Disruption continues at Gatwick Airport for a fourth day as thick fog causes flight cancellations and delays during the airport’s busy holiday period.
A spokesperson for the airport has confirmed that air restrictions will be kept in place because of low visibility in airfields affected by fog.
“London Gatwick apologises for any inconvenience,” they said, adding: “Passengers should contact their airline for further information.”
One of the airport’s largest airline operators, easyJet, confirmed a number of flights were delayed or cancelled due to the knock on impact of delays caused by the weather.
It follows three days of disruption at the UK’s busiest airports, with less severe delays seen across the weekend at Stansted, Heathrow, Luton, Gatwick, and Manchester Airports.
Patches of thick fog could reduce visibility to just 100 metres in some areas, the Met Office said.
The forecaste has also issued yellow weather warnings affecting the whole country which will last across the New Year period. Heavy rain, snow and winds are predicted, beginning in Scotland and travelling southwards between 31 December and 1 January.
Key Points
- Thousands of passengers disrupted as fog hits Gatwick flights for fourth day
- Where are the Met Office yellow warnings on 31 December?
- Gatwick delays and diversions intensify – Simon Calder
- How do I qualify for a cash payout if my flight is delayed?
Thousands of passengers disrupted as fog hits Gatwick flights for fourth day
08:56
Albert Toth
Flight restrictions remain in place at Gatwick Airport for a fourth day because of fog, disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers.
More than 20 flights planned for the West Sussex airport on Monday were cancelled in advance and passengers are being warned of delays throughout the day.
Flights at the UK’s second busiest airport have been disrupted since Friday because of fog.
A Gatwick spokesperson said: “Temporary air traffic restrictions have been put in place due to fog causing poor visibility.
“Some flights may be delayed throughout the day.
“London Gatwick apologises for any inconvenience.
“Passengers should contact their airline for further information.”
Passengers on flights delayed by more than two hours may be entitled to assistance, including food and drink or overnight accommodation if necessary.
Weather warnings December 30-31
06:00
Barney Davis
How long will the icy, wet and windy weather last?
05:04
Barney Davis
Northerly winds will draw cold air across the UK. Showers of rain and sleet will turn increasingly to snow, especially across the north, and coasts which are exposed to the onshore wind.
This cold, showery northerly may persist in the east, as high pressure builds in the Atlantic brings a period of more settled weather to western areas.
There is also a chance that rain may move in from the south over the first weekend of January, falling as snow as it runs into colder air. Into the following week, a fairly changeable picture is probable.
Wettest and windiest weather in the north and west, whilst the south and east will more likely remain more settled overall.
How do I qualify for a cash payout if my flight is delayed?
04:00
Barney Davis
If you are flying from a UK/EU airport or on a British/ European airline and are delayed in arrival by at least three hours, the presumption is that you are owed hundreds of pounds in compensation.
The payment depends on distance:
The only way the airline can avoid paying out is by demonstrating “extraordinary circumstances” were responsible.
extraordinary circumstances refers to “political instability, meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned, security risks, unexpected flight safety shortcomings and strikes”.
Flight delays: What rights do you have to compensation if your plane is late?
01:00
Barney Davis
Met Office wind, rain and snow warnings over coming days
Sunday 29 December 2024 23:10
Barney Davis
⚠️
— Met4Cast° (@Met4CastUK) December 29, 2024
Met Office wind, rain & snow warnings issued over the next few days. Lots of weather to keep an eye on! pic.twitter.com/Aj3f75luyy
Met office chief says volatile week looking complicated to predict
Sunday 29 December 2024 21:04
Barney Davis
Met Office chief forecaster Andy Page said the forecast for the upcoming week was “complicated” and urged people to check the forecast regularly in order to update their plans.
He said: “Almost the entire UK is covered by at least one weather warning during the coming week.
“With such a varied and complex weather situation, there is potential for the pattern of warnings to shift and possibly escalate in some areas.
“With lots of celebrations and people on the move over the coming days, we are urging everyone to keep checking the forecast so they can update their plans.”
Wales set for soggy start to New Year with potential flooding
Sunday 29 December 2024 19:04
Barney Davis
Those hoping to travel on New Year’s Day should check road conditions and public transport updates before embarking on their journeys.
