A snowstorm that pushed across London on Sunday brought Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest in the world, to a virtual halt as airlines canceled numerous flights and planes were stranded at gates. Passengers described scenes of confusion and frustration. Some people boarded planes and waited for hours on the tarmac, only to have their flights canceled. Passengers waited for hours in lines that wound through the airport to speak with airline representatives. Many arriving flights were diverted.
A spokeswoman for British Airways, whose primary hub is Heathrow, said she did not know how many flights had been canceled, diverted or delayed. She said cancellations and delays were expected to continue into Monday.
“We’re very sorry that our customers’ travel plans have been affected by severe weather conditions,” the spokeswoman said in an email. “Heavy rain overnight and snowfall in the U.K. this morning, combined with a reduction in the number of flights able to land at Heathrow have caused disruption to our flight schedule.”
Some passengers said on Twitter that they waited more than 12 hours at Heathrow. Others said they were not allowed to retrieve their luggage after their flights were canceled.
A representative for Heathrow did not respond to an email seeking comment on Sunday evening. On its website, Heathrow said disruptions were expected on Monday because planes and crew members needed for the flights had not been able to reach the airport.
“We’re working with our airline partners to return aircraft to where they need to be, and full service recovery remains the focus,” the airport said.
The snowstorm brought 10 inches of snow to parts of the London region, with some areas seeing the most snowfall in about five years. Passengers said far less snow fell at Heathrow, which is about 13 miles west of the center of London.
Na wa o
ReplyDelete