UK Air Travellers Face Widespread Disruptions Due to Persistent Fog

AFP | London, United Kingdom

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Air travel in the United Kingdom was severely disrupted on Saturday as a dense blanket of fog continued to cover much of the country, grounding flights and hindering landings and take-offs. The adverse weather conditions led to significant delays and cancellations at major airports, including London’s Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted, as well as Manchester and Belfast, according to Flightradar24, a real-time flight tracking service.

At Heathrow, the nation’s busiest airport, hundreds of flights were delayed, with more than half of departing flights affected. Gatwick experienced similar challenges, reporting delays and over a dozen cancelled departures. The disruption added to issues faced on Friday, when the same foggy conditions began to impact operations.

“As widespread fog continues to affect some UK airports today, temporary air traffic restrictions remain in place at locations with low visibility,” NATS, the UK’s air traffic control authority, announced. NATS emphasized that the measures were essential for maintaining safety and assured passengers that its teams were working closely with airports and airlines to minimize the disruption.

The Met Office, Britain’s weather agency, warned that in some areas, visibility was reduced to as low as 100 metres (328 feet) due to the thick fog patches.

Passengers are being urged to check with their airlines for the latest updates on their flights and to prepare for potential delays as the weather continues to impact travel plans.