In Wales, the new year will be off to a soggy start as the majority of the country is likely to be drenched by up to 60mm of rain causing delays for road transport, potential power cuts and flooding.
20cm snow persistent expected
Sunday 29 December 2024 18:17
Barney Davis
A yellow warning for “persistent snow” likely to cause travel disruption has been issued for Orkney and Shetland during Hogmanay.
The Met Office alert covers all of the islands and is in place from 5am all day on Tuesday.
Up to 20cm of snow are expected in the worst affected areas, mainly Mainland and Hoy, with 5 to 10cm predicted elsewhere.
Longer road journey times are likely as a result of difficult driving conditions, the forecaster warned.
Gatwick delays and diversions intensify
Sunday 29 December 2024 17:25
Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
Delays and cancellations are building up at London Gatwick, the world’s busiest single-runway airport. Around 60 flights to and from Gatwick have been grounded, affecting an estimated 9,000 passengers.
While Sunday morning started with only some modest waits of up to an hour, by lunchtime the average delay extended to two hours. Some departures were five hours behind schedule, including easyJet to Aberdeen.
The biggest airline at Gatwick, easyJet, has so far cancelled flights to Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Isle of Man, Berlin (two services), Munich, Basel, Geneva, Zurich and Innsbruck.
One easyJet inbound flight from Nice diverted to Bournemouth.
British Airways has cancelled flights to Bordeaux, Gran Canaria, Jersey and Geneva, while Wizz Air grounded its departure to Larnaca in Cyprus.
The Spanish low-cost airline Vueling has once again cancelled some inbound flights, from Asturias, Malaga, Seville, Santiago and Barcelona, to avoid them being caught with long delays to land and return to Spain.
Norwegian did the same from Bergen, Copenhagen (two services), Oslo, Stavanger, Stockholm and Trondheim.
Swiss grounded its flight from Zurich, as did TAP Portugal from Porto.
Cancellations are likely to increase into the evening as crews reach their maximum permitted hours.
Hogmanay under threat with 25cm snow expected
Sunday 29 December 2024 17:10
Barney Davis
For those celebrating Hogmanay, heavy downpours and snowfall may cause “significant disruption” across northern Scotland, with up to 140mm of rainfall on Monday and Tuesday.
Up to 20cm of snow may blanket areas of higher ground while strong winds have the potential to “exacerbate impacts”, creating “blizzard conditions” which could freeze powerlines.
A warning has also been issued for “persistent snow” likely to cause road disruption in Orkney and Shetland from 5am onwards on Tuesday.
The new year will be off to a turbulent start with separate weather warnings in place for snow, wind and rain on January 1.
Worst affected areas could be covered in up to 25cm of snow, including Central Tayside and Fife, the East Midlands, northern England and the Lothian borders.
Heathrow fog: What happens if my flight is cancelled?
Sunday 29 December 2024 16:15
Barney Davis
Nearly whole of UK under weather alerts from Monday to Thursday
Sunday 29 December 2024 15:15
Barney Davis
Heavy snow, rain and wind are set to hit the UK, causing travel disruption over New Year’s Eve and the majority of next week.
The Met Office has issued multiple weather warnings between Monday and Thursday, with nearly all of the country impacted by at least one alert.
In England and Northern Ireland, gusts of up to 70mph may lead to travel disruption on December 31, with delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport all likely, the forecaster has warned.
70mph winds expected to blast New Year’s Eve
Sunday 29 December 2024 14:15
Barney Davis
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for winds of up to 70mph that may cause travel disruption on New Year’s Eve.
The alert, in place from 7am until 11pm on Tuesday, covers most of Northern Ireland, including Londonderry, Tyrone, Antrim and Armagh, as well as just north of York in England up to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Greenock.
Delays to transport are likely, with gusts of up to 60mph expected in most areas, the forecaster has warned.
Those affected should check road conditions for driving and the latest travel information as well as preparing for in advance for potential power cuts.
In pictures: Cars driving in foggy conditions on the M20 near Folkestone in Kent
Sunday 29 December 2024 13:15
Barney Davis
Airport train cancellations add to passengers’ woes
Sunday 29 December 2024 12:40
Barney Davis
Staff shortage on the railways means thousands of airline passengers will find they cannot easily get to or from the airport.
