Holiday plans disrupted by thick fog

A dense fog over areas of England forced many travellers to change their holiday plans as flights were cancelled and motorways were jammed on Sunday. The conditions are expected to ease up and yield to mild rain by Christmas Eve.

Passengers affected by the almost 140 cancelled departures from London airports received rescheduled tickets or refunds, according to airlines. At Heathrow, 86 flights were cancelled, while Gatwick cancelled 21 flights. Incoming flights were also cancelled or diverted to other airports.

A spokesperson from City Airport said 30 departures and around 30 arrivals were cancelled in response to the weather. She advised those travelling on Monday to contact their airlines before leaving.

An Easyjet spokesperson said the airline chose to cancel only flights that had alternative options for passengers. "Because the fog caused just a reduction in capacity, we had reasonable amount of flexibility to choose which flights to cancel," he said.

"Those passengers have been re-booked on flights going today and tomorrow," he continued. "No one is going to be left behind."

Sections of the M1, M4, M5, M6, M25 and M40 motorways were affected by the fog, with the east Midlands, Scotland and the north of England experiencing the most severe delays, according to Trafficmaster.

According to the BBC Weather Centre, visibility in some areas was as low as 50m.

 

Accidents on the M5, the M23 and the M25 caused traffic delays as well.

Railways may offer a convenient alternative for travellers, as 27 and 28 December are predicted to be the busiest upcoming days on the motorways.

A spokesperson for Virgin Rail said pre-Christmas services were still open for reservation. "Our trains are running normally and there are still seats available. We'll do everything we can to help," he said.

Travellers planning to use the West Coast Mainline are advised to choose an alternate route due to a five-day closure at Rugby on 27 December.


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Zoe Westof Editorial


24/12/2007



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