This Article is From Jan 12, 2017

London's Heathrow Airport Cancels 80 Flights After Snow Forecasts

London's Heathrow Airport Cancels 80 Flights After Snow Forecasts

London's Heathrow Airport said it will cancel 80 flights out of the 1,350 scheduled on Thursday.

London: London's Heathrow Airport said it will cancel 80 flights out of the 1,350 scheduled on Thursday as it prepares for forecasts for snow later in the day.

Heathrow, Britain and Europe's busiest airport, said that wintry weather would mean that fewer aircraft can take off and land at its two runways.

The airport operates at full capacity and so has no extra room to reschedule flights during inclement conditions.

"We have taken the decision to reduce the flight schedule on Thursday, to allow airlines to rebook passengers onto un-allocated seats ahead of time where possible," Heathrow said in a statement, advising passengers to check before travelling.

The British government gave Heathrow Airport permission to add a third runway last October but it is not due to be built until 2025.

The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" weather warnings for snow for much of the UK up until Saturday.

Airports, including Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast International and Belfast City airports, were operating as normal with no reported weather-related disruption.

Frequent snow showers and strong winds were expected widely across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the north of England on Thursday.

A combination of high tides and strong winds are expected to result in a large tidal surge down the east coast of England, which the Environment Agency is monitoring.

(With inputs from Reuters and IANS)
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