Airport.

[Banker]

5 minutes ago, Manx Bean said:

I was on the cancellation last night from Gatwick (bad weather cited) and then on the 08:05 this morning which they also cancelled without any reason given. Next available flight was tomorrow (when I was trying to “manage my flight” at 4:55am having working up to a text message.

I need to be home tonight, so as I write I’m on my way to Liverpool.

It’s not the airport managers that need a kick, its our elected representatives who need to grow a collective pair and call EasyJet to book over a shambolic, completely unreliable service. Basically, its a shower of shit.

That’s very poor, where was bad weather as it certainly wasn’t in Isle of Man?

[IOM]

Given that all the other flights to and from the island are operating to time I find it very hard to believe that the flight is cancelled because of atc issues at Ronaldsway . The Gatwick flight last night was also cancelled it maybe worth taking a look at the service EasyJet are providing but I know that’s not what a lot of people on this forum want to do ! 

[madmanxpilot]

Compounding the ATCO shortage problem is the fact that an ATCO quit earlier this year citing incompetent management. She’d had enough.

The airport is now going to be closed for aircraft movements for 3 hours each day. It’s all well and good publishing the closure times by notam, but this is going to continue to cause chaos.

As a temporary solution, perhaps we need to have the radar functions at Ronaldsway covered remotely only until our own numbers are back up to strength. I don’t like the idea of remote radar, but needs must. I just hope the current situation isn’t being engineered to make it the only way forward, permanently.

Edited June 12, 2023 by madmanxpilot

[Nellie]

38 minutes ago, Banker said:

That’s very poor, where was bad weather as it certainly wasn’t in Isle of Man?

There were thunderstorms at Gatwick early afternoon yesterday causing some flight to divert. The plane that was due to operate the evening LGW-IOM-LGW was inbound from Valencia and went to Luton. Before coming to IOM it was also due to operate LGW-JER-LGW. When it got back to LGW, from Luton, it was around three hours late. They had the choice to operate either the JER or IOM rotation, but not both. They chose JER.

This morning, EZY have around 10 cancellations out of LGW in their first wave. These cite (I haven't checked them all) ATC issues, so it seems that those issues are at Gatwick, not here. When choosing to cancel IOM again, EZY must know the flights are full and there are no alternatives for day. 

I'd agree with others, that the time is long overdue for our politicians @Chris Thomas and the Airport leadership to confront easyJet about the regularity of cancellations and to understand exactly where IOM fits in their priorities.  

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Nellie

[Nellie]

11 minutes ago, madmanxpilot said:

Compounding the ATCO shortage problem is the fact that an ATCO quit earlier this year citing incompetent management. She’d had enough.

The airport is now going to be closed for aircraft movements for 3 hours each day. It’s all well and good publishing the closure times by notam, but this is going to continue to cause chaos.

As a temporary solution, perhaps we need to have the radar functions at Ronaldsway covered remotely only until our own numbers are back up to strength. I don’t like the idea of remote radar, but needs must. I just hope the current situation isn’t being engineered to make it the only way forward, permanently.

Does this mean that the scheduled closing time is now 19.45?

[asitis]

31 minutes ago, John Wright said:

So what is your short term solution to the current ATCO establishment shortage?

I don't have one, but then again I'm not paid huge amounts of money to run the service. A more pertinent question might be, why have those who have relocated here left and why do staff continue to leave ( I understand more may be on the way out !). What I am not is an apologist, and until ATC gets it's act together it will struggle to recruit ! I refer you to my previous post ! I do however acknowledge that ATC is an easy excuse for Easyjet to cancel and again I refer you to my legions of previous posts relating to the folly of throwing our hat in with a lo cost carrier and expecting reliability. We are and always were going to be very low on their list of priorities. In truth the people we have employed both historically and seemingly recently couldn't run a tap let alone an airport.

[madmanxpilot]

8 minutes ago, Nellie said:

Does this mean that the scheduled closing time is now 19.45?