CrossCountry has cancelled a number of trains serving Birmingham airport, blaming a shortage of drivers and train managers.
The rail firm says: “Services will be extremely busy and may be subject to last-minute changes and cancellations. Essential travel only between Bournemouth, Reading and Birmingham.”
This is the line that includes Birmingham International, the station serving the West Midlands airport.
Manchester airport’s railway station is seeing the usual Sunday cancellations of trains by Northern due to a shortage of train conductors. The Manchester airport-Wilmslow link is one of nine routes that have been closed to trains for the day.
Northern says: “Recently, we have seen higher levels of cancellations in the north west and for that we are sorry. The underlying reason is train crew availability, in particular on Sundays which is contractually outside of the working week.”
In pictures: Early morning dippers dodge the fog in epic sunrise swim
Sunday 29 December 2024 12:36
Barney Davis
Swimmers brave the December chill as fog appears to dissipate above Cullercoats Bay on the north east coast of England.
25cm snow warnings issued over New Year
Sunday 29 December 2024 11:38
Barney Davis
Heavy rain and snow may bring significant disruption in the after New Year, the Met Office has warned.
The forecaster says a band of rain in association with a deep low pressure system moving in from the west pushes east on Wednesday affecting Scotland, North East and swathes of Yorkshire.
They say it’s likely to turn to snow as it moves into cold air across the northern half of the UK.
Around 2-5 cm is expected locally and nearer 10 cm of snow accumulations are possible widely, with 10-15 cm and locally 20-25 cm over hills with significant drifting due to strong winds.
The warning begins at 9am on January 1 and lasts until 3am January 2.
Some London airports reporting clear runways
Sunday 29 December 2024 11:00
Barney Davis
Heathrow, Stansted and Luton Airports said flights had not been affected by the weather as of Sunday morning.
Krakow airport closed with dozens of diversions
Sunday 29 December 2024 10:56
Simon Calder
The airport serving Poland’s most popular tourist city, Krakow, has seen dozens of arriving flights diverted to other cities, or simply cancelled, as fog blankets the area.
Problems began on Saturday, with the Institute of Meteorology warning of “dense fog with very poor visibility – 200m, locally 100m”.
The airport posted on Sunday morning: “According to the weather forecast today, from 9am the weather conditions will improve. Between 12 noon and 3pm a temporary deterioration of weather conditions is expected.”
So far on Sunday 40 flights have been diverted.
The main diversion airport is nearby Katowice, which is where Ryanair flights from London Stansted, Liverpool, Leeds Bradford, Belfast and Newcastle touched down, along with Wizz Air from Luton.
Rzerzow, Wroclaw and Warsaw in Poland, as well as Ostrava in the Czech Republic and the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, are also being used for diversions.
Gatwick airport: Five hour delays to one flight
Sunday 29 December 2024 10:31
Simon Calder
Thousands of passengers arriving at London Gatwick airport overnight endured long delays. Among the longest: an easyJet flight from Enfidha in Tunisia due at 11.10pm, which was over four hours late.
A British Airways jet from Lanzarote touched down at 3.03am, almost four hours behind schedule.
Among flights enduring three-hour delays were easyJet from Marseille and Palma, and BA from Alicante and Las Palmas.
Among Sunday morning arrivals, both Tui planes from Barbados arrived around two hours behind schedule.
The omens for Sunday flights from Gatwick look unfavourable, with easyJet to Grenoble and Montpellier both two hours late. Passengers have been told enigmatically by the airline: “Why is your flight delayed? We’re sorry that your flight has been delayed.”
The longest outbound delay of the day so far is expected to be Wizz Air from Gatwick to Larnaca. The plane was due out at 4.35pm but the airline says it will depart 5h20m late, arriving in Cyprus at 4.30am.
Flight delays caused by the fog may continue into Sunday morning at Gatwick airport
Sunday 29 December 2024 09:26
Barney Davis
A spokesperson for the West Sussex airport said: “Temporary air traffic restrictions have been put in place due to fog causing poor visibility.
“Some flights may be delayed throughout the day.
