Heathrow cancels MORE flights as airport at breaking point - affected airlines IN FULL
HEATHROW has cancelled more flights on Thursday morning amid chaotic scenes. The UK's busiest airport has asked airlines to remove flights from its schedule.
Simon Calder says 'long queues' to check-in at Heathrow Airport
Heathrow asked airlines to remove 30 flights from schedules on Thursday morning. It said it was expecting more passengers than it could currently cope with.
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Over 1,000 flights were scheduled to leave on Thursday as British tourists try to get away for a holiday.
The airport said the cancellations were necessary for safety reasons and to ensure as many passengers as possible get away.
It said that individual airlines would contact all affected passengers on Thursday.
British Airways said a “handful” of its flights were affected by the cancellations.
It said: "As a result of Heathrow's requirement for all airlines to reduce their schedules, we've made a small number of cancellations.
"We're in contact with affected customers to apologise, advise them of their consumer rights and offer them alternative options, including a refund or rebooking."
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Which flights have been affected? List in full
A total of 31 LHR flights have been cancelled between 6.55am and 12pm today, with further cancellations listed throughout the afternoon. According to the official Heathrow Departures site, the following flights have been cancelled:
- 1.05am British Airways LHR to Hamburg - BA962
- 11.05am Airline Canada LHR to Halifax - AC869
For a full list of cancellations, please click here to find out flight times and numbers.
Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, Brussels Airlines and Air Canada are also affected.
Travel writer and broadcaster Andy Mossack wrote on Twitter: "Total chaos at Heathrow this morning. British Airways flights cancelled and zero customer service!"
Another affected passenger, Andrew Douglas, described how he was due to be on a flight to go on holiday but had "spent the last four hours in multiple queues at Heathrow Airport because it's been cancelled".
He added: "Absolute shambles, complete chaos and only found out at check-in with no prior notification. Horrific service."
Heathrow made a similar decision to cancel flights earlier this month due to issues with baggage after technical problems with handling equipment caused a mountain of luggage to build up.
The airport asked airlines to cancel flights until the problem could be resolved and some passengers had to leave without luggage.
Heathrow said: "We will work with airlines to get affected passengers rebooked onto other flights outside of the peak so that as many as possible can get away, and we apologise for the impact this has on travel plans. We are working hard to ensure everyone has a smooth journey through Heathrow this summer, and the most important thing is to make sure that all service providers at the airport have enough resources to meet demand."
Thousands of staff left the aviation industry during the pandemic and the sector has struggled to replace them.
At airports, a lack of security staff has caused long queues for passengers while airlines have also struggled.
British Airways passengers could face chaotic scenes at Heathrow Airport later this summer as staff are due to strike.
Some BA ground staff have voted for strike action over an ongoing pay dispute. Dates have yet to be announced but are likely to impact peak school holiday period.
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Rory Boland, editor of Which?Travel said: “Heathrow knew how many passengers were due to fly from the airport weeks ago, so there is absolutely no excuse for it to be ordering on-the-day flight cancellations. These last-minute cancellations are hugely upsetting for travellers.
“British Airways and any airline forced to cancel journeys must inform customers of their refund and rebooking rights, including alternative flights with rival carriers, if that is the best option.
“Airports and airlines need to be held to account for the unacceptable disruption travellers have faced in recent months. Reform of travel rules is desperately needed, and the government should give the CAA direct fining powers so it can properly hold operators to account and drop plans to slash passenger compensation for delayed and cancelled domestic flights.”
Passengers with a cancelled flight are entitled to a new flight on their intended day of travel if one is available. This is the case even if the only available flight is on a rival airline.
Britons could be entitled to cash compensation if their flight is cancelled with less than two weeks' notice.
