Imagine this: You’re standing in Heathrow’s control tower, 285 feet above the ground. Below you, a mesmerizing ballet of planes unfolds. Jets gracefully taxi along the runways, leaving trails of smoke in their wake. To the east, you can spot iconic landmarks like Wembley Stadium and The Shard, while the west offers a breathtaking view of planes descending for landing, their lights forming a twinkling chain against the night sky.
This panoramic view, however, isn’t just beautiful; it also provides a crucial window into the unpredictable world of weather. One minute, the skies are clear, and the next, thunderous cumulonimbus clouds roll in, forcing a plane to abort its landing. This dramatic scene showcases the challenges Heathrow faces, especially during winter.
Bracing for the Big Freeze
Heathrow is no stranger to snow and ice, and the airport’s operations manager, Mike McKee, knows that winter is a time for heightened vigilance. While global warming may be changing weather patterns, the threat of extreme cold and snowfall remains.
The chilling memory of the 2010 blizzard, which brought Heathrow to a standstill for days, still lingers. Snow blanketed the airport, disrupting operations and leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The airport was criticized for its lack of preparedness, leading to a £50 million investment to improve its snow-clearing capabilities.
Fighting Back Against the Elements
Today, Heathrow is better equipped to handle winter weather. The airport has a dedicated fleet of 130 specialized snow-clearing vehicles, including powerful runway sweepers and high-pressure-jet sweepers that can blast away snow from even the most confined areas. A dedicated team of 360 workers is ready to combat the icy conditions, with over 1,200 contractors on call to support their efforts.
But even with these impressive resources, the battle against winter’s wrath is far from over. The 2013 and 2017 snowstorms, which caused significant delays and cancellations, serve as a stark reminder that even a moderate snowfall can cripple operations.
A Plan for Survival
Heathrow’s Snow Plan Airside outlines a comprehensive strategy for managing winter weather events. If the risk of snowfall exceeds 30%, a meeting is held four hours before the expected arrival of the storm. The primary goal is to control the flow of passengers and aircraft, minimizing disruptions and preventing the chaos that can arise from bottlenecks.
Departure delays are a common consequence of winter weather, and de-icing, a crucial process to prevent ice build-up on aircraft, can pose a significant challenge. Heathrow has implemented a de-icing drive-through at Terminal 5, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce delays.
Comparing Strategies: From Oslo to Heathrow
Heathrow’s efforts are impressive, but other airports around the world have their own innovative approaches to winter weather. Amsterdam’s Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle boast extensive snow-clearing fleets, while Oslo’s Gardermoen airport stands out with its fleet of autonomous snowploughs, making it a champion in winter preparedness.
Heathrow recognizes its need to improve, and while it may not be able to achieve the same level of winter mastery as Oslo, the airport is determined to be ready for the next snowstorm.
The Snow Plan Airside acknowledges that complete elimination of disruptions is impossible, but Heathrow will strive to keep operations running as smoothly as possible. However, there will be times when the airport must succumb to the forces of nature, as evidenced by the 90-minute closure of Oslo airport during a particularly heavy snowstorm.
Winter weather presents a formidable challenge to Heathrow, but the airport is prepared to face it head-on. With a commitment to continuous improvement, Heathrow hopes to minimize disruptions and keep passengers moving, even when the snow is falling.
