11/06/13

[rubberneck]

DUE

EC-LPM B712 VOA9361/9364 & 9363/9362

there are massive ATC flow restriction slots in force on these flights at present due to industrial action by French ATC.

Currently 9361 has a delay of 246mins with an eta of 1410, 9364 delay of 415mins etd 1720. No flight plan on 9363 as yet but 9362 has a delay of 319mins etd 2153.

As with ATC flow restrictions they can get reduced or removed all together - they can also be extended. As the delays are due to flow restrictions the flights will still show on the airport flight screens with an unchanged eta until the flight is airborne - the etd will also not change.

Just to show how things change as I have been typing this the situation has changed drastically.

now 9361 has a delay of 371mins with an eta of 1615, 9364 delay of 593mins etd 2017. 9363 has now filed but has delay of 510mins eta 0053, and 9362 remains with a delay of 319mins etd 2153.

Basically ATC flow restrictions are a pain in the a@#e and the flights will operate when they can so don't hold your breath.

[richie]

Thank you very much for that information, it's much appreciated.

[holdatcharlie]

Sounds like a messy day. My mother is due back from Benidorm on the 'afternoon' Alicante flight. Who knows when we will see her!

[richie]

Well EC-LPM finally arrived at 14:29.

[rubberneck]

N665P GLF5 eta 2145

[kirmingtonuser]

The BBC report that there was a request for 50% of French services to be cancelled today. As VOE 9361 begins the day as the 06.00 departure from Nantes to Palma, HUY is lucky to have any Volotea flights at all today.

[kirmingtonuser]

Flight VOE9363 from Alicante to HUY (due to depart 14.30) eventually took off at 20.16 local time.

[holdatcharlie]

Thanks. Latest ETA HUY was still showing 2230. Mum's going to be tired!

[kirmingtonuser]

Hopefully should arrive by 21.45 (assuming a 2 1/2 hour flight time).

[holdatcharlie]

I hope your right. It's just dissapeared off HUY arrivals page!!

[holdatcharlie]

Latest is that it has gone from Alicante but not to HUY - to Palma (for a crew change)! So will be latesr than 2230.

[holdatcharlie]

Well the saga finally ended at 12.15 yesterday afternoon. Mum (85) and her friend finally came through the arrivals doors looking remarkably fresh considering the ordeal they had been through. They certainly looked fresher than I did having been on 'stand-by' through the night!

She was tired so I couldn't get the full story of events from her but it sounded a confused timeline. Even yesterday morning there was trouble finding a crew to get them home - hence the change from 8.30am to 12.15. As they could not get any firm flight times (they were given several) they all had to stay in the terminal at Palma throughout the night. Bear in mind they did not have access to their suitcases which had been checked in at Alicante early on Tuesday!

Apparently there were a few minor mutinees but it seems that no-one, including Volotea personnel, had any idea what was happening. They did get two lots of vouchers for McDonalds at Palma though.

I found HUY staff as helpful as they could be when I rang. But they seemed to have no firm info to work on.

The strike seemed to get very little coverage in the press. People I spoke to about mum's plight were unaware of the strike. Has it spread to other ATCs as predicted? Were the problems with Volotea due to flying through French airspace or because the flight set out from Nantes early Tuesday?