Over 100,000 Passengers Left Stranded as BA Battles Wintry Conditions

CF7AXK A BA (British Airways) airplane passes an A30 road sign beside Heathrow Airport, London, UK (close to Hatton Cross station).

Icy and snowy conditions in Britain and Europe have forced the carrier to delay and cancel hundreds of flights.

British Airways (BA) passengers flying into and out of London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) have been left stranded after the carrier was forced to delay and cancel flights due to wintry weather, the Independent reports. Poor conditions have seen numerous UK and European flights scrapped early this week and caused numerous cancellations among the carrier’s long-haul routes.

As of Tuesday morning, the outlet reports that approximately 100,000 passengers have been affected by these cancellations from its main hub.

Travelers voiced their frustration with the carrier amid mounting cancellations and delays. One man, identified only as Mike, told the outlet that he had traveled from Dubai to Glasgow and had been due to arrive at his destination at 9 a.m. local time on Monday. Delayed by eight hours, the passenger said that when he did eventually disembark, there were no BA representatives available to assist travelers.

Sarah Griffiths, who’s parents were stranded in the Italian city of Pisa, shared a similar story. “A BA rep finally appeared yesterday evening and they were taken to a hotel. This morning they were told the first flight available would be on Tuesday, but then they were told to be at reception in one hour’s time.”

This BA flight, like so many others over the past few days, finally departed after a lengthy delay.

A spokesperson for the carrier apologized to passengers, saying, “We are very sorry that customers continue to suffer from the disruption to flights at Heathrow caused by the severe weather conditions that have affected airports across northern Europe. Time spent on de-icing aircraft to ensure safe operation plus air traffic control restrictions and the repositioning of aircraft and crews from yesterday have led to further cancellations and delays today.”

“We understand how frustrating this experience is for customers and we are offering refunds for those who no longer wish to travel from Heathrow today or tomorrow regardless of whether their flight is canceled or not. We are also offering the opportunity for anyone not wishing to travel today or tomorrow to rebook their flight up until 18 December,” they added.

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