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| Fog delays hit holiday travellers | Fog delays hit holiday travellers |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of air passengers are facing delays to their Christmas getaway, with fog forcing nearly 140 flights from London airports to be cancelled. | Thousands of air passengers are facing delays to their Christmas getaway, with fog forcing nearly 140 flights from London airports to be cancelled. |
| Some 86 outbound flights from Heathrow, 21 from Gatwick, and 30 from City Airport have been grounded. | Some 86 outbound flights from Heathrow, 21 from Gatwick, and 30 from City Airport have been grounded. |
| Airlines said customers were being offered alternative flights or refunds. | Airlines said customers were being offered alternative flights or refunds. |
| Fog has also affected parts of the M1, M4, M5, M6, M25 and M40 motorways. The BBC Weather Centre said visibility had dropped to 50m (164ft) in places. | Fog has also affected parts of the M1, M4, M5, M6, M25 and M40 motorways. The BBC Weather Centre said visibility had dropped to 50m (164ft) in places. |
| However, forecasters expected the fog to clear in the early hours of Monday - giving way to milder, wetter weather - and they said rain was likely across the UK on Christmas Eve. | However, forecasters expected the fog to clear in the early hours of Monday - giving way to milder, wetter weather - and they said rain was likely across the UK on Christmas Eve. |
| Check with airlines | Check with airlines |
| Of the 86 flights cancelled at Heathrow, most are short-haul flights from Terminal 1, Terminal 2 or Terminal 4. Destinations include Edinburgh, Dublin, Milan and Rome. | Of the 86 flights cancelled at Heathrow, most are short-haul flights from Terminal 1, Terminal 2 or Terminal 4. Destinations include Edinburgh, Dublin, Milan and Rome. |
| At Gatwick, the 21 cancelled flights included those with British Airways and Easyjet. The flights were bound for Amsterdam, Manchester, Newquay and Jersey. | At Gatwick, the 21 cancelled flights included those with British Airways and Easyjet. The flights were bound for Amsterdam, Manchester, Newquay and Jersey. |
| I had my flight booked on the Friday night and it's been cancelled from City Airport... because of the fog. And then they rescheduled my flight on Sunday... and it's been cancelled again Passenger Stephanie Adam | I had my flight booked on the Friday night and it's been cancelled from City Airport... because of the fog. And then they rescheduled my flight on Sunday... and it's been cancelled again Passenger Stephanie Adam |
| A spokeswoman at City Airport said 30 departures by Swissair, British Airways and Air France had been cancelled due to the fog, as well as a similar number of arrivals. | A spokeswoman at City Airport said 30 departures by Swissair, British Airways and Air France had been cancelled due to the fog, as well as a similar number of arrivals. |
| Visibility was not improving, and efforts were being made to book passengers onto other flights, she added. | Visibility was not improving, and efforts were being made to book passengers onto other flights, she added. |
| She said passengers due to take flights on Monday should check with their airlines in the morning. | She said passengers due to take flights on Monday should check with their airlines in the morning. |
| Passenger Stephanie Adam has had to scrap plans to see her parents in Basel, north-west Switzerland, for Christmas. | Passenger Stephanie Adam has had to scrap plans to see her parents in Basel, north-west Switzerland, for Christmas. |
| "I had my flight booked on the Friday night and it's been cancelled from City Airport... because of the fog. And then they rescheduled my flight on Sunday, today, and it's been cancelled again because of the fog." | "I had my flight booked on the Friday night and it's been cancelled from City Airport... because of the fog. And then they rescheduled my flight on Sunday, today, and it's been cancelled again because of the fog." |
| Dozens of inbound journeys to the UK have also been affected by the weather, with some flights cancelled and others diverted to alternative airports. | Dozens of inbound journeys to the UK have also been affected by the weather, with some flights cancelled and others diverted to alternative airports. |
| On an average day, a total of 1,250 flights arrive and depart from Heathrow. | On an average day, a total of 1,250 flights arrive and depart from Heathrow. |
| A spokesman said that 181,000 passengers were expected in Heathrow's terminals on Sunday, slightly fewer than Saturday when 214,000 passed through. | A spokesman said that 181,000 passengers were expected in Heathrow's terminals on Sunday, slightly fewer than Saturday when 214,000 passed through. |
