Heathrow’s Runways Closed as Smoke Seen Coming From Plane: Sky & BBC News

[Sky News & BBC News] Both runways at Heathrow airport are reportedly closed as smoke is seen coming from the rear of a plane on the Northern runway.

Heathrow’s Twitter feed reporting the incident just after 9:00: Inmage Airport Informer

Heathrow Airport‘s Twitter feed has reported the following message as recently at 9:09 this morning…..

“Both runways are currently closed. All passengers & crew have been safely evacuated from an aircraft which is on the northern runway.”

Sky News reports that both runways have been closed because of this incident.

UPDATE: 09:38

BBC News are reporting that a British Airways plane is involved. The Southern runway has now re-opened but the Northern Runway is still closed due to the stricken aircraft  having deployed its emergency chutes to quickly evacuate the passengers.

Chute deployed after the passenger evacuation: Picture BBC News

Fire tenders in attendance at the side of the stricken airways: Picture BBC News

There is further speculation that the aircraft may have hit a flock of birds on take-off leading to plume of smoke coming out of at least one of the engines.

Plumes of smoke coming out of the engine of the stricken BA aircraft. Picture: BBC News / Dan Bailey

Eyewitnesses report flames coming from a plane as it flew over London to land at Heathrow Airport. Image: Sky News

 

Read more at Sky News…..

Read more at BBC News….

 

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Sky News & BBC News
24th May, 2013

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Birmingham Airport runway shut as plane skids off: BBC News

[BBC News] Birmingham Airport‘s runway has been shut after a plane skidded off it.

The aircraft skidded off the runway shortly after 13:10 BST. Photo: Wikipedia

Airport officials said the Monarch-chartered flight ZB467, from Nice in France, skidded off the runway shortly after 13:10 BST.

The airport said the Boeing 737 was operated by Lithuanian firm Air Aurela.

Monarch said the plane was being taxied to the terminal when “one set of wheels left the taxi way bringing the aircraft to a stop”. There were not thought to be any injuries.

The airport said all flights were suspended and “airfield services” were assisting the airline crew.

In a statement, Monarch said: “Passengers are being transferred to the airport terminal where they will be cared for by Monarch staff.”

The company said it was working with the airport to move the aircraft and help with the investigation into what happened.

It said that as a “standard precaution”, emergency services were dealing with the aircraft……

Read the full story at BBC News…..

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BBC News
21st Sept, 2012

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Multi-Mode: 120,000 possible extra flights a year at Heathrow: Independant

 [Independant] Heathrow‘s capacity problems could be solved without the need for a new runway, as strict rules on take-offs and landings are eased from next month.

The plan could allow 120,000 extra aircraft movements each year at Europe’s busiest airport.

The “silver bullet” solution to the airport’s congestion crisis could unlock up to 25 per cent more slots with no extra building. Introducing so-called “mixed mode” flying – under which runways are used for both take-offs and landings at the same time – could allow 120,000 extra aircraft movements each year at Europe’s busiest airport.This would call into question the need for either a third runway or an entirely new airport in the Thames Estuary. New rules coming into force on 1 July will increase the number of circumstances in which simultaneous runway use is permitted. Heathrow says this will not for now lead to a net increase in slots, but it is under pressure from the airline industry to extend the scheme to allow more take-offs and landings.

The fact that the Department for Transport has agreed to tinker with long-standing rules against “mixed mode” indicates they may be willing to overrule local residents’ objections.

Steve Ridgway, the chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, told The Independent: “Mixed mode … would allow a more efficient use of the existing, overstretched runways at Heathrow.”

When working to full capacity – which it does much of the time – Heathrow can handle up to 44 departures and 43 arrivals every hour. Yet its nearest rival is even more productive: Gatwick is the world’s busiest single-runway airport by a wide margin, with up to 54 movements an hour.

A study carried out by the air-traffic provider NATS concluded mixed mode could boost Heathrow’s capacity by up to 15 per cent – adding 10 million passengers to today’s annual total of 70 million. But a spokesperson for NATS said the operating changes needed to achieve that increase would require……

Read the full story at The Independant…..

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Story by Simon Calder
23rd June, 2012

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Related articles

• Cameron clears way for Heathrow U-turn: FT.com (airportinformer.wordpress.com)
• Government has no idea on airports, says IAG chief Willie Walsh: Guardian (airportinformer.wordpress.com)
• Boris Johnson backs new runway at Stansted: Telegraph (airportinformer.wordpress.com)

Gatwick Runway Closed Again as Tyre Blows Out on Landing Kiev Flight

[Original Sources: Crawley Observer / BBC News] Gatwick’s only runway had to close yet again this morning following another emergency situation.

A passenger told BBC News that after making a “nice smooth landing, there was an almighty bang and the plane suddenly lurched to the right. Photo: Wikipedia

This incident again highlights how Gatwick Airport operations can possibly be severely affected by airstrip based emergencies, due to only having one runway available.

A tyre burst on a landing Boeing 737-300 this morning just before 11:30. The Ukraine International Airlines flight PS501 landed on schedule from Kiev Boryspil International Airport.

