Airliners-India.com

selecta · Member Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 813 Location: ORD

Martin Wainwright
Saturday January 6, 2007
The Guardian
source

Bristol International was left in chaos at the height of the budget winter holiday season yesterday after three airlines refused to operate flights because of fears about the main runway. British Airways and the low-price charter operator XL joined easyJet in a boycott after complaints about braking safety in wet weather on resurfaced tarmac.

EasyJet diverted or cancelled 63 services. British Airways moved five flights to Cardiff and XL cancelled a flight to Egypt and transferred passengers to Gatwick to catch a delayed replacement.

Toby Nicol, of easyJet, said: "Any further rain will continue to prevent flights from Bristol. The airport has been laying a new runway and they have not had a chance to cut grooves into the surface. This is having an effect on braking distances on the runway in wet weather."

Last week a plane operated by the Guernsey airline Aurigny with 52 passengers overshot the main runway on landing. An easyJet flight to Malaga also strayed into the safety zone while taxiing to take off.

Paul Davies, operations director for the airport, said: "We are reviewing the situation and keeping airlines updated."

Passengers complained they were getting meagre information with most of their news coming from the radio or friends ringing on mobiles. Brett Haywood, 26, due to fly to Glasgow for a murder mystery weekend with 31 other people, said: "It's still raining so it looks like the plane won't take off."

Passengers whose flights were cancelled will be refunded or transferred free to other easyJet flights within the month.
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