| Passengers are being advised to check with their airline for further information before travelling. | Passengers are being advised to check with their airline for further information before travelling. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Every year it is the same story. Cancelled flights, traffic jams, stranded at airports and train stations Brenda Lyall, Aberdeen Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY Every year it is the same story. Cancelled flights, traffic jams, stranded at airports and train stations Brenda Lyall, Aberdeen Send us your comments |
| British Airways said all its customers facing cancellations would be refunded or offered the chance to re-book their flight on other available services. | British Airways said all its customers facing cancellations would be refunded or offered the chance to re-book their flight on other available services. |
| A spokesman for Easyjet said the company had also only cancelled flights where there had been alternative options for passengers. | A spokesman for Easyjet said the company had also only cancelled flights where there had been 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. | "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. No-one is going to be left behind." | "Those passengers have been re-booked on flights going today and tomorrow. No-one is going to be left behind." |
| Sam Cooper, in London, told the BBC she was waiting for her partner to arrive from Edinburgh after his flight to Gatwick was cancelled and then rescheduled to Stansted. | Sam Cooper, in London, told the BBC she was waiting for her partner to arrive from Edinburgh after his flight to Gatwick was cancelled and then rescheduled to Stansted. |
| "Fog is something we cannot control, let's be grateful for the staff helping everybody at this very busy time," she said. | "Fog is something we cannot control, let's be grateful for the staff helping everybody at this very busy time," she said. |
| Rail options | Rail options |
| Virgin Rail said there was still room on the company's pre-Christmas services for stranded air travellers. | Virgin Rail said there was still room on the company's pre-Christmas services for stranded air travellers. |
| A company spokesman added: "Our trains are running normally and there are still seats available. We'll do everything we can to help." | A company spokesman added: "Our trains are running normally and there are still seats available. We'll do everything we can to help." |
| YOUR PICTURES Fog in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire. More of your pictures | |
| Stansted and Southampton airports - hit by fog in previous days - both said they were operating a normal service. | Stansted and Southampton airports - hit by fog in previous days - both said they were operating a normal service. |
| On the roads, fog delayed traffic on the M6 and the M40 motorways. | On the roads, fog delayed traffic on the M6 and the M40 motorways. |
| Trafficmaster said the east Midlands, the north of England and Scotland were particularly badly affected. | Trafficmaster said the east Midlands, the north of England and Scotland were particularly badly affected. |
| Problems were also reported on the M1, M4, M62, M60, M25 and the M5. | Problems were also reported on the M1, M4, M62, M60, M25 and the M5. |
| A 16-vehicle pile-up on the M5 near Bristol also caused delays. The crash at 5.30pm involved 15 cars and a coach and closed the motorway between junctions 17 and 18 for an hour. | |
| A woman was airlifted to hospital with spinal injuries. | |
| Engineering works | Engineering works |
| Earlier, motorists travelling from Sussex into Surrey on the northbound stretch of the M23 faced disruption following two accidents - one south of Gatwick Airport and another south of the junction for the M25, near Redhill. | |
| Meanwhile in Northamptonshire, two crashes - one on the A14 at the junction with the M1 and another at the A421 at Evenley near Brackley - also caused long delays. | Meanwhile in Northamptonshire, two crashes - one on the A14 at the junction with the M1 and another at the A421 at Evenley near Brackley - also caused long delays. |
| The busiest days on the roads after Friday's mass getaway are expected to be 27 and 28 December. | The busiest days on the roads after Friday's mass getaway are expected to be 27 and 28 December. |
| Rail travellers could yet face problems over the festive period because the West Coast Mainline is partially closing at Rugby for five days from 27 December. | Rail travellers could yet face problems over the festive period because the West Coast Mainline is partially closing at Rugby for five days from 27 December. |
| Passengers are being advised to take alternative routes, such as the National Express East Coast, the Transpennine Express or Chiltern Trains into London Marylebone. | Passengers are being advised to take alternative routes, such as the National Express East Coast, the Transpennine Express or Chiltern Trains into London Marylebone. |
| Have your travel plans been affected by the weather? Send us your comments by filling out the form below | Have your travel plans been affected by the weather? Send us your comments by filling out the form below |