Bad weather leads to travel chaos at Heathrow

12 December 2017 06:55

50,000 passengers are said to be affected

50,000 passengers are said to be affected

Treacherous weather conditions have grounded dozens of flights at the UK's busiest airport.

Officials at Heathrow Airport say a quarter of flights have been cancelled because of the weekend's snow that has now turned to ice amid plummeting temperatures.

Thousands affected

News reports suggest there are 50,000 passengers affected, and 160 British Airways flights have been grounded.

A spokeswoman for Heathrow has confirmed there have been cancelled flights which has caused disruption.

She says the airport remains open and is operating three-quarters of scheduled flights, but advises passengers to check their flight status with their airline before coming to the airport.

She added: "The safety and comfort of our passengers is always our first priority and we are working closely with our airlines to ensure affected passengers are looked after. We apologise to those whose travel has been impacted and regret the inconveniences that have been caused."

Travellers can protect themselves financially against many unexpected cancellations and have added peace of mind by taking out worldwide travel insurance.

Going viral

Passengers have been sharing their cancellation woes and pictures of the long queues, including Beth Kanterwho said the British Airways flight she boarded was cancelled on Sunday after six hours on the tarmac

Ms Kanterwho, a non-profit and charities consultant from San Francisco, has been told by BA that the airline would not pay for a hotel because the bad weather is an "act of God".

Responding to the chaos, British Airways released a statement, saying: "We understand how frustrating this experience is for customers and we are offering refunds for those who no longer wish to travel from Heathrow today or tomorrow regardless of whether their flight is cancelled or not."

Passengers are able to rebook their flights until December 18 and the airline has additional staff on its call centres to deal with enquiries.

Latest news

More
NEWS HOME NEWS ARCHIVE
Get a Quote
Even with medical screening it's quick and easy online.
Or call us on 0345 90 80 161
Get quote
Click here if you are a non UK resident or have already travelled.