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Guardian
Virgin Atlantic and British Airways tell MPs Gatwick embarrassed its bigger rival by coping better with December's extreme weather.Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, was only operating a fraction of its normal schedule during December's snow disruption.Heathrow was slow in preparing for the snowstorms that crippled Britain's largest airport in December while Gatwick embarrassed its bigger rival by coping better with the wintry weather,two leading airlines alleged on Tuesday.
Virgin Atlantic also told MPs that the media and ministers were told ahead of passengers and airlines about the reopening of Heathrow's second runway,the airport was paralysed for four days in the wake of a severe snow storm on 18 December.
Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic's chief executive, said the airline began preparing for heavy snow days before the heavy showers arrived, but did not notice Heathrow owner BAA making similar preparations.
"We were disappointed that we did not appear to see the same early approach to activating the plan," Ridgway told the House of Commons transport committee.
Corneel Koster, the airline's director of operations,said the snow plan that had been drawn up by BAA had only received a cursory consultation before December. "It was a slight, light consultation," Koster said.
Koster added that Gatwick, which was sold by BAA in 2009 sold by BAA in 2009,also ran a smoother operation during the mid-December snow. "Gatwick implemented a much more integrated approach to working with the airlines."
British Airways director of operations Andrew Lord was more conciliatory, arguing that the severity of the snow storm should be taken into account."The plan that was published for a significant snow event was robust.We should all recognise that the event that occurred ..was a severe event."Lord added that there were "clearly" lessons that Heathrow could take from Gatwick's performance. "The way Gatwick has learned over the past 18 months is probably the best example."
Both airlines called for a new regulatory regime that will fine airport owners for poor performance such as the Heathrow fiasco."The government found it frustrating in December that, like the airlines, they had so little power and resources." BA's Lord warned that fines could be passed on to passengers, in a reference to the threat of higher landing fees or steeper car parking charges.
Colin Matthews, BAA chief executive,told the committee the main lesson from the snow crisis was that greater co-operation is vital, including a system to implement rail-style emergency timetables during the next crisis.
"We have to be able to have an authoritative version of an emergency timetable. That's what they have in the rail industry," said Matthews, who gave up his annual bonus following heavy criticism gave up his annual bonus following heavy criticism.
Matthews explained he would create a group comprised of chief executives from airlines, the aviation regulator and the national air traffic controller that would co-operate on establishing emergency timetables at Heathrow.
"It would be better in terms of disruption to get an executive group and not have that free-for-all [for take off and landing slots]."
A BAA-funded report into the snow chaos will be published later this month.
Virgin Atlantic and British Airways tell MPs Gatwick embarrassed its bigger rival by coping better with December's extreme weather.Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, was only operating a fraction of its normal schedule during December's snow disruption.Heathrow was slow in preparing for the snowstorms that crippled Britain's largest airport in December while Gatwick embarrassed its bigger rival by coping better with the wintry weather,two leading airlines alleged on Tuesday.
Virgin Atlantic also told MPs that the media and ministers were told ahead of passengers and airlines about the reopening of Heathrow's second runway,the airport was paralysed for four days in the wake of a severe snow storm on 18 December.
Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic's chief executive, said the airline began preparing for heavy snow days before the heavy showers arrived, but did not notice Heathrow owner BAA making similar preparations.
"We were disappointed that we did not appear to see the same early approach to activating the plan," Ridgway told the House of Commons transport committee.
Corneel Koster, the airline's director of operations,said the snow plan that had been drawn up by BAA had only received a cursory consultation before December. "It was a slight, light consultation," Koster said.
Koster added that Gatwick, which was sold by BAA in 2009 sold by BAA in 2009,also ran a smoother operation during the mid-December snow. "Gatwick implemented a much more integrated approach to working with the airlines."
British Airways director of operations Andrew Lord was more conciliatory, arguing that the severity of the snow storm should be taken into account."The plan that was published for a significant snow event was robust.We should all recognise that the event that occurred ..was a severe event."Lord added that there were "clearly" lessons that Heathrow could take from Gatwick's performance. "The way Gatwick has learned over the past 18 months is probably the best example."
Both airlines called for a new regulatory regime that will fine airport owners for poor performance such as the Heathrow fiasco."The government found it frustrating in December that, like the airlines, they had so little power and resources." BA's Lord warned that fines could be passed on to passengers, in a reference to the threat of higher landing fees or steeper car parking charges.
Colin Matthews, BAA chief executive,told the committee the main lesson from the snow crisis was that greater co-operation is vital, including a system to implement rail-style emergency timetables during the next crisis.
"We have to be able to have an authoritative version of an emergency timetable. That's what they have in the rail industry," said Matthews, who gave up his annual bonus following heavy criticism gave up his annual bonus following heavy criticism.
Matthews explained he would create a group comprised of chief executives from airlines, the aviation regulator and the national air traffic controller that would co-operate on establishing emergency timetables at Heathrow.
"It would be better in terms of disruption to get an executive group and not have that free-for-all [for take off and landing slots]."
A BAA-funded report into the snow chaos will be published later this month.
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