“London Gatwick apologises for any inconvenience.
“Passengers should contact their airline for further information.”
Disruption caused by thick fog is expected to continue at some airports around London on Sunday.
Sunday 29 December 2024 09:10
Barney Davis
Flights at Stansted Airport were affected by the weather conditions on Saturday, while live departure boards showed delays at Heathrow, Luton and Manchester Airports.
Nats, the UK’s main air traffic control provider, said temporary air restrictions will continue on Sunday as airfields are affected by fog.
A Nats spokesman said: “While the weather conditions have improved, fog continues to affect some airports in London today.
“Temporary air traffic restrictions are therefore in place at airfields with low visibility to maintain safety.
“Our teams are working closely with the airports and airlines to minimise disruption but passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline.”
Fog to turn to snow and heavy rain as New Year flood warning issued
Sunday 29 December 2024 09:02
Tom Watling
How do I qualify for a cash payout if my flight is delayed?
Sunday 29 December 2024 08:00
Jabed Ahmed
If you are flying from a UK/EU airport or on a British/ European airline and are delayed in arrival by at least three hours, the presumption is that you are owed hundreds of pounds in compensation.
The payment depends on distance:
The only way the airline can avoid paying out is by demonstrating “extraordinary circumstances” were responsible.
extraordinary circumstances refers to “political instability, meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned, security risks, unexpected flight safety shortcomings and strikes”.
Full report: Fog grounds dozens more Heathrow and Gatwick flights on one of the busiest weekends of UK winter
Sunday 29 December 2024 07:00
Jabed Ahmed
In the UK and Europe, what can I expect if my flight is delayed?
Sunday 29 December 2024 06:00
Jabed Ahmed
For delays of under two hours you have no rights (unless a short delay in the UK triggers a missed connection and much later arrival at your final ticketed destination – see below).
For longer delays, the airline should provide refreshments as appropriate after a specified length of time. This applies regardless of the cause of the delay.
The time at which the duty of care kicks in depends on the distance you are flying:
- Short flights (up to 1,500km): refreshments after two hours.
- Mid-haul journeys (1,500 to 3,500km): three hours.
- Longer trips: four hours.
Note that if the airline believes providing the care would further delay the flight, it need not deliver.
If the delay extends overnight, the airline is obliged to find and pay for a hotel room. In practice, carriers often say, “too difficult”, and invite the passenger to book their own and reclaim later.
While this practice does not comply fully with the rules, aviation authorities tend to turn a blind eye to it.
72 per cent of all flights departing Heathrow delayed
Sunday 29 December 2024 05:00
Jabed Ahmed
On Saturday, 19 flights at Heathrow have been cancelled so far with another 455 delayed, while at Gatwick, 320 are delayed and 16 have been cancelled.
Roundup: Thick fog continues to cause flight disruption at some of UK’s busiest airports
Sunday 29 December 2024 04:00
Jabed Ahmed
Disruption is continuing at some of the UK’s busiest airports as thick fog blankets the country.
Flights at Stansted airport have been affected by the weather conditions, while live departure boards showed delays at Heathrow, Luton and Manchester airports.
Passengers at Gatwick airport on Saturday morning were warned to expect disruption because of the poor visibility and told to contact their airline for updated information.
Patches of thick fog could reduce visibility to just 100 metres in some areas, the Met Office said.
A spokesperson for the Gatwick said: “Temporary air traffic restrictions have been put in place due to fog causing poor visibility.
“Some flights may be delayed throughout the day.”
Sunday is expected to be the airport’s busiest day during the holiday period, with 769 flights planned.
Nats, the UK’s main air traffic control provider, said temporary air restrictions would remain in place on Saturday in areas with low visibility.
A spokesperson added: “Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety.
“We continue to monitor the situation and have a Met Office expert embedded within our operation to ensure we have the latest available information.”
Fog to turn to snow and heavy rain as New Year flood warning issued
Sunday 29 December 2024 03:00
Jabed Ahmed
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations under threat by fog
Sunday 29 December 2024 01:00
Jabed Ahmed
There is a yellow warning in place for heavy rain and snow in parts of Scotland for Monday and New Year’s Eve on Tuesday.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations could face “significant disruption” from rain, with organisers warning audiences to “prepare for all weather, wrap up warm and double-check with your travel operator for the latest updates”.
