England+ireland Covered In Fog

[john shaw]

Well its came with a bite,Heathrows closed,British Airways have cancelled all domestic flights today-thursday21st-backlog will take 2 days,and theres me flying out on saturday-first of all i have to get to heathrow-just checking out available ferries to scotland-long haul flights are getting priority,but this fog is taking its time to dissapate

[taxexile]

the high pressure system that is responsible for the fog is forecast to remain until after xmas.

[taxexile]

Misery for thousands as flights cancelled

By David Millward, Transport Correspondent and Roland Hancock

Last Updated: 8:59pm GMT 20/12/2006

Video: Thousands stranded at Heathrow

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled tomorrow as a blanket of fog over Heathrow continued to throw the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers into disarray.

Millions of people are heading abroad for Christmas

British Airways has scrapped all domestic flights out of Heathrow for the second day running and a number of other shorthaul services, to Paris and Brussels, are also set to be cut.

Other airlines are also likely to fall victim to the bad weather conditions which have hit Heathrow on one of the busiest periods of the year, with more than 190,000 people due to use the airport a day.

“We are planning for a really tough 48 hours,” a BAA spokesman said.

“We have been speaking to the Met Office and the bad weather is here for the next 48 hours.

“Plans are being made to manage the disruption as best we can. So far Gatwick and Stansted have been unaffected, how we cope will depend conditions there as well.

“The Christmas period is right up there with the August Bank Holiday in terms of demand.

“We had hoped to avoid serious security delays by drafting in 500 extra staff, but there is no way you can budget for the weather.”

In a statement tonight, BA said that it has so far cancelled around 180 shorthaul and domestic flights to and from London Heathrow on Thursday out of a normal daily total of 400 shorthaul flights.

It said: “Customers are urged to continually check ba.com for the latest news or contact British Airways on 0800 727 800 to see if their flight is still operating.

“This situation is beyond British Airways’ control and is affecting all airlines operating at London Heathrow.”

The airport is only expected to be able to manage around 50 per cent of the normal landing and take-off rates throughout tomorrow, the airline said.

There were chaotic scenes at Heathrow yesterday as 223 flights - 160 of which were operated by BA - were cancelled as a result of the weather.

The atmosphere at the airport was one of resignation, with passengers trying to lift each other’s spirits following the long list of cancellations and delays on the terminal departure boards.

In terminal two so many people crammed into the check-in hall that it was impossible to ease a trolley around but that did not stop people trying.

By the late afternoon officials had resorted to identifying the old and infirm and finding space on the few available seats for them.

“It’s been like this all day,” said one airport worker, “It happened as soon as I got on the tube to come to work. People saw the fluorescent jacket and started asking me questions about what was going on. Then I knew it was going to be one of those shifts.”

Jan Robertson, 60, a retired nurse from Ross-on-Wye, was in tears after being told that she and her husband Robbie, also 60, would not be reunited with their son, James, a charity worker who had been in in Pakistan’s devastated earthquake zone since February.

The family had been planning a reunion in Nice.

“We got here at six o’clock in the morning, but now it looks like we’ll have to go back home tonight and get the log fire going for Christmas. We won’t see James this year,” said Mr Robertson, a retired engineer.

Driving conditions are also likely to be treacherous in many parts of the country and the Highways Agency urged motorists to allow extra time for their journey.

A Heathrow spokesman said passengers should monitor the situation on its own website or with the airline involved.

daily telegraph.

[john shaw]

the high pressure system that is responsible for the fog is forecast to remain until after xmas.

Your right taxexile,we are booked on a flight from Belfast/heathrow on saturday,looking at the ferry to Scotland for friday lunchtime,spend night at kings cross and out to LHR sat afternoon,bit of hassle-wife+kids with me

[taxexile]

sounds grim , the type of grimy grimness that only cancelled travel plans and a foggy and cold december day in blighty can conspire to produce.

probably better off at home with the tv and a full stomach than at heathrow with that awful combination of the stiff upper lip and contained anger so beloved of the british under stress.

hope you manage to get away soon.