If the aircraft was landing north on a north-south runway, it would need to compensate for this easterly drift caused by the west crosswind.
It was said that aircraft could only take off with a 12-knot crosswind, but it has been shown that modern aircraft can take off in a 20-knot crosswind.
Realignment to the extent under consideration is likely to reduce the crosswind usability of the airport very slightly but not below that regarded as acceptable for a major international airport.
The number of air transport flights diverted or cancelled because of crosswinds during 1966 was 65.
It was not just in the couple of months when the crosswinds were particularly prevalent that we found ourselves diverted.
Between 0730 and 1000 hours the crosswind averaged 23 knots with gusts to 38 knots, and 7 flights were cancelled or diverted.
It is very different from a motorway; it is not on an embankment and it does not suffer from crosswinds.
The equivalent figures with increased use of the crosswind runway are 800 and 200 respectively.