Couple forced to prolong Christmas stay with family after flights cancelled
Saturday 28 December 2024 23:21
Jabed Ahmed
Kiera Quayle, from Colchester, Essex, was due to fly from Isle of Man Airport to London Gatwick on Friday evening with her husband after visiting his family – but their flight was delayed by three hours before eventually being cancelled at around 10pm, with their next available journey on Sunday.
“Our five days has turned to seven, it looks like,” Ms Quayle, 30, said.
“It’s frustrating and stressful but I overheard a few families who are now missing holidays and work who have it worse at this point.
“We’re frustrated about the lack of communication – we all knew the flight would likely be cancelled, but just putting it as delayed in an airport where the only food was crisps from the bar wasn’t fair.
“We are splitting our time between in-laws houses as people go back to work and their routines after Christmas – we’re trying not to impose too much at this point and we’re grateful we have places we can stay that aren’t hotels.”
Full report: Fog grounds dozens more Heathrow and Gatwick flights on one of the busiest weekends of UK winter
Saturday 28 December 2024 22:31
Jabed Ahmed
How can you claim for a delayed flight?
Saturday 28 December 2024 21:31
Jabed Ahmed
Each airline should enable you to fill out an online form, but these are sometimes difficult to track down. The pages for three leading airlines are here:
- British Airways (click on “submit a new claim”)
- EasyJet
- Ryanair
Compensation must be paid by bank transfer (or cheque), except if the airline obtains the prior signed agreement of the passenger to pay with vouchers for future travel.
For example, an airline might offer a 30 per cent uplift if you accept vouchers that are valid for a year – so a choice between £350 in cash or £455-worth of flights.
In the UK and Europe, what can I expect if my flight is delayed?
Saturday 28 December 2024 19:29
Simon Calder
For delays of under two hours you have no rights (unless a short delay in the UK triggers a missed connection and much later arrival at your final ticketed destination – see below).
For longer delays, the airline should provide refreshments as appropriate after a specified length of time. This applies regardless of the cause of the delay.
The time at which the duty of care kicks in depends on the distance you are flying:
- Short flights (up to 1,500km): refreshments after two hours.
- Mid-haul journeys (1,500 to 3,500km): three hours.
- Longer trips: four hours.
Note that if the airline believes providing the care would further delay the flight, it need not deliver.
If the delay extends overnight, the airline is obliged to find and pay for a hotel room. In practice, carriers often say, “too difficult”, and invite the passenger to book their own and reclaim later.
While this practice does not comply fully with the rules, aviation authorities tend to turn a blind eye to it.
72 per cent of all flights departing Heathrow delayed
Saturday 28 December 2024 19:25
Jabed Ahmed
On Saturday, 19 flights at Heathrow have been cancelled so far with another 455 delayed, while at Gatwick, 320 are delayed and 16 have been cancelled.
Fog starting to clear, Met Office says
Saturday 28 December 2024 18:55
Jabed Ahmed
Senior forecaster Craig Snell said the situation should improve on Saturday night.
“Tonight, we should start to see a little bit more in the way of breeze developing, so that should start to disperse some of the poorer visibilities across the rest of the UK,” he said.
“So we might start to see some of the fog and low cloud begin to lift as the night goes on, but generally with plenty of cloud around we’re not really expecting any issues with frost or anything like that.”
On Sunday, south-east England could have a “dull start which is expected to brighten with highs of 12C predicted, he added.
Former pilot and author explains why fog causes havoc for modern airports in epic X thread
Saturday 28 December 2024 18:30
Barney Davis
Scott Bateman has sought to explain how the thickest fogs can cause flight disruptions which saw 20,000 passengers affected by delays or cancellations.
Lots of chat about #FogUK today and how this impacts airports. The question that many ask is, “why can’t we just continue as normal as modern aircraft shouldn’t be impacted by fog?… this isn’t wrong but let me try and explain, in a small thread, why it’s not as easy as that… pic.twitter.com/bUHvGOaF4q
— Scott Bateman MBE (@scottiebateman) December 28, 2024
Met Office map shows unsettled weather over New Year
Saturday 28 December 2024 17:30
Barney Davis
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for snow and rain in Scotland next week, warning that heavy downpours may bring “significant disruption” in the build-up to Hogmanay.
