European aviation hit by snow and ice

News at Heathrow 20/12/2010

Freezing cold white Christmas coming for Britain : 2010 : Govt knew Heathrow had not prepared for heavy snow

Flights were delayed across northern Europe Monday, hitting Christmas travel and shares in carriers.

Across northern Europe, flights were cancelled and delayed as a result of a fresh wave of freezing temperatures and heavy snow. The Arctic weather is wreaking havoc with both holiday travel and airline shares.

In the UK, British Airways said that severe weather continued to cause major disruption to its operations. BA said it expected more travel misery as weather forecasters are calling for further snowfall.

Shares in BA opened down sharply in trading in London Monday morning. The share price recovered by late in the afternoon but the winter travel problems has seen pressure on BA’s share price, which has fallen more than four per cent over the last few days.

At London’s Heathrow airport, heavy snow left only one runway operational. Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded in the terminals over the weekend.

Air France said the heavy weather had led to major delays with flights at both Charles de Gaulle and Orly, the two main airports for Paris. Shipping has also been disrupted, with ground vehicles unable to reach the airport and some night cargo flights being cancelled.

The knock-on effects could harm some of Europe’s industries if parts and materials supplies suffer major disruption. Modern just-in-time inventory management, necessary to meet the economics of auto production today leaves some industries vulnerable to major logistics delays.

Freezing cold white Christmas coming for Britain : 2010 : Govt knew Heathrow had not prepared for heavy snow

Parking at Heathrow

SAVE up to 50% at Heathrow Airport Car Parks. Pre-book to guarantee your heathrow parking booking at the best price. Select your dates below & click for a quote. Pre-book to guarantee the best prices for your booking at Heathrow.

LGW