Gatwick Airport operational staff had to close the runway so that passengers could be safely taken to the airport’s South Terminal by coach.

One passenger told the BBC that after making a “nice smooth landing… there was an almighty bang and the plane suddenly lurched to the right”. The pilot managed to keep control of the aircraft, there were no injuries.

A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport said to the Crawley Observer: “A Ukrainian aircraft landed earlier on today, as it did so a tyre burst.

“The passengers were safe, the plane was safe and there were no injuries on board.

“It was dealt with very quickly. The runway was closed for 10 minutes and it did not cause any cancellations or affect out bound flights. The passengers were coached to the airport.”

Ukraine International Airlines runs a daily return service into Gatwick from Kiev’s Boryspil International Airport.

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Chris Newman for the Airport Informer
Original sources BBC News/Crawley Observer
15th May, 2014

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Related articles

• Gatwick Passengers Held On Planes and 23 Flights Delayed Last Night After New Access Door System Failed: ITN (airportinformer.wordpress.com)
• Virgin Flight Passengers Evacuated on Runway: Telegraph (airportinformer.wordpress.com)

New York’s LaGuardia airport shuts down as pup runs on to runway: Guardian

[Guardian] In a bird strike of a different breed, Byrdie the Rhodesian ridgeback bolted from her crate before her flight could take off.

A man attempts to retrieve the pup after it escaped from its cage at LaGuardia airport in New York City. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A pooch named, appropriately enough, Byrdie, took flight at New York’s LaGuardia airport on Wednesday – but not in the way her owner intended.

The 30lb Rhodesian ridgeback bolted from her crate as she was being loaded onto her Memphis-bound Delta Air flight Wednesday, shutting down all traffic at the bustling hub for 10 minutes.

Authorities tried unsuccessfully to collar the 14-month-old pup, who took off down the tarmac and refused to to be corralled. Desperate Port Authority cops finally pulled the dog’s owner, Austin Varner, off the flight and drove her onto the runway.

“Your dog escaped,” a Delta employee told Varner, according to the New York Post. “We have got her kind of surrounded, but can’t catch her.”

“Get me out there,” Varner reportedly…….

Read the rest of the story at The Guardian…..

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The Guardian
26th April, 2012

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News Flash – Virgin Flight Passengers Evacuated on Runway

Reporting from the scene of the incident – London Gatwick: 12:30 16th April 2012.

I’m currently sitting on an easyJet Airbus 319, that was bound for Vienna, at the western holding point. Our aircraft was number one in departure traffic but was held at this point due to an inbound emergency being declared.

Our engines have been shut down.

A Virgin Airbus A330 has just landed under full emergency procedures at Gatwick Airport.

The flight was given a priority landing spot and has stopped on the runway itself after the flight crew were alerted to the possibility of smoke in the cargo hold. The emergency shoots were used to quickly disembark the passengers on to the runway.

All flights, both departing and landing have been put on hold as the stricken aircraft is checked out by Fire Services. Passengers are currently standing to the side of the runway awaiting collection by Gatwick Airport staff.

The aircraft will have to have it’s emergency chutes detached before it can be cleared from the main runway. We have been informed that the delay and the reopening of the runway is likely to take at least an hour.

So far the Fire Service have not found any problems in the cargo holds.

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Reported by Chris Newman
For The Airport Informer
12:30 16th April 2012

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Stewart Wingate, Gatwick CEO: Gatwick would rival Heathrow with second runway

Is the second Gatwick runway now in planning ! Photo: PA

A second runway at Gatwick would hit fewer people than expanding Heathrow, the Sussex airport’s boss has said.

Stewart Wingate, chief executive of Gatwick, also dismissed the prospect of a third runway at Heathrow as “unlikely” as he vowed to march onto the west London airport’s “turf” by opening up new routes to the Far East and other emerging economies.

Under an agreement with the local community, a second runway could not be built before 2019.

In an interview with The Standard, he was very sceptical about the idea of a Heath-Wick “virtual hub” airport, by joining up Gatwick and Heathrow with a fast rail link, stressing that it would be expected to cost billions.

The proposals for a “Boris island” airport in the Thames Estuary faced economic, safety and access challenges, he added.

Mr Wingate, a former managing director at Stansted, emphasised that Gatwick could expand until the mid-2020s with the use of the existing runway and currently has plans for 45 million passengers a year.

Under an agreement with the local community, a second runway could not be built before 2019……

Full article at The Evening Standard here……

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Nicholas Cecil
Evening Standard
28 March 2012

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Ministers to rethink original decision that ruled out 3rd Heathrow runway

Top Tories admit:  “We got it wrong on third runway at Heathrow”

Ministers to rethink decision to rule out runway after warning that trade will move elsewhere unless airport expanded

Radical options to increase airport capacity in the south-east – including developing RAF Northolt on the edge of London – are being urgently considered by the government amid growing fears that its decision to rule out a third runway at Heathrow is choking off economic growth ……..

Read the full story at The Guardian