » 26 Aug 2003, 19:27

I didn't see fog today in Zaventem

I was at the airport at 8am, and did not see one plane until 9.15am. Than I saw that a few metres before me an SN A333 was parked.

I went to the parking lot, and couldn't even see the buildings of SN Technics.

Never had something like this...

Regards
Frederic

Avro · Post by **Avro** » 26 Aug 2003, 20:50

Yeah the fog came suddenly 8O

Here are some pic's of the diversions.

Ciao
Chris
8)

liebensd · Post by **liebensd** » 26 Aug 2003, 20:57

Avro,

I think there is a litle problem with your link, here is another one.

Greetz,

Dave

Avro · Post by **Avro** » 26 Aug 2003, 21:05

Thx Dave, there is indeed a problem with my link Idont know why it shows that page

Ciao
Chris
8)

vliegtuigfreak · Post by **vliegtuigfreak** » 26 Aug 2003, 21:21

OO-VEX wrote:These are indeed strange things. Even 2 Ryanair flights (from Dublin and Bergamo) were diverted to OST.

Yeah, i saw it to on teletext, maybe new destinations? Who knows?!

Greetingzz
Sonny

Post by **sn26567** » 26 Aug 2003, 21:33

No Sonny, not new destinations, but diversions. I don't think Ryanair will add new destinations from OST soon.

vliegtuigfreak · Post by **vliegtuigfreak** » 26 Aug 2003, 21:43

Damn thats true. Ryanair said that the route Ostend-London Stansted London Stansted-Ostend will make mutch mony, that they gonna put more destinations on Ostend. PS: Whats the loadfactor on these 2 routes?

Greetingzz
Sonny

Avro · Post by **Avro** » 27 Aug 2003, 09:42

I understand that many aircraft (Avro's etc...) were diverted due to very dense fog, but why did the SN A319's also went to OST, while they could have done an autoland?

Ciao
Chris
8)

Post by **sn26567** » 27 Aug 2003, 10:46

Well, as 744rules explained above, not only a/c, but also pilot and f/o have to be certified for cat. III.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 27 Aug 2003, 11:06

All I can say is that I hope there is no fog anywhere on 1st September!!
London City virtually shuts down in fog, and if it is foggy in Antwerp I don't know what will happen because Fokker 50s don't do well in fog!!!

OO-VEX · Post by **OO-VEX** » 27 Aug 2003, 14:21

Hi all,

Yeah the fog came suddenly

Yesterday morning when i left home at 7:30 for Zaventem railway station, there was no fog in Zaventem (village), only low clouds like Q707 said. I'm not a weather specialist, but maybe there was fog at BRU because of the fields in de neighbourhood. Could that have been the reason why there was no fog in the centre of the village?

OO-VEX

Post by **sn26567** » 27 Aug 2003, 14:50

A story was told to me that in 1940, when the invading Germans were looking for a place for a new airfield, some locals recommended Zaventem because of the frequent fog in that area. They hoped it would hamper German war operations...

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