Latest posts by Martin Moodie (see all)
- Of Wipha, woes and postponed Wonders - July 20, 2025
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- From a symbol of Ethiopia’s rising to a FAB-ulous foodie experience - June 24, 2025
After three weeks in the UK I have been back on the road – starting with the 36,000 feet above ground version of it – over the past few days, albeit on a journey that has had more twists and turns than the Marina Bay Formula 1 Street Circuit in Singapore.
I flew out of London Heathrow – my regular haunt during the first 18 years of The Moodie Davitt Report’s history – en route to Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru. I was looking forward to spending a couple of hours visiting the Heathrow Terminal 5 shopping and dining offer but ended up getting more like a couple of minutes.
That was due to a British Airways snarl-up, which saw multiple boarding cards – including mine – rejected at the pre-security scanning machines. I had a second boarding card issue with exactly the same result. Sent back to the check-in desk again, I was quickly joined by around 50 other equally alarmed passengers.
The staff tried their best. But the lack of communication with any managerial power in such a situation was distressing.
“No-one’s picking up,” the by now increasingly harassed check-in assistant told no-one in particular as she sought help by phone. I felt for her but her feeling of helplessness hardly filled all those increasingly worried about making their flights with confidence.
Eventually her colleague got the green light to lead us through the pre-security area manually, one by one. It was well past my 13:00 boarding time for my 13:40 flight to Bengaluru at a distant B gate I would have to reach by the Heathrow Transit Train.
I held my breath as my electronics-filled bag went through the security scanner and let out an audible sigh of relief (accompanied by, I admit, a familiar expletive, albeit one expressed in thankful terms) when it was let through without a secondary check.
So the photos you see below were taken on the run, evidence enough though of what a remarkable cash machine Heathrow Airport retail represents.
Despite a tranquil enough flight to Bengaluru, my travails were not over. Little did I know as I prowled the wonderful Bengaluru Duty Free arrivals store (a joint venture between Bangalore International Airport Limited and Avolta) what lay ahead.
As the ‘final bag’ message came up on the allocated BA119 baggage belt at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, mine, was not it. And, yes, you guessed it, British had not loaded the baggage of those affected by the Heathrow technology breakdown.
“It wasn’t loaded at Heathrow, Sir,” confirmed the helpful BA man at the lost luggage department, promising that my suitcase would be on the next flight due to arrive 24 hours hence.
At least I was better off than a fellow passenger, a mother travelling with several family members.
“How many bags are you missing Ma’am?”
“Eleven.”
I duly made my weary, early morning way to the nearby Taj Bangalore, surely one of the world’s best airport hotels.
There I was due to join up with my Moodie Davitt STUDIO colleague Alexander Roux to shoot the second edition of Airport Wonders of the World, our film series dedicated, as the name suggests, to the greatest gateways on the planet.
I use the past tense – was – for good reason. For Alexander’s efforts to fly into Hong Kong from Sanya, Hainan and then on to Bengaluru were scuppered by the imminent – and as I write, actual – arrival of Typhoon Wipha.
This morning local time the Hong Kong Observatory raised the 10 storm signal, as the hurricane-force Wipha descended ferociously on China’s southern coast. “Do not go outside and stay away from exposed windows and doors. Make sure you have a safe place to shelter,” the government weather agency warned.
Wipha’s Thai female origin means ‘splendour’ or ‘lustre’ but neither of those qualities comes to mind right now as the SAR feels the full onslaught of her terrible power. The photos below from my neighbourhood WhatsApp group in Discovery Bay confirm the early onslaught.
So far Airport Authority Hong Kong and its airline partners have been forced to cancel some 500 weekend flights, though it says some 400 could resume from late afternoon as Wipha moves away from the city. It says Hong Kong International will be “very busy” on Sunday night to disperse up to 100,000 passengers.
One of them, hopefully, will be me. My twice-delayed flight is now due to arrive in Hong Kong from Bengaluru at 22.05. Alas, Airport Wonders of the World, now postponed, will have to wait. Wipha has seen to that. ✈