Derry Airport

Davidth88

Hi,

Anyone know whats happening up there , was it taken over by bad mgmt or something.

It's been closed down by the CAA

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6689977.stm

Ryanair announced a new route into there yesterday as well !

I only remember this because of the leased Ryanair ( can't remember who was operating it ) jet landing at the wrong airport last year ( anyone else remember that on the news )

Sponge Bob

runway drainage , meeting ongoing in CAA HQ right now.

TBH known runway drainage 'issues' mean the CAA must have had a few scares reported by pilots aquaplaning along on takeoff or landing .

Ryanair , at least, know their way to the military airport 5 miles east ( runway alignment the same ) . I'll bet micko will make the RAF an offer they can't refuse

Davidth88

So why didn't they make more fuss and close Lulsgate last year ( Bristol ) ?

Perhaps they learnt from that one.

They also said something about no bird scaring policy in place , also flooding in parking place .

Ryanair , at least, know their way to the military airport 5 miles east ( runway alignment the same )

Have a look on GoogleEarth , those two airfields look very similar and are perfectly aligned , I suppose the prevailing winds are the same , and these were both built during WWII I guess.

What was shocking on that episode was that
a) The pilots had no maps as such of their arrival airport ( they were sanctioned for this afterwards ).
b) The ATC didn't notice that when he said ' clear to land ' there wasn't an aircraft in sight ( It wasn't foggy )

any pilots out there care to comment ( anon of course )

ednwireland

every flight i'velanded there on they've always slammed it hard into the runway even on dry days but i thought this was to prevent aquaplaning (since the route started in 2001) amazing its taken this long if it was a problem.
always great to hear people screaming on a flight

Steyr

I think pilots also reported poor braking on runway breaking tests, especially in the wet.

knighted

Davidth88 wrote:

Hi,

Anyone know whats happening up there , was it taken over by bad mgmt or something.

It's been closed down by the CAA

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6689977.stm

Ryanair announced a new route into there yesterday as well !

I only remember this because of the leased Ryanair ( can't remember who was operating it ) jet landing at the wrong airport last year ( anyone else remember that on the news )

wasnt that the doomed eirjet operation that landed at the wrong airport ?chartered? to ryanair-

RoundyMooney

It was indeed.

pclancy

Yeah remember reading about that....Was it defo Ryanair if it was an a320? They made a visual approach to the wrong airport as they believed the ILS to be incorrect and didnt haev the right charts to tell them about the ex-RAF airfield?

http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/january_2007/airbus_a320__ei_dij.cfm

Or is that the wrong incident alltogether..

Fabio

Same one I think

therecklessone

pclancy wrote:

Yeah remember reading about that....Was it defo Ryanair if it was an a320? They made a visual approach to the wrong airport as they believed the ILS to be incorrect and didnt haev the right charts to tell them about the ex-RAF airfield?

http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/january_2007/airbus_a320__ei_dij.cfm

Or is that the wrong incident alltogether..

Eirjet A320 on lease to Ryanair.

PCros

From RTE:

The City of Derry Airport is to re-open to commercial flights with effect from midnight tonight.

Derry City Council has siad the Airport Authority has worked over the weekend to complete the remedial works agreed with the British Civil Aviation Authority.

The airport, under its safety management system, carried out an airport audit which was forwarded to the Civil Aviation Authority.

AdvertisementA further joint inspection by the CAA and the Airport Authority was completed yesterday. Both parties were satisfied that the airport could re-open from midnight tonight.

British Airways will operate its full programme of flights to Glasgow and Dublin. All charter flights to holiday destinations will operate as scheduled by First Choice and Falcon holidays. Ryanair will resume their flights to London Stansted, East Midlands, Prestwick and Liverpool with effect from Wednesday.

Victor

Davidth88 wrote:

Have a look on GoogleEarth , those two airfields look very similar and are perfectly aligned , I suppose the prevailing winds are the same , and these were both built during WWII I guess.

One has a railway running through it (across the runway), the other doesn't. One is an army base, the other a civilian airport. But the maps were the big problem.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6250950.stm

Airport in need of greater safety

Considerable work is required to ensure safety management is implemented and maintained at City of Derry Airport, an official inquiry has concluded.
The airport was closed for four days at the end of May when the Civil Aviation Authority suspended its licence because of safety concerns.

It said there had been a systematic failure of safety.

The inquiry said "gaps" were observed at all levels in rectification, reporting and training at the airport.

Last month, hundreds were stranded when the airport was closed on a bank holiday weekend over the safety concerns.

In his report published on Thursday, aviation expert Peter Hampson said some staff believed their competence for the number and variety of tasks they undertook was often insufficient due to minimal training.

Most staff were required to "multi-task", with the Fire Service performing the majority of functions - including baggage handling, bird control, aircraft marshalling, aerodrome inspections and aircraft fuelling.


'Root and branch'

Mr Hampson said efforts to rectify the shortcomings at the airport should "continue without delay".

A comprehensive training programme for all staff should be implemented, as well as improved communications, he said.

"The airport operator should now give immediate consideration to a review of the operational structure, allocation of duties and communications at all levels to ensure that the resources, policies, procedures and safety management system in place at CODA (City of Derry Airport) accurately reflect the scale and frequency of operations taking place."

He added: "It is acknowledged by all parties that considerable work in a number of areas is required to ensure an appropriate and robust safety management system is fully implemented and maintained at City of Derry Airport."

However, the inquiry author said the prompt response by Derry City Council and the airport management team to address some of the issues raised following the withdrawal of the license had been acknowledged by the CAA as commendable.

Responding to the inquiry, members of the council's airport committee said it had been a difficult period for everyone involved and reiterated "the importance of establishing the full facts".

An agreed resolution on Thursday said it had commissioned "a root and branch examination of the safety management systems".

"In the interim, we have demanded that all information is brought to City of Derry Airport Committee and we will be appointing a safety assurance officer who will report directly to this committee," said the council.