Snow on the ground causes chaos in the air
Written by NickHeavy snow that started to fall yesterday and has continued throughout today has had a serious impact on the UK’s major airports including Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted and Luton Airports.
With some areas of kent experiencing up to 10 inches of snow, rail networks, bus routes and many roads have all been badly affected meaning that thousands of people have been unable to get to work.
At Heathrow Airport near London, a Cyprus Airways flight slipped off a taxiway due to the snow and icy conditions, passengers aboard the flight were unharmed. BAA (British Airports Authority) said the front wheel of the plane landed in the grass area and they were in the process of recovering the plane from where it stopped.
Further impact of the severe weather include…
- All flights from Heathrow Terminal 5 have been cancelled and the northern runway at Heathrow remaining closed.
- London City, Luton and Southampton Airports are closed. Norwich and Leeds Bradford Airports that were initially closed have now reopened.
- BAA has issued a warning to all passengers travelling to and from Heathrow and Stansted airports to expect “significant delays and cancellations”.
- BAA Scotland said four flights from Glasgow to Heathrow and London City were cancelled and one to Cardiff.
- BA says 65 flights have so far been cancelled, while 73 Ryanair flights are grounded.
- Although Gatwick is open, fewer aircraft are able to take off. Some 23 flights had to be cancelled and 18 diverted to other airports after Gatwick closed its runway for two hours on Sunday evening.
- There is no service on the Gatwick Express.
Passengers that are due to fly out today are being urged to double-check their flights before they begin their journeys.
Tags: delay
