Thousands of British Airways customers at Heathrow have had flights cancelled again yesterday after disruption from snow and ice at the weekend.
The airline, the main operator at the UK’s busiest airport, was particularly impacted after worse weather than forecast hit Heathrow from Sunday morning.
BA cancelled 170 flights on Sunday, meaning many planes and crew were out of position yesterday. More than 100 flights BA were cancelled by yesterday afternoon.
Heathrow said it was operating three-quarters of its schedule yesterday, although many flights were also delayed.
Passengers shared pictures on social media showing long queues and chaotic scenes in parts of Heathrow airport on Sunday night, with some complaining of a lack of information and compensation from BA. Some arrival flights were diverted, and those that did land were delayed due to a lack of available stands.
The airline, which operates around half of all flights from Heathrow, promised to rebook passengers on other carriers or via other routes where possible. It was offering refunds to passengers who decided not to travel.
Heathrow urged passengers to check the status of their flight with airlines before coming to the airport.
The disruption, which could affect up to 50,000 BA passengers, has again raised questions over Heathrow’s preparation for winter. The airport was criticised in December 2010 when five inches of snow reduced its operating schedule over five days, leading to an immediate announcement of £10mn in snow-clearing equipment.
Further investment followed an inquiry into its winter resilience, including a doubling of its snowclearing fleet to 130 vehicles. But the comparative rarity of snow at Heathrow has meant some measures, such as more de-icing equipment beside the runways, have not been seen as justified or practicable.

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