At Stansted Airport, all flights have been halted
after the runway had to be closed due to inclement weather.
After snow, ice, and freezing fog enveloped the UK,
flights at Heathrow and Gatwick were also cancelled or delayed.
Scotland, London, and south-west England are still
under a yellow weather warning, and the disruption is expected to last into
Monday morning.
Following multiple highway incidents, trains have
also been delayed and drivers have been urged to exercise caution.
On Sunday night, Stansted announced that all flights
had been cancelled and that its single runway had been shut down to remove
snow.
The safety of the aircraft and the passengers is of
the utmost importance, the spokesman continued. "Delays to flights were
previously encountered owing to aircraft de-icing, which is a ground handler's
responsibility."
James Love reported to the BBC that he spent many
hours at Stansted trapped aboard a Loganair aircraft that was unable to take
off.
He explained, "The captain wants to de-ice the wing. But by the time the ground crew arrived to complete that task and the plane was prepared, the runway had closed, so we had to stand back up.
The crew, on the other hand, he claimed, had been
fantastic and had "made the whole affair a lot better, or at least as good
as can be for this type of circumstance."
Heathrow and Gatwick affected
The freezing fog that caused air traffic control
limitations on the number of planes that could land and depart each hour caused
more than 50 flights at Heathrow to be cancelled on Sunday.
The airport claimed that it was doing its best to
get travellers to their destinations as swiftly as possible while maintaining
their safety.
A spokesman stated, "We recommend travellers to
verify their flight status with their airline for the most up-to-date
information."
The largest airline serving Heathrow, British
Airways, issued an apology to its passengers and said it was refunding or
rebooking any passengers whose flights were cancelled, offering refreshments
and hotel vouchers as required.
It stated that Heathrow would again limit flights
into and out of the airport on Monday, causing more congestion.
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Due to unforeseen snowfall, Gatwick Airport briefly closed one of its runways at 17:55 GMT on Sunday. It reopened the runway at 20:00 when the weather was safer.
28 more planes were diverted to other airports while a handful of flights were delayed or cancelled due to the shutdown.
A representative stated, "Every attempt is being made to bring these planes back to Gatwick tonight."
"Freezing weather is predicted to persist this
evening, which might result in more delays at the airport.
Before leaving for the airport, passengers are urged
to verify the status of their flights with the airline and the local travel
conditions. This applies to those travelling tonight and the next day.
An official from London Luton Airport issued a
warning that there could be flight disruptions and suggested that customers
give themselves additional time to get to the airport.
Numerous flights were impacted on Saturday as Manchester Airport stopped both runways due to "heavy snowfall."
On Sunday, some travellers voiced their displeasure at the paucity of information provided by the airlines on the cancellations.
Others said that the ice weather had made it
impossible for them to exit flights.
They were unable to confirm if flights will be
cancelled on Monday at Stansted or Gatwick.
Railway
and road disruption
On Sunday, there were several road accidents as a result of the heavy snowfall and the hazardous driving conditions that were present.
1. The
M54 in Shropshire was closed between junctions 3 and 2, and there was also
heavy traffic on the M5 slip road to the M6.
2. According
to Highways England, a multi-vehicle collision between junctions 11A and 12
near Quedgeley caused the southbound M5 in Gloucestershire to be closed.
3. Following
incidents on other highways, such as the M58, M62, and M61, motorists in
north-west England were also cautioned to drive carefully.
4. Due
to heavy snow, National Highways has advised road users in the South East not
to drive on Sunday evening.
The AA issued a warning to drivers on Monday morning
to prepare for the cold temperatures.
According to Sean Sidley of the AA, "if you
don't modify your pace and driving style in colder weather, risks like black
ice can be fatal on a frosty morning."