Storm Isha caused dozens of flights to divert over the weekend, with many having to land in mainland Europe. The storm – which covered most of the UK – forced the cancellation of more than 100 flights and many delays.
Dublin with more than 160 flights canceled
This particularly affected Ryanair, as its hub in Dublin (DUB) saw more than 160 flight cancellations and saw several other diversions, according to Kevin Cullinane, head of communications group at DAA, the operator of Dublin airport.
The airport also recorded 36 flight diversions and 34 planes were forced going around – when pilots choose to abort the landing procedure.
A Ryanair flight from Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, to Dublin, almost reached the Irish capital, before turning around and diverting to Bordeaux, , without attempting to land:
Ryanair flight # FR5911 from Lanzarote to Dublin fun to… Bordeaux #StormIsha
https://t.co/kaqmMB66aT pic.twitter.com/aWnHY6hQFI- Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) January 21, 2024
Heathrow and Dublin were the worst hit
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Dublin Airport (DUB) are among the airports most affected by the storm. At Heathrow, there were more than 110 cancellations and 155 delays on Sunday, with British Airways alone canceling around 80 flights.
According to CNN, Steve Fox, head of network operations at NATS, said: “Isha made her presence felt in the south of England and Ireland, where winds were gusting to 70-75mph to the southwest, which meant crosswinds at our main airports in the south, with wind shear and turbulence adding extra challenges. for flight crews.”
A Ryanair flight, from Manchester to Dublin, attempted to land, but had to take a detour and was sent to Beauvais airport in Paris. Likewise, another Manchester-Dublin flight ran between the United Kingdom and Ireland for more than three hours. The pilot attempted to land in Belfast, but had to make a detour, circling over Glasgow before landing in Liverpool – just 50km away from the departure airport.
FR816, which was supposed to make the one-hour flight from Shannon to Edinburgh, flew to Scotland and was then diverted to Cologne, :
Throwing – safety procedure
Although it may seem scary, the procedure aims to ensure safety. It is clear that the disruptions are enormous, especially when they involve a high number of flights and engers, but it is important to emphasize that this is normal.
A pilot who landed at London Heathrow and had to deal with winds of almost 104 mph at 3.000 feet told CNN: “Getting the aircraft to the ground safely is a huge team effort in circumstances like yesterday. (…) It's all part of a day's work for an airline pilot. We train for these extreme events and plan for success, but we also consider our contingencies in great detail. Yesterday we allowed enough fuel for an additional approach if necessary, extra holding and even a diversion to an airport where the wind was not as sharp.”