Scheduled closing is 1945 UTC, which is 2045 BST (British Summer Time)

Aviation always uses UTC.

UTC is the same as GMT or Z. 

Edited June 12, 2023 by madmanxpilot

[Nellie]

Just now, madmanxpilot said:

1945 UTC not BST, so 2045 BST British Summer Time.

Aviation always uses UTC.

UTC is the same as GMT or Z.

Ah, of course!! 

Even so, easyJet are never out of here before 21.00 BST and are often well after 22.00 BST.

So does this means the whole operation of the evening Gatwick will be dependent on the discretion of the ATC on duty, and the readiness of easyJet to pay for an extension, every day?

[Omobono]

1 hour ago, asitis said:

A friend was on the 0955 Gatwick this morning which is now cancelled, next alternative Thursday evening. Business meetings down the pan. First loganair to city Wednesday. All blaming ATC. We have an utter pair of clowns running the airport, developing master plans whilst the place is an utter joke. Time to empty Cobb and Pugh.

Thomas must accept some responsibility for this shambles  he has been there long enough to  make a difference  but all he ever does is talk in riddles , the rest of the DOI is the same a shit show !

[madmanxpilot]

2 minutes ago, Nellie said:

 

So does this means the whole operation of the evening Gatwick will be dependent on the discretion of the ATC on duty, and the readiness of easyJet to pay for an extension, every day?

I’m not 100% sure, but believe the evening extension to allow for the late LGW is almost guaranteed. In the same way, I would be surprised if EZY have to pay for it as our politicos would walk on broken glass to keep them sweet.

[IOM]

1 minute ago, madmanxpilot said:

I’m not 100% sure, but believe the evening extension to allow for the late LGW is almost guaranteed. In the same way, I would be surprised if EZY have to pay for it as our politicos would walk on broken glass to keep them sweet.

That’s outrageous if they don’t have to pay for the extended operating hours . 

[Nellie]

11 minutes ago, madmanxpilot said:

I’m not 100% sure, but believe the evening extension to allow for the late LGW is almost guaranteed. In the same way, I would be surprised if EZY have to pay for it as our politicos would walk on broken glass to keep them sweet.

There was an FoI request last year, when delays and cancellations were particularly problematic, and it was confirmed that easyJet were invoiced for such extensions and were paying them, as they fell due.

[madmanxpilot]

3 minutes ago, Nellie said:

There was an FoI request last year, when delays and cancellations were particularly problematic, and it was confirmed that easyJet were invoiced for such extensions and were paying them, as they fell due.

Thanks - I am surprised at that, but wasn’t 100% sure as I mentioned.

Did the FOI info reveal if they pay for all of the extension, or just that beyond the ‘guaranteed’ bit?

[Nellie]

16 minutes ago, madmanxpilot said:

Thanks - I am surprised at that, but wasn’t 100% sure as I mentioned.

Did the FOI info reveal if they pay for all of the extension, or just that beyond the ‘guaranteed’ bit?

I'm pretty sure it was any extension beyond 20.45. 

You can check it here. https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/search

It's dated 14/7/2022 so you can filter to find it.

 

[madmanxpilot]

28 minutes ago, Nellie said:

I'm pretty sure it was any extension beyond 20.45. 

You can check it here. https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/search

It's dated 14/7/2022 so you can filter to find it.

 

Thanks for that. It’s a bit difficult to understand exactly what they are saying really.
 

https://iom.icasework.com/servlet/servlets.getImg?ref=D1310633&bin=Y&auth=0&db=ZVD1ZPdIGvo%3D&access_token=D3A7pmI-RnaDxTxkpAJujO6Sjbi7VPK0NPpEPKlftgMFzPs5YCNhWNa945LYH49m.X1IiD4YV5YT6izvqQ0onXQ%3D%3D

There is a seasonal extension, which I understood covers every day until 2130 local. Who requested this and is it paid for?

There is also no confirmation of who has been billed for what and who has paid up.

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by madmanxpilot