So who is really in charge ?

Steve Brown · Post by **Steve Brown** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:03 pm

Not really just asking them to follow ICAO rules - which they didn't

http://www.skybrary.aero/bookshelf/book ... dium=email

Clouds (ash or moisture) are visible are they not

Steve

gasax · Post by **gasax** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:50 pm

The angle that the airlines are using their 'muscle' is perhaps inappropriate. Certainly they are to be congratulated on demonstrating that fear of a monster under the bed does not mean the monster is real.

Given that the Metoffice and NATS were unlikely to open UK airspace until there was virtually no likehood of any ash the airlines would simply have been queuing up for a state handout.

So hats off to them for calling the bluff of the 'precautionary' principle based soley on uncalibrated computer modelling.

John Price · Post by **John Price** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 7:20 pm

It's rearly very simple.
If you pay the Piper you call the tune.
And it would have taken 'REAL BOTTLE ' for the CAA to tell BA that they cannot enter the UK FIR.
I believe, but maybe mistaken, that BA had 19 inbound flights prior to any agreement with the CAA/NATS. All as instructed by Mr W. Walsh.

John.

Bob F · Post by **Bob F** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 7:32 pm

I can't blame Willy Walsh for his "call my bluff" but it still leaves Ron's question unanswered - Who really is in charge? I think we should know!

Dave Hall · Post by **Dave Hall** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:09 am

It was intriguing to watch the radar (well, ADS-B) plot that evening as various BA aircraft orbitted Shannon or some other area waiting for clearances. One even went down to Paris before returning to Heathrow. There were various other companies doing similar things - Thomas Cook from The Canaries, and DHL for example.

Thanks to UKGA.com for the link to this site.
http://www.flightradar24.com/