Snow causes chaos at UK airports
Heavy snowfall in the UK has caused widespread flight cancellations at UK airports. The snowstorm – labelled ‘the beast from the east’ due to its Siberian origins – has shut down several UK airports and grounded hundreds of flights.
Yesterday many of Scotland’s airports cancelled flights and suspended services, though some flights have been arriving into Edinburgh airport today. London’s Heathrow airport has been the worst hit by the snow, with around 200 flights having been proactively cancelled in order to keep the remaining 1,000-plus departures and arrivals on time.
The cold snap, also called Storm Emma, has caused the UK Met Office to raise the weather warning for certain areas of the country to a Red Warning – a rare level for the UK.
At other London airports, Gatwick and Luton, budget airline operator easyJet has cancelled dozens of arrivals and departures, while British Airways has cancelled around 150 flights. Virgin Atlantic has grounded several US-bound flights, including those to Boston, Miami, Seattle and Washington DC.
Passengers have been reminded that those passengers that have had flights cancelled or heavily delayed are not entitled to cash compensation from their airline, but says that the airline has a duty to provide accommodation and food to travellers.