An Emirates Airbus A380 was exceptionally allowed to take off from London Heathrow Airport overnight this week.
The plane, registered A6-EUM, with the number EK4, was scheduled to depart from the English airport towards Dubai International Airport last Wednesday evening at 8:40 pm local time. However, the UAE was hit by heavy rain this week, which also affected operations at Dubai Airport. Many flights were canceled and many were significantly delayed. The A380 also had to deal with the latter.
Restrictions on night flights
London Heathrow Airport has had to deal with restrictions on the operation of night flights since 1962. The English government recorded this twenty years later in Civil Aviation Law. Every year, 5,800 take-offs and landings (3,250 in the summer season and 2,550 in the winter) can be carried out at night at the airport. Restrictions apply between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM and between 11:30 PM and 6:00 AM. The second is known as Night class Period (NQP) The limit applies to the number of flight movements. In addition, all types of aircraft are not permitted to depart and land at Heathrow Airport during both periods.
Exception for A380
The A380 is one of those planes that, according to the book, should not take off at night. London Heathrow Airport has already warned that severe weather in the UAE could mean some machines will not be able to depart until later in the day. The super jumbo plane took off towards Dubai at 1:30 am. The plane finally arrived in the UAE at 10:40 a.m. local time, about four hours later than initially scheduled for the requested flight.