The alert is in place for most of Scotland, apart from Orkney and Shetland, on December 30 and 31 during which 50-70mm of rain is possible, with up to 140mm in the west.
Snow is likely in areas north and east of Perthshire, with between 10 and 20cm expected to accumulate on higher ground, according to the forecaster.
A yellow weather warning for wind in northern England on Monday has also been issued – with gusts of up to 60mph possible which may cause travel delays and power cuts.
The warning, in place from 11am to 6pm, covers areas including Durham, Northumberland, Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
The weather is set to turn widely unsettled as we see out the last few days of 2024, with potentially some wet and very windy weather at times
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 28, 2024
Weather warnings are already in force for Monday and New Year's Eve across parts of the north ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/fEoUrCGXkL
Roundup: Thick fog continues to cause flight disruption at some of UK’s busiest airports
Saturday 28 December 2024 16:55
Jabed Ahmed
Disruption is continuing at some of the UK’s busiest airports as thick fog blankets the country.
Flights at Stansted airport have been affected by the weather conditions, while live departure boards showed delays at Heathrow, Luton and Manchester airports.
Passengers at Gatwick airport on Saturday morning were warned to expect disruption because of the poor visibility and told to contact their airline for updated information.
Patches of thick fog could reduce visibility to just 100 metres in some areas, the Met Office said.
A spokesperson for the Gatwick said: “Temporary air traffic restrictions have been put in place due to fog causing poor visibility.
“Some flights may be delayed throughout the day.”
Sunday is expected to be the airport’s busiest day during the holiday period, with 769 flights planned.
Nats, the UK’s main air traffic control provider, said temporary air restrictions would remain in place on Saturday in areas with low visibility.
A spokesperson added: “Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety.
“We continue to monitor the situation and have a Met Office expert embedded within our operation to ensure we have the latest available information.”
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations under threat by fog
Saturday 28 December 2024 16:35
Barney Davis
There is a yellow warning in place for heavy rain and snow in parts of Scotland for Monday and New Year’s Eve on Tuesday.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations could face “significant disruption” from rain, with organisers warning audiences to “prepare for all weather, wrap up warm and double-check with your travel operator for the latest updates”.
Flight delays: What rights do you have to compensation if your plane is late?
Saturday 28 December 2024 15:30
Barney Davis
Fog to turn to snow and heavy rain as New Year flood warning issued
Saturday 28 December 2024 14:52
Barney Davis
With the fog that has smothered the country over the Christmas period expected to lift soon the Met Office has warned of snow and heavy rain causing potential flooding until the New Year.
The forecaster has issued an upgraded yellow heavy rain and snow warning across parts of Scotland kicking in on Monday and lasting until midnight on New Year’s Eve.
In pictures: Yorkshire town shrouded in mist
Saturday 28 December 2024 13:43
Barney Davis
Low-lying fog over Huddersfield, Yorkshire. The murky weather has shrouded much of the country over the past few days and shows little sign of abating yet.
Couple forced to prolong Christmas stay with family after flights cancelled
Saturday 28 December 2024 13:25
Barney Davis
Kiera Quayle, from Colchester, Essex, was due to fly from Isle of Man Airport to London Gatwick on Friday evening with her husband after visiting his family – but their flight was delayed by three hours before eventually being cancelled at around 10pm, with their next available journey on Sunday.
“Our five days has turned to seven, it looks like,” Ms Quayle, 30, said.
“It’s frustrating and stressful but I overheard a few families who are now missing holidays and work who have it worse at this point.
“We’re frustrated about the lack of communication – we all knew the flight would likely be cancelled, but just putting it as delayed in an airport where the only food was crisps from the bar wasn’t fair.
“We are splitting our time between in-laws houses as people go back to work and their routines after Christmas – we’re trying not to impose too much at this point and we’re grateful we have places we can stay that aren’t hotels.”
Flight advice for delayed passengers
Saturday 28 December 2024 12:55
Barney Davis
Passengers for flights delayed more than two hours may be entitled to assistance with providing food and drink or overnight accommodation if necessary, an expert from consumer website Which? said.
