Flights
British Airways has this morning cancelled up to 23 flights out of Heathrow
and 8 Gatwick flights owing to adverse weather. The flights were mostly to
domestic and short-haul destinations – and any affected passengers are being
offered a new flight or full refund on their ticket.
A spokesman told Times Online: “We are experiencing delays and cancellations
at Heathrow and Gatwick although the situation is improving. We’re advising
passengers to check
the website before leaving home for the airport.”
Flybe has also cancelled flights from airports in the south and west of
England but is advising passengers to check
in as normal.
Other carriers reporting disruption include Ryanair, which has higher than
usual delays
today owing to strong winds and easyJet, which is reporting a few
disruptions including a Gatwick-Belfast
flight cancellation and some delays to mostly Paris services.
The worst affected airports are in the south west of the country. Bristol
Airport was closed for two hours briefly this morning because of wind
gusts up to 51 knots but has now reopened, but the airport’s operators are
warning of delays to baggage loading and flight departures. Passengers are
being advised to check in as normal though.
At Cardiff
Airport a Paris flight has been cancelled and there are minor delays.
Ferries
The Port of Dover has been closed due to high winds. This means all ferry
services in and out of the port have been suspended. It has also caused a
backlog of traffic around the roads leading to the Kent port, so motorists
are being advised to avoid the area.
The Port of Dover carries contact details for the four non-freight ferry
companies that operate from Dover on its
website. Passengers with bookings are being advised to contact their
ferry operator direct.
Other south coast ports affected by the weather include Portsmouth, where P&O
Ferries cancelled a number of Bilbao services.
An ongoing strike by SeaFrance workers
is adding to the disruptions. All SeaFrance crossings are currently
suspended and passengers with bookings in the next 48 hours are being told
to call 0871 22 22 500.
Trains
Ten rail operators across England and Wales are reporting delays owing to
speed restrictions.
In a statement National Rail said: “Severe weather is affecting England and
Wales and causing major disruption to the rail network.
As a precaution temporary speed restrictions have been imposed from the start
of service today, Monday 10 March on parts of the rail network. This may
lead to increased journey times and passengers should allow extra time to
complete their journeys.”
Passengers looking for delays to specific rail services can link through to
the relevant rail operators from the National
Rail website.