Jo Rhodes, Which? travel expert, said: “If your flight is cancelled, you also have the choice of being refunded or rerouted on the next available flight.
“If you choose the latter, then your airline must get you to your destination as soon as possible – including with a rival carrier, if necessary.
“Airlines can sometimes be reluctant to buy you a ticket with their competitors, so don’t be afraid to remind them of this rule if another flight could get you where you need to go quicker than they can.”
Planes emerge from thick mist ahead of landings
Saturday 28 December 2024 12:40
Barney Davis
A plane lands in the mist at Cardiff Airport. The murky weather has shrouded much of the country over the past few days and shows little sign of abating yet.
In some areas, thick fog patches could reduce visibility down to just 100 metres.
Map shows UK shrouded in mist
Saturday 28 December 2024 12:25
Barney Davis
The fog will linger long into the afternoon in the South East, the Met Office has warned in its latest update.
Remaining grey and murky for many parts of England and Wales this afternoon, with some fog lingering in places
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 28, 2024
Scotland and Northern Ireland will see a band of patchy rain sink south, with brighter skies following pic.twitter.com/ustDz6n902
Foggy night at Gatwick leaves passengers delayed - some for 9 hours
Saturday 28 December 2024 12:10
Simon Calder
Passengers to and from London Gatwick airport experienced severe disruption overnight.
Forty-eight flights to and from the Sussex airport were grounded on Friday, half of them on easyJet.
Gatwick is the busiest single-runway airport in the world, and as such is susceptible to disruption.
Many passengers endured long delays as the evening wore on, many flights were around three hours late. The most extreme case was Turkish Airlines from Istanbul, which was nine hours late when it touched down at 6.34am on Saturday.
EasyJet passengers from Nantes arrived at Gatwick five hours behind schedule, at 2.30am.Another easyJet flight, 8556 from Antalya, left the Turkish airport two-and-a-half hours late and diverted to Bari. It is not known what caused the diversion.
A Tui arrival from Sharm el Sheikh ended up in Birmingham.
On Saturday, easyJet cancelled the morning trip from Gatwick to Belfast City and back and an evening flight to Geneva, while Vueling did the same with Barcelona and Valencia rotations.
British Airways cancelled five round-trips from Gatwick on Saturday, which were scheduled for Algiers, Faro, Innsbruck, Malaga and Salzburg.
Snow warning across Scotland issued
Saturday 28 December 2024 11:40
Barney Davis
The Met Office has upgraded a yellow snow and rain warning.
The forecaster says on Monday in the North and east of Perthshire, precipitation is likely to fall as snow, especially over high ground, with 10-20cm accumulating above 150-200 meters.
As milder air pushes in, snow will turn back to rain, and any rapid snow melt will contribute to flooding in places.
⚠️ Yellow weather warning updated ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 28, 2024
Heavy rain and snow across parts of Scotland
Monday 0000 - New Year's Eve 2359
Latest info https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs pic.twitter.com/TuuKVnA6ZS
British Airways grounds dozens of Saturday flights
Saturday 28 December 2024 11:03
Simon Calder
British Airways began the day with 18 cancellations to and from London Heathrow, but that number has sharply increased.
The Independent has now identified 40 grounded flights, including departures to Vienna, Oslo, Barcelona, Rome and Geneva.
Single domestic links to Edinburgh and Glasgow are also cancelled.
Air traffic controller posts thick fog rolling over Heathrow
Saturday 28 December 2024 10:58
Barney Davis
An air traffic controller has shown how flights continued despite visible fog swirling over Heathrow in an amazing timelapse video taken this morning as the sun rose.
It tried its best but we didn’t quite get into #fog at #HeathrowAirport today#avgeek #avgeeks #aviation #Heathrow #timelapse pic.twitter.com/2IecC6hG3W
— Mib (@BT77W) December 28, 2024
Widespread fog causing air traffic restrictions
Saturday 28 December 2024 10:49
Barney Davis
At Manchester airport, 16 departures and 27 arrivals are being delayed due to thick fog between 10.30am and 1pm on Saturday.
National Air Tr